Mangroves Drive Fisheries Revival in Gulf of Thailand, Offer Global Environmental Benefits

The Gulf of Thailand, specifically near the Cambodian village of Koh Kresna, currently supports a strong seafood fishery, according to local leader Khiev Sat. This positive situation contrasts sharply with a past period when local waters were largely empty due to declining fish stocks, a global issue attributed to climate change, environmental degradation, and overfishing.

The success and sustainability of Koh Kresna's fishery are directly linked to the presence of thriving mangrove forests.

Mangroves: Essential Nurseries for Marine Life

Radhika Bhargava Gajre, a coastal geographer and mangrove researcher at the National University of Singapore, emphasizes that healthy fisheries worldwide depend on intact mangrove forests, as their submerged roots serve as vital nurseries for juvenile fish.

Mangroves are semiaquatic plants uniquely adapted to salty water, featuring elaborate root systems. These systems not only anchor the plants against waves and wind but also create a protected environment. This sheltered habitat supports an estimated 800 billion young fish, prawns, and crustaceans annually, according to a 2024 analysis by various organizations.

Threats and Local Restoration Success

Despite their critical role, the future of mangrove ecosystems is precarious. Approximately half of all mangrove ecosystems are projected to be at risk of collapse by 2050, a stark warning issued by the United Nations. Major threats include deforestation for aquaculture, logging for charcoal, extensive coastal development, widespread pollution, and the encroaching impact of rising sea levels. Historically, political instability in Cambodia also led to widespread mangrove cutting for sustenance, further exacerbating declines.

In the face of decimated local fisheries, communities like Koh Kresna took decisive action. They began educating residents on the indispensable importance of mangroves. Since 2003, Koh Kresna, alongside Lok village, has actively managed a community fishery organization. This organization meticulously oversees sustainable seafood harvesting and is dedicated to protecting over 145 acres of vital mangrove forest. Their efforts have also included planting more than 2,000 mangrove saplings, supported by international organizations.

Global Impact and Broader Environmental Contributions

Encouragingly, global mangrove decline has shown signs of slowing. A 2023 U.N. analysis reported a 44% decrease in net loss between 2010 and 2020 compared to the previous decade. Bhargava Gajre attributes this positive trend primarily to dedicated community stewardship.

Beyond their direct support for fisheries, mangroves offer significant and far-reaching environmental benefits:

• Storm Protection: Their intricate root systems are crucial for reducing coastal erosion and absorbing powerful storm surges, thereby protecting inland areas from devastating flooding. Research highlights this, noting that villages with more mangroves experienced fewer deaths during a major cyclone in India in 1999.
• Carbon Sequestration: Mangrove forests are exceptionally efficient at trapping planet-warming carbon. Dead leaves and branches are buried and decompose slowly in the unique anaerobic soil conditions, allowing mangroves to store up to four times more carbon than other forest types. Remarkably, despite constituting only 0.2% of Earth's forests, they contribute approximately 2% of global carbon removal.