Best of our wild blogs: 10 Jul 11

HKLS Report of Singapore Field Trip
from Butterflies of Singapore

Kids at Chek Jawa with the Naked Hermit Crabs
from wild shores of singapore

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Museum's $12m race for dino family

Tan Dawn Wei Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

A night at the museum here, with three real dinosaurs? It's a possibility.

Singapore could be home to these dinosaur fossils if the new natural history museum can raise $12 million by the end of this month.

The offer of such a prized acquisition comes from Dinosauria International, a Wyoming-based fossil company that found the three remains between 2007 and last year in Ten Sleep, a small town in the American state.

There are good reasons for the hefty price tag. The two adults and one baby were found together and could well be a family. They are over 80 per cent complete, a rarity as far as dinosaur discoveries are concerned.

If the funding is secured, the trio will get star billing at the 7,500 sq m museum when it is ready in 2014.

'The idea was always to have a central gallery and put something there that would make people go 'Whoa!'' said Professor Peter Ng, director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

Raffles Museum has one of the largest collections of South-east Asian animals in the region - 500,000 specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, crustaceans, insects, molluscs and other invertebrates.

Since 1988, its priceless collection has been housed in the National University of Singapore's (NUS) biological sciences department, which inherited it from the National Museum.

Last year, Raffles Museum went on an intensive fund-raising drive that garnered $46 million to build a dedicated natural history museum to publicly showcase more of these specimens.

The dinosaurs would be ideal as the new museum's centrepiece crowd-puller, while also attracting researchers worldwide, Prof Ng said.

The idea of getting dinosaurs for the new museum emerged when a German researcher who became Prof Ng's postgraduate student told him that his cousin digs for dinosaur fossils and sells them.

That got scientists at the Raffles Museum excited. But they knew such fossils would be costly.

Then there was the question of whether American dinosaurs had a place in a museum showcasing Asia's natural heritage.

Such issues were put to the museum's scientific advisory committee, which took a few days to deliberate before coming back with a 'yes'.

'They wanted the museum to tell the story of the history of life and evolution. Dinosaurs are the history of life,' said Prof Ng.

Dinosaur spotters will want to know this: The trio are diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, among the biggest animals to have trod the earth.

Two of them - nicknamed Apollo and Prince - measure 24m in length while the baby dinosaur, Twinky, is 12m.

To establish that the finds are real, the museum checked with fellow scientists around the world, looked at the scientific paper that had been written about the discoveries, and sent a team to Wyoming.

Dinosaur exhibitions here have so far showcased replicas, not the real thing.

Thailand is the only South-east Asian country that has dinosaurs, found in the north and featured in two dinosaur museums there.

Mr Raimund Albersdoerfer, a partner at Dinosauria International, said he is reserving the three dinosaurs for Singapore, although there are interested foreign buyers, including private collectors.

'Because of the scientific value, we will sell only to major public institutions or museums in order to secure them for scientific research and public accessibility,' Mr Albersdoerfer told The Sunday Times.

The $12 million figure includes the purchase price as well as mounting an accompanying exhibition.

Raffles Museum has approached donors of its building fund and other potential donors. It will also launch a public donation drive on its website, http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dino/dino-online.html, today.

Government agencies it approached could not help with funds. But Professor Leo Tan, who heads the fund-raising efforts and is director of special projects at the NUS science faculty, is optimistic about raising the required sum.

'I'm quite confident. It's just a question of when. You never think about what-ifs. You have to believe in what you do.'

Natural history museum to get a natural look
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

It is Singapore's first purpose-built natural history museum, so it has to look natural, naturally.

That is why it will resemble a moss-covered rock - a design by acclaimed Singaporean architect Mok Wei Wei that won its custodians over.

Mr Mok's other projects under his firm, W Architects, have included The Loft Condominium at Nassim Hill, Paterson Edge, and the redevelopment of the National Museum of Singapore.

His proposal was among 20 received in an open tender exercise late last year after the National University of Singapore managed to raise $46 million in building funds through an intensive six-month fund-raising drive.

The new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which will house plant and animal exhibits from the current Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, will form part of a cultural hub that includes the University Cultural Centre and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music when it is completed in 2014.

The current Office of Estate and Development near the Clementi Road end of the campus will make way for the new museum, which was originally slated to be built at the upcoming University Town.

The footprint remains the same: a 7,500 sq m, six-storey green building with 2,500 sq m of gallery space - 10 times the exhibition space now at Raffles Museum in the NUS biological sciences department.

The rest of it goes to housing classrooms, offices, research and storage areas. Construction will start around the middle of next year and take 18 months.

The building fund came largely from the Lee Foundation, which gave $25 million. There were other anonymous multimillion-dollar donations and about $1 million from the public.

Tan Dawn Wei

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Informal group to discuss railway land use

It includes people from nature and heritage groups, architects and university academics, as Govt seeks to take in different views
Amelia Tan Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

An informal workgroup that includes people with varied perspectives has been formed to chart the future of the former KTM railway land. It includes representatives from nature and heritage groups, architects and university dons.

Already, its first meeting is scheduled in one to two weeks' time, said Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, who is leading the railway development project.

Meetings will be held once every one or two months, he told reporters at Bukit Timah Railway Station yesterday.

Brigadier-General (NS) Tan was leading a group of about 30 people from interest groups, such as nature and heritage groups, as well as individuals on a 23km trek along the railway tracks from Silat Estate in Tanjong Pagar to Kranji.

He said he wanted to take on board different views and perspectives, while adding that the reality is that Singapore is land-scarce and development of the land has to be done in a 'way that makes sense'.

He said: 'There are those who are quite concerned about the birds and all that. Could you keep a continuous stretch of vegetation? Those are planning considerations we can always weave into any development areas and it is a very long stretch.'

BG Tan felt it would take one to two years to gather perspectives and flesh out ideas.

An Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesman said the aim is to get the draft development plans for the former railway land up in time to be exhibited together with the authority's Draft Master Plan in 2013 - which guides Singapore's development over the next 10 to 15 years.

The KTM land reverted to Singapore on July 1.

Yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on his blog that he sees a 'green opportunity' in the development of the former railway land.

He said he would have wanted to lead the former railway land development project, but housing issues are taking up most of his time now.

Mr Khaw said: 'Fortunately, I have a green-minded MOS (Minister of State) Tan Chuan-Jin with me. He readily volunteered to work on this project and saw several useful angles - the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation that is so characteristic of our city.'

The Nature Society (Singapore) had proposed that the 173.7ha strip of land on which the railway tracks now run be turned into a 'green corridor' for cycling, gardens and nature walks.

Its vice-president, Mr Leong Kwok Peng, who joined in the trek with BG Tan, said the society was hopeful about the plans for the green corridor.

He added that it had found through research that particular areas in the green corridor, such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Mandai mangroves, are rich in bio-diversity, and the society will share its research findings in the meetings with BG Tan.

A group of residents from Holland-Bukit Timah and Bukit Panjang also enjoyed a brisk walk along the railway track yesterday morning. They were joined by MPs such as Ms Sim Ann and Mr Christopher de Souza, and Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Several people were at the Bukit Timah Railway Station to take pictures.

Logistics executive Joey Wee, 36, said: 'I hope the Government will look at preserving this land. It is a link to the country's history for many of us.'

Old KTM tracks to become "green spine"
Hoe Yeen Nie Channel NewsAsia 9 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE: The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog on Saturday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself, but with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovation land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And on Saturday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society.

The Nature Society is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

Its vice-president, Leong Kwok Peng, is hopeful something good will be in store for nature lovers.

"Ultimately, this can form a nice nature corridor where birds and animals from the north can actually move all the way down to the southern ridge. I have seen pairs of hornbills flying across this railway track and it's beautiful," he said.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

He added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at, how do we develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.


- CNA/cc/ir

Govt studying ways to keep KTM tracks as green spine
Hoe Yeen Nie Today Online 10 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE - The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself but, with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: The green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And yesterday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society, which is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

BG Tan added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at how to develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.

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Rethink changes made to cyclists' resting spot in Ubin

Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

I have been a frequent visitor to Pulau Ubin for over four years, and have enjoyed weekly mountain biking there. However, I am confounded by recent changes made to parts of the island by the National Parks Board (NParks).

The track for mountain bikers is on the far west of the island and is thankfully serviced with refreshments over the last three years by an 'auntie' in a truck serving drinks to tired cyclists.

The roadside where she parks her truck has an area sheltered by trees to allow the public to rest out of the sun.

Recently, I noticed two changes to the area which will drastically change the much-needed resting spot.

First, NParks has covered the sheltered area with dirt, covering the gravel that was previously there. This prevents visitors from using the area to escape from the sun, as it will become muddy after a downpour.

Does NParks expect cyclists to sit on the road?

Second, several trees in both the resting area and along the mountain biking track have been earmarked for removal, despite being healthy and without infestation.

As Pulau Ubin is a nature reserve, it seems illogical to remove trees there for no reason.

Several hundred mountain bikers and visitors use this remote 'watering hole' every weekend and the drinks auntie has provided a great service to cyclists where no permanent shelter exists nearby.

I hope NParks can respond to the following requests:

Remove the dirt and again place gravel in the area to allow visitors to rest away from the road and out of the sun.

Save the trees which are in no way detrimental to the area.

Place a permanent shelter there, as the area is frequented by hundreds of visitors every weekend. A shelter from the rain and sun would be a welcome relief.

Don't evict the drinks auntie from this site, as she provides a service to all the cyclists.

Tim Birch
(This letter carries 67 other names)

More trees to be planted at Ubin resting spot
Sunday Times 17 Jul 11;

We thank Mr Tim Birch for his letter ('Rethink changes made to cyclists' resting spot in Ubin'; last Sunday) and are glad that he and his friends enjoy mountain biking at Pulau Ubin.

There are five existing shelters in Ketam Mountain Bike Park in Pulau Ubin. We will explore the feasibility of adding one more near the site mentioned by Mr Birch, which is at the periphery of the Bike Park.

This area is also within a re-forestation site. The trees removed belong to a highly invasive exotic species that is spreading throughout the reforestation site at the expense of native species.

We are replacing them with native tree species that will also provide shade.

We intend to plant more trees in the area and have removed the granite chips and dust in preparation for planting.

The woman who has been selling drinks in the area has been advised on the locations in the vicinity that she can continue selling her drinks at.

Meanwhile, we welcome visitors to our visitor centre for information on suitable resting spots and places where light refreshments are available.

Wong Tuan Wah
Director, Conservation
National Parks Board

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Fishermen angle for more space

Enthusiasts are appealing for bigger fishing areas in reservoirs as more people take up the sport
Melissa Sim Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Singapore's freshwater fishermen are reeling - they say there are not enough official spots for them to cast their lines.

The problem has arisen because more people are becoming hooked on angling.

There are about 800 fly fishermen and 'more than 1,000 fishermen in Singapore', says Mr Chin Chi Khiong, president of the Sports Fishing Association of Singapore.

Fly fishermen use artificial bait and a weighted line, and there are other types of fishing too - with ready-made lures and bottom-fishing using live bait and weights.

A lot of new faces are joining the sport or picking it up as an activity, say fishermen and supply shops.

Madam Elizabeth Lai, director of E-waves Fishbyte, a tackle shop in Clementi West, says: 'We see families walking in and just trying it out.'

Previously, new customers were usually taken there by avid fishermen, who were introducing the sport to their friends.

However, these fishermen are permitted to fish only in spots designated by the PUB, which manages reservoirs in Singapore.

Staying in designated areas and using artificial bait will 'minimise pollution to our drinking water sources and avoid inconveniences to other reservoir users', says PUB.

Fishing is allowed at eight out of Singapore's 17 reservoirs and only within certain areas. These are small sections of about 50m to 100m and anglers complain that they are often within 5m of each other.

These spots are in MacRitchie, Lower Peirce, Upper and Lower Seletar, Kranji, Bedok and Pandan reservoirs and Jurong Lake.

Avid angler Henry Lau, 41, who manages Coho Fishing Tackle shop, says of the situation here and overseas: 'Elsewhere, we have walkie-talkies and are often 10km apart. Here we can talk to each other.'

He says he gets complaints from joggers about the danger of casting off with a hooked line.

But jostling for space with other park users cannot be avoided without the authorities opening up more fishing areas.

'If we have more space to fish, we can move elsewhere if we know that there are a lot of joggers in a particular area,' he adds.

Fishing is not allowed in rivers, canals and storm drains due to safety concerns.

Mr Kelvin Ang, 36, a financial services consultant who is assistant treasurer of the Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society, points to another gripe. The problem with a designated legal spot is that it becomes 'barren' as fish wise up to the fact that they are being hunted.

He adds: 'The authorities like to build platforms and structures for anglers, but we are nature lovers and we want to explore on our own.'

So, to avoid crowds and barren freshwater grounds, anglers either go overseas or head out to sea.

Mr Chin of the Sports Fishing Association says it organises monthly trips to his choice location: Semakau landfill.

Newbies are also crowding commercial fishing ponds in Pasir Ris Town Park and Bottle Tree Park in Yishun.

Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's director of catchment and waterways, acknowledges the growing interest in sports fishing and says the PUB is working with various interest groups to 'explore the feasibility of opening more fishing grounds in our reservoirs'.

He adds that 'in future, fishing will be allowed on significantly bigger areas along reservoirs and waterways, with the exception of designated non-fishing zones.'

But the PUB has been trotting out the same message for more than a year.

Mr Tan Tien Yun, executive committee member of Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society, says his organisation and the Sports Fishing Association of Singapore have submitted proposals on how to have sustainable fishery.

Their stand is that users must be educated on how to keep the place clean and not over-fish, and rangers should patrol the reservoirs to keep anglers in check.

But that would, of course, require resources which could come from fishing licences and the Government.

He adds: 'To their credit, PUB has started talking to us, but they are most concerned about water quality, and opening up fishing spots is not an economic or strategic priority for the authorities.'

Catching fish in a kayak
Melody Zaccheus Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Some fishermen have found that there are, indeed, plenty more fish in the sea.

An intrepid group takes kayaks, often equipped with GPS navigation systems and high-tech fish finder devices, out to sea on weekends.

Their haul ranges from eels to large sail fish, which they reel in using a rod and line.

One of these kayak fishermen, Mr Mathew Tan, 32, says: 'Kayak fishing gives us access to new hunting grounds which shoreline fishing does not.

'It's also pretty easy to catch a fish on a kayak as it is a silent vessel which does not spook fish. We often find ourselves in the midst of large schools of fish and all we have to do is drop our lines and they bite.'

He is part of an online community of more than 40 kayak fishermen who met on a fishing forum two years ago. They have an official Facebook page, Kayak Fishing Singapore.

Outings usually comprise groups of two to five members. The kayak is their boat of choice because of its aerodynamic design that glides through the water. It is also collapsible, making it easy to transport.

The kayakers usually leave from Pasir Ris Beach, East Coast Park and Sembawang Beach. Sometimes they also explore mangroves off Pulau Ubin and a 'secret' fishing spot they declined to name.

On average, they cover distances of 6km to and fro, in waters up to 12m deep. They usually plan their trips to return to shore with the tide to conserve energy.

Mr Tan has caught groupers, snappers, eels, catfish, queenfish, grunters, flatheads and giant herrings, which can measure up to 1m long.

He usually releases them after taking photos with them for his blog (mathewtanfishing.wordpress.com). Sometimes he brings the catch home for his wife, 31, to cook. They have a four-year- old daughter and two-year-old son.

Mr Tan, an interface designer for a firm which develops iPhone apps, has been fishing for the past 23 years. He got hooked after a trip out to sea in a two-seater kayak with his uncle in 2009.

His fishing buddy, Mr Mervin Low, 42, got the bug that same year, after having to give up his weekend soccer due to an injury.

Mr Low, who runs an event planning company, has caught a 5.5kg golden pomfret measuring 1m in length and a 7kg barramundi about 1.3m long.

To boost the chances of getting large catches, Mr Tan spent about $300 on two second-hand navigation and fish-finder systems.

The kayak fishermen adhere closely to safety regulations and they make it a point to fish between daylight hours of 7am and 7pm. Newbies are encouraged to take basic kayaking lessons to learn safety rules.

Mr Tan says kayak fishing allows anglers to experience the open sea in all its glory. 'Once, we saw a submarine slowly rising to the surface. On another occasion, I spotted a family of otters having a nice morning swim,' he says.

Mr Low has seen large turtles in the waters off Sentosa and Changi surfacing beside his kayak for a breather.

He recalls: 'It was an amazing sight. Being one with nature can be very therapeutic. Giving up my weekend soccer boots for kayak fishing was certainly a good decision.'

Fisherman at sea
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Fisherman Raju Ducro, 62, has lived on his fishing boat for the past 11 years and takes people out to sea almost every day in pursuit of a catch.

'I can't sleep on a bed on land, but this rocking motion puts me to sleep,' says the sea lover, who docks his 40ft vessel at Marina Country Club in Punggol for $600 a month.

His wife, whom he visits every month, lives with her sister. Their two adult children often visit him on his boat.

Mr Ducro, who started fishing at the age of eight, says: 'It's just easier sleeping here. I finish cleaning my boat at 7pm and then by 6am, I have to be here to get ready to go out again.'

He says that sometimes, people also call him in the middle of the night to tow their boat when their vessel breaks down.

The former shipyard worker, who later started a machining business which made spare parts, says he saved up $50,000 for his first boat about 20 years ago.

His current boat can take six passengers who pool their money to cover costs.

He and his friends like to go to his favourite spots near Changi, about 20 minutes from the marina, to catch fish including garoupa, golden snapper and mangrove jacks. 'My challenge is reading the current and the tide, and looking for the fish,' he says.

Taking home some fish is only part of the draw.

In words that echo Ernest Hemingway's famous character from his book The Old Man And The Sea, Mr Ducro declares: 'We are anglers, we want the fight. If people just want fish, I tell them to go to the market, there are plenty there.'

It is not just 'the fight', but the danger involved, too.

He has to look out for sharks, even in Singapore waters.

One time he was under his boat trying to cut a rope tangled in the propeller, and was cut by barnacles, causing him to bleed. He had a rope tied to his waist and his friends on deck, who were holding it, started tugging.

When he surfaced, they told him to get out of the water as they feared a shark was near him.

'I wasn't scared, I didn't see it. But luckily, I had cut the rope already and we could move,' he says matter-of-factly.

Fly fisherman
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

If you spot an elderly man flailing around with a fishing rod in a field in Yishun, it is probably Mr Amin Rahmat, 67, perfecting his casting techniques.

He says that when he is not out fishing, he practises casting for at least 20 minutes every day in the open space near his HDB flat in Yishun.

The avid fly fisherman is one of only five instructors in the sport in Singapore.

He does not only have vast experience, but he has also done a fly fishing instructors' course in Oregon in the United States and taken a test in Brisbane, Australia, to qualify as an instructor.

'To me, it's a form of art when you can throw the line gracefully,' he says.

The artistry is not only in how the fishing line is thrown from the rod and reel, or to use the fishing term 'is cast', but it is also in the making of the 'flies' used to lure the fish which are attached to the regular piece of nylon fishing line called the leader. The hook is also attached to the leader.

The flies act as bait for the unsuspecting fish.

'We make imitation crabs, insects and small fish and we share the ones we have tied with our friends,' he says, showing off his box of handmade flies in colours from pink to neon green.

He enjoys both salt-water and freshwater fishing and has travelled to countries such as Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Australia and the former Yugoslavia.

During his many years of fishing, he has caught coveted game fish known for their speed and strength, including the bonefish, but the Atlantic tarpon - found only in some parts of the Atlantic Ocean - has remained elusive.

'It's a very challenging fish and it's very expensive to travel there to catch it,' he says.

In Singapore, he goes fishing at some reservoirs, including MacRitchie and Lower Peirce, but says there is not enough space.

'We have only 50m or 100m of space to fish and we also have to worry about other people around when we cast. It's quite difficult to fish here,' he says.

Recalling fishing trips overseas with friends, his eyes light up.

'We fish together and the environment is different, so we just relax and admire the place,' he says.

He has made fishing trips to the Maldives every year for 15 years.

The retiree, who gives fishing lessons in his spare time, says he spends about $2,500 on such trips.

He also travels once a month to fish all over Malaysia, including places such as Terengganu and Perak.

When he is not fishing or coaching, he meets other fly fishing enthusiasts at Coho Fishing Tackle shop in Bali Lane.

He teaches students the art of casting on an undeveloped plot of land opposite the shop. It is convenient as it is near the tackle shop which serves as an unofficial clubhouse for fly fishermen.

He charges $50 a lesson a person, as long as there is a group of four or more, and $100 to $200 for individual lessons. He provides the rod and lines and says he will teach until the person can cast a decent distance.

A basic set of rod and line costs about $200 to $300.

Strangely, in spite of Mr Amin's knowledge and fervour for the sport, none of his five children, aged between 23 and 41, has fallen in love with it.

'I'm happy to teach because I like to share my passion,' he says.

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Tourists to experience a day in the life of an Icelandic whaler

Whalers hope hands-on experience will provide new ways to make money and persuade people of their point of view
John Vidal guardian.co.uk 8 Jul 11;

Icelandic whalers, fed up with animal welfare groups telling them to stop killing whales, have found a new way to make money and persuade people of their point of view. From next month they will invite tourists to go out to sea with them to watch minke and other whales close-up. The holidaymakers will then get to "experience" the life of a whaler, see and hear harpoons being fired, touch a whale tail, inspect the internal organs of whales and sit down for a tasty meal of blubber and whale meat with the captain.

"We won't actually kill any whales", said Gunnar Jonsson, the manager and owner of Hrefnuveiðimanna, Iceland's Minke Whalers Association. "The idea is to take people out in the close season to give them an idea of what we do. This is cultural tourism. There has been a lot of interest. We have bookings from groups in England and Germany."

The news comes as more than 100 pro- and anti-whaling countries prepare for the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting in Jersey next week. They will hear that the Japanese tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear accident in March may have impacted heavily on whale populations in the north Pacific.

According to French conservation group Robin des Bois, large numbers of young minke whales were passing close to the Fukushima reactors around the time of the accident. Apart from the massive debris and pollution from destroyed industrial facilities, nuclear company Tepco has admitted dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of highly radioactive water into the sea since the tsunami. Two minke whales caught off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido have shown elevated values of caesium–137.

Japan – which along with Norway and Iceland is one of the few countries to allow commercial whaling – is believed to be reconsidereing its whaling position following the tsunami, which wiped out one of the country's main whaling ports and seriously damaged its ageing fleet.

Jonsson hopes to charge tourists visiting Iceland between $200-$300 and take them out in groups of 15 to 20. "We have seen that people enjoy whale-watching, and many people ask us how whaling is done, but we are not going to push whaling. Now they can learn about the culture."

But the unusual tourist offering was dismissed by Iceland's whale-watching industry as "not welcome".

"We are not happy with this. There is not much profit in whaling these days so we think it is a way to drum up their business which is selling whale meat," said Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, head of IceWhale, the Icelandic whale-watching association.

From only a few tourists 10 years ago, nearly 200,000 foreigners now go whale-watching off Iceland every year, says the government's tourist ministry. But the boom in numbers has also led to an unexpected surge in whale-eating, with more than 100 restaurants and shops now offering tourists whale as an exotic meat.

This is very distressing for conservation groups which this week appealed to tourists to watch whales – but not to touch them. "Iceland's whalers are putting more effort into promoting the sale of whale meat and are now offering smoked and marinated whale meat in addition to whale steaks for grilling. Sadly, we are seeing increasing numbers of tourists walking off whale watching vessels and straight into restaurants that serve whale meat. They are inadvertently helping to keep the cruel whaling industry afloat," says Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society spokeswoman Vanessa Williams-Grey.

"We ask that people resist the temptation to give the meat a try despite whatever they may be told by local whale hunters. The fact is that only a small percentage of Icelandic people eat the meat these days. The whales suffer a long and slow death, they are not suitable as a species for human harvesting and, contrary to myth, they are not responsible for reducing local fish stocks."

There is also increasing evidence that whalers and whale watching companies are now chasing the same whales, giving tourists an unexpected insight into the industry. "On at least one occasion this season, the minke whalers killed and processed a whale in waters designated as a protected area in Faxaflói Bay, near Reykjavik, also a prime whale watch area," said Williams-Grey.

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