Founder, Yadfon Association, Thailand

How does Pisit help fishermen earn a better living?

By the early 1990s, Thailand had lost over 50% of its mangroves due to coastal development. As the mangroves disappeared, fish and plant species died off, and the local fishermen found it harder and harder to earn a living. Chopping down the remaining mangroves for charcoal became one of the few reliable ways for people to make money. In 1985, Pisit Chansanoh, a native of a coastal fishing village, created the Yadfon Association based on the insight based on the insight that saving mangroves would lead to better livelihoods for villagers.

Yadfon Association began designating mangrove forests as a 'community-managed forests,' which meant that they would be cared for by local residents. By working together, the fishermen soon learned how to protect the mangroves rather than exploit them, and they started earning a sustainable living. Pisit began replicating this model across fishing villages, and the Thai Forest Service soon adopted his model as the national strategy for mangrove conservation. Pisit has helped save over 2000 acres of mangroves and is now expanding his work globally.