A million tonnes of North Sea fish discarded every year

WWF 4 Nov 08;

Frankfurt, Germany: A million tonnes of fish and other sea creatures caught in the North Sea are thrown overboard every year, according to a new report from WWF-Germany.

The study, “Sea Creatures Are Not Rubbish” (PDF download), shows that one-third of North Sea catch is discarded and calls for a gradual ban on the practice of discarding in the European Union.

This practice occurs when boats decide to dispose of fish which they catch but cannot land or derive income from, or when they have caught more fish than they are allowed to land, or they discard the less valuable fish in order to make more space for more valuable fish.

For example, the report cites the situation with Dover sole, for which six kilos of sea creatures are caught incidentally and discarded for every kilo found in the fishmonger. Similarly, catching one kilo of Norwegian lobster or scampi results in five kilos of bycatch.

The European Union recently declared that 88 per cent of the fisheries stocks of the EU are overfished, compared with 25 per cent on average globally. Bycatch is a major contributor to overfishing, providing even more impetus to address this unsustainable and illogical practice

Every year several million sharks and up to 250,000 sea turtles are killed in fishing operations designed to catch other species. This hidden fishing impact is already known to have contributed to the catastrophic decline in species such as the Pacific Leatherback Turtle, believed to have less than 2,500 nesting females remaining.

"Bycatch is an incredible waste and one of the largest threats to many sea creatures,” said Karoline Schacht, Fisheries Policy Officer, WWF-Germany. "The drama happens far away at sea but this unseen wastefulness must come to an end.”

Of most concern are fish that are too small or for which the fishermen have no catch quota – meaning that there is little or no measurement of the number or volume of these fish caught and killed. This could indicate an even greater level of over-fishing than is currently recognized in official estimates.

In Scotland, some fish for which the quota may have been exceeded are still being caught as the boats target other fish in the same area. The economic impact of this is frightening: fish to the value of €60m was discarded in recent months - for example, cod which may have been caught over the official quotas. As the quotas exist to assist in recovering highly vulnerable cod populations, it is clear how bycatch and discarding constitutes a clear threat.

WWF is calling for a European-wide discard ban and a bycatch action package. In the future every fish caught should be landed and allocated to the catch quota.

At the same time fishermen should be obliged to use better catch technologies and in this way the bycatch in some fisheries could be reduced by up to 90 per cent.

A legislative initiative against discard practice, announced by the European Commission, was only recently torpedoed by the powerful fishery lobby of some member countries.

“That is an outright scandal,” said Schacht. “Behind closed doors is an attempt to prevent sustainable fisheries.”

Read more!

10,000 endangered turtle eggs from the Philippines seized in Sabah, Malaysia

Associated Press 4 Nov 08;

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian marine police say they have seized 10,000 endangered turtle eggs believed to be from the Philippines.

Muhammad Sallam Spawi, an officer in Sabah state on Borneo island, says police surprised four smugglers as they were unloading bags of eggs Sunday. But he says the men managed to flee in their boat.

Still, he said Tuesday the seizure was "the biggest ever" in Sabah.

He said the men were speaking Tagalog, which is spoken in the Philippines.

Abdul Karim Dakog, an officer with the state wildlife department, says the department hopes the eggs, from the endangered green and Hawksbill turtles, may still hatch in a conservation area.

Trade in turtle eggs is illegal in Malaysia but the eggs remain popular in local food markets. They cost about 80 cents each.

10,000 turtle eggs from Philippines seized
Daily Express 4 Nov 08;

Acting Sandakan Marine Police chief Acting Asst Supt Muhammad Sallam Spawi said this was the biggest seizure of turtle eggs in the municipality so far.

According to him, marine police personnel involved in Ops Tayang in the Kampung Forest coastal area came across several men in a suspicious manner unloading "something" from a speedboat, at about 8.15pm, on Sunday.

Approaching the men, they identified themselves, but the men sped off in the boat towards the open sea. Upon checking, the police recovered the eggs in 20 sacks, believed brought in from the Philippines for the local market.

The eggs, listed in the protected list of the Sabah Wildlife Department, could fetch RM2.80 each.

These items had been referred to the Wildlife Department for further action.

Muhammad commended public cooperation for the recovery of the turtle eggs.

Malaysia seizes rare turtle eggs
BBC News 4 Nov 08;

The authorities in Malaysia say they have seized 10,000 endangered turtle eggs that were being smuggled into the country from the Philippines.

The eggs are considered a delicacy and were destined for local food markets where they can fetch a good price.

Police in the Sabah region of Malaysia say this is their largest ever haul of smuggled turtle eggs.

They say they intercepted four men who were unloading the cargo from a speedboat on a beach.

The smugglers escaped but abandoned 20 sacks of eggs, which police say are from endangered species like the Green and Hawksbill turtles.

Eggs in demand

"Our investigations have revealed that a syndicate obtained the eggs from several islands in the Philippines," said Muhammed Sallam Spawi, a police official in the city of Sandakan.

"There is a huge demand among locals and the eggs are easily available. We are constantly doing raids and apprehending irresponsible traders," he added.

Wildlife officials will now try to incubate the eggs, but those that fail to hatch will have to be destroyed.

The trade in rare turtle eggs is illegal in Malaysia, but many species have been badly hit in recent years by smuggling, fishing and coastal development.

Police say the eggs are still readily available in many markets.

Turtles that make it to adulthood are also prized for their meat and in some cases for their shells which are used to make ornaments.

Malaysian police seize 10,000 endangered turtle eggs
Yahoo News 4 Nov 08;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia police said Tuesday they have seized a massive haul of 10,000 endangered turtle eggs which were destined for sale in food markets on Borneo island.

Muhammad Sallam Spawi, marine police chief in Sandakan city on the northeast coast of Malaysian Borneo, said the eggs were thought to have been smuggled from nearby islands in the Philippines.

"This is the biggest haul for us in history. These are eggs from endangered species of turtles and were to have been sold at the Sandakan market," Muhammad Salam told AFP.

"Our investigations have revealed that a syndicate obtained the eggs from several islands in the Philippines," he said.

Marine police on Sunday raided a beach in Sandakan, in Sabah state, after receiving a tip-off. In October they seized 3,000 turtle eggs in the same area.

Four smugglers were unloading the eggs from a speed boat when police arrived. The smugglers panicked and escaped in the boat, leaving 20 sacks of eggs behind.

Turtle eggs are sold openly in Malaysian markets and fetch a price of up to 2.80 ringgit (0.80 US cents) each, despite legislation banning their sale or consumption in Sabah state.

"There is a huge demand among locals and the eggs are easily available. We are constantly doing raids and apprehending irresponsible traders," Muhammad Salam said.

He said the eggs had been handed to the local wildlife department which will identify the species and try to salvage them.

"The eggs which fail to hatch will have to be destroyed," he said.

Malaysia was once the scene of massive numbers of turtle nestings along its shoreline, but development as well as widespread plundering of eggs has caused the numbers to plummet in recent years.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 4 Nov 08

Update on Tuas Power’s clean coal plant (part 2)
unpublished letter on AsiaIsGreen

Delay in construction of Sentosa IR marine aquarium?
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Great Hornbill at Bukit Timah
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

The Secret Affair of the Asian Elephant
upcoming talk on the elephant and tree blog

Charlie Moores and the von Schrenck’s Bittern
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

The Flickr Field Guide Challenge!
on the Echinoblog blog

Read more!

Jakarta's mangrove replanting effort

Mangrove planting has various hurdles to growing strong
Jakarta Post 4 Nov 08;

Villagers of Marunda on the northern coast of Jakarta say that about 20 years ago the edge of Marunda was a thicket of mangrove trees that was so dense they called it a jungle.

Today, that mangrove jungle is history.

Marunda's younger generations can only imagine how it was, as there are not many mangrove trees left in their neighborhood.

Most of Jakarta's mangrove forests have been cleared for fish farming, but also for building developments which green groups say have an even greater environmental impact.

If you take a trip around the Marunda coastal area Marunda, these days you will only find mangrove seedlings, propped up with bamboo stakes.

Marunda residents and some organizations which claim to be concerned about environmental issues, planted these mangroves in an attempt to revitalize Jakarta's dwindling mangrove forest areas.

During The Jakarta Post's recent visit to the planting area, many mangroves were looking fine and were growing normally, while others were not so healthy and some had not survived.

One local resident, Opcin, 49, said that incorrect planting techniques were largely to blame for the deaths.

"The dead mangroves were planted in the sand, which is not the right media for them. They should have been planted in mud," Opcin said.

"Besides this, I found out that they were planted about one-span deep. That's not right. You should plant them around two-spans deep at least so they are not too vulnerable.

"Mangroves tend to be fragile in their first year. Big waves are not a big deal, as long as the bamboo sticks that support them are built well. The only risk is maybe the goats that wander around the area -- they eat mangrove leaves," he said.

He said the residents were grateful because many companies and organizations had planted mangrove trees in the village voluntarily.

"But they sometimes just leave the plants without looking after them. We don't have time to look after all the trees. We have other things to do. I myself have to take care of my own trees, which I planted in fish ponds," Opcin said.

"We sometimes try to herd goats out of mangrove areas if we are in the planting area," he said, adding that this was the best the residents could do.

Another resident, Sueb Mahbud, said the local community could not monitor all the mangrove seedlings there.

"Mangrove trees are quite sensitive to movement. They need between two and four years to mature. If I see a mangrove tree leaning over, I will try to fix it. But it's hard to keep an eye on thousands of mangrove seedlings," said Sueb, adding that a mangrove tree could grow to more than five meters in height.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) is one among several institutions that have planted mangrove seedlings in the Jakarta coastal area.

Walhi always tries to look after the trees they plant, Walhi Jakarta executive director Selamet Daroyni said.

"We have met with the local community and given them Rp 100,000 monthly maintenance money to take care of the mangrove seedlings. The maintenance fee is due for six months, which is the most critical time for the plant," Selamet said.

The mangrove seedling replanting efforts, however, have not all run smoothly.

In another location, Muara Angke, for instance, local fishermen have hampered a designated conservation area by farming shrimp and fishing there.

Data from Forestry Ministry in 2007 recorded that fish farmers had cleared approximately 80 percent of the area's 100-hectare wetlands.

The fishermen had removed mangrove trees and their roots to raise milkfish and shrimp.

The community should preserve mangrove trees because they bring many advantages, Selamet said.

"Mangrove forest wetlands play a crucial role in slowing the abrasion of beaches, protecting the city from big ocean waves and flooding -- and they serve as a nursery for marine life and a feeding ground for a large number of animals," Selamet said.

The forests, he said, also function as green belts, protecting groundwater in nearby areas from salination.

He urged the government to set aside around 30 percent of the capital's northern coastal area as mangrove conservation areas.

"We previously requested 70 percent, but after a series of observations, we decided 30 percent was more realistic. It means we hope there will be 10 kilometers of mangrove thickets along the coastline," Selamet said.

"The government should persuade private companies or owners of coastal areas to take part in this conservation program.

"We are also negotiating with North Jakarta administration to provide land that can be designated specifically for mangrove conservation areas."

Selamet said these areas should be owned by the administration so it has full authority to protect the plants. -- JP/Triwik Kurniasari

Read more!

Guardian of Aceh's corals

Ati Nurbaiti, The Jakarta Post 4 Nov 08;

Acehnese across the province gathered in October to catch a glimpse of their legendary leader Hasan Tiro. At 83, the former leader of the Free Aceh Movement is dubbed the "Wali Nanggroe", or guardian of the Aceh state.

A 45-minute ferry ride away from the capital brings us to another "guardian" from a younger generation -- though his hair is also graying. Mahidin, 57, known here as Dodent, is leading a different movement, a post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction of another kind -- the healing of coral reefs.

The work he leads around Iboih, near the tip of Weh Island in the Aceh province, needs heaps of patience, and is based on coincidence, experiments and knowledge, which he sources from books and friendly experts.

Weh is famous for the beauty of its beaches and marine life, and is about the only tourist destination in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, which has now applied sharia law.

After a three-decade war and the 2004 tsunami, Aceh could greatly benefit from tourism -- and from a revived fishing industry. Other Indonesians don't even know Weh -- they are only familiar with its capital, Sabang, the country's farthest western tip.

And Dodent wonders aloud why his is a lonely job.

His boat captain also laments the lack of attention given to restoring the marine habitat, despite the fact that Acehnese, "from the mountains to the coasts", are among Indonesians who eat the most fish, and who "won't eat when they see no fish".

In the replanting of reefs, "for every two meters we need two hours and two people" in order to plant concrete structures on the shallow seabed, Dodent said. A pile of these structures, molded around buckets and containing used bottles, cans and pieces of coral thrown ashore from the tsunami, stand outside the remains of his family's dive shop, which was wrecked in what Dodent described as a giant "washing machine" of waves and volumes of mud.

A new shop called the Rubiah Tirta stands next to the ruins, and its few employees are all involved in the ever so slow process of replanting coral reefs.

Why not just throw in a few old cars and other scrap metal?

In the wiping out of pedicabs in Jakarta in the early 1990s, the becak were plunged into the sea to extend their use to stimulate coral growth off the capital's north coast.

"We've found that you can't just throw them in," Dodent said. Potential sources of toxics such as the tires must be removed, he said. Besides, he added, he tried looking for old cars already in Banda Aceh, but in vain. "No one wanted to give up old cars for reef construction," he said.

In 1973 Dodent said he was trying to move coral to make space for his boat and ship repair shop. He said he noticed that months after he had reinforced the coral with concrete, growth could be detected on the structures as they lay in the sunlight below the surface.

"I thought about that experience when the tsunami occurred," he said. After two years of efforts to stimulate coral growth, he said, "I'm sure that in five years natural coral would mix with our concrete-based structures."

Thomas J. Goreau, president of the U.S.-based Global Coral Reef Alliance, said Dodent "is doing the best he can, but is unfortunately forced to use obsolete methods."

In an e-mail interview he said the Alliance has sought to work with Dodent, and has helped restore coral with the "Biorock" method which he said had yielded much faster results in Bali, Lombok, Flores and Sumbawa, among other places. But he said the Alliance had failed to gain funding to work in Sumatra.

Yet after the tsunami Goreau said it was a "sad thing" that funds had been given to fishermen for new boats and engines, "to chase fish that are no longer there because their habitat is gone."

Dodent's sons who run the dive shop and guide visitors around the beautiful waters say it makes perfect sense to restore the corals, the focus of the Aceh Coral Conservation organization which Dodent has set up.

"Visitors have spent so much for their air flights and everything else to come and see the coral and fish," says his elder son, Ismayudi.

"We take so much, we don't realize we have to give something back," added Isfanudding, Ismayudi's brother.

A visiting diver from Switzerland, Hugo Sager, blames such "ignorance" from the top. "We have a saying," he said, "that when a fish stinks it is foul from the head".

To foreigners with even a little understanding of conservation, he said, "it was shocking" that shark fin soup, for instance, is sold at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, when it was known that Indonesia desperately needs to protect its remaining resources and use them for its millions of poor people.

And divers today can now only imagine the tales of veterans who cite red corals in the waters of Sangiang, near the Ujung Kulon National Park in Banten, or the big fish off Makassar in South Sulawesi. Such scenes now barely exist in those areas.

Dodent has nevertheless gained some support from the local administration and NGOs such as Flora Fauna Indonesia.

However with only his sons and employees to rely on, he said he needs volunteers to help the corals grow to attract fish.

Until he can find faster yielding methods within his available resources, those with little perseverance need not apply.

"After a year," he says with gusto, "you can see growth as big as a toe nail."

Read more!

Plan to develop eco-park on Semakau Landfill expected early 2009

Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia 3 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE: Semakau Landfill is set to get a new lease of life.

Jurong Consultants, as well as RSP Architects and Planners, are expected to come back with a master plan by early 2009.

The aim is to determine whether part of the area can be turned into an eco-park that runs on its own water and energy.

A growing population means a growing mound of rubbish. Waste disposal has increased six-fold in Singapore between 1970 and 2000.

Created in 1999, Semakau Landfill is on an island eight kilometres south of Singapore. It is currently used for the disposal of ash from Singapore's incinerators.

While recycling efforts have already extended the expected lifespan of Semakau Landfill to beyond 2040, the country still has some way to go. The national recycling rate has increased from 40 per cent in 2000 to 54 per cent in 2007.

The National Environment Agency is now looking at having an eco-park on Semakau Landfill to provide a test bed for renewable and clean energy technologies. It will take up a quarter of the area there.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said: "With this, we can create opportunities for research and development, as well as the application of clean technologies."

Industry players say one advantage of using Semakau Landfill is that testing on the landfill will be much cheaper than on the main island of Singapore.

Chairman of Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, Edwin Khew, said: "This provides good opportunities (for)... testing out solar panels and even wind, perhaps around the island.

"There are enough waves and currents that can be used and other types of clean energies where you have cheap space to test bed on how useful it is and develop further the (current) technologies."

General manager of Semakau Landfill, Ong Chong Peng, said: "Our long-term vision is to make Semakau Landfill self-sustainable in energy and water needs."

The announcement was made on Monday at a waste management congress - where companies such as Asia-Pacific Breweries, which reduced packaging cost, received awards.

- CNA/yt

Eco-park details in January
RSP Architects, Jurong Consultants to come up withconcept masterplan
Esther Ng, Today Online 4 Nov 08;

THICK grass covers a flat stretch of land for more than two kilometres. A few young trees stand tall and migratory birds swoop across the plain. It is hard to imagine this natural sanctuary as Semakau, a landfill commissioned nine years ago as the dumping ground for ash from Singapore’s waste incinerators.

Now, RSP Architects and Jurong Consultants have been commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to study how to transform a quarter of the island — some 90 hectares — into an eco-park.

Besides offering recreational and educational activities, the eco-park will serve as a test-bed for renewable energy technologies. Details of the concept ­masterplan will be unveiled in January.

Already, since it was open to organised tours in mid-2005, Semakau has been seeing a stream of visitors, like those from the Astronomical Society of Singapore.

Said Mr Ong Chong Peng, general manager of Semakau Landfill and Tuas Marine Transfer Station: “We’re fully booked for the weekend till the end of the year; a few openings are available on weekdays. We’re especially packed this month because of Clean and Green Singapore.”

Limiting the number of visitors through advance bookings helps minimise the impact on Semakau’s environment. Would such curbs on visitor numbers continue, when the eco-park is up and running?

Mr Ong said it was for the NEA to decide. The Sport Fishing Association Singapore, for one, limits the number of anglers heading to the island to 22 a month, and does not fish there between November and January.

The group’s chairman, Mr Chin Chi Khiong, said: “The goals of exposing Singaporeans to nature and preserving the environment are daunting ... Which is more important — the eco-system or the recreational activities on the island? If it’s the eco–system, then we should sacrifice the numbers.”

Dr Shawn Lum, president of Nature Society Singapore, said: “The guiding principle should be why are we doing this. Will the people who come to Semakau become more environmentally conscious? If they do, then you can justify having more activity.”

Read more!

Don't rule out nuclear power for Singapore, says expert panel

Shobana Kesava, Straits Times 4 Nov 08;

ELECTRIC vehicles, a smart power grid and even nuclear power for Singapore may some day form part of the country's evolving energy strategy.

These suggestions and others made by the high-powered International Advisory Panel on Energy, which is meeting for the first time, will now be studied by the Singapore Government.

The panel was set up by the Trade and Industry Ministry to examine the country's current energy policies, and find the balance between energy security, economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

Thirteen industrialists, government advisers and international experts in the energy industry were invited to come up with possible solutions.

At a press conference yesterday, panel chairman S. Iswaran, who is Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said: 'These are not ideas which we will see implemented in six or 12 months, but will have a bearing on how we position Singapore to create more opportunities to be a leading example, particularly in climate change.'

Among the nine who attended the meeting were Lord John Mogg, chairman of the British Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, and president of the Council of European Energy Regulators; Mr Michael Dolan, senior vice-president at ExxonMobil; and former United States government advisers, including Ms Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change.

The idea of a smart grid for distribution of electricity was strongly recommended, as the investment would be affordable.

Lord Mogg said: 'The UK has spent billions of pounds to deal with over 60 million people.

'Singapore will be able to adapt without this kind of expenditure for its relatively small grid, dealing with 4.5 million, developing an efficient system where the demand side can play a role in building an efficient system.'

The idea of electric transport was strongly recommended by the panel, said Mr Peter Schwartz, chairman of Global Business Network, whose work in climate change spans three decades.

'From a technological and industrial point of view, moving towards electric transport would be a significant opportunity. But the question of where the electricity will come from to power those vehicles remains,' he said.

The question was raised by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, whom the panel met during their two-day meeting in Singapore. They also met Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

The panel said nuclear research, and even a nuclear power plant, could not be dismissed from Singapore's range of long-term solutions.

Dr John Deutch, Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: 'There's no reason such a carbon-free power station could not be operated safely here.'

The panel will next meet in 2010.

Electric cars, buses among ideas to energise Singapore
International panel of experts offers future direction to the energy sector
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 4 Nov 08;

ELECTRIFICATION of transport here, including cars and buses, possible use of alternatives like solar and nuclear energy, financing of pilot energy initiatives and tapping the available talent here for energy R&D - these were among the many ideas for Singapore from a specially enlisted group of international energy experts.

'It has given us food for thought on how to position Singapore, and to see how we can leverage and think through some of these ideas,' S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said yesterday.

The suggestions - coming amid high energy prices, heightened energy security concerns and greater climate change awareness - emerged from a two-day inaugural meeting of MTI's International Advisory Panel (IAP) on Energy this week.

The IAP was set up to provide insight and perspectives on emerging global energy trends, and to advise on the strategic directions for the energy sector here. This will help prepare and enable Singapore to meet the challenges and also leverage on opportunities that are emerging.

Chaired by Mr Iswaran, the panel comprises 13 international experts from various fields, including Claude Mandil, the former executive director of the International Energy Agency; Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of India's Reliance Industries; and Yousef Omair, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

The panel members also had separate discussions with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

Apart from new suggested initiatives, Mr Iswaran told a press conference that the IAP also validated some of the current strategies of Singapore's inter-ministry Energy Policy Group, saying that the move to import liquefied natural gas was a step in the right direction, as it helps diversify gas sources and provides energy security.

Besides, natural gas, used to generate 80 per cent of Singapore's electricity, is also a clean fuel.

The panel also endorsed Singapore's adoption of energy efficiency in power generation, industry, transport, buildings and households.

But it can still do more, like for example, exploring how to adapt its power grid infrastructure to facilitate innovations - like having smaller generation companies - for more optimal use and supply of energy, suggested John Mogg, chairman of the UK Office of Gas and Electricity Markets.

Another IAP suggestion was that Singapore could develop energy financing for pilot alternative energy projects to help bring these to commercialisation eventually. This way, Singapore could tap into new aspects of the energy paradigm, said Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change.

The IAP's inaugural meeting coincided with Singapore Energy Week which kicked off yesterday evening.

Speaking at the welcoming dinner, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang announced the establishment of a new Energy Research and Development Fund by the Energy Market Authority.

The S$25 million fund, to be spent over the next five years, will provide financial support to interested parties, aimed at developing capabilities and knowledge for new energy solutions, he said.

Read more!

Wind power takes off in big way

Danish firm launches $500m research centre in Fusionopolis
Tania Tan, Straits Times 4 Nov 08;

IN STILL and sheltered Singapore, one would be right to think that harnessing energy from wind would be a lot of hot air.

But that has not stopped research in wind power from taking off here, as Singapore stays on course to becoming a global clean energy centre.

Danish wind power company Vestas Wind Systems officially launched its $500 million wind research centre in Fusionopolis yesterday.

In another move, the Government has launched a $25 million fund to help fledgling green companies turn green research into marketable applications.

Vestas' centre, in the newly launched technology hub in Ayer Rajah, will employ about 300 researchers and engineers by 2012, up from about 100 currently.

A 'rich talent pool' of engineers, designers and chemists will make Singapore an ideal choice for research, said Vestas Technology R&D president Finn Strom Madsen, even if the final products would be bound for elsewhere.

Vestas makes about 23 per cent of the world's wind generation equipment, with global demand for wind power expected to grow by 30 per cent annually. With its research centre in Singapore, it is training an eye on Asian markets.

The centre is one of only three outside Europe. The others are in India and the United States.

Wind energy is harnessed by 40- storey-tall wind turbines that rotate and convert power generated by moving blades into electricity.

Singapore has neither the pressure systems nor the space for wind farms to make the technology a viable source of energy.

But an R&D centre is nonetheless good news for Singapore, said Professor Chou Siaw Kiang, the executive director of local think-tank Energy Studies Institute.

Wind power is gaining ground in Asia-Pacific countries like China, India and Australia, which are searching for non-polluting and renewable energy sources to satisfy demand, he said.

'It's going to be big business, which Singapore can tap,' Prof Chou said.

Crude oil prices peaked at US$140 per barrel in March, from spiralling demand and trading speculation.

Though it has fallen now to about US$60 per barrel, the cost of oil will continue to rise. Fossil fuels are also the biggest culprit in climate change.

'It's a global issue necessitating a global solution,' said Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang yesterday at the welcome dinner for the inaugural Singapore International Energy Week.

More than 2,500 delegates will be in town for the five-day event of seminars and workshops in cutting edge technology for renewable energy, such as solar, wind and fuel cells.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will deliver the first Singapore Energy Lecture today.

'Singapore's lack of energy options means that (energy) dilemmas will be felt more acutely by us,' said Mr Lim.

More cheap and clean energy solutions are needed, he noted.

To give the industry another boost, the Government has set up a $25 million fund to help deliver clean energy research from lab to store shelf over the next five years, said Mr Lim.

The Energy Research and Development Fund will provide financial support to help companies equip themselves with the expertise and infrastructure for such studies.

The clean energy sector is a key growth area which is expected to generate 7,000 jobs by 2015.

Wind turbine firm to expand R&D team
Jamie Lee, Business Times 4 Nov 08;

VESTAS Wind Systems, the world's largest wind turbine maker, plans to hire about 300 people for its regional research centre in Singapore by 2012, a senior executive said.

The credit crunch will not reduce the $500 million that the company has committed over the next 10 years to the centre, Vestas Technology R&D president Strom Madsen told BT before its opening ceremony yesterday. 'If it goes anywhere, it can only go up,' said Mr Madsen of the figure, adding that about $230 million will be spent over the next five years to boost research.

This will include work with local institutions such as Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and A*Star to look at the materials used in turbines and their design, to make them more durable and efficient.

The company, which counts BP and Shell as customers, has hired about 100 people here this year, most of them Singaporeans or permanent residents. Last year, Vestas said that it would hire 150 people in Singapore by end-2009. 'We expect to take that to 300 people by end-2012,' Mr Madsen said yesterday.

Talent is critical in wind energy research, he said. 'The biggest bottleneck we face is talent.'

According to him, some of the best minds can be found in Asia. And Vestas, listed in Copenhagen, has benefited from the global financial crisis because demand for talent is slowing, he noted.

Vestas has supplied about 36,000 turbines globally, of which about 25,000 are in Europe. The company is looking to China as the next emerging market. 'We are investing heavily there,' said Mr Madsen, adding that Vestas is building a factory in Inner Mongolia. But there is competition from local players. About 40 Chinese wind turbine makers have set up shop in the past few years.

But Chinese companies tend not to offer service contracts to customers, unlike Vestas, Mr Madsen said. 'Some of their customers and suppliers are going to have problems because it's an overnight relationship.'

Read more!

Growing allure of 'green-collar' jobs in Singapore

Grace Chua, Straits Times 4 Nov 08;

WITH jobs in the financial and other sectors becoming scarce, graduating students are eyeing 'green-collar' jobs - those in the field of preserving the environment.

A mini fair at the National University of Singapore last week to showcase careers in renewable energy featured just seven companies in businesses ranging from solar power to biofuels, but pulled in about 100 students.

The fair, held as part of the Asian Youth Energy Summit youth conference last week, offered careers in solar energy and biofuels, designing and constructing energy-efficient buildings, and in traditional energy companies like PowerSeraya which are seeking to go green.

Most of the 21 students who spoke to The Straits Times were final-year undergraduates or masters-level students in engineering, looking to land green-collar jobs next year.

Fourth-year economics student Vince Lim and two classmates were at the fair, drawn by concerns that the finance and banking jobs eyed by economics majors were drying up.

Mr Lim, 23, said: 'I'm still considering finance, but it's always good to keep my options open.'

Fourth-year chemical engineering student Vincent Chan, 23, said job prospects in the field of renewable energy were buoyant because of the Government's push for it.

Singapore has set aside $350 million to develop itself into a global clean-energy centre, and international companies have responded.

Last Friday, Norwegian solar-power behemoth Renewable Energy Corporation broke ground on a $3 billion plant here that will manufacture solar wafers, cells and modules.

And yesterday, Denmark's Vestas, one of the biggest wind-power system manufacturers worldwide, said it would set up a $500 million research centre here.

Home-grown biodiesel company Alpha Synovate, which had a booth at the NUS fair, said renewables were a long-term growth industry and that it was looking for more than just engineering talent.

Its chief executive and founder Allan Lim said that he was seeing three kinds of job seekers: those who wanted to catch the green-tech wave; those with real interest in sustainable energy; and those nudged towards green energy by the current market conditions.

PowerSeraya, which also had a booth at the fair, said it was still looking to hire as it moved towards integrated and cleaner energy. Mrs Retnam Pui Yin, its vice-president of corporate services, added that it was, however, too early to tell if the downturn had led to more applicants.

Ms Annie Yap, the chief executive of human resource consultants and service provider GMP Recruitment Services, said the outlook for green jobs could be brighter than for traditional manufacturing.

'As more countries are expected to conform to stricter standards of carbon emissions and pollution, the market for green technology has growth prospects from its current state of infancy,' she said.

Read more!

Singapore consumers: Going the gas way to cut power bill

Some consumers opt for gas-powered appliances to cut cost
Amanda Yong, The New Paper 4 Nov 08;

UNLIKE most Singaporeans who have been worried about rising power bills, Mr Frederick Wong, 38, has had reasons to smile.

He has seen savings of about 30 per cent every month.

Reason? Mr Wong, a facility manager, has switched to gas-driven appliances, cutting down on the electricity consumption for his household of two.

Mr Wong, who lives in a four-room HDB executive flat in Sembawang, switched from using an electric water heater to a gas-powered one in June.

He has also been using a gas-powered clothes dryer since August.

He is not alone.

According to City Gas, the leading provider of gas appliances such as water heaters and clothes dryers in Singapore, more than 600,000 households are using such appliances.

More consumers are expected to make the switch especially after the latest 21 per cent hike in electricity tariff rates.

Cheaper alternative

Gas tariff rates are now about 30 per cent less expensive than electricity tariff rates per kilowatt-hour (kwh), according to City Gas.

Currently, SP Services charges 30.45 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity. The current gas tariff, according to City Gas website, is 21.21 cents per kilowatt-hour - a difference of 9.24 cents.

Said Mr Wong of his decision to switch to gas: 'It's great in terms of cost savings especially with the latest increases in electricity tariff rates. I also decided on switching to gas as it's a cheaper form of alternative energy.'

Since May, City Gas said it has been selling at least 70 clothes dryers a month compared to 30 just over a year ago.

The company's new eight-litre water heater, 'targeted at the mass HDB market', has also been snapped up at a rate of 250 a month since its launch in July, said its CEO, Mr Ng Yong Hwee.

And, Mr Ng expects 'the take-up rate to be even higher' in the near future as the company ramps up its publicity campaign and the products begin to retail at more stores.

Another satisfied user, Madam Jean Ng, 42, a sales consultant, said her family of eight has been saving as much as $50 on her power bill per month since they started using a gas clothes dryer about a year ago.

Madam Ng, who lives in a Woodlands condominium, had previously used an electric clothes dryer for a few years.

To consumers worried about the safety of such appliances, Mr Ng gave this assurance: 'Safety is not an issue.'

He said: 'Even in the event of a gas leak, which is highly unlikely, the gas will rise and dissipate into the atmosphere. This is because the gas, unlike bottled gas, is lighter than air.

'There are also built-in safety features in the appliances.'

When contacted, Mr Tan Jin Thong, president of the National Safety Council, said that gas appliances 'are pretty safe'.

He added: 'Both electrical and gas appliances have their own hazards. What is more important is that the user must know how to use the appliance and take proper precautions.'

According to City Gas website, the water heater contains 'built-in overheating protection, flame failure and incomplete combustion devices'.

The clothes dryer has 'a built-in sensor that can detect any flame failure and cut off gas supply immediately'.

Mr Wong said he was not concerned about the safety aspect: 'I think gas appliances are just as safe as electrical appliances.'

Madam Suzanna Chan, 35, a showroom manager who also uses gas appliances, said: 'They should be quite safe as they've gone through tests and have been approved.'

Read more!

Alliance of Small Island States meets in Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 3 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE: The Alliance of Small Island States is meeting in Singapore from Monday until Thursday.

This is a preparatory meeting for countries in the Alliance to coordinate and agree on issues to be discussed at the 14th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Poznan, Poland next month.

A joint statement from the Foreign Affairs, and Environment and Water Resources Ministries said that the meeting is attended by about 100 delegates from 41 member states.

Singapore's Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Amy Khor, officiated at the opening ceremony.

The meeting is chaired by Grenada's Leon Charles and delegates include Permanent Representatives to the United Nations (UN), senior officials from member states, and climate change experts.

Read more!

Malaysia to map hazardous areas: Time to get out of comfort zone

New Straits Times 2 Nov 08;

The 2004 tsunami was a wake-up call to Mohd Jamil Ahmad, research and development director of the Federsal Department of Town and Country Planning. He tells ELIZABETH JOHN and TAN CHOE CHOE that it's high time Malaysia identifies and maps areas that are prone to floods and landslides and show how acute the risk is.

Q: You said at a recent climate change conference that before 2004, planners lived in a comfort zone. Why is that?

A: Before 2004, it was difficult to compare our country with others like the Philippines where they have strong typhoons. We have our fair share of disasters but not like the floods in Bangladesh. Ours are smaller, or flash floods. We are in a sheltered platform.

Q: Planners always said these were one-off things. Why should we pay attention to them?

A: We went to Aceh after the tsunami. It made us wonder if it could have happened to Malaysia. Sure, about 200,000 people died in Aceh and only 68 in Malaysia, but a life is a life. We have to do something. We've addressed floods to some extent in our planning but have never gone into detail like drawing up flood-risk maps. Then comes climate change and everything goes haywire, like the floods in Johor.

With that awareness, we started Lupar (land-use planning for assessment of risk) which was designed to raise awareness among planners and get them to include risk management in their planning. As a result, two new local plans which are coming out soon will be more specialised.

Q: What's different about these plans?

A: The local plans for Kota Kuala Muda in Kedah and Kota Tinggi in Johor will each have a chapter on geo-hazards, with risk maps included. . The Kuala Muda plan will be up for public viewing early next year while the Kota Tinggi plan will be out before year end. We will look at all the measurements of the physical and biological impact of the tsunami and the areas it inundated, and categorise the areas according to the acuity of these risks. For the first time in a local plan, we will have areas marked high, medium or low risk in relation to a hazard. This is required under the Hyogo Framework of Action, of which Malaysia is a signatory. It requires member countries to make disaster planning a concern and to spell out measures to address disasters.

Q: What other new information will the plans have?

A: There are modelling and simulation to see which areas will be affected by floods and the extent of the damage. We don't have much to spend on modelling so we're recommending that this portion be taken up by technical agencies with the expertise and money. Modelling is expensive. It runs into millions. Consultants are now doing it for us, but we feel that isn't the way forward. For these two plans, we've also had focus group discussions with local communities to fill in information gaps, like which areas were inundated during the tsunami or floods and how high the water rose. We ask whether they think their house should be relocated and if yes, where, or where do they think their reban (chicken coop) should be placed? If they want to stay in the area in spite of the risks, then we have to think of other measures to deal with the hazards. In Kota Tinggi, we are proposing that on flood-prone lands committed to development, developers must raise buildings and make the ground level free of obstacles. Like a kampung house on stilts, the building is raised and cars can park underneath. If they can't do it, they have to be relocated. But this has financial and social costs so we suggest alternatives. All this will be built into our policies and plans and made public, which will make things more accountable. Everyone will know where the risk areas are and can comment on or object to them.

Q: Will there be repercussions for this?

A: Some repercussions may be a drop in land value but, overseas, people are told which areas are flood prone so that they can control development.

Q: Will these new aspects become a feature of all new local plans?

A: Yes. We are hoping these will become the templates for other local plans. Under the 10th Malaysia Plan, we hope to review all existing local plans and put in the measures for geo-hazards.

Q: How many local plans would you be reviewing?

A: About 140. But this will be done gradually. We have to work this out with the Department of Irrigation and Drain-age (DID) because it is studying the impact of climate change on flooding. We are working with it and the National Hydraulic Research Institute (Nahrim). They will pass their findings to us and we will convert that into land-use policies. That way, we don't have to spend thousands collecting our own information. They are the experts with the technology. We don't have that level of expertise.

Q: How will these plans help local authorities? What should they do with this information?

A: The local plans are not just legal documents but also public documents. The local authorities which previously may not have had guidance will now have, for the first time, a document that tells them which areas to develop, which areas should have less development and which are no-go areas.

Q: Is there enough information for us to do hazard maps and models for all local authority areas?

A: No. To simulate a flood situation, you need very accurate basic data. We need high-resolution contour maps. To get that, we need special satellite images. We've also conducted a geo-hazard study in land-use planning. We're coming out with development guidelines for areas susceptible to floods, fires and landslides first. When the study is finalised next June, it will tell local councils how to categorise hazards and how to identify areas that are prone to these problems. It will give them some measures according to the level of danger, for instance, in Category 1, what kind of development is recommended and what measures to take if they want to develop there. This will be fed into local plans. The local authorities will have a good guide on how to apply this information. We need Nahrim, Akademi Sains Malaysia, universities and other agencies to give their input.

Q: Will these two new plans be easy to understand for residents ?

A: Yes. The approach now is for user-friendly plans. If you have a piece of land in the district, you can look at the plan and it can tell you what the risks are.

Q: But the climate is unpredictable. After the guidelines are issued, how regularly will the information be updated?

A: The department will do this. If there is a request from the state, we will look at it. A review request can even come from the National Physical Planning Council chaired by the prime minister, or even from the cabinet if it sees that the situation on the ground has changed enough for a review. We will also listen to public feedback. In any case, we will review the plan every five years.

Q: This kind of information will affect land prices. If a direction for a review can come from the top, isn't there room for abuse? A politician who wants to jack up the value of an area might skew the review in his favour.

A: The information will be made public and people can question us on the categories. Probably the first question people will ask is: how sure are you that my land is Category 1 for floods? We will explain that the potential of it being flooded every five years is there. The checks and balances will come from the people. When we put up these documents for public views and objections, we're giving land-owners the chance to ask us. People may not want it to be so but if the government feels it is for their safety, then the land should be designated as such. The other thing we're looking into is the role of the insurance sector. If you still want to develop projects in these flood-prone areas, you'll have to pay higher premiums. If you look at other countries, geo-hazard areas are declared and gazetted. Anyone who wants to develop the area has to pay a higher premium that will compensate for when hazards occur or serve as a deterrent to building in a dangerous area. We could also add stringent measures for building in the area.

Q: When you start reviewing all existing local plans, you might find areas where there shouldn't have been any development, right?

A: Once an area is designated as a geo-hazard risk, then we'll consider options. If we want to build, should we raise the level of buildings? Or should we buy back the land and turn it into a park like they've done in Hawaii? Or should we relocate everyone? What will the costs be? It's really a question of whether we want to pay less now and more in the long run or the other way round.

Q: What if the review finds a neighbourhood that is prone to disasters?

A: They may have to relocate or we could take mitigative action action or realign the development. There are many measures but, in the worst-case scenario, people may have to move. Whatever the recommendation, it will be specific to the location. You can't have one plan to fit all areas.

Q: You've been talking mostly about floods. What about preparing for other disasters like earthquakes?

A: Yes, we will be looking at those in the 10th Malaysia Plan. Right now, we're only looking at floods, landslides and fires. Next, we'll look at earthquakes, tsunami and industrial disasters.

Q: Will the geo-hazard mapping also look at things like the many developments on reclaimed lands?

A: The National Physical Plan (NPP) doesn't encourage it but some states still go ahead and do it. Our policy still stands: reclamation should be the last resort. The NPP discourages high-density development on reclaimed land.

Q: Will the department also look into the ability of structures to withstand some of these geo-hazards that you are identifying?

A: We'll have to work with the Public Works Department (PWD) on that because it has a structural unit that looks at the effects of landslides, earthquakes, flood and wind resistance on structures.

Q: How will you convince state and local governments that this is important and that they have to follow it?

A: We're planning to present it at the National Physical Planning Council, which is chaired by the prime minister. All the chiefs of states and heads of departments will be there. This is something that we have to follow and we'd get their commitment. Then we'll monitor, check the developments, build public awareness and have periodic reporting on compliance levels.

Q: If there's non-compliance?

A: Then the states have got to tell us why.

Q: And by that time the public will know where development is ill-advised?

A: That, too. This is our new baby and we're excited. We don't know yet how the states are going to react. But I think after seeing what happened in Kota Tinggi, they'll all be for it. We hope that it'll even come to the stage where they'll be the ones advising us on where the evacuation routes should be if a tsunami came.

Q: Are we planning too far ahead? Some people say climate change and the extreme weather it promises will only be a problem 100 years from now.

A: We are actually way, way behind. In terms of disaster planning, we're behind Sri Lanka and the Philippines. They even have disaster-enactment scenarios.

Q: We're talking about things that are natural hazards, but what about man-made hazards?

A: That's why we must have an integrated way of doing things. Let's say if I'm building a building now, what're the effects of it downstream? Will it cause floods? Where? Through modelling, you can find out the level of density of development allowed. You'll have to run your land- use proposal, your density through a model to figure out the impact of it downstream. It's basically calibrating your development plan. It's not mandatory to do that now, but we must have that. We might, together with DID, develop such a system, so that it can be made mandatory for all future development proposals. So when you submit your development plan to the local or city council, the council and DID will run it through the model to see how it will impact the environment. We also have to change our procedures of planning approval. We're suggesting that all applications be submitted together with a history of floods in that area. And the local authority is encouraged to establish a databank that collects information on previous disasters in their area. Our culture of documentation is so low. We have to develop that.

Q: If my house is in a high-risk landslide category, but the council comes and does mitigation work, will my house be re-categorised?

A: Yes. We will review the categories from time to time.

Q: What other areas will you look at after Kota Tinggi and Kota Kuala Muda?

A: We will give priority to flood-prone areas, like Segamat, for instance. Landslide-prone areas are next on our list. The PWD has put together a unit that identifies vulnerable slopes along highways. We just need them to expand that to include other potential vulnerable areas, like settlements and areas around rivers.

Read more!

Prince Charles: Rich countries should pay annual 'bills' to stop rainforest destruction

Louise Gray, The Telegraph 3 Nov 08;

Prince Charles has proposed paying developing nations an annual "utility bill" for protecting the rainforests.

In a speech in Indonesia, the Prince said the services provided by the rainforests such as storing carbon and generating rain water should be paid for.

He proposed the rich world could pay annual "bills" to stop destruction of the rainforest and eventually create a market for "rainforest bonds" to generate money for the cause.

The idea is one of many options being considered by the international community to provide some way of paying to protect the rainforests.

A review commissioned by Gordon Brown recently advised that poorer nations should be paid not to cut down trees and the issue will be top of the agenda at forthcoming talks to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

But environmental organisations are concerned that the system could fuel corruption in rainforest nations and discourage developed nations to reduce pollution by providing an alternative way to cut carbon.

Prince Charles proposed the developed world should start to pay for "eco-services" from the rainforests during a speech to the Indonesian President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in Jakarta.

Describing the form the annual billing could take, he said: "These emergency funds could be provided directly by developed world Governments, perhaps from expanded development aid budgets, from surcharges on activities which cause climate change or from the auction of carbon market emission allowances.

"However, I hope that even in the short term the large part of the required funding could be provided by the private sector by subscribing to long-term bonds issued by an international agency.

"The issuing entity would pay the proceeds from the bonds to the rainforest nations. They in turn would use the money to reorientate their economies to halt or refrain from deforestation."

However Simon Counsell of the Rainforest Foundation said plans to pay developing nations to protect rainforests could fuel existing corruption in developing countries and give developed countries an excuse to carry on polluting because they are able to buy carbon offsets from poorer nations.

"Yes, we want to protect the rainforests but not at the expense of reducing pollution... or fuelling corruption," he said.

Prince Charles joins RI forest conservation drive
Adianto P. Simamora and Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post 3 Nov 08;

The heir to the British throne Prince Charles joined forest conservationists in restoring the ailing forest and ecosystem in Jambi province Sunday.

During his 90-minute visit, the Prince of Wales planted a Billian tree (eusideroxylon zwageri, also known as Borneo ironwood), a critically endangered endemic tree species.

Charles, accompanied by Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban, had to walk along a dirty path to visit the tree nurseries and talked to indigenous people living near the forest.

"The visit shows Princes Charles' commitment to saving the rainforest," the minister said. "Charles also praised the rich biodiversity of the Jambi forest."

The Prince of Wales arrived in Indonesia on Saturday, touching down in Jambi on Sunday morning. The prince is not accompanied by his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, on this trip to Indonesia, his second since 1996. He did not issue a press statement Sunday.

The forest restoration project was jointly initiated by a consortium of local NGOs, Burung Indonesia, the London-based Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife International. The prince plays no official role in the consortium.

The Harapan Rainforest project, said to be the world's first forest restoration, covers 101,000 hectares of low-lying forest in South Sumatra and Jambi provinces. More than half the area has been degraded during the past 30 years.

The Forestry Ministry granted the consortium a concession certificate for the forest restoration in April this year, thus prohibiting developers from cutting down the forest's remaining trees.

"The concession holders will restore the forest by planting trees and saving the forest's biodiversity. Forest restoration projects form a new model for healing our rainforests," Kaban said.

About 15 Sumatran tigers are believed to live in the forest, along with 69 endangered bird species, including the rhinoceros hornbill, according to Burung Indonesia chairwoman Professor Ani Mardiastuti.

BirdLife International said the consortium would trade carbon credits from the forest to finance the project.

Head of BirdLife International's global program department Dieter Hoffmann said the group was exploring the possibility of adopting the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) mechanism, an alternative emissions cutting scheme adopted at the Bali climate change conference last year.

He said the forest could absorb up to five millions tons of carbon per year.

"The total carbon absorbed by the project is equal to the annual emissions of Manchester," he said.

"We hope in long term, REDD could be used to finance forest management to ensure sustainability of the restoration project."

Forest carbons in the voluntary market are valued at US$3 per ton.

He said the consortium had set up a trust fund to raise money from potential donors, including companies and individuals from both Indonesia and overseas, which would be used to restore the forest.

RSPB chief executive Graham Wynne said Indonesia, with its 120 million hectares of forest, could play a major role in protecting rainforests and cutting global emissions.

"This trailblazing project will show how a precious site like Harapan rainforest can be preserved for wildlife and for people whose livelihood depends on the rainforest and how this can be used to cut the world's greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

Read more!

Rising Asian Shark Fin Demand Hits Shark Populations

Alister Doyle, PlanetArk 3 Nov 08;

OSLO - Rising demand for shark fin soup in Asia is spurring illegal fishing and contributing to a plunge in stocks, a report said on Monday.

The study, by the Australian government and the wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, urged governments to crack down on illegal catches. Registered legal shark exports totalled $310 million worldwide in 2005, up from $237 million in 2002.

"As the world's demand for sharks continues to grow, shark populations are plummeting," said a statement accompanying the 57-page report. One in five shark species is considered threatened with extinction.

"The Asian market for shark fin is the key driver of shark fishing globally and is fuelling illegal fishing and high levels of legitimate shark fishing of questionable sustainability," it said.

Rising affluence in Asia was stoking demand for shark fin, widely viewed as a delicacy when shredded in soup. Main fin importers are China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Taiwan. The report said that only six of the top 20 shark-catching countries -- Taiwan, Mexico, the United States, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand -- had complied with a UN call in 2000 for all to work out plans for proper management of stocks.

Experts of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization will meet from Nov. 3-6 in Rome to review measures to protect sharks.

In Hong Kong, the world's biggest shark-fin market, the most commonly traded types were shortfin Mako, blue, sandbar, bull, hammerhead, silky and thresher sharks.

The study said it was impossible to say exactly how many sharks were illegally caught.

But a review of vessel seizures showed illegal catches were a problem around the world with "hotspots" off Central and South America and in the western and central Pacific.

Sharks were sometimes caught as a by-catch by tuna fishing vessels. In many cases, crews on illegal vessels slice the fins off sharks and dump the less valuable carcasses overboard.

Off Australia, for instance, 350 illegal vessels were intercepted in 2006-07, mostly Indonesian, with a total 1.6 tonnes of shark fin aboard.

The Traffic organisation is run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the WWF conservation group.

Asian demand behind falling shark populations: report
Yahoo News 5 Nov 08;

SYDNEY (AFP) – Asian demand for shark fin soup is pushing the animal's population in the wild to new lows, the Australian government and a wildlife trade monitoring group said in a report released on Wednesday.

The report found that while more than one-fifth of shark species were already threatened with extinction, a lack of government control on overfishing and the problem of illegal fishing were further depleting the animal's numbers.

"The status of shark stocks continues to deteriorate," it said, adding that the predators were particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they produced few young and matured slowly.

Report co-author Glenn Sant of the wildlife group TRAFFIC said the extent of illegal and unreported fishing made it impossible to determine the total number of sharks being killed each year for their meat and fins.

"The problem is that illegal activities are always very difficult to estimate -- unless you apprehend people you don't know what's going on," he told AFP.

"We definitely know that there are many shark species that have been overfished -- and that includes in fisheries where they are managed (and intended) to be sustainable."

But he added: "There is no question that illegal activity around shark catching is threatening shark populations.

"As our knowledge gets better around the status of sharks it's an ever-worrying situation, it's not improving."

Sant, who is TRAFFIC's global marine programme leader, said the problem was compounded by a lack of regulation in most of the world.

But the overriding pressure on the animal was strong demand for shark fins, which are used to make a thick soup considered a delicacy in Asia, he said.

"The main reason for most of the shark catches around the world is the shark fin feeding into the Asian market," Sant said.

"We are not against the trade in shark fin, but what we are against is the over exploitation of shark."

Sant said the report's case study on Australia noted "enormous amounts of illegal vessels fishing in Australian waters and huge amounts of shark fin being taken".

The report's findings come ahead of a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization meeting in Rome which will discuss how to monitor shark fisheries and the impact of illegal fishing on animal numbers.

Read more!

Tasmanian Devils Could Be Gone in 20 Years

Robin Lloyd, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 3 Nov 08;

An Australian zoologist is leading a national project to help save the endangered Tasmanian devil from extinction, a situation that could arise within the next 20 years, experts predict.

Jeremy Austin will lead the project, which has received $168,000 Australian (Australian dollars currently are about two-thirds the value of U.S. dollars) from that nation's government. The research will rely on genetic procedures to examine the impact of an infectious cancer, devil facial tumor disease, on Tasmanian devils.

Tasmanian devils became extinct on the Australian mainland about 400 years ago and are now found only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. Unlike Tasmanian tigers, devils survived initial human impacts following European colonization but in the past decade their numbers have fallen drastically.

"We have lost over half our devils in the past 10 years, with an estimated population of 20,000 to 50,000 mature devils left. Extinction within the next 20 years is a real possibility unless we find a vaccine, eradicate the disease and establish captive colonies," Austin said.

Breeding program

There are 500 disease-free devils in zoos and wildlife parks on the Australian mainland, so scientists recently suggested a breeding program as an "insurance policy" in case a vaccine is not found in time, the British Telegraph newspaper reported.

Some forecasts for the extinction of devils are as low as 10 years, Guy Cooper, conservation society director of Taronga Zoo in Sydney, told the newspaper. The disease is spreading faster than expected.

Austin and colleagues will spend the next three years establishing a conservation program and working to suppress the disease, which is ravaging Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore.

Symptoms of the disease, including cancerous lesions around the mouth, face and neck, were first reported in 1996 at one spot on Tasmania. By 2007, the disease had spread over more than half of the devils' home range there. Some populations have lost up to 89 percent of their members as a result of the facial tumors.

Sex sooner

One way devil populations are coping is by having sex at an earlier age, a study found earlier this year. The fatal disease strikes when devils reach the age of 2, which is about when they become sexually mature enough to breed. So earlier breeding is critical for the survival of the species. Devils only breed two or three times in their lifetime.

The Tasmanian devil is not only a key tourism icon for Australia's most southern State, but also ecologically critical to Tasmania's native ecosystem.

Because Tasmanian devils have extremely low levels of genetic diversity and a chromosomal mutation unique among carnivorous mammals, they are more prone to the infectious cancer. Austin's team will analyze genetic material from devil populations to understand the origin, spread and impact of the disease and try to find a vaccine.

"We need to establish whether the low levels of genetic diversity are due to recent human impacts or a long-term historical pattern," Austin said. "We also need to look at how the cancer is affecting surviving populations and identify individuals that may be resistant to the disease."

Devil facial tumor disease is one of only two known clonally transmissible cancers and appears to have originated from a genetic change of mutation in a single individual. It is spread through biting during fights over food and during mating.

Read more!

How Clean Coal Could Power the Future

Michael Schirber, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 3 Nov 08;

Editor's Note: Each Wednesday LiveScience examines the viability of emerging energy technologies - the power of the future.

As the U.S. election season draws to a close, one of the biggest environmental issues has been "clean coal." Both candidates for president have come out in support of it.

Some environmentalists say it is an oxymoron, while others feel it is a viable option for using abundant coal reserves wisely. The debate is complicated by the fact that clean coal is not well-defined.

"It's an abused term that people use to justify whatever they are doing," said John Thompson, director of the Clean Air Task Force's Coal Transition Project.

For some, clean coal means reducing the pollutants that cause smog and acid rain, but for others this is not enough: They say coal remains dirty as long as it continues to release the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

"I am an environmentalist, and the reality is that coal is killing the planet as we are using it," Thompson told LiveScience.

The big caveat

Coal can, at least in theory, be burned with little or no carbon footprint, but it requires something called carbon capture and storage (CCS), in which CO2 is separated from the coal (either before or after burning) and buried underground.

The trouble is that CCS has never been tried on a commercial scale, and some environmentalists think that it is only being talked about to provide cover for continued coal use. "'Clean coal' is the industry's attempt to 'clean up' its dirty image - the industry's greenwash buzzword," reads a Greenpeace Web site.

Barack Obama has said that he would develop five first-of-their-kind coal-fired plants with CCS technology. John McCain has pledged $2 billion annually on clean coal technologies.

"Whoever wins on Tuesday, we'll wake up on Wednesday and still be getting 50 percent of our electricity from coal," Thompson said.

Politicians must find ways to meet constantly growing energy demands. With coal being the cheapest option, the black ore seems indispensable to further economic growth.

Levels of dirtiness

"Compared to the soaring price of oil and natural gas, coal might seem cheap," reads a brochure from the Natural Resources Defense Council. "But appearances are deceiving: The true costs of conventional coal extraction and use are significant."

Sometimes called the dirtiest fuel, coal burning releases particulate matter associated with respiratory problems, sulfur dioxide (SO2) tied to acid rain and nitrogen oxides that contribute to smog.

One can clearly see the effects of these pollutants by looking at China, which burns twice as much coal as any other country. Air pollution from Chinese coal burning not only causes health problems in China (as highlighted by the Beijing Olympics), but some of this material ends up floating all the way to the United States.

However, coal can be burned in a cleaner way.

In the United States and other countries, new power plants are required to implement pollution-reduction technologies. In some plants, for instance, the coal is pre-washed to remove impurities, and the smokestacks are equipped with "scrubbers" that filter out SO2 and particulate matter from the flue gas.

Still, none of these technologies address carbon dioxide. Coal emits more CO2 than any other common fuel: 80 percent more than natural gas and 35 percent more than gasoline, for a given energy output.

Two NASA scientists recently released a report that claimed coal is the biggest threat to the climate.

"We found that because coal is much more plentiful than oil or gas, reducing coal emissions is absolutely essential to avoid dangerous climate change," said Pushker Kharecha in a press release.

Although estimates vary, the amount of coal still underground equals roughly 250 years at current consumption rates.

"It's not a question in my mind of whether we will burn it," Thompson said. "The only question is whether we will burn it with CCS or not."

Is CCS feasible?

The U.S. government had plans to build a $1.8 billion CCS demonstration plant in Illinois called FutureGen, but the Department of Energy cut its funding earlier this year, blaming cost overruns.

Coal opponents say this is evidence that CCS is too expensive and too risky.

Thompson disagrees. Carbon dioxide is already being separated from coal in gasification plants that make fertilizer or synthetic natural gas (syngas). The separated CO2 is currently released into the atmosphere, but pipelines could be built to divert the gas to saline aquifers where it could be stored.

Ironically, China has one of the most developed gasification industries. "They are poised to be the leaders in CCS technology," Thompson said.

As far as the costs, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report in 2005 that said CCS can lower by 30 percent or more the cost of carbon reduction policies.

Still, many environmentalists refuse to concede the need for continued coal use, believing that truly clean energy technologies, such as wind and solar, should be the focus.

"Some say a dollar for coal is a dollar taken away from renewables, but I think that is shortsighted," Thompson said. "I'm not willing to bet the planet on coal going away anytime soon."

Read more!