ACRES launches wild dolphin study in Singapore

Today Online 10 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE — Wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) has launched a study of wild dolphins in Singapore waters so as to be able to protect them in their natural habitat, the group said today (April 10).

The study of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins will be conducted over two years and carried out in the Sister’s Island Marine Park and in the waters surrounding the Southern Islands. It aims to gather data on population numbers, distribution, home range, dolphin behaviours and the potential threats they face. The research permit for the study has been approved by NParks.

Dolphins in Singapore waters have not been studied in detail before, and ACRES’ dolphin researcher Isabelle Tan pointed out that not many Singaporeans know that there are dolphins in Singapore waters, although several sightings have been reported and shared on social media recently.

She said: “We hope that through this study, we can further increase awareness and understanding of these species. The data collected will also be vital in developing conservation strategies to protect these dolphins.”

Ms Tan is one of two full time ACRES researchers who will be conducting the survey. She has a degree in Zoology and Conservation Biology, while the other researcher, Ms Naomi Clark, has a Masters in Marine Biology.

Meanwhile, acknowledging that people “ultimately want to see dolphins”, ACRES said it is exploring setting up Singapore’s first wild dolphin-watching tours.

ACRES, which has launched an online fundraising campaign for the project, plans for the tours to see dolphins displaying natural behaviours in the wild, and “will follow strict ethical guidelines to ensure that the welfare of the wild dolphins is not compromised”, according to the statement.

Mr Louis Ng, Chief Executive of ACRES said: “We are confident that if people learn about and see dolphins living freely in the wild, they will never want to see them in captivity.”

Wild dolphin-watching tours in Singapore a possibility: ACRES
Channel NewsAsia 10 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE: The Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES), which on Friday (Apr 10) launched a study on the animals in the Republic’s waters, said it is exploring the possibility of having wild dolphin-watching tours in Singapore.

“Recently, several sightings (of dolphins) have been reported and shared on social media. We hope that through this study, we can further increase awareness and understanding of these species,” said Ms Isabelle Tan, a dolphin researcher at ACRES.

ACRES said in a news release on Friday that two of its researchers will be studying Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in the waters surrounding the Southern Islands and the Sister’s Island Marine Park.

The society also said it is looking at bringing people to see dolphins in their natural habitat in Singapore’s waters, without compromising the welfare of the wild animals.

“We are confident that if people learn about and see dolphins living freely in the wild, they will never want to see them in captivity,” said Mr Louis Ng, Chief Executive of ACRES.

- CNA/xq

Wild dolphin tours planned for Singapore waters
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 11 Apr 15;

SINGAPORE — More people in Singapore could encounter wild dolphins, if an animal protection group’s plans to offer the first-ever dolphin-watching tours here bear fruit.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) is exploring the idea as a way to raise awareness on issues surrounding keeping dolphins in captivity.

“We are confident that if people learn about and see dolphins living freely in the wild, they will never want to see them in captivity,” said ACRES chief executive Louis Ng, who will conduct the feasibility study with two of the advocacy group’s researchers.

ACRES also announced yesterday that its researchers would be studying the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin in the southern waters of Singapore over the next two years. The researchers, Ms Naomi Clark and Ms Isabelle Tan, have a Masters in Marine Biology and a degree in Zoology and Conservation Biology, respectively. They will be gathering data on population numbers, distribution, home range and behaviours and seek to understand the potential threats faced by the dolphins, ACRES said.

The studies are a development of its Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins campaign that began in 2011, in response to integrated resort Resorts World Sentosa’s capture of 27 wild bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands for its Marine Life Park. Mr Ng said the latest announcement adds a positive element to the campaign, as well as the prospect of alternatives.

“Ultimately people do want to see dolphins ... What we’re trying to do is focus on finding alternatives (to) seeing a dolphin in captivity,” he said.

The group launched an Indiegogo fundraising campaign yesterday to raise US$100,000 for the studies.

Wild dolphins have been regularly spotted off Singapore, most frequently between St John’s and Lazarus islands, with videos and photos generating excitement on social media.

But Dr Elizabeth Taylor, head of the Marine Mammal Research Laboratory at the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), felt wild-dolphin watching tours were unfeasible here, due to difficulties in predicting when or where they would be seen. “In my opinion and experience, there’s no chance of making a dolphin-watching programme here,” said Dr Taylor, although she finds ACRES’ efforts admirable. A “95 per cent or 90 per cent” chance of dolphin sightings is required to conduct such tours — otherwise participants could want to ask for refunds — and that is not the case here, she said.

At least 50 sightings were reported to the TMSI in 2012 and at least 169 dolphins were spotted between 2008 and 2011. The laboratory has designed smart underwater listening and recording devices to track the dolphins, but has not been able to secure funding to use them, said Dr Taylor.

ACRES will look at ventures in other countries, such as Hong Kong’s Dolphinwatch ecological tours, in its feasibility study and is open to collaborations, said Mr Ng.

Acres launches dolphin research
Feng Zengkun The Straits Times AsiaOne 12 Apr 15;

An animal welfare group here has launched a two-year study of wild dolphins in Singapore waters so as to better understand how to protect them. It is also exploring the possibility of setting up wild dolphin- watching tours here, as an alternative to seeing the animals in captivity.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) yesterday announced that it will devote two full-time researchers to study the Indo- Pacific bottlenose dolphins and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, because they are the two most commonly seen dolphin species here.

The humpback dolphin is regarded as near- threatened, or almost vulnerable, by conservation groups, while there is not enough data on the bottlenose dolphin to categorise it.

The Acres researchers will focus on the Republic's southern waters, namely, the areas surrounding the Southern Islands and in the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, the country's first marine park.

The project will gather data on the dolphins' population and distribution, movement patterns and behaviour, as well as potential threats.

"We hope that, through this study, we can further increase awareness and understanding of these species," said Ms Isabelle Tan, one of the researchers, who has a degree in zoology and conservation biology from the University of Western Australia in Perth. "The data collected will be vital in developing strategies to protect the dolphins."

The other researcher, Ms Naomi Clark, has a master's degree in marine biology from Plymouth University in Britain.

Acres chief executive Louis Ng said the two researchers will head out to sea at least three times a week. Acres also wants to recruit volunteers to help with the work.

The group is not the first to attempt this task.

The National University of Singapore's Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) has been studying the dolphins intermittently for the past 20 years.

Based on sightings reported to TMSI, at least 169 dolphins were spotted between 2008 and 2011, in the waters between Singapore and Batam, near St John's Island and Pulau Semakau, and as close to shore as the Marina Barrage.

At least another 50 of the mammals were sighted in 2012 - the most recent year that proper records were kept before TMSI's work was cut short when the conservation arm of Wildlife Reserves Singapore stopped funding a three-year study. Sporadic reports of sightings have continued since then.

Dr Elizabeth Taylor, head of TMSI's Marine Mammal Research Laboratory, warned that the Acres project could be very time-consuming and expensive. "It's very difficult because there is absolutely no way to know when the dolphins are coming or where they will be, and hiring a good boat alone will cost us about $1,000 a day."

Her team has designed a special underwater listening device and a flying drone to track dolphins, and is seeking funding to produce and deploy them. As for the wild dolphin-watching tours, Mr Ng said his organisation is studying how such tours are done in other places, for example, in Hong Kong.

"We are confident that if people learn about and see dolphins living freely in the wild, they will never want to see them in captivity," he said.

But Dr Taylor noted that a tour that guarantees dolphin sightings may not be feasible, given the uncertainty of the mammals' movements. "If you offer a scenic tour with the chance of seeing a dolphin, that might be possible," she suggested.

Acres has launched an online fund-raising campaign for the project, at http://igg.me/at/ACRESsavedolphins

ACRES will ensure dolphin-watching tours are feasible before any launch
Letter from
LOUIS NG, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ANIMAL CONCERNS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SOCIETY
Today Online 13 Apr 15;

I refer to the article “Wild dolphin tours planned for Singapore waters” (April 11) and Dr Elizabeth Taylor’s comments in the article.

There is now greater awareness in Singapore about conservation issues but the reality is that most people are familiar only with nature reserves such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and terrestrial animals. There is significantly less awareness about the marine ecosystem and we want to help change that.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) is also concurrently studying the wild dolphins in Singapore with the aim of using the data collected to develop conservation strategies. Implementing these strategies will undoubtedly require public support — which we are confident of obtaining if there is greater awareness about these issues.

ACRES is studying whether wild dolphin-watching tours are possible and we feel these tours are crucial in our efforts to heighten awareness, deepen appreciation and increase protection for marine life and the marine ecosystem in Singapore.

The concerns with regard to whether these tours are feasible are valid and ACRES shares the same concerns. Based on our preliminary research, there appears to be significant sightings of the dolphins in our waters. We agree with Dr Taylor’s previous comments in 2014, when she said she was optimistic their numbers were healthy as sightings of them were “greatly” under-reported. Also, sightings of groups of adult dolphins with calves were common, she said, and as dolphins are an apex predator, this was an indication of the health of the marine environment.

Dr Taylor’s colleague Dr Tan Koh Siang similarly stated that the dolphin sightings were common and “scientists at the institute’s laboratory on St John’s Island have regularly seen dolphins since 2002.

While this appears promising, ACRES is committed to exploring the proposed wild dolphin-watching tours in detail and ensure that they are feasible before we consider launching them. We thank Dr Taylor for her feedback, which we will use to improve our project.

New data on dolphins vital to conservation efforts
Straits Times Forum 14 Apr 15;

THE Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) agrees with Dr Elizabeth Taylor that the study we have embarked on is time-consuming and difficult ("Acres launches dolphin research"; last Saturday).

However, the study on the wild dolphins in Singapore is essential and critical, as the data we are collecting is data we have not had for the past 50 years.

This data is vital in developing strategies to conserve and protect the dolphins in our waters.

We want to ensure that the dolphins we see in our waters today will remain there and continue to thrive in our waters for generations to come.

We are also currently studying the feasibility of wild dolphin-watching tours, which will be crucial in our efforts to heighten awareness and deepen appreciation for marine life and the marine ecosystem in Singapore.

We note the concerns about whether these tours are possible.

Based on our preliminary research, there appear to be significant sightings of the dolphins in our waters.

We agree with Dr Taylor's past comments ("Dolphins frolicking in S'pore's backyard"; Nov 15, 2014) of being optimistic that the number of dolphins was healthy "as sightings of them are 'greatly' under-reported".

The report added that sightings of groups of adult dolphins with calves are common, and Dr Taylor was quoted as saying that dolphins are an apex predator, and that this is an indication of the health of the marine environment.

Dr Taylor's colleague, Dr Tan Koh Siang, similarly stated in the same report that dolphin sightings were common.

While this appears promising, Acres is committed to exploring this proposed wild dolphin-watching tour idea in detail and to ensure that it is feasible before we consider launching it.

We thank Dr Taylor for her feedback, which we will use to improve our project.

Louis Ng
Chief Executive
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society