Thailand Tiger Action Plan - Global Tiger Initiative

Key Stakeholders in Tiger Conservation inThailandTo be successful, tiger conservation in Thailand must be a national effortinvolving government agencies, non-governmental organizations, theprivate sector, the academic community, and the citizens of Thailand. Thisplan, rather than assigning responsibilities to specific agencies andindividuals, is meant to provide strategic guidance to a diverse andgrowing collection of actors with a stake in tiger conservation.The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible forenvironmental and biodiversity policy and planning. The Department ofNational Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is the leadimplementing agency for tiger conservation. The DNP receives itsmandate from the Wildlife Protection and Preservation Act A.D.1960 (1992Amendment) and the National Park Act A.D.1961. Its main responsibilitiesinclude:• managing activities within the forests and protected area system inThailand• implementing the Convention on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)• suppressing illegal wildlife trade within the country• conducting educational outreach to the citizens, business leaders andgovernment organizations of Thailand.Under the Ministry, the Department of Environmental Promotion andthe Royal Forest Department also have important roles in protectingbiodiversity and educating the public about conservation.The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ policies on livestockhusbandry adjacent to protected areas have a direct impact on tiger andprey populations. Promotion of irrigation and burning of agricultural residueinfluences watersheds and forests within protected areas.The Ministry of Interior supervises provincial governors and district andsub-district officials. These senior government officials have a strongimpact on conservation through their influence on road building andtourism development near protected areas.The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, through wise promotion ofecotourism in cooperation with local villagers and the DNP, has a crucialrole to play in providing economic incentives for communities to embracetiger conservation and protect the landscapes that support tigers.The Ministry of Education has an important role to ensure that basicconcepts of the tiger’s ecological and cultural significance become part ofThailand’s standard curriculum at several educational levels and also tosupport research that contributes to our understanding of tiger ecology.The Royal Thai Police has an important role to enforce the law related towildlife and other natural resources. The police have the Natural