Best of our wild blogs: 20 Jul 09

Tanah Merah's Sandy Lagoon
from Nature's Wonders

Wildfacts updates: Funny fishes, weird worms and strange slugs
from wild shores of singapore

YCMC-NHC Workshop cum Volunteer Experience 18 July
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Nesty habits
from The annotated budak

The Other Resident Tern Of Singapore
from Life's Indulgences

Dragonfly Hunt at Sungei Buloh
from Creatures in the Wild

Pythons in my neighbourhood
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Lineated Barbet: Food for the chicks
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Monday Morgue: 20th July 2009
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

22 Jul (Wed): Solar eclipse over Singapore
from wild shores of singapore

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Dry spell threatens Indonesia's rice crop

El Nino a big worry, with declining rainfall causing river and well water to recede
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Straits Times 20 Jul 09;

JAKARTA: The El Nino climate phenomenon could hit Indonesia this year, producing a dry spell that could threaten its rice fields.

The Bengawan Solo River, which meanders through Central Java and East Java, is the main source of irrigation for the island's paddies and is already fast receding, local newspapers have reported. Java's thousands of hectares of paddy fields normally produce 60per cent of the country's total rice output.

Since the beginning of this month, a main dam near the river in Central Java, called Gajah Mungkur, has lost a fifth of its water because of dry weather conditions that may be a sign of El Nino's impending return.

El Nino is a condition caused by temperature fluctuations in the oceans and atmosphere that has been blamed for floods in normally dry areas and droughts in usually wet ones, as well as other disturbances around the world.

Already in Cilacap in Central Java, 36,000 families have been struggling to get clean water from their village wells since early this month, newspapers reported last week. The water level has receded greatly in some wells. In others, water has turned yellow.

The local government is now pledging to bring in tanks of clean water to the troubled villages, as farmers have been asked to switch from planting paddy to other crops that require less water.

The dry weather may continue until the end of the year, forecasters say.

Ms Ati Wasiati Hamid, a director in charge of protecting food crops at the Agriculture Ministry, told the Jakarta Globe that this may push back the rainy season - which normally starts in September - to December.

This means the planting of paddy, which usually starts by early October, may also have to wait.

The declining rainfall and cold morning temperatures in some areas are signs that El Nino is coming, said Mr Winarno Tochir, head of the Indonesian Fishermen and Farmers Association. But clearer signs of its return should be evident by the middle of next month, he said.

Still, not everyone is pessimistic just yet.

Even if El Nino does come, it could be moderate, as it was in 2002 and 2006, rather than severe, as in 1997, said director-general of food crops Sutarto Alimoeso, Ms Ati's boss.

The year 1997 is believed to be the worst El Nino year, with eight months of drought resulting in a huge shortfall in rice output, forcing the country to import more than fivemillion tonnes of rice.

'We still hope it won't happen. But if it happens, we have measures we can take,' Mr Sutarto told The Straits Times. 'We will boost output from the areas where it is possible to maximise production, while areas susceptible to El Nino can switch to other crops like corn.'

The government has set a production target of 63.5million tonnes of rice this year, or about threemillion tonnes more than what the country needs. The country has about 12million ha of paddy fields.

El Nino occurs on average every two to five years, and typically lasts about 12months. It also causes temperatures to rise and, combined with drier conditions, increases the risk of forest fires.

Despite a ban on open burning, some farmers and plantation companies in Sumatra and Kalimantan are still clearing land by cutting down vegetation and burning it.

South-east Asia has been hit by haze almost every year since 1997. That year, fires set to clear land in Indonesia and East Malaysia burnt out of control. Fuelled by El Nino, the resulting smoke covered much of the region in a choking haze affecting Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand.

'The El Nino prediction points out that threats of forest fire will be far greater this year,' said head of advocacy department at Walhi (Friends of the Earth) M. Teguh Surya. 'This calls for an early preparation for prevention by the government. But by the same token, the prediction is also likely to prompt irresponsible parties to go ahead and burn, and blame it on El Nino.'

Wet, wet, wet elsewhere in Asia
Straits Times 20 Jul 09;

CHINA: A weakening tropical storm whirled into southern China yesterday, drenching the region with heavy rains after killing at least five people in the Philippines.

Two Chinese fishermen were missing, state media said. Typhoon Molave weakened as it hit land in Shenzhen, across the border from Hong Kong, early yesterday.

Molave yesterday moved from Guangdong province to neighbouring Guangxi province. The China Meteorological Administration warned it would bring heavy rains to south-western Yunnan province.

In Hong Kong, the storm forced the cancellation of six flights, diverted four and delayed 14 others, its government said in a statement early yesterday.

# IN NORTH KOREA: Heavy downpours also hit Pyongyang, the North Korean capital and other parts of the country, raising the spectre of a repeat of massive floods two years ago that left hundreds of people dead and devastated farmlands.

The official Korean Central News Agency said up to 287mm of rain fell in Pyongyang and the provinces of South Pyongang and South Hamgyong between Friday and Saturday. But the agency gave no immediate damage report.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed intelligence official, said the torrential rain could damage the North's farmland and force the communist regime to call for outside food aid.

# IN PAKISTAN: At least 16 people, including four children, were killed and 27 others hurt after the first rains of the monsoon lashed Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, officials said yesterday.

The heavy monsoon rain, which started early on Saturday, brought much of the city to a standstill as power and communication systems were badly affected and hundreds of people were forced from their homes.

Metrological officials said more rain was due in the next 24 hours in southern Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, XINHUA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Giving the chop to deforestation in Indonesia

Michael Richardson, Straits Times 20 Jul 09;

INDONESIA'S tropical forests, the most extensive in Asia and the third largest in the world, are rich in many ways. Striking a balance between their continued development and conserving them is difficult.

It is one of many contentious points in the negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty to combat climate change that expires in 2012. Officials from Indonesia and other countries will meet again in Bonn, Germany, next month in an effort to conclude a deal by December.

Forests play a crucial role in regulating greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Their foliage absorbs and stores huge quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas. When forests are cut or burned, they release the gas into the atmosphere.

However, Indonesia's forests and the land they cover are also a major source of wealth for the world's fourth most populous nation. Exports of timber and other forest products, including pulp and paper, are worth more than US$5 billion (S$7.3 billion) a year. Though the value of wood sales has been falling over the past decade, forest-related activity remains an important source of income and employment for hundreds of thousands of people in Indonesia.

In the 1960s, 82 per cent of Indonesia was forested. Today, the figure has dropped to 49 per cent. Even in parts of this vast area, valuable hardwood trees have been cut down and there is pressure for further opening.

Between 1990 and 2005, Indonesia lost 28 million hectares of forest, including nearly 22 million ha of virgin forest. The destruction is the result of various forces: Logging (much of it illegal), mining, human settlement, subsistence farming and chopping of trees for fuelwood have all played a part.

So too has the clearance and burning of forests to make way for plantations growing palm oil and timber for pulp and paper mills.

Palm oil - widely used worldwide for cooking, processing food, making cosmetics and as a biofuel - earned US$10.7 billion for Indonesia last year, about 10 per cent of its non-oil and gas exports.

Like forestry, the palm oil industry generates jobs and income for many people, especially the rural poor. Indonesia is the world's top producer of palm oil, followed by Malaysia. It has 7.1 million ha of oil palm plantations, about 65 per cent owned by companies and the rest by smallholders. The industry is planning a major expansion, supported by the government.

Scientists say that this pattern of development, including the draining of vast peat swamps for plantations, comes at a high cost.

About one-fifth of the world's CO2 emissions stems from deforestation. By some measures, Indonesia has become the third largest greenhouse gas polluter in the world, after China and the United States, if its emissions from deforestation and changes in land-use are included.

Scientists warn that unless forests can be conserved, the world has no chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. Yet the 1997 Kyoto Protocol failed to include effective provisions to protect and restore forests.

The negotiations for a follow-on pact are focusing on a new approach called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Redd). Although Redd can take a number of forms, the main idea is that companies or governments in advanced economies compensate those in the developing world for preserving forests, either by paying into a fund or by purchasing credits on carbon markets.

Under the latter, legislation now being considered in the US Congress puts a price on carbon, limiting the amount of CO2 industry can emit but allowing trade in emission permits. The proposed law would enable companies to offset six billion tonnes of CO2 by investing in forest conservation projects until 2025.

Earlier this month, Indonesia's forestry ministry released revenue-sharing rules for forest carbon projects. The rules set the shares for Redd financial compensation for central and local governments, as well as local communities. Some analysts suggest that logging and plantation companies will also have to be compensated if Redd is to work.

Whether the international community can agree on a well-funded Redd programme remains to be seen. Implementing forest conservation in a country like Indonesia, where corruption is rife, will be a major challenge.

But if successful, it would give a big boost to poverty alleviation in remote rural areas. It would also help control greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

The writer is a visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

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Thick haze envelops Penang, Malaysia

The Star 20 Jul 09;

GEORGE TOWN: Penangites woke up to a thick cloud of haze hanging over the island with several landmarks disappearing from view till about 11am.

Motorists travelling along the Bayan Lepas Expressway yesterday said they could not see the middle span of the Penang Bridge and the buildings on the mainland.

“I thought the haze was bad on Saturday but this morning it was worse,” said businessman K. Manimaran, who used the bridge at 8.45am.

Visibility dropped to 1km in Butterworth and Prai from 7am but it improved to 5km at 2pm. On Penang Bridge, visibility was 4km at 7am but cleared up by 2pm after a brief shower at about 11am.

A Meteorological Department spokesman said the hazy spell in Penang was caused by 60 hotspots in Sumatra.

As at 5pm yesterday, Kuala Selangor, Port Klang and Seberang Prai in Penang are among those that recorded the worst air quality in the country. The Department of Environment’s (DOE) website showed that 79% of the country recorded ‘moderate’ status in covering 38 places.

About 4% of the country recorded ‘unhealthy’ levels in two areas while 16% of the country was in the green ‘good’ status.

Langkawi, Kangar, Tawau and Limbang recorded the ‘healthiest’ levels.

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Malaysia activists slam animal testing facility plan

Yahoo News 19 Jul 09;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Environmental groups have blasted a Malaysian firm's plan to establish an animal testing facility using imported monkeys, in collaboration with a French pharmaceutical research company.

The activists said the project was cruel and unacceptable, and that animal testing should not take place in Malaysia.

Officials familiar with the plan said the Johor State Investment Centre (JSIC) wrote a letter on May 8 to Malaysia's wildlife and national parks department, requesting permission to import macaques for the testing lab.

"They (JSIC) said they wanted to import macaques to do animal testing. But animal testing in a controversial issue," Saharuddin Anan, director of the department's legislation and enforcement division, told AFP recently.

"So we invited four local environmental groups to a meeting with the proponent of the project on June 12," he said.

Saharuddin said the proposal involved specially bred pathogen-free macaques to be imported from neighbouring countries.

The wildlife department collected responses from animal and environmental groups and "we are studying their (JSIC) application to import the macaques," he said.

A top JSIC official in Johor, a southern Malaysian state, declined to comment in a telephone call when asked to confirm the controversial plans. JSIC is owned by the state government, and promotes investment into Johor.

Conservation group Friends of the Earth said it was "totally opposed to the use of non-human primates or any other animals for research, experiments or vivisection."

The group's Malaysian president Mohamad Idris said they were informed at the briefing with JSIC and the wildlife department that the partners in the project would be an unnamed French pharmaceutical research company.

"In laboratory research, monkeys are subjected routinely to pain... We are morally opposed to any animal research as no animals should be experimented with when alternatives to animal testing are available," he said in a statement.

Idris said the lab was expected to source the long-tailed macaques from Indonesia, Vietnam or China which trade in captive-bred monkeys.

British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), a London-based animal protection group, condemned the project.

"The use of non-human primates in research is being questioned internationally," Sarah Kite, its director of special projects, said in a statement.

"We urge Malaysia to put an end to these negotiations and to not allow itself to be part of an industry that inflicts such great suffering on our primate cousins," she added.

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At risk from rising seas, Tuvalu seeks clean power

Alister Doyle, Reuters 19 Jul 09;

OSLO (Reuters) - The Pacific island state of Tuvalu set a goal Sunday of a 100 percent shift to renewable energy by 2020, hoping to set an example to industrialized nations to cut greenhouse gases it blames for rising sea levels.

Tuvalu, a string of coral atolls whose highest point is 4.5 meters (15 ft) above sea level, estimates it would cost just over $20 million to generate all electricity for its 12,000 people from solar and wind power and end dependence on diesel.

"We look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all -- powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind," Kausea Natano, minister for public utilities and industries, said in setting the 2020 target.

Tuvalu and many other low-lying atolls in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean fear that rising sea levels could wipe them off the map. They want governments to agree a strong new U.N. deal in Copenhagen in December to slow climate change.

Natano said in a statement that Tuvalu's own efforts to curb the islanders' tiny greenhouse gas emissions "will strengthen our voice" in the negotiations.

A first $410,000 solar system on the roof of the main soccer stadium in the capital, Funafuti, has been generating 5 percent of electricity for the town since it was installed in late 2008.

The installation was led by Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co. backed by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Both are members of the e8, an international non-profit organization of 10 utilities from the Group of Eight industrialized countries.

SOLAR-POWERED SCHOOL

G8 leaders at a July 8-10 summit in Italy promised to help the poor cope with climate change, but have not yet said how much cash or technology they will provide.

"We are hoping to secure assistance from our traditional donor partners and any other funding assistance to achieve (the) ultimate goal" of 100 percent renewable power, Natano said.

Tuvalu says that "king tides" whipped up by more powerful cyclones are already bringing salt water onto crops.

Sea levels rose 17 cm (6 inches) in the 20th century and the U.N. Climate Panel estimated in 2007 they could rise by another 18-59 cm by 2100, and perhaps even more if a thaw of Greenland or Antarctica accelerates.

Tuvalu, a group of atolls covering 26 sq km, aims to expand the e8 project from 40 to 60 kilowatts and extend solar power to outer islands, starting this year with an $800,000 solar power system for a school in Vaitupu funded by the Italian government.

"The plight of Tuvalu versus the rising tide vividly represents the worst early consequence of climate change," said Takao Shiraishi, general manager of Kansai Electric Power Co.

The islands, halfway between Australia and Hawaii, would keep generators as back-up sources of power. Tuvalu's average fuel consumption is 5,000 liters of imported diesel per day.

Tuvalu's annual emissions of the heat-trapping carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from burning fossil fuels, are just 0.4 ton per inhabitant against more than 20 per American.

Island will only use green power
Michael Casey, AP The Independent 21 Jul 09;

The tiny island nation of Tuvalu, already under threat from rising seas caused by global warming, has vowed to do its part for climate change by fueling its economy entirely from renewable sources by 2020.

The South Pacific nation of 12,000 people is part of a movement of countries and cities committed to going climate neutral. Since February 2008, 10 nations including New Zealand, Pakistan, Iceland and Costa Rica have vowed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases as part of a goal of reaching zero emissions in the next decade.

None of these commitments alone is expected to make a significant difference in the fight to cut heat-trapping gases. But the United Nations and many environmentalists say the moves can inspire bigger emitters like the United States and China to take bolder steps to limit their carbon footprints.

"In a sense, they are paving the way for medium and larger economies which have to move if we are going combat climate change," said Nick Nuttal, spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme. It sponsors the Climate Neutral Network, a group of 100 governments, nongovernment groups and companies looking to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. "These smaller economies are out to prove you can do it, and do it faster than some people previously thought."

Major polluters at the Group of Eight nations' summit earlier this month failed to agree on commitments to reduce carbon emissions. That indicates how difficult it will be to craft a new climate treaty later this year in Copenhagen, Denmark, one that would be a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Climate scientists have urged rich countries to reduce emissions from 2005 levels by between 25 percent and 40 percent by 2020 to avoid the worst effects of warming, which they say will lead to widespread drought, floods, higher sea levels and worsening storms.

For its part, Tuvalu hopes to replace the fossil fuels that it imports by ship with solar energy and wind power, a project that it expects will cost $20 million.

Tuvalu already releases almost no greenhouse gases. But because of climate change, many South Pacific islands see worsening flooding amid predictions of a large sea level rise this century.

The country is just 10 square miles in size, with most of its land less than a metere above sea level.

So far, Tuvalu has installed a 40 kilowatt solar energy system with the help of Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co. and Tokyo Electric Power Company, both members of the e8, an international nonprofit organization of 10 leading power utilities from G8 countries.

"There may be other, larger solar power installations in the world, but none could be more meaningful to customers than this one," Takao Shiraishi, general manager of the Kansai Electric Power Co., said in a statement Sunday.

"The plight of Tuvalu versus the rising tide vividly represents the worst early consequence of climate change," he added. "For Tuvalu, after 3,000 years of history, the success of UN climate talks in Copenhagen this December may well be a matter of national survival."

The Tuvalu government is working to expand the initial $410,000 project from 40 to 60 kilowatts, and will extend solar power to outer islands, starting later this year with the commission of a $800,000, 46 kilowatt solar power system for a secondary school. The Italian government is supporting the project.

"We thank those who are helping Tuvalu reduce its carbon footprint as it will strengthen our voice in those international negotiations," Public Utilities and Industries Minister Kausea Natano said in a statement. "And we look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all — powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind."

Tuvalu vows to go carbon neutral
BBC 20 Jul 09;

The tiny Pacific island state of Tuvalu has said it wants all its energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Public Utilities Minister Kausea Natano said his nation of 12,000 people wanted to set an example to others.

Tuvalu is made up of a string of atolls with the highest point only 4.5m (15 ft) above sea level, making it extremely vulnerable to flooding.

The government hopes to use wind and solar power to generate electricity, instead of imported diesel.

"We look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all - powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind," Kausea Natano said.

Inspiring others

Tuvalu and many other low-lying atolls in the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean fear that global warning could lead to sea level rises that could literally wipe them off the map.

Other nations - including Norway, New Zealand, Iceland and Costa Rica - have also vowed to become carbon neutral, reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases to zero.

Most of these countries have relatively small populations, and their pledges are unlikely to make a significant difference in the overall battle against global warming.

But many environmentalists say their stance is nevertheless important, as they provide a lead for other countries to follow.

"In a sense, they are paving the way for medium and larger economies which have to move if we are going combat climate change," Nick Nuttall, spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme, told the French news agency AFP.

Tuvalu estimates it would will cost about $20m to generate all its electricity by using renewables. It has already begun the process by installing a $410,000 solar system on the roof of the main soccer stadium in the capital, Funafuti.

OTHER NATIONS COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY
# Costa Rica
# Ethiopia
# Iceland
# Maldives
# Monaco
# New Zealand
# Niue
# Norway
# Pakistan
# Portugal Source: UN Environment Programme

Tuvalu plots world's first zero carbon output by 2020
The tiny South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu could become the first zero-carbon country after vowing to abandon fossil fuels and generate all of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Bonnie Malkin, The Telegraph 21 Jul 09;

At threat from rising sea levels caused by global warming, the low-lying nation plans to swap imported "dirty fuel" for wind and solar power.

With no heavy industry, almost no natural resources and very low existing greenhouse gas emissions, Tuvalu could become the first country in the world to realise the zero-carbon dream.

Lying halfway between Australia and Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific, the government has been forced to act because the nation stands to lose so much from climate change.

Home to a population of 12,000 people, Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world, measuring just 10 square miles in size. Most of its population are either fishermen or farmers, relying on the land and sea for income and food.

However, the island chain is very low-lying, with most of the country less than three feet above sea level, and the nation's highest point standing at just 15 feet. Worsening flooding in recent years has reminded the administration that Tuvalu faces becoming uninhabitable if predictions of a large sea-level rise this century come true.

In response, a 40 kilowatt solar energy system has been installed on the roof of the country's largest football stadium. The panels now supply five per cent of the electricity needed by the capital, Funafuti and in their first 14 months reduced Tuvalu's consumption of generator fuel shipped from New Zealand by about 17,000 litres.

The project was set up by the e8, an international nonprofit organisation of 10 leading power utilities from G8 countries, and funded by two Japanese power firms.

The Tuvalu government is now working to expand the initial project, and wants to take solar power to the outer islands, starting later this year with the commission of a $800,000 (£480,000), 46 kilowatt solar power system for a secondary school. In all the project is expected to cost the state, which relies on foreign aid as its main source of income, an estimated $20 million.

"We thank those who are helping Tuvalu reduce its carbon footprint as it will strengthen our voice in those international negotiations," said Kausea Natano, the island's public utilities and industries minister. "And we look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind."

Tuvalu is among a cluster of countries, including the Maldives, that aim to reduce their emissions to zero over the next decade.

While its effort alone is not expected to make a significant difference in the fight to cut the volume of heat-trapping gases emitted across the globe, the United Nations and many environmentalists have said the move could inspire larger emitters like the United States and China to take bolder steps to limit their carbon footprints.

"In a sense, they are paving the way for medium and larger economies which have to move if we are going combat climate change," said Nick Nuttal, spokesman for the United Nations Environment Programme. "These smaller economies are out to prove you can do it, and do it faster than some people previously thought."

Tuvalu by numbers:

Population: 12,373

Size: 10 square miles

Relative size: 4th smallest country in the world

Population density: 1,142 people per square mile

Highest point: 15 feet above sea level

GDP: $14.94 million (£9 million)

Number of islands: 4

Number of atolls: 5

Capital: Funafuti

History: former British protectorate and now Commonwealth member

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UK Minister says he will boycott Nobu over sale of bluefin tuna

Restaurant urged to drop sales of endangered fish
Martin Hickman, The Independent 19 Jul 09;

The Fisheries Minister has joined British activists, writers, actors and artists in calling on the Japanese fish restaurant chain Nobu to stop serving endangered bluefin tuna.

In an interview with The Independent, Huw Irranca-Davies urged Nobu to heed scientific evidence that the species was in peril from overfishing and said he would boycott the £80-a-head chain while it was on the menu.

As a result of fierce criticism, Nobu has put symbols next to bluefin dishes at its restaurants in London (but not elsewhere) advising diners that the fish is "environmentally challenged", adding: "Please ask your server for an alternative." But it has so far resisted pressure to halt sales of the delicacy.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature estimates that unless fishing is halted, breeding stock of the bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean will be wiped out by 2012. At Nobu's two restaurants in Mayfair, it serves bluefin in sushi and sashimi dinners for £32.50, toro tartar with caviar for £17.50 and seared toro with miso for £19.50.

"There is regulated trade in this species but, while I have a responsibility as a minister in trying to protect this species for years to come, similarly suppliers and restaurateurs have their individual responsibility as well," said Mr Irranca-Davies, a minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Asked whether Nobu should take the fish off the menu, he added: "Yes. They cannot simply abdicate responsibility when faced with the evidence.

"I wouldn't be eating in a restaurant that serves bluefin tuna, but they have to make their own decision. There are other fish they could make delicious meals out of. They have a part to play. There is also a part for consumers to play to put pressure on."

With France, Britain is backing a proposal by Monaco to list bluefin under Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, which would ban its sale. Some of Nobu's A-list diners have indicated that they will boycott the restaurant in protest. In May, 31 high-profile diners including Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron and Sting signed a letter to the chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who founded the chain, and appealed for bluefin's removal so they could "dine with a clear conscience".

Nobu could not be contacted yesterday. In response to the letter from celebrity diners, it insisted there was still "enormous demand" for bluefin.

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Shark attack victims fight for their attackers

Virginie Montet Yahoo News 18 Jul 09;

WASHINGTON (AFP) – They may have lost fingers, or perhaps even an arm or leg, but these former surfers and vacationers paced down the halls of Congress in Washington to seek protection for sharks, their very attackers.

"I'm here to lobby for the bill to save the sharks, I lost my arm. It's a very powerful statement," said Al Brenneca, a 52-year-old who was attacked by a shark in 1976 in Florida.

Along with a group of eight other survivors brought together by the Pew Environment Group research center, Brenneca descended on Capitol Hill to lobby senators to pass a measure placing tough restrictions on shark fishing.

More than a third of all shark species are endangered, in part due to finning, a practice in which a shark's fins are cut off before the body is thrown back into the water. Shark fin soup is a beloved delicacy in Asia, where it is in high demand.

Some 70 million sharks die in the ocean each year. In contrast, shark attacks on humans are rare -- between 60 and 100 per year worldwide.

"You might ask why considering I was attacked by a shark, why don't I want eat the sharks or kill them all?" quipped Krishna Thompson, a 44-year-old New York banker whose spectacular attack by a bull shark in 2001 during his 10-year wedding anniversary in the Bahamas had captured the media's attention.

Fighting back with his bare hands, he finally freed himself from the steel-sharp jaws.

"I had the leg but all I could see was the femur and tibia, no skin, no vein, no muscle and I remember seeing the white bones. And I thought, 'Oh man, I'm going to be amputated,'" he recalled.

Now wearing an artificial limb and a T-shirt declaring his determination to defend the shark, Thompson has converted himself into an activist fighting for the survival of the predators.

"What the shark did to me was what they are supposed to do," he insists. "Sharks have been around for 300 millions years -- before dinosaurs. They haven't changed much from then till now.

He added that people should not mess with mother nature, and let the sharks be.

"I don't want find out what life would be for us as human if they ceased to exist," Thompson stressed. "If we killed all the sharks that will have an effect on us as humans. That's why I'm here."

Wednesday's demonstration in the Halls of Congress was unusual and startling even for veteran lawmakers who have seem many expressions of public sentiment.

All described scenes of carnage at sea when the were forced to swim in their own blood to save their lives. Most have suffered cardiac arrest by the time they arrived to the hospital.

Mike Coots, 30, from Hawaii was attacked by a tiger shark in 1997 when he was surfing in the morning.

The predator grabbed him by the right leg, shook him back and forth while he was trying to fight back the attacker by punching it on the head.

The shark released him went back into the deep water while Mike started paddling toward the shore. But his leg was gone.

"I didn't feel it come off," he recalls. "It was gone. My friend took my surfing leash and made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Yeah. He saved my life."

But Coots believes that he may have been bitten by a shark to help protect the species.

"I feel very strongly that these animals have a place in the world," he insisted. "And without them, I think it's going to disrupt the entire ecosystem."

But not everybody get over such life experiences. Brenneca, who lost his arm to a shark more than 30 years ago, says many people still harbor resentment toward these predators.

"Some people can't get over their bite and stuff," he notes. "Some people still have an anger towards things whether it be sharks or their own stupidity. It takes years to really get over a bite like this, a serious bite where you lose your arm or you lose your leg. It takes a while to get over that."

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Global warming means continental crops could take root in Britain by 2030

Olives, dates and figs could become common in Britain within 20 years as global warming improves growing conditions for subtropical crops.
Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph 19 Jul 09;

A report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), suggests there could be unexpected benefits to climate change with exotic fruits and vegetables thriving.

But native species, such as potatoes could suffers as average temperatures rise by around 2C by 2030.

Experts predict that within two decades, southerly counties like Devon and Cornwall will be warm enough to support dates, a staple of the Middle East as well as chickpeas. figs, aubergines, peppers and chillies.

"Farmers won't abandon old crops, but at the same time UK agriculture can seize the opportunity to grow new crops. I want British farming to produce as much as possible," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

Rice, usually imported from Thailand, China and the Philippines could become a staple crop for British farmers while the south coast could even support olive and apricot trees.

The change could also help tackle the growing obesity problem in Britain. A Mediterranean diet is renowned for its health benefits and longevity.

Lavender fields, which are currently blooming in East Anglia, could also become a common sight throughout the rest of the country as summers become longer and drier.

British vineyards are also expected to flourish in the next 20 years, with varieties like Pinot Noir and Tempranillo, varieties usually associated with the south Mediterranean, becoming commonplace.

However warmer temperatures could also bring new pests such as wheat rust, a fungus which causes crops to disintegrate, and the Colorado beetle, which attacks potatoes.

And the supply of water is expected to drop by 15 per cent with English rivers losing 20 per cent of their volume in the summer months.

The Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee is expected to call for Britain to increase domestic food production to avoid food shortages and soaring prices by 2050.

The Defra report will be published in August.

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