Challenges in protecting biodiversity in Singapore

New finds still being made, even as balance is sought between conservation and development
Grace Chua, Straits Times 30 Jan 10;

FOR three weeks in 2006, scientists from Singapore and abroad raced against time to study and document Singapore's marine flora and fauna.

Then, they thought development and reclamation had left them with nothing else to study at the 14th International Marine Biology Workshop here.

Instead, they found dozens of marine species that had not been recorded here before - from corals to anemones.

The findings, published in a Raffles Bulletin of Zoology supplement last month, reveal that there is much left to be studied and discovered about local biodiversity.

'It's a myth that we know a lot about our biodiversity. We know a lot about the big things, but we know very little about the small ones,' said crustacean expert and National University of Singapore biology professor Peter Ng.

The publication is especially salient this year, which the United Nations has declared the International Year of Biodiversity.

In 2002, the international body adopted the target of conserving the world's biodiversity by this year, and the target is being incorporated into its Millennium Development Goals.

Biodiversity refers to not just plants and animals, but also the ecosystems and habitats they live in.

Singapore's approach to biodiversity has come a long way in the last decade or so, biologists say.

For instance, there is greater public awareness and interest here, said Prof Ng.

And biologists have had the chance to study habitats slated for development, and to protect and relocate rare species where necessary.

When the Pulau Semakau landfill was developed in early 2000, the coral reefs along its western edge were protected.

And a paper by then-National University of Singapore student Huang Danwei and others, published last month along with the workshop proceedings, suggested that vulnerable sites like Pulau Hantu near the mainland were nearly as rich in coral biodiversity as sites farther away.

But challenges remain, such as balancing conservation and development.

For example, there is no specific legal protection for endangered species here. Under the Wild Animals and Birds Act, the fine for killing or keeping a wild animal or bird is up to $1,000, whether the species is endangered or not.

In the Parks and Trees Act, the same act in a national park is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 or a six-month jail term.

Among Singapore's biodiversity goals for the year: coming up with an urban biodiversity index, which lets cities benchmark their flora, fauna and conservation programmes against others. The Singapore Index of Cities' Biodiversity, developed by the National Parks Board (NParks), will be presented at a United Nations meeting in October.

And Prof Ng hopes that the country can embark on a nationwide biodiversity survey, as Taiwan and China have done.

The Raffles Bulletin marine biology supplement is a start, wrote some of its authors, including Prof Ng and NParks National Biodiversity Centre deputy director Lena Chan, in a report on the workshop.

'It is hoped that this collection of articles will provide a necessary baseline for more studies... so that a better balance can be achieved between development, conservation and rehabilitation of the marine environment in Singapore and the region,' they said.

More about the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology findings on the Celebrating Singapore's Biodiversity blog and wild shores of singapore blog.