Best of our wild blogs: 31 Jul 13

The Roly Poly Pill Millipede
from Macro Photography in Singapore

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Indonesia: Javan Hawk-Eagle Park Population Declines

Jakarta Globe 31 Jul 13;

The population of the Javan hawk-eagle at a major East Java park has fallen to an alarming level, park management says.

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) said the number of Nisaetus bartelsi birds, one of 14 endangered species in Indonesia, had fallen to just five in two resorts in the area, as their habitat in the forest continues to shrink.

“Our last observation was made around September last year. Two were seen at the Coban Trisula and four at Jabung Resort,” Elham Purnomo, coordinator of TNBTS’s Javan hawk-eagle monitoring team, said in Malang on Tuesday.

“It is certain they were the Javan hawk-eagle because they were perching and their specific characteristics could be seen clearly.”

The hawks had a gold brownish crest and fur covering their body to the ankles.

“The Javan hawk-eagles exist only in Java because the habitat and climate suits them. Supply of their natural food is also sufficient here. The food includes small birds, squirrels, mongoose, bats and forest roosters,” he said.

The population has dropped sharply as humans take over its habitat.

A 2011 national government decree on forest protection and nature conservation listed the bird as one of 14 endangered species in Indonesia.

Other endangered species, such as the Sumatran tiger, have suffered massive depopulation as a result of human encroachment on their habitat.

“We will make another observation to find out the population of the Javan hawk on Aug. 4. The method we’ll use [to observe the hawk’s population] is through direct encounter by using binoculars and other devices,” Elham said.

Aside from perching, the birds were also seen soaring, gliding and singing.

The TNBTS park is home to Mount Bromo, a spectacular volcano popular with tourists visiting East Java that last erupted in early 2011. Dyah Ayu Pitaloka

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Malaysia: NGOs talk to palm oil players

Kristy Inus New Straits Times 31 Jul 13;

SUSTAINABLE POLICY: New body aims to influence land use policy and shape debates

KOTA KINABALU: SEVERAL non-governmental organisations here have joined hands to form a coalition to provide an avenue for dialogues with palm oil industry stakeholders.

The group, named Malaysian Palm Oil NGO Coalition (MPONGOC), aims to influence land use policy, decision-making and towards advocating consumer responsibility.

The current members of the coalition are Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS), Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Sabah branch, Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos) Trust and WWF Malaysia.

The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) would be acting as an observer, the coalition in a statement said yesterday.

The group said they were driven by the unproductive debate over demand for palm oil and its impact on indigenous people's rights, wildlife habitats and environmental pollution.

"We want to have a say in the palm oil debate. MPONGOC wants to engage in constructive and on-going dialogue with the industry via the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA), Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), and with other stakeholders as part of its advocacy work," it said.

LEAP executive director Cynthia Ong said there was a growing need for local and regional groups to step up, organise and engage constructively with the palm oil industry, noting its emphasis on national and state development plans such as the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and Sabah Development Corridor.

"We also wish to state that MPONGOC is in full support of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) process and we are committed to engaging and contributing to its success," Ong said.

BORA executive director Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne said the coalition would not create a whole new process, but rather assist the palm oil sector in playing a more positive role in the environment.

WWF-Malaysia executive director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said while recognising that the oil palm industry generates valuable foreign exchange earnings and employment opportunities for producing countries like Malaysia, WWF-Malaysia was concerned at the prospect of the industry continuing to expand and operate in an unsustainable manner.

MPONGOC plans to organise a workshop to gather indigenous leaders to discuss land issues in relation to the palm oil industry.

PACOS Trust executive director Anne Lasimbang said indigenous people often found themselves at the losing end in oil palm development.

"Many have lost native customary rights land to large estates. This is a serious issue and one that is largely swept under the carpet.

"We see MPONGOC as being able to offer solutions by involving all stakeholders."

BCT head of conservation and research Raymond Alfred hoped the coalition would be able to initiate transparent consultation with oil palm companies that were found to have encroached into riparian reserves and come up with win-win solutions.

"MPONGOC could also support effective consultation with the government in order to review existing policies and, if necessary, to enhance implementation of relevant monitoring and enforcement programmes to secure biodiversity, the wildlife corridor and habitat protection."


MPONGOC Wants To Have A Say In Palm Oil Debate
Bernama 30 Jul 13;

KOTA KINABALU, July 30 (Bernama) -- Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), unhappy over unproductive debate over demand for palm oil and its impact on indigenous peoples' rights, crucial wildlife habitats and environmental pollution, have teamed up to form a coalition.

The Malaysian Palm Oil NGO Coalition (MPONGOC) wants to engage in constructive and on-going dialogues with the industry via the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, Malaysian Palm Oil Board and the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and with other stakeholders as part of its advocacy work.

In a statement today, MPONGOC said it aimed to influence land use policy and decision-making, and was also working towards advocating consumer responsibility.

The other objectives were: strengthening implementation of best environmental management practices, supporting community-based organisations largely made up of indigenous people to engage with the industry on their own terms, and creating awareness on human-wildlife conflict.

The current members are Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS), Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), Malaysian Nature Society, Sabah branch, Partners of Community Organisations (PACOS) Trust and WWF Malaysia.

The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) is acting as an observer.

LEAP Executive Director, Cynthia Ong, said MPONGOC was born out of a growing need for local and regional groups to step up, organise and engage constructively with the palm oil industry.

BORA Executive Director, Datuk Dr Junaidi Payne, said the coalition was not out to create a whole new process, but rather, help the palm oil sector play a more positive role in the natural and human environment.

PACOS Trust Executive Director, Anne Lasimbang, said indigenous people often found themselves at the losing end in oil palm development.

"Many have lost native customary rights land to large estates. This is a serious issue and one that is largely swept under the carpet. We see MPONGOC as being able to offer solutions by involving all stakeholders," she said.

BCT Head of Conservation and Research, Raymond Alfred, said it was hoped that the coalition will be able to initiate transparent consultation with oil palm companies that were found to have encroached into riparian reserves and come up with win-win solutions.

The coalition is also collaborating with international NGO counterparts, which could lead to better understanding of oil palm issues in the region and its importance to the Malaysian economy.

-- BERNAMA

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