MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine customs authorities have seized an estimated 3.5 tonnes of elephant tusks from two containers sent from Tanzania, one of the largest such consignments found in the country, officials said on Wednesday.

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Representatives from the ASEAN-WEN met counterparts at the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in the Philippines on 29 April, 2009, to discuss ACB and ASEAN-WEN collaboration on training courses for improved park protection in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Chumpon Sukkaseam, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit and ASEAN-WEN Support Program staff met ACB Executive Director Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Capacity Development Specialist Dr. Monina Uriarte, and other key ACB staff to discuss this and other ways the two regional institutions for biodiversity conservation could combine forces.

Pattaya, Thailand, April 14, 2009 – In a major step forward, the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) conference concluded on April 12 with strong commitments by Asian governments and international partners to coordinate enforcement efforts in a concerted effort to halt wildlife crime and habitat depletion.

The agreement came at a meeting, “A Forgotten Crisis: Arresting Wildlife Depletion through Strengthened Partnerships and Regional Cooperation,” that was held April 10-12 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), held its 4th Annual Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, from April 6-7, 2009.

Representatives from ASEAN member countries reported on their efforts to curb wildlife crime and discussed progress since the previous meeting in Lao PDR. Important regional developments, such as implications for wildlife law enforcement under the new ASEAN Charter and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community blueprint were considered. The meeting provided a forum for discussion of ASEAN-WEN's next steps and important commitments were made towards ASEAN-WEN’s long-term sustainability.