Thailand: Progress report on National Ivory Action Plan sent to CITES

[webfact]

IVORY TRADE
Progress report on National Ivory Action Plan sent to CITES

BANGKOK: -- The government has submitted the first progress report on the implementation of the revised National Ivory Action Plan to the CITES Secretariat in Geneva.

Foreign Ministry said in its website that the report of the revised NIAP which was sent to CITES on Thursday, covers five areas, according to Thai News Agency.

The first area covers the enactment of Laws and Regulations in order to effectively control and suppress African ivory smuggling which includes the amendment of certain provisions under the Wild Animals Reservation and Protection Act BE 2535 (1992) to prevent the illegal possession of wildlife specimens, carcasses and wildlife products, in line with the issuance of a new regulation granting African elephants the status of a protected species.

It also enacts the Ivory Trade Act B.E. 2558 (2015) in order to control the trade, import, export and possession of ivory and ivory products originating from domesticated elephant ivory.

And there is also the enactment of 17 Subordinate Laws, such as regulations under the Ministry of Interior's Beasts of Burden Act to prescribe a new form of Elephant Identification Certificate. Each elephant's identification information and scientific information (such as DNA) is stored in digital form (microchip), preventing the registration of smuggled wild elephants as domesticated ones.

The second area involves improvement of three registration systems: the registration system of ivory traders and ivory products list; the registration system for legal ivory possession from domesticated and African elephants; and the registration system for confiscated ivory.

These registration systems will be the central databases for information on ivory where concerned authorities will be able to access information about traders, ivory possessors, ivory products movement, changes in ownership and monitor confiscated ivory movements effectively.

The third area covers the supervision and Law Enforcement - Established 22 ivory trade patrol teams throughout the country, 11 joint task force teams to increase enforcement of ivory smuggling in high risk areas and at borders, seaports, airports and post offices.

Two cases, involving confiscation of ivory weighing a total of 165.7 kg and the arrest of criminals concerned, had been reported.

The fourth area was public relations - continuously raising awareness among the main target groups which are foreign tourists, ivory traders, ivory owners and the general public. For more information interested parties can visit www.thailandtoday.in.th ‎www.tourismthailand.org or www.tatnews.org.

The last area was the mechanisms to resolve illegal ivory trade issues, by the establishment of four sub-committees to carry out, monitor, evaluate and regularly report to Thailand's National Committee on CITES and the Prime Minister.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Progress-report-on-National-Ivory-Action-Plan-sent-30252128.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-19

[djjamie]

March 3, 2013 - "Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade in Thailand"

Another hollow promise.

​Unfortunately the inability to grasp that to end the trade one cannot simply say they will end it and then it will magically disappear. Did she follow top on this pledge? No. Did she set up a panel to eradicate this trade? No. Not a 1 point plan let alone a 5 point plan.

​In fact in typical PTP fashion the opposite to what they promise actually happened. From March, 2013 the ivory trade in Thailand increased and nearly doubled 9 months later.

Way to go yingluck!!

Thank goodness the Junta are serious about this blight on Thailand's name.

With the human trafficking record on the mend and now this the country is well on the road to recovery.

Edited January 19, 2015 by djjamie

[chainarong]

Why is it necessary to have a register of registered traders , anyone who trades in Ivory regardless should be punished, so shut them down , you are trying to eradicate this horrendous barbarick out-dated practice , so far you have given me no grounds at all why Thailand shouldn't be penalized for ivory trading until you cease altogether, that's my view.

[rickirs]

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March 3, 2013 - "Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade in Thailand"

Another hollow promise.

​Unfortunately the inability to grasp that to end the trade one cannot simply say they will end it and then it will magically disappear. Did she follow top on this pledge? No. Did she set up a panel to eradicate this trade? No. Not a 1 point plan let alone a 5 point plan.

​In fact in typical PTP fashion the opposite to what they promise actually happened. From March, 2013 the ivory trade in Thailand increased and nearly doubled 9 months later.

Way to go yingluck!!

Thank goodness the Junta are serious about this blight on Thailand's name.

With the human trafficking record on the mend and now this the country is well on the road to recovery.

Of course you understand that the Yingluck government was essentially in caretaker status in 2014 until the Junta overthrew the government in May 2014? And since then what are the monthly statistics through December 2014? It's hard to compare Y with X when Y is unknown.

[cumgranosalum]

The junta have in no way changed previous policies or shown themselves to be any more serious about any issues surrounding conservation or wildlife.

There is currently a flurry of reports, dictums and announcements re the IVORY trade from the government.

The reason for this is they were given an ultimatum by CITES to to deal with its part in the illegal ivory trade and elephant poaching or face sanctions.

These sanction are potentially very real and damaging if incurred could result in trillions of baht lost income.

Whether or not these "announcements will be considered enough is a different matter.

The ivory trade itself in Thailand if STILL LEGAL - one has to bear in mind that a spokesman under the current regime stated that it would not be advisable to make the trade in ivory in Thailand totally illegal, as it would put to many people out if business.(!?!?!)

Edited March 11, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[cumgranosalum]

So it is now May.....what is the situation with Thailand and CITES? Do we have to wait until the next "official" meeting in August?

apparently the temples around Thailand have amassed huge amounts of ivory....what's going to happen to all that????

Thailand seems to be falling short in expectations with international organisations on several fronts.

CITES, Tigers, human Trafficking, democracy, police investigations and justice system, food products to Europe............

Edited May 5, 2015 by cumgranosalum