Tourism_Parading Shrimp_Thailand

Affiliation
IIED
Type of wild species covered by the record
Wild species used in its natural habitat
Stage of the value chain covered by the record
Unknown/not recorded
Record Source
Scientific publication (e.g., journal articles and book chapters independently peer-reviewed)

“Shrimp Watching” Ecotourism in Thailand: Toward Sustainable Management Policy

Unknown/not recorded
Is the species endemic HIDE
Unknown
Population Status
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
National Level
Unknown/not recorded
Threats/Pressures impacting the conservation of the species
Population Trend
Unknown/not recorded
Sub-national Level
Unknown/not recorded
Name
Emma Hemmerlé
Scientific Name
Macrobrachium dienbienphuense
Common Name(s)
Parading shrimp
Type of Use
Non-Extractive
Are specific characteristics/traits being targeted?
Unknown/not recorded
Purpose of Use
Basic subsistence (meeting day to day essential needs)
Income generation from trade at individual or household or community
Recreational
Additional Details (if available)

ecotourism event where tourists visit Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand to witness a mass migration of freshwater shrimp that emerge from the water and move across land known as “shrimp parading.”

What is the main end use for any living organisms, parts or products taken/extracted?
What is the trend in the level of offtake within the period covered by this record?
Additional Details (if available)

The activity involves wildlife watching, The only management plan that focuses on the mitigation of anthropogenic threats on the shrimp is the prohibition of harvesting the parading shrimp in the tourist site.

Geographic Location
Country
Thailand
Name
Ubon Ratchathani
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
National external (individual, groups. e.g., hunters, anglers, photographers, tourists)
International external (individual, groups. e.g., hunters, anglers, photographers, tourists)
If more than one box ticked, please provide more details

“Shrimp Watching” tourism is a type of ecotourism and; each year, tourists from all around Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia travel to this place to witness the unique mass migration of freshwater shrimp known as “Parading Shrimp”

Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Yes – use is negatively affecting the status (e.g., population is declining; extraction effort is increasing)
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Unknown/not reported
Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Details of assessment carried out

“shrimp parading.” As this has been developed into a tourist event, the number of migrating shrimp have declined, suggesting that it may be unsustainable as currently practiced.

Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
No
Contribution to GDP
Unknown/not recorded
Medicine/healthcare
Training/Skills
Land/Resource Rights
Decision Making
Social Cohesion
Conflict- people
Conflict- wildlife
Climate Change
Has the use of the species been recorded as resulting in changes to human health in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the species in use been noted as being of particular disease risk to humans?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the use of the species resulted in changes to animal welfare in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Are there particular practices which have increased the risk to human or animal health or welfare in the use of this species?
Unknown/not recorded
Does the use of this species increase susceptibility to pathogen spread?
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Biological characteristics of target species
Absent
Establishment and implementation of species and/or area management plan
Present
Source Reference(s)

Hongjamrassilp W, Traiyasut P and Blumstein DT (2021) “Shrimp Watching” Ecotourism in Thailand: Toward Sustainable Management Policy. Front. Conserv. Sci. 1:624239. doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2020.624239

observations suggest that the parading shrimp populations have decreased over the past 5 years, and some reports indicate that this is due to the newly-developed presence of tourists at their site of migration; particularly, lights from tourists' flashlights might be responsible for this. In our case study, we found that light from flashlight and mobile phones that tourists use force the shrimp to walk back to the river which results in them getting washed downstream. The consequence of this action has not been well-studied but have been hypothesized that the shrimp might end up be eaten by other predators downstream;

Who is involved in the use?
Is there any gender/age specificity in the various roles
Unknown/not recorded
How many of these local jobs accure to the following categories?
How many people outside the local area are employed
Is there any evidence of other economic benefits associated with this use beyond direct income and jobs
Unknown/Not recorded
Scale of Assessment
IUCN National Red List Category
IUCN Global Red List Category
Yearly Financial Flows
Other
N/A
Yes, considered unsustainable
Country reference