Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) Thailand

The report examines the environmental challenges facing Thailand's fisheries sector, which is a major global exporter of fish and shrimp. It highlights the depletion of demersal fish stocks due to overcapacity and inappropriate gear, and the degradation of mangroves and aquatic environments caused by intensive aquaculture. While regulatory frameworks and voluntary standards like the 'Thai Quality Shrimp' label exist, the report warns that further trade liberalization may exacerbate these pressures unless coupled with effective management, stronger enforcement, and a shift toward sustainable, certified production.

• Thailand is a global leader in fish exports, ranking second after China, with export earnings reaching nearly US$4.9 billion in 2005.
• Marine capture fisheries are severely depleted, with total catches remaining largely stagnant since 1995 due to the over-exploitation of demersal fish resources.
• The expansion of aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming for export to the U.S. and Japan, has led to the destruction of mangrove forests and environmental degradation from effluent discharges.
• There is a significant gap in the adoption of shrimp industry standards: while about two-thirds of farms follow Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP) for food safety, only 107 of approximately 30,000 farms were certified under the environmental Code of Conduct (CoC) as of September 2006.
• Trade liberalization is expected to increase fishing efforts and aquaculture production, potentially worsening fish stock declines and environmental damage if management schemes remain ineffective.
• The fish processing industry consumes significant amounts of fresh water and energy and releases effluents with high levels of nitrates, phosphates, and organic matter, though specific data on the scale of these impacts is scarce.

APA

Baumüller, H. (2007). Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) Thailand. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rtea_thai_fisheries.pdf

Chicago

Baumüller, Heike. Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) Thailand. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2007. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rtea_thai_fisheries.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baumüller |first1=Heike |title=Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) Thailand |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2007 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rtea_thai_fisheries.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baumller2007rapid, author = {Baumüller, Heike}, title = {{Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) Thailand}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2007}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rtea_thai_fisheries.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }