Evaluating the management effectiveness of Thailand’s marine and coastal protected areas Marc Hockings, Peter Shadie, Geoff Vincent and Songtam Suksawang IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was founded in 1948 with the cooperation of various government agencies and non-governmental organizations. IUCN has more than 1,000 member organizations in 158 countries around the world. IUCN commits, contributes and provides recommendations to the global society for the conservation of natural fertility and diversity, ensuring the legitimate use of natural resources sustainable to the ecological system. IUCN is composed of strong membership networks and allies with the potential to increase capacity, support and collaborate in protecting natural resources at local, regional and international levels. IUCN Thailand member organizations compose of 5 leading natural resource and environmental conservation organizations in the country. They are the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand Environment Institute, Seub Nakhasathien Foundation, Asia-Pacific Regional Community Forestry Training Centre, and the Good Governance for Social Development and Environment Institute. Contents Page Acknowledgements iii Glossary iv Preface: 1 1.0 Summary and key recommendations 2 2.0 Background and context 6 2.1 Management effectiveness evaluation 6 2.2 Mangroves for the Future 6 2.3 Evaluating management effectiveness in Thailand’s marine and 7 coastal protected areas 2.4 Related projects and other initiatives 7 3.0 Study limitations 9 4.0 Introduction to Thailand’s marine and coastal protected areas 10 4.1 Thailand’s nature and biodiversity 10 4.2 Thailand’s protected area system 11 5.0 Management effectiveness evaluation and assessment process 13 5.1 Protected area management effectiveness 13 5.2 Development of management effectiveness evaluation 14 5.3 Thailand’s marine and coastal protected area management effectiveness 15 evaluation process 6.0 Thailand MNP site assessment and analysis 18 6.1 Overview 18 6.2 Resource allocation 18 6.3 Over-arching management activities 20 6.4 Natural values management 20 6.5 Invasive species management 20 6.6 Threatened species management 21 6.7 Park identification and interpretation 21 6.8 Visitor management 22 6.9 Community consultation 22 6.10 Fisheries 23 6.11 Relative performance of parks 24 6.12 Park by park summary 25 7.0 Thematic analysis 28 7.1 The marine and coastal protected area system 28 7.2 Legislation, governance, business management and institutional 31 responsibilities 7.3 Staff structure and organisation 35 7.4 Natural resource management 37 7.5 Fisheries 40 7.6 Tourism, visitor services and visitor management 42 7.7 Stakeholders and community 44 7.8 Research and monitoring 45 Appendices 1. Thailand’s marine and coastal protected areas 48 2. Thai management effectiveness evaluation flow chart 49 3. System level assessment results 50 4. Field mission schedule and people interviewed 64 5. Evaluation workshop participants 6. Site-level assessment proforma 67 7. Site level assessment guidelines 68 8. MONRE organisational chart 70 88 ii iii Acknowledgements The external review project team sincerely thanks the following people for their valuable input to the project (titles refer to positions held by these people at the time of the assessment). Dr. Naomi Doak, IUCN Project Director, IUCN Asia Regional Protected Areas Programme; Dr. Hag-young Heo, Senior Researcher, Korean National Park Service and IUCN Asia Regional Protected Areas Programme; Ms. Ewa Madon, Ms. Naomi Wynd and Ms. Louise O’Flynn, IUCN Conservation Officers, IUCN Asia Regional Protected Areas Programme; Ms. Pimolwan (Petch) Singhawong, Secretary, IUCN Asia Regional Protected Areas Programme; Ms. Patti Moore, Head IUCN Asia Regional Environmental Law Programme; Ms. Kate Watson, Environmental Law Programme Officer, IUCN Asia Regional Environmental Law Programme; Dr. Robert Mather, Head, IUCN Southeast Asia Group; Dr. Matthew Markopoulos, Programme Manager, IUCN Thailand Programme; Ms. Radda Larpnun, Project Coordinator, IUCN Thailand Programme; Ms. Siriporn Kunlapatanasuwan, Executive Secretary, IUCN Thailand Programme; Dr. Rauno Vaisanen, Director General, Metsähallitus, Finland; Ms. Estelle Jones, PhD student Newcastle University, UK; Dr. Janaka DaSilva and Dr. Donald MacIntosh, Mangroves for the Future Secretariat; Ms. Peeranuch Dulkul Kappelle, National Park Office, Department of National Parks; Mr. Somkiat Soontornpitakkool, Director of Khao Yai Training Center, Department of National Parks; Dr. James True, Prince of Songkla University. Thanks is also due to several marine technical experts in Thailand :Dr. Suwaluck Satumanuspan, Mahidol University; Mr. Sakanan Plathong, Prince of Songkla University; Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and Dr.Suchai Worachananant, Kasetsart University. Thanks also to Mr. Sasin Chalermlarp, Mr. Seub Nakasathein, and Mr. Sarawut Siriwong for their support and encouragement throughout the project. Thanks also goes to the Deputy Director of DNP, Mr. Rengchai Prayoonwej, who kindly acted as Chairman of the MEE Project Steering Committee, and the Director of National Parks, Mr. Wittaya Wonghongsa, who was Project Director. Special thanks also to the National Parks’ superintendents, assistants and the Protected Areas Advisory Committees for their participation in the evaluation process. Finally the collaboration of the ‘Strengthening Andaman Marine Protected Areas Network (SAMPAN) project’ implemented by Mr. Nakorn Amornwatpong and his team in WWF Thailand programme, as well as the Sustainability of Thailand's Protected Area System (CATSPA) project’ headed by Mr. Songphol Tippayawong from UNDP-GEF are gratefully acknowledged. iv Glossary ABC Asian Bureau for Conservation AHP ASEAN Heritage Park ARCBC ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations CATSPA Catalyzing Sustainability of Thailand’s Protected Area System CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species COBSEA Coordinating Body of the Seas of East Asia DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines DMCR Department of Marine and Coastal Resources DNP Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Thailand DRR Disaster risk reduction GDP Gross domestic product IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature JOMPA Joint Management of Protected Areas project KNPS Korea National Parks Service LAC Limits of Acceptable Change MCPA Marine and Coastal Protected Area MEA Management Effectiveness Assessment MEE Management Effectiveness Evaluation MFF Mangroves for the Future MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand MNP Marine National Park NEB National Environment Board NESB National Economic and Social Development Board NGO Non Government Organisation NP National Park ONEPP Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning PA Protected Area PAC Protected Area Committee PAME Protected Area Management Evaluation PCF Provincial Conservation Forum RFD Royal Forest Department TAT Tourism Authority of Thailand UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UP-MSI University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre WCPA World Commission on Protected Areas WWF Worldwide Fund for Nature v Preface Thailand’s protected areas already form one of the largest systems in the world as a proportion of national territory, and the government plans to increase the protected area estate to 25 per cent over the next decade. The development progress over the past several decades has often occurred at the expense of its natural resource systems. Forests, seashores and wetlands have been damaged and various types of development infrastructure have replaced natural environments. Economic priorities took precedence over conservation. Protected areas are the last remaining bastions of Thailand’s vital natural resource systems. Thailand’s protected area system was inaugurated in the 1960s following the enactment of the Wild Animals Reservation and Protection Act (1960) and the National Parks Act (1961). However, area gazettal only began in the 1980s, by which time the nation’s forests had already begun to be substantially degraded and fragmented, primarily due to logging, agricultural expansion and settlement. Among the primary reasons for gazetting protected sites was the conservation of biological diversity and critical habitat. Contiguous forest areas were already downsized to the extent that gazetted sites tended to be mostly small and mid-sized. Wetlands areas and brackish and freshwater coastal sites tended to be underrepresented. There was less deliberate effort to ensure that specific bio-geographical zones and habitats were sufficiently represented in the system. From 1989 onwards, the protected area system has been expanded rapidly as a result of the logging ban and other government conservation policies. Up to October 2002, the system was managed and supervised by the Royal Forest Department (RFD). Since 2002, protected areas have been managed