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The meeting was chaired by the Director General of , Ms. Suthiluck Raviwan and attended by the Director of Mangrove Conservation Office, the Director of Research and Development Institute and DMCR experts.

In 2016, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Thailand implemented a number of marine and coastal resource initiatives, including ongoing projects,  (MFF) and Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Community (EPIC), and activities as a result of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��'s partnership with Marriott�����Ի� Thai Union Company. Another two projects, the Thai-Cambodian Dolphin transboundary project and the Mangroves and Markets project, were completed in early 2016.

"DMCR has recently responded to and promoted Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Scientific and socio-economic studies, especially on value-added products that provide benefits to coastal communities, should be conducted to provide a better understanding of livelihood and ecosystem changes after project implementation,” said Ms. Suthiluck Raviwan, the Director General of DMCR.               

DMCR made a recommendation to ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� to continue to provide technical support for future initiatives and advised ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� to invite technical experts to share and exchange knowledge on nature-based solutions for coastal erosion. This is considered a big threat to Thailand’s coastline. DMCR also suggested that ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� should play a key role in establishing transboundary collaboration between Thailand and Myanmar.

“I had joined a field trip to the Andaman Sea, during which I spotted pods of spinner dolphins and many other endangered marine mammal species in the transboundary waters of Thailand and Myanmar. In these areas, surveys have never been conducted. I hope ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� will be able to fill this gap�����Ի� help initiate a transboundary Thailand and Myanmar Marine Protected Area. This would be crucial for fish and coral spawning” said Mr. Vudhichai Janekarn, DMCR Expert.

������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� is currently supporting the enforcement and implementation of the new Marine and Coastal Resource Promotion Act (2015), which includes the realisation of a Provincial Committee on Marine and Coastal Resource Management. This is considered to be a crucial mechanism in achieving the participatory approach at the provincial level.

As a result of this meeting, DMCR will appoint a working group with representatives from DMCR and ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� to develop a 2017 Action Plan and a four-year strategic plan (2017-2021).