The report of a joint FAO/Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Government of Thailand (MOAC) detailed technical damage and needs assessment mission in the fisheries and agriculture sectors. The most severe damage in terms of economic losses in the overall agriculture sector (fisheries, livestock and crop) were recorded in Phang-Nga (US$ 24.3 million) which shared over 50 percent of the total losses, followed by Phuket (19 percent) and Krabi (11 percent). The fisheries sector was most severe ly hit by the tsunami. The total damage to the fisheries sector alone was estimated by the Government to amount to US$ 47.2 million, or 99 percent of the total damage to the overall agriculture sector (US$ 47.8 million). These figures do not include lost earnings which fisher folk could continue to gain if they were not affected by the tsunami. The tsunami caused severe damage not only to fisher folk and aquaculturists, but also to fishers who earn additional income from ecotourism. The medium- and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts also offer an opportunity for not just restoring livelihoods and rehabilitating ecosystems to the pretsunami situation, but to create conditions to overcome some previous weaknesses and create better livelihoods and sustainable natural resource management.
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