Abstract:
This research is survey research to study the awareness of marine resource conservation among barges crewmen at Koh Sichang Port, Chonburi Province. Factors affecting the awareness of marine resource conservation such as media exposure, knowledge, understanding, and attitudes on the awareness of marine resource conservation were collected by using questionnaires from 400 respondents. The statistics used were descriptive statistics which were the frequency distribution, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were used to test the hypotheses and analyse the relationship between factors affecting the awareness of marine resource conservation by multiple regression analysis at the significant level of 0.05. The study results revealed that most of the barges crewmen were between 35-40 years of age (51%), with work experience between 6-15 years (64.75%) and income range from 20,000 to over 25,000 baht (72.75%). Most of the barges crewmen were domiciled in the central and north-eastern parts of the country. The majority of the barges crewmen neither separate their food wastes (79.20%) nor recyclable wastes (57.30%). Most of the barge owners (81.9%) did not provide either trash bags or bins for the barges crewmen. It was found that personal factors, such as age, work experience, income status, and domicile had no effects on the marine resource conservation awareness of the crewmen. The awareness of marine resource conservation among the barges crewmen was positively correlated with knowledge and understanding of marine resource conservation, as well as their attitude towards marine resource conservation. Overall, the barges crewmen were aware of marine resource conservation at a high level; and recognized the values of the marine resources that should be conserved. However, due to the limitations of the living space as well as ways of living on the barges, there were not many options for the crewmen to manage their garbage and wastewaters.