Best of our wild blogs: 5 Jun 14

8 Jun (Sun) 4pm: Wallace Lecture on Porcelain Crabs by Dr Masayuki Osawa from wild shores of singapore

Balik Pulau
from The annotated budak

Balik Pulau, a celebration of Singapore’s Islands
from News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

A view from a sandbar
from The long and winding road

Bees and Birds attracted to Melastoma malabathricum
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Job: Research Assistant for seven month population genetics study
from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS

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SPCA calls on RWS to release remaining 23 dolphins

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE: In the wake of the death of another Marine Life Park dolphin, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA Singapore) on Wednesday (June 4) called on Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to release its remaining 23 wild-caught dolphins.

The death of Sharmila, a bottlenose dolphin, was announced in a blogpost by the Marine Life Park on May 12. This is the fourth dolphin death linked to the Marine Life Park. In 2010, two dolphins meant for the park died in Langkawi due to a water-borne bacterial infection. A third dolphin died on board a flight to Singapore in November, 2012.

"We are conducting tests to confirm the exact cause of death. Prior medical tests indicated that she was healthy. We are closely monitoring all our animals, and as always, no effort or resources will be spared in ensuring the health and well-being of our dolphins at Dolphin Island," the park said in the post. No updates have since been provided.

Said SPCA Singapore Executive Director Corinne Fong in its June 4 media statement: "In a country like Singapore, with the Wild Animals and Birds Act in place prohibiting any person from killing, taking or keeping any wild animal, it is extremely disappointing that we are accepting these wild-caught dolphins for the purpose of forcing them to adapt to an unnatural lifestyle in RWS' Marine Life Park attraction.

"Subjecting these wild dolphins to a forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed against their will and introducing paid interaction programmes with the public marketed as 'engagement learning', is, in essence, unabashed animal exploitation.

"The act of catching and confining these animals, in limited spaces and training them to become something they are not, cannot possibly contribute towards constructive education of the public on marine life and environmental issues."

In response to the SPCA's call, the Marine Life Park issued the following statement through a spokesperson: “There will always be divergent views about animals in human care and in zoological environment. Our viewpoint is that well-run zoological facilities provide strong and inspiring messages to visitors and can make a tangible difference to animal conservation. We do not have dolphin shows. We welcome interested individuals to read more about our animals and conservation efforts on our blog at http://mlp.rwsentosablog.com.”

(Editor's note: This article has been amended because the Marine Life Park has clarified an inaccuracy in the SPCA's blogpost about the number of dolphin deaths on its grounds.)

- CNA/es

SPCA urges S'pore casino resort to free dolphins after one died
AFP AsiaOne 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE - Singapore animal-rights activists on Wednesday repeated calls for a casino resort to release dolphins from a marine life park after four of them died in captivity.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said in a statement that a bottlenose dolphin named Sharmila died on May 11 at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), which originally acquired 27 dolphins for its marine park.

"Subjecting these wild dolphins to a forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed against their will is... in essence unabashed animal exploitation," Corinne Fong, SPCA's executive director, said in a statement.

"We urge RWS to release the remaining 23 wild-caught dolphins and end the exploitation of these animals," Fong said.

Holding the dolphins in captivity and "training them to become something they are not" will not lead to constructive education of the public on marine life, she added.

Fong's comments Wednesday echo similar calls by other Singaporeans groups including the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).

RWS, owned by Malaysian business group Genting, acquired 27 dolphins from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific between 2008 and 2009 and sent them to the Philippines to be trained while the marine park in Singapore was being built.

In a statement to AFP, the resort disputed SPCA's claims that all four dolphins died while in captivity at its marine life park.

RWS said two had died in 2010 from a water-borne bacterial infection while at the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, while another died in November 2012 due to an infection aboard a flight to Singapore.

"There will always be divergent views about animals in human care and in zoological environment," RWS said.

"Our viewpoint is that well-run zoological facilities provide strong and inspiring messages to visitors and can make a tangible difference to animal conservation," it added.

RWS, which also hosts Universal Studios Singapore, attracted more than 6.7 million visitors in 2013, according to the resort's latest annual report. It posted total revenues of S$2.85 billion ($2.27 billion) last year, down from Sg$2.95 billion in 2012.

Call for casino to free dolphins
The Star 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE: Singapore animal-rights activists repeated calls for a casino resort to release dolphins from a marine life park after four of them died in captivity.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said in a statement that a bottlenose dolphin named Sharmila died on May 11 at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), which originally acquired 27 dolphins for its marine park.

“Subjecting these wild dolphins to a forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed against their will is ... in essence unabashed animal exploitation,” SPCA’s executive director Corinne Fong said in a statement.

“We urge RWS to release the remaining 23 wild-caught dolphins and end the exploitation of these animals,” Fong said.

Holding the dolphins in captivity and “training them to become something they are not” will not lead to constructive education of the public on marine life, she added.

Fong’s comments yesterday echo similar calls by other Singaporeans groups, including the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

RWS acquired 27 dolphins from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific between 2008 and 2009 and sent them to the Philippines to be trained while the marine park in Singapore was being built.

In a statement, the resort disputed SPCA’s claims that all four dolphins died while in captivity at its marine life park.

RWS said two had died in 2010 from a water-borne bacterial infection while at the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, while another died in November 2012 due to an infection aboard a flight to Singapore.

RWS, which also hosts Universal Studios Singapore, attracted more than 6.7 million visitors in 2013, according to the resort’s latest annual report. — AFP

SPCA urges RWS to release dolphins after fourth death
TAN SHI WEI Today Online 5 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE — The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has joined in the chorus of concerns over Resorts World Sentosa’s (RWS) fourth reported dolphin death, urging its Marine Life Park to release its remaining 23 wild-caught dolphins.

“Subjecting these wild dolphins to a forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed against their will and introducing paid interaction programmes with the public marketed as ‘engagement learning’, is, in essence, unabashed animal exploitation,” the SPCA said yesterday.

The death of Sharmila, a bottlenose dolphin, was reported last month in a blog post by the resort’s Marine Life Park. The post also said tests were being conducted to confirm the exact cause of its death and that earlier medical tests had indicated the dolphin was healthy.

Sharmila was one of 27 dolphins that were caught in the wild and brought over from the Solomon Islands despite protests from many animal advocates.

In 2010, two dolphins died of water-borne bacterial infections in a holding area in Langkawi. A third died from acute infection during its flight from the Philippines to Singapore two years later.

Besides the SPCA, other organisations, such as local animal rights group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Asia have also called for the dolphins’ release.

In its statement, the SPCA also urged the Marine Life Park to take its cue from developments overseas.

For example, Italy has banned swim-with-dolphin programmes, while Chile has prohibited the commercial display of all cetaceans.

It also pointed to recent media reports about the National Aquarium in Baltimore, United States, and Italian dolphinarium Delfinario Rimini planning to stop their respective dolphin shows.

“The act of catching and confining these animals, in limited spaces, and training them to become something they are not, cannot possibly contribute towards constructive education of the public on marine life and environmental issues,” the SPCA said.

When asked for an update on the cause of Sharmila’s death and the health of the other 23 dolphins, RWS’ Marine Life Park spokesperson said, in reference to the SPCA statement, that “there will always be divergent views about animals in human care and in zoological environment”.

“Our viewpoint is that well-run zoological facilities provide strong and inspiring messages to visitors and can make a tangible difference to animal conservation. We do not have dolphin shows.”

RWS confirmed that tests to determine Sharmila’s cause of death are ongoing.

ACRES executive director Louis Ng had described Sharmila’s death as “a tragic and needless loss”.

“Four dolphins have died, when is enough enough,” he had said last month.

SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
SPCA press release

4 June 2014

To: The Editor

We refer to the death of the bottlenose dolphin Sharmila on 11 May 2014. We note with regret that it has become the fourth dolphin death at the Marine Life Park at the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), over the span of a year and a half since its first dolphin death in November 2012.

Subjecting these wild dolphins to a forced lifestyle in captivity, tamed against their will and introducing paid interaction programmes with the public marketed as “engagement learning”, is, in essence, unabashed animal exploitation.

Let us take a cue from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the USA, as well as Italian dolphinarium Delfinario Rimini which have, in very recent weeks, been cited in the foreign media over the impending end of their respective dolphin shows. For that matter, there are many nations as exemplified by the United Kingdom and Brazil which do not hold
cetaceans, including dolphins, in captivity, Italy which has banned swim-with-dolphin programmes and Chile which has prohibited the commercial display of all cetaceans. In a country like Singapore, with the Wild Animals and Birds Act in place prohibiting any person from killing, taking or keeping any wild animal, it is extremely disappointing that we are
accepting these wild-caught dolphins for the purpose of forcing them to adapt to an unnatural lifestyle in RWS' Marine Life Park attraction.

We urge RWS to release the remaining 23 wild-caught dolphins and end the exploitation of these animals. The act of catching and confining these animals, in limited spaces and training them to become something they are not, cannot possibly contribute towards constructive education of the public on marine life and environmental issues.


Corinne Fong
Executive Director
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Singapore)

31 Mount Vernon Road Singapore 368054
Tel: 6287 5355 | Fax: 6382 4162 | Admin. Fax: 62865997 | Website: www.spca.org.sg

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Businesses sweat over Bukit Timah Nature Reserve closure

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE: Closure of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in September for six months will not only affect the many recreational users who throng the area.

Shop owners in the vicinity say business, which has already been affected as construction of the Beauty World Downtown Line MRT station has deterred customers from patronising their shops, is likely to be hit by the closure.

Owners of several eating outlets say they might face a further decrease in business due to the closure of the reserve.

"Work on this MRT line has already affected us, as it has blocked our pathways for almost four years," said a shop owner who declined to be named. "Now they say that they are going to close the nature reserve, even on holidays and weekends, our only source of business might disappear.

"I believe the shop houses here will have a hard time surviving."


- CNA/rw

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Experts identify 45 'sacred' heritage sites

Melody Zaccheus The Straits Times AsiaOne 5 Jun 14;

Hong Lim Park fountain, Newton Food Centre and a Hakka memorial hall from 1887.

The first has played witness to many a speech at Speakers' Corner, the second is a well-known hawker centre from the 1970s to which tourists flock for a taste of local cuisine, while the third - Shuang Long Shan Ancestral Hall in Holland Close - tells the story of early Singapore immigrants.

These are just three of 45 structures, sites and buildings that heritage experts and architects here believe are worthy of conservation and can be seen as "sacred".

Their suggestions come after Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, called for working out a list of places Singaporeans treasure and declaring them national shrines as a way to foster love for the country. He suggested the Botanic Gardens, East Coast Park and old Chinatown.

The Straits Times, which has launched an online poll to piece together Singapore's top 10 favourite and sacred spaces, is inviting members of the public to vote for their top three structures and top three sites. They can also share their own suggestions and comments via the webpage http:// bit.ly/1lXRs4C from today until next Tuesday.

The votes will be consolidated and featured in a Sunday Times package in the coming weeks.

Prof Kishore wrote a commentary last month called "Prepare for a political crisis", in which he suggested cultivating faith in Singapore's key institutions, strengthening the multiracial fabric and fostering a love for the nation.

He called for 2015 - the Republic's golden jubilee - to be a year of "defining and expanding sacred objects and places in Singapore" so as to build a country rich in memories, which we would call home and readily defend.

Professor Kishore quoted Joel Kotkin, an urban geographer from the United States who has identified three great characteristics of cities: the safe, busy and sacred. Professor Kotkin said the Republic has excelled in security and commerce but lacks in the last quality. He called for more attention to be paid to the sacred which he defined as any unique institution or place "that (makes) one feel an irrational commitment to a place".

Heritage experts feel his suggestion is timely. The experts who contributed to the list include Singapore Heritage Society secretary and conservation architect Yeo Kang Shua, architects Chang Yong Ter, Lim Huck Chin and Tia Boon Sim; heritage enthusiast and blogger Jerome Lim, and civic group founder Kwek Li Yong.

Said Mr Kwek: "If we want to create a country that Singaporeans can identify with, we need to pinpoint and pull out such spaces, rediscover them and save them before they are swept away by redevelopment."

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Need to incorporate more green living spaces: Grace Fu

Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 4 Jun 14;

SINGAPORE: There is a need to enhance the living environment through environmentally sustainable green features, otherwise known as Active, Beautiful, Clean, (ABC) Waters designs.

This was said by Second Environment and Water Resources Minister Grace Fu at a seminar on ABC Waters on Wednesday.

“There is great potential in this area and we need to build up our capabilities quickly,” she said.

“We are familiar with the green spaces and are now seeing more blue spaces incorporated, with blue spaces being water bodies, the reservoirs, the canals, or even just spaces within our living environment like condominiums and HDB estates.

“This will help us create many more green and blue lungs all over the island and this is an important part where we combine the blue and green into a very integrated cityscape that we have in Singapore."

Seventeen projects from the private and public sectors were awarded the ABC Waters certification on Wednesday.

Nine of these were from the private sector -- the largest number since the scheme was launched in 2010.

The third edition of the ABC Waters Design guidelines was also launched, which includes more local examples and takes into account the latest research and development technology.

- CNA/ec

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Malaysia: Coral reefs in grave danger

The Star 5 Jun 14;

PETALING JAYA: Plans are being made to protect Malaysia’s coral reefs after a Marine Parks Department warning that mass coral bleaching could be a high possibility.

Reef Check Malaysia general manager Julian Hyde said the NGO would cooperate with the department following a meeting last week.

“We provided feedback on the condition of the coral reefs throughout Malaysian waters.

“At the moment, sea water temperatures have been fluctuating, but there are early signs of coral bleaching in various parts of the country,” he said when contacted yesterday.

He was responding to reports from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis­tration’s Coral Watch Programme, which issued a “Bleaching Watch Alert” for Redang Island Marine Park on April 17.

The notification indicated that sea surface temperatures around Malaysia were above the norm of 28°C to 29 °C and that coral bleaching was a possibility if conditions did not return to normal within a few weeks.

Mass coral bleaching is a phenomenon which threatens the health of coral reefs due to a sudden increase in sea water temperature as a result of global climate change. The bleaching causes the reefs to lose their colour due to stress, making them vulnerable to starvation and eventually death.

Hyde said he personally made an observation of the waters in Miri and noticed that the coral reefs there were beginning to show signs of “incipient bleaching” – a phase where the coral begins to change colours due to stress following a change of temperature.

“I have received similar feedback on coral reefs in the waters of Pulau Payar, off Langka­wi,” he added.

Hyde said the NGO would ask diving centre operators at Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Tioman to constantly monitor and provide feedback on the condition of the coral reefs there.

The previous record of mass bleaching in the country was in 2010 when the Marine Parks Department decided to close 12 out of 83 dive sites to reduce human-caused stress on the reefs and allow for natural recovery.

Hyde said Reef Malaysia along with the diving centres would protect the reefs by constantly cleaning the area and ensure the surroundings were not disturbed further by harmful marine life and sea urchins.

“While sea water temperature is something we cannot control, ensuring that coral reefs have a healthy ecology is what we are aiming at,” he added.

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Philippines: Chinese poachers target Hawksbill turtles

Ces Oreña Drilon, ABS-CBN News 4 Jun 14;

MANILA - Chinese fishermen are believed to be the top poachers not only in the Philippines but in the waters of other countries. Their targets are Hawksbill sea turtles, or the pawikan.

The Hawksbill turtles are the gentlest of sea creatures.

However, the lucrative marine turtle trade has made the pawikan the most critically endangered among the 5 marine turtle species found in the Philippines.

The Philippines sits in the Coral Triangle of 6 countries, considered the richest marine area in the world.

The Coral Triangle includes the Sulawesi Sea off the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-tawi, and Palawan.

During a recent trip to Balabac's Onuk Island, ABS-CBN News saw a pawikan sanctuary just a few hundred kilometers from Hasa-hasa Shoal where Chinese poachers were intercepted.

At a just-concluded workshop on the marine turtle trade in the Coral Triangle, China was identified as the top buyer of the Hawksbill turtle.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste are also victimized by Chinese poachers.

The Philippine report at the conference mentioned Vietnamese poachers, too but their goods also end up in China.

From 2008 up to early this year, there have been 16 cases of marine turtle poaching, with only a single conviction in court.

There have been many occasions when no apprehensions were made, with the poachers abandoning their contraband to escape.

In November 2012, Chinese fishermen eluded arrest and dumped 130 sea turtles that were eventually released by the Philippine Marines in Balabac's Onuk Island.

Two turtles did not survive the ordeal. - with ANC

Philippines, three other governments vow to crack down on poaching of marine turtles
DJ Yap Philippine Daily Inquirer 7 Jun 14;

MANILA, Philippines—The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have pledged to enhance cooperation in the regional crackdown on the illegal trade in marine turtles in the rich waters of the Coral Triangle.
The commitment was made at a marine turtle trade workshop hosted by the Philippine government from June 3 to 4, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.

“With the ongoing issue of poaching of marine turtles, the country recognized the need for an integrated approach in addressing this challenge,” said Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“The alarming trend over the decade justifies the need for neighboring countries to make transboundary arrangements and improve the protection between national governments,” said Lim in a WWF news release.

“Entire populations of marine turtles are being wiped out by persistent poaching, both targeted and as bycatch,” said Joel Palma, WWF-Philippines vice president for conservation.

“As foreign fishing fleets are often involved, such inter-governmental collaboration is essential to strengthen local and trans-boundary law enforcement efforts to prevent marine turtles from being poached and traded for use as food and luxury items,” Palma said.

The workshop came on the heels of a recent incident when Philippine authorities arrested Chinese fishermen off the coast of Palawan last month for carrying about 500 live and dead turtles in their boat.

The involvement of local fishermen in the incident “suggests a higher degree of organized supply and trafficking that requires a transnational response,” WWF-Philippines said.

The group said the incident was just one of several poaching and trafficking incidents happening not only in the Philippines but also in important marine turtle range countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, and across the wider Coral Triangle region.

The Coral Triangle refers to one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world bounded by the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

It is home to 600 corals, comprising 76 percent of the world’s known coral species, and has the highest diversity of reef fish, with 2,500 species, or 37 percent of the planet’s reef fish concentrated in one area.

The Coral Triangle also hosts six of the seven known species of marine turtles including Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Flatback, Olive Ridley, and Leatherback, according to WWF-Philippines.

“We need to halt the illegal turtle trade once and for all, otherwise, the work of protecting nesting beaches and feeding grounds will be futile if thousands of turtles are being wiped out at sea,” said Palma.

Turtles are used mainly for food, souvenirs, jewelry and ornamentation, and in some traditional medicinal systems, WWF-Philippines said.

The shells of Hawksbill turtles (known asbekko) have been carved into ornaments and jewelry for many centuries, particularly associated with Japanese traditional crafts, it added.

“Aside from local consumption of meat and eggs, the demand for marine turtle shell and other derivative parts from market destinations including mainland China and Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam is driving this trade,” said James Compton, TRAFFIC senior program director for Asia Pacific.

Research by TRAFFIC has identified the island province of Hainan as a major hub for the illegal trade in marine turtle products in China, and work over the past four years with Chinese government authorities and other local stakeholders has greatly increased the attention to market regulation and control, according to WWF-Philippines.

“The need for inter-agency collaboration on this illegal trade is essential, including the navy and coast guards in a national task force approach, is essential to protect marine turtles in source countries,” added Compton. “Greater law enforcement effectiveness, including investigations and prosecution are important to increase deterrents against participating in wildlife crime.”

All international commercial trade in marine turtles is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

“This timely workshop shows that these source countries are paying attention to what’s happening to marine turtles around the region and that they all share the same challenges,” said Joel Palma.

“Since turtles are transboundary in nature, protecting them requires a more cohesive and integrated approach. This workshop is a major step towards that direction,” added Palma.

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