Best of our wild blogs: 21 May 16

Ubin Day turns Pesta Ubin!
Pulau Ubin Stories

Night Walk At Pasir Ris Park (21 May 2016)
Beetles@SG BLOG

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Conservation plans afoot for Sisters' Island Marine Park

On Saturday, NParks launched the Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef initiative, which will allow the community to contribute to habitat enhancement efforts in the Marine Park.
Olivia Quay Channel NewsAsia 21 May 16;

SINGAPORE: Following a one-year feasibility study, the National Parks Board (NParks) on Saturday (May 21) said it will embark on new conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for Sisters' Island Marine Park.

These new plans will be carried out from end-2016, and will completed in phases from 2017 to 2019, it added.

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, Mr Desmond Lee, who was in attendance, said: "Our rich marine biodiversity is something that makes us special. Singapore's waters cover less than 1 per cent of the world's surface area, yet we are home to more than 250 species of hard corals, or around one-third of the world's total.

"There are also 100 species of reef fish and about 200 species of sponges within our waters. We may be small, but we are large in our marine richness."

Big Sister's Island will house the Marine Park, with a boardwalk, intertidal pools and a floating pontoon to be constructed. These facilities will offer the public more opportunities for close-up encounters with the marine and terrestrial biodiversity.

Its Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre is set up on St John's Island, about a kilometre from Sisters' Island. It will be within the grounds of the National University of Singapore's Tropical Marine Science Institute.

Meanwhile, Small Sister's Island will serve as a dedicated site for marine conservation, promoting species recovery and habitat enhancement. Programmes will be conducted to facilitate visits for schools, institutes and organisations.

NParks will also set up Singapore's first turtle hatchery on Small Sister's Island, developed through a S$500,000 donation from HSBC.

On Saturday, NParks also launched the Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef initiative, under the Garden City Fund. This will allow the community to contribute to habitat enhancement efforts in the Marine Park.

- CNA/kk


Sisters’ Islands Marine Park to be conservation site
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 23 May 16;

SINGAPORE — The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park is set to become a site for marine conservation, research, outreach and education, under plans revealed by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Saturday.

The 40ha park, the first marine park in Singapore, stretches around the Big Sister’s and Small Sister’s Islands, and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor.

On Big Sister’s Island, a floating pontoon will be set up by early 2018, while intertidal pools and a boardwalk will be installed by the end of that year. These will allow the public to get up-close with marine and terrestrial biodiversity. A coastal plant conservation area and forest trails will also be established.

Small Sister’s Island, meanwhile, will be home to the Republic’s first turtle hatchery and a coral nursery by the end of next year, among other things. It will also be a site for marine conservation research, playing host to visits by schools and organisations to learn about the marine research taking place in the country’s waters. KENNETH CHENG

Sisters' Island to be heart of marine life conservation
Danson Cheong, Straits Times AsiaOne 22 May 16;

An artist's impression of the boardwalk on Big Sister's Island which will provide sweeping views of the coastline.

From Singapore's first sea turtle hatchery to a floating pontoon with see-through panels, detailed plans to transform Sisters' Islands into the heart of the country's marine life conservation efforts were revealed yesterday.

Announcing these yesterday on St John's Island, Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee highlighted how, despite covering less than 1 per cent of the world's surface, Singapore's waters are home to over 250 species of hard corals, a third of the world's total.

"We may be small, but we are large in our marine richness," he said, as he highlighted the need to ramp up conservation efforts and to raise awareness among Singaporeans of the life in surrounding waters. "The marine park is meant for Singaporeans, and we hope our people will love it, grow it and take ownership of this park."

The 40ha Sisters' Islands Marine Park, first announced in 2014 and about the size of 50 football fields, comprises the two Sisters' Islands - which are a 40-minute boat ride from Marina South Pier - surrounding reefs and the western reefs of nearby St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor. Its ecosystem supports corals, anemones, seahorses, fish and other marine life.

With the help of a $500,000 donation from HSBC, a turtle hatchery will be set up on Small Sister's Island by the end of next year.

The island will be a dedicated site for marine conservation and research. It will have a coral nursery where rare corals can be grown before being transplanted onto Reef Enhancement Units (REU) on the reef. Yesterday, HSBC also donated $180,000 for nine REUs under the new Seed-A-Reef programme.

Open to the public, donations of at least $20,000 will pay for an REU - an artificial scaffolding to which corals attach and grow.

To encourage Singaporeans to take ownership of the marine park on the islands, they will be able to also "sponsor" a coral for $200 in the new Plant-A-Coral initiative.

Big Sister's Island meanwhile will serve as a "gateway to the marine park" for the public, said Mr Lee.

It will have facilities where people can get close to nature, such as a floating pontoon, intertidal pools, a boardwalk and forest trails.

Most of these new facilities will be built by the end of 2018.

Ms Karenne Tun, a director at NParks' National Biodiversity Centre, said each sponsored coral will be grown in aquariums or a coral nursery in the sea from small fragments before being transplanted.

"We will target key species in Singapore that we feel need a bit of help, (or) those that are rare in Singapore," she said, adding that it can take six months to two years for corals to be transplanted, depending on how fast the species grows.

If these programmes are done right, they could have an "add-on effect on the natural reef", said Mr Stephen Beng, who chairs the marine conservation group of the Nature Society (Singapore).

Professor Wong Sek Man, director of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Tropical Marine Science Institute, said the upcoming plans on Sisters' Islands will help educate the young on how to protect the environment. "Kids are very curious... to know what kind of marine organisms can be found in the sea. If they can also touch them, it will be very nice," he said.

NUS first-year environmental science undergrad Lim Hong Yao, 22, who has been on a guided walk with NParks to the intertidal area on Sisters' Islands, said the zone is full of wildlife. "Everything is interesting... I've seen corals, hermit crabs, octopus and even stingrays."

Big plans for the two Sisters

ON BIG SISTER'S ISLAND

Early 2018

A floating pontoon will be built adjacent to the jetty. Visitors will also get to observe marine life such as sea fans, sponges and sea anemones through viewing panels on the base of the pontoons.

Mid-2018

Forest trails that cut through the island will allow visitors to explore the island and go bird-watching.

End-2018

A boardwalk along the lagoon will provide sweeping views of the coastline. Visitors can also get up close with coastal flora and fauna.

Intertidal pools will be built along the island's inner sea walls to create an environment similar to natural rock pools, where marine life can be viewed up close at low tide.

ON SMALL SISTER'S ISLAND

End-2017

The first turtle hatchery here and an outreach facility will be built. The hatchery will be a refuge for rescued turtle eggs, where they can hatch safely.

A coral nursery will be established to safeguard hard corals. The nursery will play an important role in the conservation of coral species, especially in view of rising sea temperatures. Corals undergo bleaching when the temperature of the water gets too high.

ON BOTH ISLANDS

Ongoing now

As part of the Plant-A-Coral and Seed-A-Reef programmes, corals will be transplanted onto reef enhancement units, which are artificial structures placed within the reef to encourage coral growth.

End-2018

Areas will be set aside for coastal plant conservation. These will feature around 30 coastal plant species including critically endangered ones.

The public can visit the coastal plant conservation area on Big Sister's Island. The area on Small Sister's Island will be a dedicated site for research and conservation.

To sponsor a coral, visit www.gardencityfund.org/coral.


NParks announces new conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for Sisters’ Islands Marine Park
NParks 21 May 16;

Launch of new community outreach initiative:
Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme by the Garden City Fund

21 May 2016 - Following the completion of a one-year feasibility study, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced new conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, and launched Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme, a new community outreach initiative by the Garden City Fund. This will provide the public more opportunities to learn about Singapore’s rich marine biodiversity and contribute to marine conservation efforts.
Conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for the Marine Park

The feasibility study had been initiated in 2015 to explore sustainable ways to conserve the habitats in Sisters’ Islands Marine Park while providing a range of outreach and educational activities for the public. After the conclusion of environmental impact assessments, the new plans will be carried out sensitively from end 2016, and progressively completed in phases from 2017 to 2019.

The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park spans about 40 hectares around the Big Sister’s Island and Small Sister’ Island, and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor.

Big Sister’s Island will serve as a platform for conservation, outreach and education. A boardwalk, intertidal pools and a floating pontoon will be sensitively established, offering the public more opportunities for close-up encounters with the marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Further inland, there will be a coastal plant conservation area and forest trails for the public to explore and learn more about coastal plants and the natural heritage on the island.

Small Sister’s Island will serve as a dedicated site for marine conservation research with facilities to promote species recovery and habitat enhancement. Programmes will be conducted to facilitate visits for schools, institutes and organisations to learn about marine research and initiatives that are carried out in Singapore waters. There will also be a coastal plant conservation area, reef enhancement units and a coral nursery on Small Sister’s Island. NParks will also set up Singapore’s first turtle hatchery, which will be developed through a $500,000 donation from HSBC. The turtle hatchery will provide a dedicated in situ facility to receive, nurture and hatch rescued turtle eggs assessed to be at risk from other coastal areas in Singapore in an effort to increase their survivability (See Factsheet A for details on plans and Factsheet B for details on turtle hatchery).
Launch of Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme

NParks also launched the Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme to provide opportunities for the community to contribute to habitat enhancement efforts in the marine park. Individuals and organisations may offer a donation and sponsor a coral or a Reef Enhancement Unit (REU), which is an artificial structure placed within suitable reef zones to enhance bare areas for marine organisms to grow and reef fish to seek refuge. Targeted coral species will be transplanted from a coral nursery in the marine park to the REUs (See Factsheet C for details on Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme). Under the NParks’ Citizen Science Programme, divers can also help to monitor growth of the REUs every six months.

To sustain Singapore’s natural heritage, NParks will also continue to engage the community to share information on the importance of marine biodiversity and responsible marine park etiquette, such as not to poach and fish in the Marine Park.


MEDIA FACTSHEET A
Conservation, research, outreach and educational plans for the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park
Information accurate as of 21 May 2016. For more information, please contact June Yeo at 97499285.

The new plans for Sisters’ Islands Marine Park will be carried out sensitively on principles of sustainability to ensure existing habitats and the biodiversity they support are not negatively impacted. These plans had been developed following the feasibility study which started in 2015 after engaging key stakeholders to seek ideas and feedback. The feasibility study was initiated to explore sustainable ways to conserve the habitats in Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, while providing a range of outreach and educational activities for members of the public.

Conservation, outreach and educational plans for Big Sister’s Island

Big Sister’s Island will serve the Marine Park’s objectives of conservation, outreach and education. Members of the public can look forward to a boardwalk, intertidal pools and a floating pontoon which will be sensitively established. Further inland, there will be forest trails for the public to explore.

Conservation, outreach and educational plans for Big Sister’s Island

Boardwalk
Estimated completion timeline: End 2018

Members of the public can get a closer look at the coastal flora and fauna as they explore the boardwalk along the lagoon. Set against the backdrop of the sea, the boardwalk provides opportunities for visitors to take in scenic views of the coastline and
spot biodiversity.

Artist impression of boardwalk at high tide (Courtesy of National Parks Board)

Intertidal pools
Estimated completion timeline: End 2018

Intertidal pools located along the inner sea walls create an environment similar to natural rock pools, providing additional hiding places for marine organisms, allowing visitors to view them up close at low tides.

Artist impression of intertidal pool (Courtesy of National Parks Board)

Floating pontoon
Estimated completion timeline: Early 2018

A floating pontoon will be sensitively installed at the Big Sister’s Island, adjacent to the jetty and looping back to the
shore. The pontoon will be specially designed to enhance biodiversity and provide opportunities for visitors to view marine life such as sea fans, sponges, sea anemones as well as hard and soft corals up close. Visitors will also get to observe other mobile marine life through viewing panels on the base of the pontoons.

Artist impression of floating pontoon (Courtesy of National Parks Board)

Forest trails
Estimated completion timeline: Mid 2018

Members of the public can experience nature and greenery as they trek the forest trails at Big Sister’s Island. The forest trails will provide opportunities for visitors to spot coastal forest plants and go birdwatching.

Artist impression of forest trails (Courtesy of National Parks Board)

Visitors pavilion
Estimated completion timeline: Early 2018

A visitors pavilion, equipped with information on Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and the biodiversity within, will be built adjacent to the jetty

Conservation and research plans for Small Sister’s Island

Small Sister’s Island will serve as a dedicated site for marine conservation research with facilities to promote species recovery and habitat enhancement. Programmes will be conducted to facilitate visits for schools, institutes and organisations to learn about marine research and initiatives that are carried out in Singapore waters. NParks will be establishing a coral nursery and Singapore’s first turtle hatchery, which will be developed through a $500,000 donation from HSBC

Turtle hatchery and outreach facility
Estimated completion timeline: End 2017

Singapore’s first turtle hatchery will be set up at Small Sister’s Island through a $500,000 donation from HSBC. The hatchery will provide a safe refuge for rescued turtle eggs, giving them a chance to hatch safely. Education and outreach
programmes will also be put in place to create awareness of our local marine biodiversity.

Artist impression of turtle hatchery
(Courtesy of National Parks Board)

Coral nursery
Estimated completion timeline: End 2017

A coral nursery will be sensitively established to safeguard hard corals found in Singapore waters. The nursery will play an important role in the conservation of coral species, especially in view of rising sea temperatures. Corals undergo bleaching when the temperature of the waters gets too high. This means that they lose a major source of food and are more susceptible to disease and other stressors. With the creation of a coral nursery, locally rare corals that may be threatened by coral bleaching for example can be moved to a controlled environment which would help to ensure their survival.

Coastal plant conservation areas and reef enhancement units will also be set up at both Big and Small Sister’s Islands.

Coastal plant conservation areas
Estimated completion timeline: End 2018

The coastal plant conservation areas will feature around 30 coastal plant species found in Singapore as part of marine conservation initiatives. This includes critically endangered coastal plant species such as Pemphis acidula and Tristaniopsis obovata.Members of the public can visit the coastal plant conservation area on Big Sister’s Island to learn more about coastal flora. The coastal plant conservation area on Small Sister’s Island will be a dedicated site for research and conservation purposes.

Reef enhancement units
Estimated completion timeline: Ongoing

As part of the Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme, targeted coral species will be transplanted from the coral nursery in the marine park onto reef enhancement units, which are artificial structures placed within suitable reef zones to enhance bare areas for marine organisms to grow and reef fish to seek refuge.

MEDIA FACTSHEET B
Turtle Hatchery

Singapore’s first sea turtle hatchery will be set up at the southern lagoon on Small Sister’s Island through a $500,000 donation from HSBC. The Green Turtles and Hawksbill Turtles will be the key species covered under the project.

Turtles visit Singapore’s shores throughout the year to lay eggs on the sandy beaches.

Since 2012, there have been ten reported sightings of turtles on the shores of East Coast Park and Changi Beach. Members of the public can call the NParks hotline at 1800-471 7300 (Toll-free), or the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) at 9783 7782 to report sightings of turtles on Singapore’s shores. The organisations will follow up on the reported sightings, in consultation with each other to ensure the safety of these turtles. If eggs are found and assessed to be at risk, they will be collected and transferred to the turtle hatchery at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park where they will be monitored and cared for until they hatch and are released into the sea.

The hatchery would also provide research opportunities to study local sea turtle populations. Education and outreach programmes will be developed to create awareness of our local marine biodiversity. These include visits to the turtle hatchery, involvement in egg collection and transfer to the hatchery, and habitat maintenance.

The $500,000 donation from HSBC will support the building of a facility for receiving rescued eggs and where outreach programmes are conducted on the island, over a period of five years. Educational signs and materials will also be developed for the outreach facility. HSBC staff will be involved in habitat maintenance and possibly collection of eggs when they are found and reported by members of the public.

HSBC Singapore CEO, Guy Harvey-Samuel said, "Our long-standing environmental and educational programmes have taught us that building a sustainable environment requires public and private sectors, NGOs, and communities to work together to deliver lasting
positive changes. HSBC is pleased to support National Parks Board's first Marine Park in Singapore and its ambition to inspire the community to protect our city-state’s rich marine biodiversity. We are very excited to see the education that it will nurture round marine biodiversity, especially amongst young Singaporeans. We also look forward to seeing the Marine Park inspire people to make their mark when it comes to the conservation of our environment."

Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef Programme

Caring for the marine biodiversity and the environment is the social responsibility of every individual. The Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme is a platform for organisations and individuals to actively participate in the habitat enhancement efforts of the Sisters’ Island Marine Park by sponsoring a coral under the Plant-A-Coral initiative or a Reef
Enhancement Unit (REU) under the Seed-A-Reef initiative.

Plant-A-Coral initiative
Under the Plant-A-Coral initiative, organisations and individuals will be able to sponsor a coral with a minimal donation of $200. Coral nubbins, which are small coral fragments, will be attached to wall plugs and allowed to grow to suitable sizes within nurseries and on the reef before being transplanted to the REU. Donors will be entitled to participate in a free intertidal guided walk at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park to experience the rich biodiversity.

Seed-A-Reef initiative
Under the Seed-A-Reef initiative, organisations and individuals will be able to sponsor a REU with a minimal donation of $20,000. REUs are artificial structures placed within suitable reef zones to enhance bare areas for marine organisms to grow and reef fish to seek refuge.

Donors will be able to prepare coral nubbins which will be transplanted to the REU when ready. In addition, donors will be entitled to participate in a free coastal guided walk at St John’s Island to experience the natural and historical heritage of the island.

To kick off the programme, HSBC has fully supported the first phase of the Seed-A-Reef initiative, donating $180,000 for nine REUs. More REUs will be put up for sponsorship in subsequent phases of the Seed-A-Reef initiative.

The Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef programme is open to the public. To sponsor a coral, interested parties can make a donation online via NParks’ registered charity and IPC, Garden City Fund, at www.gardencityfund.org/coral. Donors will also receive a certificate of recognition and a photo update every six months on the progress of the REUs on the Garden City Fund website for a period of three years.

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Possibility of secondary infection from imported Zika case remains: NEA, MOH

Although the first known Zika patient in Singapore has been discharged from hospital and now tests negative for the virus, the Ministry of Health and National Environment Agency say there remains the possibility of secondary infection resulting from the Watten Estate case until Jun 23.
Channel NewsAsia 20 May 16;

SINGAPORE: Although the first Zika patient has been discharged from hospital, there remains the possibility of secondary infection resulting from the first imported case that occurred in the Watten Estate area until Jun 23, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Friday (May 20).

MOH and NEA added that there was a need to remain vigilant. "The six-week period from the date of isolation of the infected patient takes into account the maximum incubation period of Zika, lifespan of the Aedes mosquito and possible delays by infected people in seeking medical attention.

"Even after 23 June, we will still need to remain vigilant for the possibility of new imported cases," the agencies added.

The Zika patient had been to Sao Paulo, Brazil and developed fever and rash shortly after his return to Singapore. The 48-year-old man was diagnosed with the infection on May 13 and treated at the Communicable Diseases Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was discharged on Tuesday after making a full recovery, and now tests negative for Zika.

MORE THAN 700 PREMISES IN WATTEN ESTATE AREA INSPECTED: NEA

NEA added that as of 18 May, it has completed inspections of more than 700 premises in the areas around Watten Estate, where the Zika patient lives. The agency also destroyed a total of 43 breeding habitats. Of these, 28 were found in homes and 15 in common areas, the environment agency said. NEA said it also deployed over 100 Gravitraps in the area to monitor the Aedes mosquito population in the vicinity to guide any subsequent vector control efforts needed.

It also said that only one of about 150 premises that were served with Section 35 of the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA) remains to be inspected, and arrangements have been made to inspect the remaining home on Friday.

NEA said that it will continue to keep the area under surveillance, after the intensive vector control efforts in the first 14 days from the confirmation of the imported case, for as long as there continues to be a risk of Zika transmission in the area.

- CNA/mz

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Car with 6 hidden puppies detected at Woodlands Checkpoint

The puppies were uncovered in a modified compartment underneath the rear passenger seat of the Malaysia-registered car. The 43-year-old Malaysian male driver is assisting AVA with the investigation.
Channel NewsAsia 21 May 16;

SINGAPORE: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said on Saturday (May 21) that six live puppies were intercepted at the Woodlands Checkpoint on Thursday night.

A Malaysia-registered car, driven by a 43-year-old Malaysian male, was directed for further checks at the Woodlands Checkpoint at about 11.15pm on Thursday. During the inspection, six live puppies were found hidden in a modified compartment underneath the rear passenger seat, according to the joint press release.

The driver, the puppies and the vehicle were referred to the AVA, with the driver assisting with the investigations, they added.

While the case is under AVA’s investigation, the six puppies are cared for and quarantined at AVA’s Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station for observation for signs of infectious or contagious diseases, especially rabies – a disease fatal to animals and humans, the press release said.

Animals that are smuggled into Singapore are of unknown health status and may introduce exotic diseases, such as rabies, into the country. The importation of any animals or live birds without an AVA permit is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of S$10,000 and/or jail of up to a year.

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Malaysia: Sabah may implement seasonal hunting as part of its conservation effort

STEPHANIE LEE The Star 21 May 16;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is thinking of having a seasonal ban on wildlife hunting even as it warns that the country may lose some of its endangered wildlife species as early as in the next 50 years.

Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said poaching and excessive hunting were contributing to the dwindling of wildlife.

“Hunting has been a tradition among the local communities especially those in the interior of Sabah but it should not be at the expense of wildlife existence in Sabah,” he said during the Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) Environment Day at the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) here yesterday.

“It is our choice and for us to decide. Otherwise in 50 years, we will only be able to see the orang utan and other endangered wildlife species in movies and pictures,” he added.

Masidi said the ministry may consider implementing seasonal hunting as a conservation effort.

“This approach allows animals in the wild to reproduce and is similar to the concept of tagal which prohibits fishing for a certain period of time in most rivers in the state,” he said.

YSD governing council member Caroline Christine Russell said conservation was vital for the country as it is listed as one of the earth’s most bio-diverse places with large numbers of endemic species.

She said Malaysia has 20% of the world’s animal species with a diverse variety of flora and fauna that are in constant danger of not only global climate change but also the threat of poaching.

Meanwhile, the one-day event saw numerous activities including talks, documentary screenings and exhibitions being held by YSD’s beneficiaries and partners namely the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and Borneo Rhino Alliance.

Sime Darby Foundation has since 2009, committed RM129mil under its Environment pillar for conservation initiatives and environmental projects out of which RM81mil was for projects in Sabah.

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Indonesia: Plantation executive on trial for fires

Jakarta Post 20 May 16;

Prosecutors have demanded two years’ prison for Frans Katihokang, the operations manager of oil palm plantation company PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo ( PT LIH ), for his alleged involvement in lighting forest fires in Langgam district in Pelalawan, Riau.

Pangkalan Kerinci prosecutor Novri said the defendant had failed to properly mitigate the fires that later razed half of the company’s 533 hectares of plantations.

“The defendant violated Article 99 and Article 115 of the Environmental Management and Protection Law,” he said at a hearing at the Pangkalan Kerinci District Court.

The fire razed Frans’ company’s plantation, which stands on peatland, on July 27, 2015, allegedly because of a lack of firefighting equipment in the area. The fire was tamed four days later after a team of firemen came from another village. “As part of the company’s top management, Frans had the ability to ensure there was firefighting equipment on site,” he said.

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Indonesia: Haze and New Paradigm Needed for Ties With Singapore

Jakarta Globe 20 May 16;

Tensions between Indonesia and Singapore are simmering as a kerfuffle is developing over the decision by a Singaporean court to grant a warrant to the National Environment Agency (NEA) for an Indonesian businessman suspected of involvement in last year's forest fires. The warrant was obtained after the businessman, whose identity remains hidden, failed to turn up for an interview with the Singaporean authorities while he was in the city-state.

The saga took an interesting twist as Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied its counterpart's repeated claims that a formal complaint against the warrant had been lodged by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.

The reason for Indonesia's umbrage remains unclear, although implicit in the protest was the notion that Singapore had tried to force Indonesia's hand in acting against responsible parties for last year's environmental disaster, which saw much of South East Asia engulfed in a haze. Jakarta's reaction suggests that it deemed Singapore to have overstepped its scope of action. By contrast, Singapore's NEA felt that it had every right to prosecute those deemed responsible, based on the 2014 Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

To be fair, Singapore's move was both logical and laudable. However, it was an inadvertent slap in the face for the Indonesian government. Chiefly, politicians in Jakarta were worried that, if successfully pulled off, it was bound to be seen by the public as a derogation of sovereignty: that an Indonesian national could be arrested and even tried in a foreign country.

The swift action was also an embarrassing reminder of Jakarta's own unmistakable sluggishness in bringing the forest fire perpetrators to justice as a deterrent. Although the Indonesian police did arrest several company executives suspected of wrongdoing last year, no tangible progress has been made with regard to their prosecution so far. A lack of transparency has also marred the process, with Jakarta seemingly intent on protecting the identities of the companies suspected of setting fire to the forests, or negligence in preventing forest fires, in their respective concessions.

Singapore's foreign ministry has understandably described Indonesia's reaction as "puzzling." To any outsider, this view probably holds sway, too. Yet the majority of Indonesians would really see Singapore's action as an insult.

The main problem here is that post-Suharto Indonesia is still grappling with how to deal and interact with the Singapore of today.

Most Indonesians probably admire the city-state for its efficient bureaucracy, cleanliness and overall orderliness, which are the opposite of how things are in Indonesia. Our middle class still like to shop in Singapore for luxury goods and, given the choice, most of them, when ill, would rather be treated in Singapore than at home.

Yet for a resource-oriented nation like Indonesia, it is difficult to understand Singapore's economic success fully, especially as the latter lacks natural resources. The "resource" mentality is after all part of the national myth in Indonesia, with every student taught from an early age how "resource-rich" Indonesia ought to make the country prosperous and how this makes it the envy of the world, even the target for colonial agenda in the past and neo-colonial exploitation subsequently. It rarely occurs to most of us that today's advanced economies have gone beyond the exploitation of natural resources and the production of goods as their mainstay in prosperity.

The green-eyed monster is now quite real in the way many Indonesians see Singapore. Coupled with the firmly held belief that many of Indonesia's super rich park their funds there, it has been conveniently cast as a "foreign" scapegoat for Indonesia's own failures, even among the educated classes. Singapore is often portrayed as a pushy and cunning little neighbor who takes advantage of Indonesia's good and gullible nature.

However, many of the accusations against Singapore widely circulated in the Indonesian press could hardly pass the litmus test. For example, the "revelation" by former Air Force chief Chappy Hakim that the airspace above Riau islands falls under Singapore's Flight Information Region (FIR) – while factually true – neglects to mention that FIRs overlapping national boundaries are more common than he would allow.

Conveniently forgotten is also the fact that Indonesia manages the FIRs for both Timor Leste, a sovereign state in its own right, and Christmas Island, a territory belonging to Australia. The Indonesian press hardly informs the public that revenues derived from managing airspace above Riau are annually remitted by Singapore to the Indonesian government. Instead the issues of national pride and "unjust" benefits for Singapore at Indonesia's expense are exaggerated ad nauseam.

It is high time that we cultivated a new mindset in dealing with Singapore. The Suharto-era self-imposed view that Indonesia must necessarily act as Southeast Asia's "big brother" is no longer relevant in today's geopolitical realities. Former President B.J. Habibie's jibe at Singapore being a "little red dot" has also gone sour as Singaporeans appropriated the insult as a badge of pride.

In many ways, the consoling myth of Indonesia as "big brother" to the rest of Southeast Asia has been a source of great complacency for us. Rather than chastising us into bettering ourselves, it has lulled us. Isn't it time for us to wake up?

Johannes Nugroho is a writer from Surabaya.

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Thailand: About 70 per cent of reefs near Trang are hit by bleaching; giant clams to be moved

The Nation 21 May 16;

Serious coral bleaching has been found in Trang. Up to 70 per cent of coral reefs have been affected, so local officials have pledged to take action by closing all diving spots in the province.

Hat Chao Mai Marine National Park chief Manote Wongsureerat said an inspection of reefs within the park on Tuesday with a team from Chulalongkorn University's Veterinary Medical Aquatic Animal Research Centre revealed around 70 per cent of coral near Koh Mook was bleached.

The team said the temperature of seawater was 33 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature to sustain healthy coral was around 30 degrees Celsius.

Endangered giant clams in the area were also affected by the very hot water temperature and nearly dead.

Manote said the national park agreed with the team from Chulalongkorn to immediately move the giant clams to a pond, so they could recover, while diving spots in the province will be closed in order to reduce the impact from tourism on the reefs.

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Protect Myanmar's marine resources from being pillaged to point of no return

Aung San Suu Kyi’s new government must safeguard the ocean from illegal fishing that has depleted stocks by 70-90% and is killing endangered sea turtles and dugongs
Colin Poole The Guardian 20 May 16;

As Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) engaged in a historic transfer of power in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw in March, my Burmese colleagues and I stood on a deserted beach 170 miles to the southwest, near Gwa on the Rakhine coast. We were speaking to local fishermen about their livelihoods and hearing about the unfortunate death of a young dugong – southeast Asia’s cousin of the manatee.

To the naked eye, the blue sea and miles of white sand with no development or people in sight were a vision of paradise. And yet, as we learned, below the surface things were far from idyllic. The young dugong that accidentally drowned in a fishing net was just one symptom of another tragedy and challenge unfolding in this country – one that, while nearly unnoticed, could have major implications for the future of millions of rural people.

Literally out of sight, the country’s marine resources have been pillaged almost to the point of no return. Research data released in February of this year by the Norwegian government demonstrated a decline in Myanmar’s oceanic and coastal fish stocks of between 70-90% since the late 1980’s.

The previous day, I had listened to U Myint Aung, the leader of a local community conservation group set up to protect nesting sea turtles, describing the decline in adult turtles now successfully returning to his beach. At the current rate he feared none would come back next year.

The turtle deaths appear to result primarily from a growing recent demand for a large marine fish called the croaker. Their swim-bladders are now such a sought-after delicacy in parts of China that individual fish can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Not surprisingly, a targeted fishery has developed in response, but the nets used in the process entangle other species such as sea turtles and dugongs.

U Myint Aung himself had ceased working as a coastal fisherman when catches declined to the point where he could no longer make a living. Instead he ekes out a living from farming peanuts on the sandy soil behind the beach during the rainy season and devotes the rest of his time to protecting the remaining turtles.

Such tragic stories were commonplace. Poorly governed marine waters had led to the arrival of larger industrial vessels both from other areas of Myanmar and neighboring countries. Use of illegal fishing gear had grown, as had even cruder methods like cyanide poisoning to access anything of remaining value.

But the status of marine fisheries isn’t the only thing significantly changing on Myanmar’s coast. Aside from a few tourists, the only other foreign visitors we ran into worked with the offshore gas industry. In the last 18 months multiple licenses for offshore gas blocks have been issued to a variety of western companies including Shell, Chevron, Woodside, and Statoil, among others.

These investments will alter the future of Myanmar’s ocean waters and economy forever. Yet opportunities exist for such global companies to work with both Aung San Suu Kyi’s new government and coastal communities to promote a very different future for Myanmar’s marine resources.

Precedents for such approaches exist. Perhaps one of the best is in Gabon, where in 2013 President Ali Bongo created the ‘Gabon Bleu’ initiative. Gabon’s Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux works in partnership with a number of major international oil and gas companies and the Wildlife Conservation Society to improve management of marine resources as a key pillar of the country’s development strategy.

This has resulted in the creation of 10 marine parks covering more than 18,000 square miles and encompassing about 23% of Gabon’s Exclusive Economic Zone. New community fishery zones promote local livelihoods based on sustainable fisheries management as well as designating areas exclusively for community or industrial fisheries.

In Myanmar similar planning approaches and partnerships could safeguard the ocean against illegal fishing and foreign industrial vessels. Local networks of no-take marine reserves have been proven to work around the world, and could include areas where fisheries are excluded for safety reasons around gas infrastructure.

Such initiatives could relatively quickly encourage the recovery of fish stocks while protecting endangered species like sea turtles, dugongs, and dolphins.

Myanmar’s new government faces a myriad of challenges, but if it wishes to develop the economy while increasing livelihood options for millions of rural people, it must create solutions for the thus far hidden problems of the country’s oceans.

Finding answers to this particular challenge could be one of the NLD’s early win-wins. If successful, U Myint Aung and his team could look to protecting more – not fewer – sea turtles returning to Rakhine’s beaches every year. And perhaps future generations in his village, and others along the coastline we visited, could look back to the sea again with hopes for a brighter blue future.

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Humans damaging the environment faster than it can recover, UN finds

Radical action is needed to combat increasing rate of environmental damage to water sources, land, biodiversity and marine life, report shows
Fiona Harvey The Guardian 19 May 16;

Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, meaning the rate of deterioration is increasing globally, the most comprehensive environmental study ever undertaken by the UN has found.

The study, which involved 1,203 scientists, hundreds of scientific institutions and more than 160 governments brought together by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), concludes that without radical action the level of prosperity that millions of people in the developed world count on will be impossible to maintain or extend to poorer countries.

Water scarcity is the scourge of some of the poorest regions on Earth, the study found, leaving developing countries increasingly unable to feed themselves, and causing hardship for millions of people. There appears little prospect of this dire situation being remedied, according to the UN, without radical action being taken.

Water sources are under increasing threat from population growth, climate change, rapid urbanisation, rising levels of consumption, and the degradation of lands that previously provided a natural replenishment of water resources.

The study is intended as an aid to the world’s efforts to combat climate change and other environmental threats, as it highlights the difficulties of improving the lives of people in developing countries and tackling global warming, while food resources come under continuing pressure.

UNEP found the rate of damage to the natural environment was increasing globally, despite concerted efforts to persuade governments to take measures to improve the condition of vital natural resources, such as water, land and the seas.

“If current trends continue, and the world fails to enact solutions that improve patterns of production and consumption, if we fail to use natural resources sustainably, then the state of the world’s environment will continue to decline,” warned Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP.

He said the tools for improving the environment for millions of people existed in developed countries but were in danger of not being used.

The study, using decades of scientific data, found that basic measures to tackle some of the key causes of environmental damage were still not being taken. These included measures to reduce air pollution, such as changes to vehicles; the damage to marine eco-systems, which can have a huge effect on fish stocks on which hundreds of millions of people depend; and the degradation of land when modern agricultural methods were pursued without regard to the longer-term consequences.

Despite the recent global agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, signed in Paris last December, global carbon output continues to rise. The report argues this will put a long-term strain on the ability of developing economies to feed their own people as the result of changes such as increased droughts and floods.

Climate change is exacerbated by the emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture, including the leaching of nitrous oxide – a powerful greenhouse gas – from run-off emissions and incorrectly stored animal manure.

These sources increased by more than a quarter between 2000 and 2010, the report found.

Other problem areas identified in the report included glaciers in the Andes, which provide vital water resources for tens of millions of people, but which are shrinking as the climate warms.

In rich countries, these problems have built up over decades and centuries while economic growth was pursued at the expense of the environment. Subsequent efforts to remedy the environment have met with partial success. But in developing countries, the path of future development has more potential to change, which has encouraged international institutions to devise more sustainable growth pathways that are supposed both to alleviate poverty and preserve the environment. If they follow the same pattern of growth, then the danger of irreparable environmental damage will intensify, the study’s authors conclude.

They recommend an increased awareness of the environmental impact of development. For instance, exploiting water resources can be made more sustainable by recycling water where possible, and changing agriculture so that wasteful methods of irrigation are replaced by more efficient ones.

Developing countries should also change their methods of dealing with waste, the report found, so as to protect clean water sources and prevent the burning of solid waste in landfill dumps.

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India sets new heat record as temperatures soar

The new record in Phalodi, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan, is the equivalent of 123.8 Fahrenheit and comes as a heatwave sweeps the nation.
Channel NewsAsia 20 May 16;

NEW DELHI: Temperatures have soared to a scorching 51 degrees Celsius in one Indian city, meteorologists said Friday (May 20), with the ferocious heat setting a new national record.

Northern Phalodi wilted as the mercury reached a new high, equivalent to 123.8 Fahrenheit, beating a 60-year-old record.

"Yesterday (Thursday) was the hottest temperature ever recorded in the country... 51 degrees in Phalodi," said B.P. Yadav, a director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Hundreds of people die every year from the heat in India, with May and June usually the hottest months.

The latest record high came as the IMD issued warnings of "severe heat wave" conditions across large parts of India's north and west, including the capital Delhi, where temperatures hit 47 degrees Celsius earlier this week.

Zoo animals in the capital were treated to cold baths and given electrolytes to prevent dehydration. Demand for electricity in the city of 25 million people surged to a record high on Thursday as sweltering residents turned on their air conditioners.

Police officers on the beat were given oral rehydration solution and special "cooling scarves" containing water-absorbent crystals to keep their body temperature down, local papers reported.

The capital's hospitals have seen a spike in cases of heatstroke, while authorities in many states have ordered schools to break for summer earlier than normal due to the heatwave.

DROUGHT, FOREST FIRES

Temperatures in northern India regularly hit the high 40s in May and June, but topping 50 degrees is unusual. India declares a heatwave when the maximum temperature reaches 45 degrees Celsius, or five degrees higher than the average for the area in previous years.

Ahmedabad city in Gujarat state recorded its hottest day in a century when the mercury touched 48 degrees Celsius.

The heatwave comes as India faces its worst water crisis in decades, with about 330 million people, or a quarter of the population, suffering from drought after two weak monsoons.

Drinking water is running short in many states and poor rains have prompted extreme measures, including stationing armed guards at reservoirs and sending water trains to the worst-affected regions.

Officials have forecast an above-average monsoon this year, offering hope for the struggling agriculture sector that employs about 60 percent of the population.

But the monsoon is only forecast to hit the southern state of Kerala on Jun 7 - six days later than usual - before sweeping across the country. That means it will be weeks before the cooling rains reach India's arid plains.

The dry conditions have aided the spread of forest fires that recently swept through the hills of northern Uttarakhand and part of Himachal Pradesh states, which draw tens of thousands of tourists every year.

But elsewhere in the country there were warnings of floods as Cyclone Roanu approached the east coast after causing havoc in neighbouring Sri Lanka.

Last year, India suffered one of its deadliest heatwaves in which more than 2,400 people died.

- AFP/rw

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