Chile's Ministry of the Environment has officially appointed Tomás Saratscheff Bosch as the new national director of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP). The appointment was made directly under the government's 'silver bullet' modality by President José Antonio Kast. Saratscheff, a biologist and agronomist engineer, brings extensive experience in conservation.
Chile's Ministry of the Environment announced the appointment of Tomás Saratscheff as national director of the SBAP, the body managing protected areas overseen by five ministries.
Saratscheff was appointed directly, bypassing the High Public Management process. Until April 2026, he served as Conservation Director at Fondo Naturaleza Chile, a public-private organization focused on biodiversity and climate action.
The ministry praised his solid track record in biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and public-private partnerships, both in Chile and abroad. He has worked as a conservation coach in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean, with prior roles at the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) and the Ministry of the Environment.
“I take on this challenge at a key moment for the country's environmental institutions,” Saratscheff stated. Environment Minister Francisca Toledo added: “We trust in Tomás Saratscheff's capabilities to achieve this goal” in launching the SBAP.
