In 2001, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and the Department of Fisheries (DOF) in Thailand conducted the collaborative pilot project on coastal fishery resources management with the cooperation of local fishing communities and other stakeholders, community groups and local administrative authorities in Pathew District, Chumphon Province under the auspice of Japanese Trust Fund – 1(JTF-1). The Chumphon Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (CMDEC) served as the core implementing counterpart and Chumphon Provincial and Pathew District Offices of Fisheries as the collaborating agencies. The purpose of the project was to establish a practical framework for locally-based coastal resource management by encouraging fishermen’s participation supported by the creation of alternative job opportunities in coastal fishing communities. 

The collaborative pilot project was initially named “Locally Based Coastal Resources Management in Pathew District (LBCRM-PD)” which was implemented from 2001 to 2006.  The name of the project was changed to Integrated Coastal Resources Management in Pathew District (ICRM-PD) in 2004. The project site covered an area of approximately 117 km² in Pakklong Sub-district, Pathew District, Chumphon Province. There are seven villages, composed 879 households with total population of 4,152, which are engaged in capture fisheries, coastal aquaculture and agriculture. The various fishing gears are Indo-pacific mackerel gill net, squid cast nets with light luring, blue swimming crab gill nets, shrimp trammel net, mullet gill nets, anchovy falling net with light luring, collapsible crab trap and cuttlefish traps and various kinds of small-scale fishing gear. For aquaculture, cage culture of fish and pond culture of shrimps are practiced. Rubber, coconut and palm oil are the major income sources for agriculture.