Best of our wild blogs: 21 Jan 15



Corals rescued from Semakau Landfill find forever home at Sisters Islands Marine Park
from wild shores of singapore

22-23 Jan: SP Engineering Show highlights smart nation projects
from Green Drinks Singapore

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Scientific Manager (Outreach and Education)
from News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Love MacRitchie Guide Training
from My Nature Experiences

Birdwatching in Bidadari (January 18, 2015)
from Rojak Librarian

In the Undergrowth
from Saving MacRitchie

Lornie Trail On A Sunday Afternoon
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Asian Koel Swallows and Regurgitates Ceram Palm Fruit
from Bird Ecology Study Group

sea eagle and dinner choices @ SBWR - Jan 2015
from sgbeachbum and mangrove bristleworm swimming @ SBWR - Jan2015

High deforestation rates in Malaysian states hit by flooding
from mongabay.com by Rhett A. Butler


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Corals successfully relocated from Semakau to Sisters' Islands Marine Park

Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE: More than 700 colonies of corals have been successfully relocated from the lagoon at Semakau Landfill to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan visited the islands on Tuesday (Jan 20), and he handed over the last corals to be transplanted at the site, marking the completion of the coral relocation project.

The project began last September, following plans to close a gap at the southern tip of the Semakau Landfill lagoon to convert it into a new landfill cell.

The gap closure is part of Semakau Landfill's Phase II development works to help meet the waste disposal needs of Singapore up to 2035 and beyond.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the over-700 coral colonies amount to approximately 60 square metres of live coral cover. They include rare ones like Polyphyllia, Heliofungia and Neptune's Cup Sponge. The sponge was initially thought to be extinct since 1908 and is the second to be found in Singapore's waters. The first was discovered in 2011.

"This project is an excellent example of how close collaboration between agencies can yield benefits for the wider public and Singapore as a whole," said Dr Balakrishnan. "NEA will now be able to meet the nation's waste disposal needs while balancing the conservation of our natural habitats. Most important of all, the needs of our future are taken care of without compromising the environment that our future generation will inherit."

Ms Ria Tan, author of www.wildsingapore.com added, "The Semakau Landfill is a great example of how Singapore is ahead of the curve in dealing with resource constraints. I am proud that with the Semakau Landfill, Singapore can show that it is possible to develop sustainably despite limited land, without destroying our marine heritage as much care and effort have been made to salvage the marine life that flourished there."

- CNA/ek

More than 700 coral colonies moved from Semakau Landfill
LAURA ELIZABETH PHILOMIN Today Online 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE — More than 700 coral colonies and other species such as Giant Clams have been successfully relocated from the lagoon at Semakau Landfill to the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, as part of a move to convert the lagoon into a new landfill cell.

The coral relocation project — which took four months to complete and involved an estimated 60sqm of live coral cover — began in September last year. A gap at the southern tip of the lagoon at Semakau, where the corals were growing naturally, will be closed next to make room for a new landfill cell.

With Phase 1 expected to reach capacity by next year, this move is part of Phase 2 development work to help meet Singapore’s future waste disposal needs up to 2035 or beyond.

“There’s always going to be pressure on Singapore to conserve land, to use land, sometimes to reclaim land; that’s inevitable. But the other point is that ... it is possible if we make the effort and if we plan to conserve as much of our marine and, in fact, our terrestrial biodiversity as possible,” said Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan today (Jan 20) during a visit to the Sisters’ Island Marine Park for the coral transplantation.

“So all future developments will have to strike a right balance between using land in the most efficient, intensive way possible and preserving as much of our natural heritage as possible.”

An independent survey commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in March last year had recommended that 27 genera of corals be earmarked for transplantation, including several rare ones such as Polyphyllia and Heliofungia.

The agency subsequently called a tender for the coral relocation project.

During a routine dive to harvest the corals, marine biologists engaged by the NEA discovered the Neptune’s Cup Sponge, which was thought to be extinct since 1908.

First discovered in 2011, the sponge is the second to be found in Singapore waters. With the help of marine biologists from NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre, it was transplanted in waters near St John’s Island, next to the marine park at Sisters’ Islands.

Surveys will be carried out for nine months to monitor the health of the corals that have been relocated.


Semakau Landfill coral colonies' 'house-moving' a success
Audrey Tan My Paper AsiaOne 21 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE - More than 700 coral colonies have been successfully relocated from a lagoon in Singapore's offshore landfill to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, in a move to expand the landfill and conserve the corals.

To mark the completion of the project, which began in September last year, Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, handed over the last corals from Semakau Landfill to a diver for transplantation last evening.

The relocation project was carried out so that the second phase of development works could start in the southern lagoon of the landfill.

The corals there had grown naturally, but they had to be moved so Singapore could meet its waste disposal needs up to 2035 or beyond.

The site adjacent to the lagoon, where waste is now placed, is expected to be filled by next year.

To protect the marine habitats, the National Environment Agency (NEA) had commissioned a coral reef survey of the area in March last year. This was led by the National University of Singapore marine biologist Chou Loke Ming.

Results had shown that 27 different types of coral, some rare, found in the zone below the low-tide mark, be earmarked for transplantation.

During one routine dive to harvest the coral in September last year, for instance, marine biologists discovered a coral species known as the Neptune's Cup Sponge in the landfill lagoon.

Thought to be extinct since 1908, it is the second specimen to be found in Singapore's waters, after the first rediscovery in 2011.

Corals found in the shallower intertidal zone of the lagoon were also harvested and transplanted by the National Parks Board to the Marine Park.

NEA added that post-coral transplantation monitoring surveys at the marine park will also be carried out to monitor the survival and health of the transplanted corals.

The surveys, which will be carried out over nine months, will also monitor the water quality and sediment conditions at the recipient sites.

Dr Balakrishnan said yesterday: "This project is an excellent example of how close collaboration between agencies can yield benefits for the wider public and Singapore as a whole. NEA will now be able to meet the nation's waste disposal needs while balancing the conservation of our natural habitats. Most important of all, the needs of our future are taken care of without compromising the environment that our future generation will inherit."

Corals in Semakau sucessfully relocated to Sisters' Islands Marine Park
AsiaOne 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE: Over 700 coral colonies found in Semakau landfill's lagoon have been sucessfully relocated to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) today.

The relocation project began in Sept last year, ahead of the closure of the existing gap at the southern tip of the lagoon to convert it into a new landfill cell.

The gap closure is part of Semakau Landfill's development works to help meet waste disposal needs of Singapore up to 2035 and beyond, said NEA.

Transplantation took about four months to complete, during which divers discovered the coral specimen Cliona patera, or more commonly known as Neptune's Cup Songe, in the lagoon. The sponge was thought to be extinct since 1908 and is the second to be found in Singapore's waters.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan visited the Sisters' Islands Marine Parks today to inspect the coral transplantation works.

He also handed over the last corals from Semakau Landfill's coral cover to the diver for transplantation, to mark the completion of the coral re-location.

In a bid to safeguard the coral reef community within the lagoon, NEA had called a tender to relocate the corals in March last year.

It was then recommended from a survey that 27 genera of corals found in the sub-tidal zone be earmarked for transplantation.
NEA also enlisted the help of National Parks (NParks) to harvest corals found in the inter-tidal zone of the lagoon to the coral nursery at the Marine Park.

Besides coral relocation, post-coral transplantation monitoring surveys at the recipient sites will also be carried out to monitor the survival and health of the transplanted corals, said NEA.

The surveys, which will be carried out over a nine-month period, will also monitor the water quality and sediment conditions at the recipient sites.

NEA Successfully Completes Relocation of Corals Found In Semakau Landfill's Lagoon
Project tapped on marine biodiversity expertise of NPark's National Biodiversity Centre
NEA Press Release 21 Jan 15;

Singapore, 20 January 2015 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) has completed the relocation of over 700 coral colonies, amounting to approximately 60 square metres of live coral cover, from Semakau Landfill’s lagoon to the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. The relocation project began in September last year, ahead of the closure of the existing gap at the southern tip of the lagoon to convert it into a new landfill cell. The gap closure is part of Semakau Landfill’s Phase II development works to help meet the waste disposal needs of Singapore up to 2035 or beyond.

2 Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, visited the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park today to inspect the coral transplantation works. He also handed over the last corals from Semakau Landfill’s coral cover to the diver for transplantation, to mark the completion of the coral re-location.

3 The marine habitats had developed naturally within the remaining patch reefs in the Phase II lagoon. To safeguard the coral reef community within the lagoon, NEA called a tender for the re-location of corals to Sisters’ Islands following an independent coral reef survey of the Phase II lagoon commissioned by NEA in March last year. The findings from the survey, helmed by renowned marine biologist, Professor Chou Loke Ming, were shared with the National Parks Board (NParks), Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and nature groups. It was then recommended that 27 genera of corals found in the sub-tidal zone be earmarked for transplantation, including several rare genera like Polyphyllia and Heliofungia.

4 The transplantation project took about four months to complete, with the first month dedicated to coral harvesting and the next three for coral attachment at a recipient site at Sisters’ Islands. During a routine dive to harvest corals in September 2014, marine biologists engagedby NEA discovered an individual specimen of Cliona patera, or more commonly known as Neptune’s Cup Sponge, in the lagoon. The sponge, thought to be extinct since 1908, is the second to be found in Singapore’s waters, with the first discovered in 2011. With the assistance of marine biologists from NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre, the Neptune’s Cup Sponge was harvested from the lagoon in October 2014 and transplanted in the waters near St John’s Island, adjacent to the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, as part of the NParks’ marine conservation efforts. (See Annex A for more details).

5 In addition to the relocation of corals from the sub-tidal area, defined as a zone lying below the low-tide mark, NEA also enlisted the help of NParks to harvest corals found in the inter-tidal zone of the lagoon to the coral nursery at the Marine Park. This was done over the course of a month, with NParks transplanting different species of marine life and corals from more than four square metres of the intertidal zone to the Marine Park, which serves as a refuge for such native species.

6 “This project is an excellent example of how close collaboration between agencies can yield benefits for the wider public and Singapore as a whole. NEA will now be able to meet the nation’s waste disposal needs while balancing the conservation of our natural habitats. Most important of all, the needs of our future are taken care of without compromising the environment that our future generation will inherit,” said Dr Balakrishnan.

7 “The approach on conservation in the development of the Semakau Landfill is interesting and demonstrates how adequate planning can help to prevent unnecessary damage to the natural environment. As the gap of Semakau Landfill’s Phase II Lagoon was left open as part of the landfill’s design, it retained and provided a habitat for corals and marine life within the lagoon to continue to thrive. This approach resulted in not just survival of species but more importantly, a source of species that are now rarer at most of our reefs,” said Professor Chou of Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore.

8 Ria Tan, author of www.wildsingapore.com added, "The Semakau Landfill is a great example of how Singapore is ahead of the curve in dealing with resource constraints. I am proud that with the Semakau Landfill, Singapore can show that it is possible to develop sustainably despite limited land, without destroying our marine heritage as much care and effort have been made to salvage the marine life that flourished there."

9 Besides coral relocation, post-coral transplantation monitoring surveys at the recipient sites will also be carried out to monitor the survival and health of the transplanted corals. The surveys, which will be carried out over a 9-month period, will also monitor the water quality and sediment conditions at the recipient sites.

- End -

For more information, please contact

Call Centre: 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255 632)
Email: Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg

Annex A

FACTSHEET ON TRANSPLANTATION OF CORALS IN SEMAKAU LANDFILL'S LAGOON TO SISTERS' ISLANDS

Phase II Development of Semakau Landfill

1 Semakau Landfill started operations on 1 April 1999 and is used for landfilling of incinerated ash and non-incinerable waste. It was created by enclosing 350 hectares of sea space between Pulau Sakeng and Pulau Semakau with a 7-kilometre perimeter bund.

2 The development was planned to be implemented in two phases. For Phase I, the landfill cells constructed are projected to be filled by 2016. The Agency has since embarked on the development of the 157 ha of sea space in Phase II into a single landfill cell to meet the waste disposal needs of Singapore from 2016 onwards.

3 To develop the single landfill cell in Phase II, the existing gap at the southern tip of the landfill will be closed. The construction work to close the gap has commenced in February 2014 and is targeted to end in April 2015. Apart from the civil and structural work to close the gap, the construction and installation work for a Wastewater Treatment Plant and a Floating Platform has also taken place from January 2014. Phase II development works are expected to be completed in April 2015.


Photo 1: An aerial view of Semakau Landfill (taken in 2011).

Conservation of Hard Corals Harvested from Phase II Lagoon

4 Due to the presence of fresh seawater in the Semakau Landfill lagoon, marine habitats developed in the lagoon. In March 2014, NEA commissioned an independent coral reef survey of the lagoon, helmed by marine biologist, Professor Chou Loke Ming. It was recommended that 27 genera of corals be earmarked for transplantation to minimise the impact of landfilling operations on the coral reef community. One of these 27 genera is Polyphyllia, which is ranked 8th rarest among the 56 hard coral genera found in Singapore’s reefs.

5 A tender was called in July 2014 for the relocation of corals in the lagoon and it was awarded to DHI Water & Environment (S) Pte Ltd. The harvesting of corals was completed in September 2014 with the transplantation at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park commencing immediately after.

6 Upon the completion of coral transplantation, DHI will need to conduct post-coral transplantation monitoring surveys at the recipient sites to monitor the survival and health of the transplanted corals. The surveys, which will be carried out over a nine-month period, will also monitor the water quality and sediment conditions at the recipient sites.

7 A total of 42 genera of hard corals, with colony count of 761 amounting to approximately 60 square metres of live coral cover, were harvested from the lagoon and fully transplanted at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park. Two rare and threatened reef associated species were also relocated from the lagoon – Neptune’s Cup Sponge (Cliona patera) and Fluted Giant Clam (Tridacna squamosa).


Photo 2: Polyphyllia Talpina, harvested on 16 September 2014.


Photo 3: Lobophyllia, harvested on 12 September 2014.


Photo 4: Psammocora, harvested on 12 September 2014.

Discovery of Cliona Patera (Neptune’s Cup Sponge)

8 During a routine dive to harvest corals on 12 September 2014, marine biologists from DHI discovered an individual specimen of Cliona patera (Neptune’s Cup Sponge) in the Lagoon. The recorded individual from the lagoon measures about 450mm in height and has a diameter of about 150mm at its widest point.

9 The first record of the iconic Neptune Cup’s Sponge within Singapore waters was published in 1908 and since then, it was widely regarded as extinct. The second record of the sponge within Singapore waters was in 2011, where it was discovered near St John’s Island.

10 The Neptune’s Cup Sponge was harvested from Phase II lagoon on 7 October 2014 and transplanted in the waters of the Marine Park. Marine biologists from NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre also assisted in the harvesting and transplantation.


Photo 5: Neptune’s Cup Sponge (Cliona patera), discovered in Phase II Lagoon on 12 September 2014.


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Current flood measures may not be enough due to climate change: Dr Balakrishnan

Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE: Improvement works to drainage in 187 locations have been completed since 2012, with another 19 slated to start this year. Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan gave this update in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 20) in reply to a question on Singapore's flood resilience.

However, Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged that current measures to tackle flooding may not be enough to withstand the impact of climate change - which includes more intense storms and rising sea levels.

Dr Balakrishnan shared that in the 1970s, Singapore had about 3,200 hectares of low-lying, flood prone areas. Today, this has been reduced to just 34 hectares. He said that managing floods are part of ongoing, comprehensive measures by national water agency PUB.

For a start, drainage design standards were raised from 2011. This means the capacity of drains could be increased by between 15 and 50 per cent depending on their size. Drainage improvement works to meet these new standards is ongoing in 115 locations islandwide, including the Stamford Detention Tank and the Stamford Diversion Canal.

To reduce the load on public drainage during heavy storms, new and re-developments of 0.2 hectares or more have had to implement required features such as retention and detention tanks into their plans since January 2014. These features store rain water and release it over several hours into drains. Dr Balakrishnan said about 75 developments have submitted plans that incorporate such features.

Beyond the recommendations made by an expert panel after the Orchard Road floods in 2010, Dr Balakrishnan said that more will need to be done as sea levels continue to rise. "We've substantially implemented all the recommendations by the panel. But we are projecting a future with even greater challenges," he said.

"As global climate change occurs, we are anticipating further rises in the sea levels. We also anticipate more intense storms so even the levels of drainage standards imposed now may not be adequate for the future, so this is an ongoing programme."

He added that an element of judgment is needed to pace the work out.

- CNA/ac


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Wanted: Public feedback on Singapore’s climate action plans

Channel NewsAsia 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE: The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) on Tuesday (Jan 20) announced it is seeking feedback from the public on measures to further enhance Singapore’s plan to reduce carbon emissions and promote green growth beyond 2020.

An online public consultation exercise was launched in collaboration with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), said NCCS in a media release.

The feedback exercise is part of Singapore’s involvement in ongoing negotiations as a party to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to work out a new international agreement on climate change by end-2015.

“Ahead of the new international agreement, countries are expected to put forth new commitments to address climate change,” NCCS said.

Last November, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, outlining the vision for a liveable and sustainable Singapore. It contained updates to Singapore’s plans in the areas of resource conservation, climate resilience and growing the green economy.

The online public consultation will take place between Jan 20 and Mar 31, 2015. Members of the public are invited to view the consultation papers and submit their views online on NCCS's website or REACH's website.

- CNA/ct

Public views sought on Singapore’s climate action plans
Today Online 20 Jan 15;

SINGAPORE — From today (Jan 20) to March 31, members of the public can share their views on how Singapore can reduce its carbon emissions and promote green growth beyond 2020, announced the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS).

The public can give their suggestions online at https://www.nccs.gov.sg/consultation2015 or https://www.reach.gov.sg. This online public consultation will focus on measures and actions that can be taken by businesses and households, as well as green growth opportunities.

A summary of the feedback received will be released at the end of the consultation period. The NCCS said that the Government will take the feedback into consideration when determining Singapore’s contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Singapore’s national strategy to address climate change was unveiled in 2012. It included plans to reduce carbon emissions, adapt to the impact of climate change and harness green growth opportunities.

The Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015, launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in November last year, also contained updates to Singapore’s plans in the areas of resource conservation, climate resilience and growing the green economy.

Ahead of the UNFCCC, Singapore, like all countries party to the new international agreement, is expected to put forth new commitments to address climate change.


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More than 35,000 rodent burrows treated by authorities from Jan to Nov last year

Channel NewsAsia 20 jan 15;

SINGAPORE: More than 35,000 rodent burrows have been detected and treated by authorities in the first 11 months of 2014, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu said on Tuesday (Jan 20).

Ms Fu was responding to a question by Dr Chia Shi-Lu, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, in Parliament on vectors and whether there are new measures to bring them under control.

This comes after Bukit Batok's rat infestation problem came to light last month, when a video taken by a resident went viral. More cases of rat infestations were reported in different parts of Singapore in recent weeks.

Ms Fu said the number of rodent burrows found reflects how important it is for the owners of premises, especially operators of food establishments, to practise good housekeeping habits. She said the key to rodent control is to eliminate food sources.

“Increased sighting of rodents - I think from the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) point of view, it is still down to the very basic operations. In other words, keep the source of food in check, ensure that the available food sources for rodents are not there - I think that's the best way to eradicate the infestation,” she said.

"And also I think it's really about enforcement as well. So we have to step up on inspections, step up on operations and again, I would like to emphasise that actually we need all the stakeholders, from food stall operators, restaurant operators to companies that are in charge of cleaning commercial properties and so on, to really step up and play a part in ensuring that we have a hygienic and clean environment for everyone,” Ms Fu added.

DENGUE CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE

Ms Fu added that dengue continues to be a problem. She said more than 16,000 mosquito breeding sites have been found in the first 11 months of last year. However, there was a drop of 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.

Amongst the new measures introduced last year, Ms Fu said NEA piloted the Gravitrap surveillance programme in high-risk areas.

Gravitraps are black cylindrical containers with sticky surfaces which will trap female Aedes mosquitoes looking for water surfaces to lay eggs. Ms Fu said it is estimated about 32,000 mosquitoes have been caught in the Gravitraps.

She said NEA has also tightened enforcement efforts in high-risk areas like construction sites. Since January 2014, 120 stop-work orders have been issued to construction sites to ensure proper measures are in place before work resumed.

- CNA/dl


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Malaysia: Govt will study nuclear energy thoroughly before decision is made

A. AZIM IDRIS New Straits Times 20 Jan 15;

PUTRAJAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong today reiterated that the decision on whether or not to deploy nuclear energy for power generation will only be made upon the completion of a comprehensive set of studies.

He said current studies were focused on the evaluation of the national and legal regulatory infrastructure for a comprehensive national nuclear governance in line with the latest international best practice.

“Parallel studies are to evaluate the feasibility and public opinion on nuclear energy for electricity generation,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Yukiya Amano, at his office in Presint 2, here, this evening.

Also present was Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation chief executive officer Dr Mohd Zamzam Jaafar.

Mah said Malaysia is working closely with the IAEA to asses the level of national capabilities and state-of-preparedness for the use of nuclear energy, which was in line with the government's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

He added it would take a period of at least 10 to 12 years before any nuclear power plant would be operational in the country if the government decided to utilise the form of energy.

“This is why we will not hasten any decision because there are many factors that have to be taken into consideration, including the public's opinion,” he said.


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Indonesia: Forest damage ‘to blame’ for yearly flooding

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post 20 Jan 15;

Environmental activists have blamed annual floods in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, on serious forest damage in the plateau area of Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL).

Large-scale illegal logging has also led the lowland area’s mangrove forests to the brink of extinction, hindering its ability to absorb water, according to the activists.

“Within the TNGL area there are now thousands of houses erected illegally by illegal loggers. But the authorities don’t do anything about it,” local environmental activist Tajruddin Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post recently.

Hasibuan said that Langkat had been a flood-free region when both the forests in TNGL and the mangroves in the lowland area were left untouched.

But now, with both upland and lowland forest seriously damaged, the regency is plagued by floods.

Hasibuan revealed that there was only a small area of forest remaining in the mountainous area, while much of the lowland had been converted into housing complexes or plantations, making it unable to absorb rainwater.

He added that in the 1980s, there had been about 35,000 hectares of mangroves forests in Langkat. The figure has decreased to 18,000 ha presently, of which 6,700 ha is damaged.

Similarly, within the TNGL, around 40,000 ha of forest had been damaged, the activist explained. Of this, 2,000 ha had been converted into a housing complex for some 1,500 families of illegal loggers.

Hasibuan said that the damage in TNGL and mangrove forests in Langkat continued to increase year after year. The government, he asserted, turned a blind eye to the practice of illegal logging.

Langkat regency administration spokesperson Rizal Gultom denied the accusation, arguing that it had repeatedly tried to curb the practice, but had not yet succeeded.

He claimed the sheer numbers of illegal loggers in the area made them difficult to handle.

“We don’t want to be accused of violating human rights. That’s why we handle them delicately through calls and discussions,” Rizal told the Post on Sunday.

He did not deny that damage in TNGL and mangrove forests had led to floods in Langkat. Many of the land conversions committed by the illegal loggers, he said, had violated the regency’s spatial planning laws.

“That’s the problem. In the future, we will put this in order so the annual floods do not return to Langkat,” Rizal said.

Flood have inundated thousands of homes in five districts in the regency for more than a week, with three villages in Tanjungpura district the worst hit.

The floods in Pekubuan, Lalang and Pekan Tanjungpura have not subsided, with more water flowing in from neighboring Hinai district, Tanjungpura district chief Surianto said.

In Pekan Tanjungpura, hundreds of houses and a public hospital are still flooded, forcing around 500 villages to take refuge in emergency camps set up by the Langkat disaster mitigation office (BPBD).

Relief aid including food and mineral water has been sent to flood victims.

The BPBD recorded that floods had submerged at least 7,791 houses in five districts, killing one villager. Floodwaters between 50 and 110 centimetres high have affected 22 villages across Langkat.

Water swamped 4,184 houses in Tanjungpura district, 433 houses in Sawit Seberang, 667 houses in Batang Serangan, 1,913 houses in Hinai and 594 houses in Wampu district. The floods in the district were triggered by heavy downpours that started on Jan. 14. A day later, the floods had spread to a number of villages, including Pematang Cengal Barat, Pekubuan, Lalang, Baja Kuning and Teluk Bakung.


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Australian government seeks to opt out of protection of five shark species

Oliver Milman The Guardian 20 Jan 15;

The Australian government has been accused of an unprecedented reversal of its international conservation obligations by seeking to opt out of the protection of five shark species.

The government is submitting a “reservation” against three species of thresher shark and two species of hammerhead shark listed as protected migratory species under the UN-administered convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals.

The five types of shark were among 31 species granted new protection status at a convention summit in November. A record 21 species of shark and ray, including sawfish, were put on the list along with polar bears, whales and gazelles.

Although Australia did not object to the listings in November, it is now seeking to opt out of the commitment to cooperate with other countries to ensure the five migratory shark species do not become extinct. The expanded list is due to come into effect on 8 February.

According to the government, Australia already has effective protections in place for the thresher and hammerhead sharks. But the Humane Society International said the move was an “unprecedented act of domestic and international environmental vandalism”.

“This sends a very bad signal that Australia doesn’t care about these species,” Alexia Wellbelove, senior program manager at HSI, told Guardian Australia. “Australia seems to think other countries can cooperate on this but we will do nothing in our own waters. As far as we know, this has never happened before.”

Wellbelove said the opt-out was to appease commercial and recreational fishers, some of whom catch threshers and hammerhead sharks as primary catch or as bycatch for other species. She said HSI was exploring its legal options over the matter.

“This is a political decision, it has nothing to do with conservation, which is pretty pathetic really,” she said. “Australia has always spoken out against other countries making reservations under these kinds of treaties, so this move is really concerning.

“Hammerheads migrate between our waters and Indonesia’s waters, so you can’t just exclude one country ands say, ‘We are doing OK as it is.’ By their very nature, migratory species need international cooperation to avoid extinction.”

A spokesman for the federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, said the government’s move was to avoid “unintended consequences” for fishers in Australia, who would risk being fined up to $170,000 and face two years in jail even if they obeyed their permits.

“There are still strong measures in place to protect thresher and hammerhead sharks in Australia and these will continue,” he said.

“The Australian government will continue to actively participate in shark conservation under the convention as a signatory of the memorandum of understanding on the conservation of migratory sharks, and through $4.6m funding for shark research and conservation activities.

“We are fully committed to meeting our obligations under the convention, as well as protecting the rights of recreational fishers.”

Neither the hammerhead nor thresher species are listed as threatened under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

But conservationists have raised concerns for both types of shark owing to unofficial reports of falling numbers. The New South Wales government has passed legislation to protect the great and scalloped hammerhead sharks in state waters, while the federal government is undertaking a study to see if three hammerhead variants – scalloped, great and smooth – should be nationally listed as threatened.

In a letter to HSI, Hunt said noted that the landing of thresher sharks was prohibited in tuna fisheries. “Recreationally, thresher and hammerhead sharks are subject to strict bag limits imposed by state and territory governments,” he wrote

While the five species will not be covered by the international convention nor Australian federal protection, Hunt said: “This does not negate our support for international action related to these species, or for shark conservation more broadly.”


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Melting Glaciers Aren’t Just Raising Sea Levels, They’re Polluting the Oceans

Todd Woody Takepart.com Yahoo News 21 Jan 15;

The world’s melting glaciers and polar ice sheets don’t just threaten to flood the world’s coastal cities—they’re also releasing huge amounts of carbon into the ocean, according to a first-of-its-kind study published Monday.

The world’s oceans already are turning acidic as they absorb greenhouse gases resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon-containing ice sheets may not necessarily exacerbate acidification due to the counter-acting flood of freshwater, but they could harm marine life, including fisheries humans depend on for food. And carbon released by mountain glaciers could affect freshwater aquatic life in in streams and rivers.

Eran Hood is a professor of environmental science at the University of Alaska Southeast and the lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Monday. He said scientists are just beginning to research the impact of glacial and ice sheet carbon on marine life.

“We do know, however, that the carbon released by glaciers is readily metabolized by aquatic microbes so changing the amount of carbon entering near-shore marine ecosystems has the potential to impact food webs,” Hood said in an email. “The impacts will likely be relatively localized however some of the glaciered coastal margins are quite large (Greenland or the Coast Mountains along the Gulf of Alaska) so the impacts to near-shore ecosystems in these regions could be fairly extensive.”

Hood and his colleagues who studied the carbon content of glaciers and ice sheets estimate that the flow of carbon will double over the next 35 years as climate change accelerates, according to the study. That means 15 teragrams—about 33 billion pounds—of carbon could be released by 2050.

Such carbon includes soot and other residues deposited on glaciers and ice sheets throughout the ages. Ice-bound carbon represents only six percent of the carbon stored in North American permafrost, which is being released as the Arctic thaws. But the scientists said glacier carbon could have an outsize impact.

That’s because the ice-released carbon is more easily absorbed by microscopic creatures and may ultimately end up in the atmosphere.


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Australia weather bureau says models show low chance of El Nino

Colin Packham PlanetArk 21 Jan 15;

Weather models show a low chance of an El Nino, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Tuesday, after indicators of the climate event eased in recent weeks.

El Nino - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific - can prompt drought in Southeast Asia and Australia and heavy rains in South America, hitting production of food such as rice, wheat and sugar.

The BOM had previously forecast a 70 percent chance that El Nino would arrive by February with indicators hovering close to El Nino thresholds for much of the second half of 2014. But climate indicators have eased in recent weeks, the bureau said.

"Central tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures have fallen by around half a degree from their peak of 1.1 degree Celsius above average in late November," it said in a statement.

The high Pacific Ocean temperatures in 2014 was a key determinant of the hot, dry weather across much of Australia, Asia, South America and southern Africa, the BOM had said in a statement in December.

(Editing by Richard Pullin and Himani Sarkar)


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