USAID RDM/A Regional Environment Office Weekly Report Week Ending February 8, 2008

ASEAN-WEN Supports Major Wildlife Seizure on Thai-Laos Border.On January 30, the Royal Thai Navy intercepted a boat transporting a major shipment of 11 butchered tigers, leopards and clouded leopards, as well as 291 live pangolins en route to China and Vietnam via Laos.  The seizure occurred at Khub Pung village of Tambon Nam Kham in Thailand near the border with Laos.  The seizure was made possible due to cross border information sharing under the ASEAN-WEN umbrella with the direct assistance of the USAID-sponsored ASEAN-WEN Support Program.  Thailand's ASEAN-WEN Task Force, trained by a USAID-sponsored team, will meet with international investigators this month to discuss next steps in reducing trafficking related to this incident.

Thailand to Establish Environmental Compliance Assistance Center for Swine Sector.On February 7-8, 2008, with support from USAID under the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN), Thailand 's Pollution Control Department (PCD) conducted consultation workshops with local pig farmers in Nakornpathom and Chachoengsao Provinces on the establishment of environmental compliance assistance centers for the swine sector in the Tha Chin and Bang Pa Kong river basins.  Based on the stakeholder consultations and positive endorsement of proposed plans, the national government will establish the centers at each river basin.  From the national level, PCD will provide technical guidance and assistance in establishing and launching the centers, which will provide compliance information, technology support and training.  PCD also plans to establish environmental compliance assistance centers to cover other industrial sectors in Chao Praya River in 2009 and in Songkhla Lake in 2010.