Best of our wild blogs: 27 Oct 17

Singapore Raptor Report, July-September 2017
Singapore Bird Group

Summary Report from Towards a Plastic-Free Oceans Conference, 25th October 2017
Gone Adventurin

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New food farming federation to tackle manpower, productivity challenges

Wendy Wong Channel NewsAsia 26 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: A food farming federation was formed on Wednesday (Oct 25) to address key challenges faced by the industry brought about by resource constraints and the current push for productivity.

Started by several members of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) food farming industry consultation panel, the Singapore Agro-food Enterprises Federation aims to promote the sector and is the first industry-wide initiative to bring farmers together on a single platform, said Mr Frank Tan, founding member of the federation and managing director of Marine Life Aquaculture.

Mr Tan said the new body’s immediate priorities include developing safety standards and guidelines for sustainable farming practices. It will also work on raising productivity, as well as building farming and manpower capabilities.

For example, the federation will look into pooling together resources and technology to be shared among the farmers, which could lower operating costs. Using waste from livestock farms as organic fertiliser for vegetable farming is one possibility, Mr Tan said.

The federation will also help to facilitate overseas study trips so farmers can learn and potentially adopt smart farming solutions, as well as hold sessions for the sharing of best practices.

Raising awareness of local produce among consumers will be a key aim as well, such as by working with AVA to bring farmers' markets to different parts of Singapore starting next year.

“At this point all the farmers are reaching out to customers on their own,” said Mr Tan. “We want to do an outreach programme that is unified to help identify us.”

Mr Tan said the timing of the federation is "very good" as the industry "has come to an establishment".

“Most of the large-scale farmers can produce in a very consistent way. It’s a good time where all the segments - the eggs, vegetable and food fish - come together to join and form this federation.”

The organisation will work with government agencies to implement initiatives and suggestions raised during the industry consultation panel, Mr Tan said. It will also seek to partner with research institutions, institutes of higher learning and venture capitalists to help boost the sector.

WHOLE ECOSYSTEM NEEDS TO CHIP IN

Besides Marine Life Aquaculture, the federation's founding members include Kok Fah Technology Farm and Chew's Agriculture. Heading the organisation as chairman is the current emeritus president of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation George Huang.

Twenty more farms have pledged to join the not-for-profit organisation, including all three egg farms. In terms of output, the farms capture the entire local egg market share, around 70 per cent of fish meant for eating and 50 per cent of vegetables consumed locally.

There are currently around 200 food farms in Singapore.

According to the federation, membership will be opened to all licensed food farmers. Community farmers and individuals from institutes of higher learning can also join as associate members.

“I’m very happy to see the farmers themselves are taking this step to come together to work together to push for more advancements and transformation within the industry,” said Senior Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon, who serves as patron for the federation.

“It takes the whole ecosystem - not just farmers but also the entire value chain, such as the institutes of higher learning as well as people in the marketing and retail space,” said Dr Koh, speaking on the sidelines of a site visit to high-tech vertical farm Sustenir on Thursday.


Local farmers band together to promote home-grown produce, solve challenges faced by agriculture industry
Audrey Tan Straits Times 26 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE - Local farmers from across the island are, for the first time, banding together to improve the small but important agriculture sector in Singapore.

Twenty farms from the livestock, food fish and vegetable sectors have come together to form a farming federation known as the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises (Safef), it was announced on Thursday (Oct 26).

There is another farming coalition, the Kranji Countryside Association, which was formed in 2005 to look after the interests of agribusinesses clustered in Singapore's rural north-west.

But the new federation is an organisation formed to represent and promote agri-food enterprises from all across Singapore.

Safef member farms include egg farm Seng Choon Farm, Rong-Yao Fisheries and vegetable farm Sustenir Agriculture (Singapore).

The federation will work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), as well as research institutions and institutes of higher learning, on various initiatives.

The federation has four main priorities, a number of which are centred on Singapore's recent push for farms to go high-tech. They are: the setting of standards among farms; boosting productivity and lowering cost; building capacity and developing manpower. The federation also aims to promote local produce among consumers here.

The setting of standards is important for ensuring food safety, especially with new farming types coming up, said Marine Life Aquaculture's Frank Tan during a visit to Sustenir's Admiralty premises on Thursday. Mr Tan is a founding member of the Safef.

A voluntary scheme called the Good Agricultural Practice - a set of farming processes and management practices for the production of safe and quality farm produce - has already been introduced by the AVA for outdoor vegetables in 2004 and for coastal fish farms in 2014. There is also a similar scheme for egg farms, put in place in 1999.

Farms which have been certified under the Good Agricultural Practice scheme will get to carry a logo on their products.

But with the move towards more productive, high-tech forms of farming in land-scarce Singapore, there is a need for the federation to work with the authorities to come up with similar schemes for land-based food fish farming and indoor vegetable farming, said Mr Tan.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon, who is in charge of farming issues, told the media at Sustenir on Thursday that Singapore already has measures in place to ensure the safety of produce from all farms. But a voluntary scheme could help raise safety standards for the entire industry and improve Singapore's brand name, he said.

Dr Koh Poh Koon on the formation of a new farming federation

On boosting productivity and building capacity, the federation said in a statement that it hopes infrastructure can be built to help farms share resources, such as cold rooms or packaging areas, and to conduct technology sourcing trips abroad. The sharing of resources will help to reduce capital investments for individual farms and lower operating costs, it added.

There are more than 200 food farms in Singapore, producing less than 10 per cent of Singapore's total food demand. Though small, the local agriculture sector is still an important pillar of Singapore's food security strategy, especially with climate change wreaking havoc on global food supplies. But with agricultural land shrinking, the hope is that farms step up productivity by making use of technology.

On whether the 20 member farms - just 10 per cent of the total number of food farms here - will be able to make an impact in helping to ensure Singapore's food security, Mr Tan says he is confident that they will be able to.

This is because the federation's 20 member farms produce a large proportion of the current food supply, he added.

The four hen and quail egg farms in the federation, for instance, produce almost 100 per cent of locally produced eggs here, while the six fish farms in the group produce some 70 per cent of fish produced in Singapore, said Mr Tan. The 10 vegetable growers which are part of the federation produce 50 per cent of locally produced vegetables.

"The federation is not a big boys' club. We want to help the other farms also, by conducting talks, sharing best practices, to increase the standard of farming so we can produce safe food, and increase food productivity. So local farms play a major role in food security," said Mr Tan.

The federation also wants to boost local demand for home-grown produce here, by working with AVA to carry out regular farmers' markets, for instance. The federation is also working on a made-in-Singapore logo that could help consumers easily identify locally grown produce, similar to a labelling scheme in Norway.

Dr Koh, who is the honorary adviser to the new farming federation, urged Singaporeans to buy local, saying that doing so could help reduce the carbon footprint from importing goods, and support local farmers keen on expanding production. They can also be assured that food produced here is safe and fresh, he said.

"Here, the AVA has control over the quality of the produce, so consumers can also look forward to fresher and safer food produce," said Dr Koh.



Singapore farmers band together to boost sector
New federation also aims to help ensure Republic's food security
Audrey Tan Straits Times 27 Oct 17;

Farmers are banding together to improve the small but important agriculture sector here.

Twenty farms from the livestock, food fish and vegetable sectors have come together to form a farming federation, the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (Safef).

Members include egg farm Seng Choon Farm, Rong-Yao Fisheries and vegetable farm Sustenir Agriculture (Singapore).

There is another farming coalition, the Kranji Countryside Association, which was formed in 2005 to look after the interests of agribusinesses in the rural north-west. But the new federation will represent agri-food enterprises across Singapore.

It will work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), research institutions and institutes of higher learning in four main areas: standard-setting, boosting productivity and lowering costs, building capacity and developing manpower, and promoting local produce.

Setting standards can help ensure food safety, especially with the move towards more productive forms of farming such as land-based food-fish farming and indoor vegetable farming, said Marine Life Aquaculture managing director Frank Tan, who is also one of Safef's founding members.

There are more than 200 food farms here, producing less than 10 per cent of Singapore's total food demand.

Though small, the local agricultural sector is an important pillar of Singapore's food security strategy, with climate change wreaking havoc on global food supplies.

On whether the member farms - just 10 per cent of the total number of food farms here - will be able to make an impact in helping to ensure Singapore's food security, Mr Tan says he is confident they will, as they produce a large proportion of the current food supply.

The four hen and quail egg farms in Safef, for instance, produce almost all of the locally produced eggs here, while the six fish farms in the group are responsible for some 70 per cent of fish produced in Singapore, said Mr Tan.

The 10 vegetable growers in Safef produce 50 per cent of locally produced vegetables.

"We want to help the other farms by conducting talks and sharing best practices, to raise the standard of farming so we can produce safe food and increase food productivity," said Mr Tan.

The federation also wants to boost local demand for home-grown produce here, by working with AVA to carry out regular farmers' markets, and developing a logo that could help consumers easily identify locally grown produce.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon, who is in charge of farming issues, is the honorary adviser to the new farming federation.

Yesterday, he urged Singaporeans to buy local, saying that doing so could help reduce the carbon footprint from importing goods, and support local farmers keen on expanding production.

"Here, the AVA has control over the quality of the produce, so consumers can also look forward to fresher and safer food produce."

20: Number of farms that have come together to form Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation.

4: The main areas - standard-setting, boosting productivity and lowering costs, building capacity and developing manpower, and promoting local produce - that Safef will work on with AVA, research institutions and institutes of higher learning.


Singapore vegetable farms form trade body
KENNETH LIM Business Times 26 Oct 17;

NINE Singapore vegetable farms have formed the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (Safef) to address challenges and improve standards for the industry.

George Huang, the emeritus president of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, will be the inaugural chairman of Safef.

The nine founding members are Sustenir Agriculture (Singapore), Yili Vegetation & Trading, Sky Greens, Farm 85 Trading, Panasonic Factory Solutions Asia Pacific, Netatech, Pacific Agro, Bean Farm and Ser Poh Farming & Trading Enterprise.

The immediate priorities of Safef over the next three years will be to set standards and guidelines, raise productivity and lower costs, build capability and develop manpower, and promote local produce.

In a statement, the organisation said that a number of key members wanted an industry group to work with government agencies to implement suggestions and initiatives mooted at the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority's Food Farming Industry Consultation Panel.

Safef will also seek members from related industries such as logistic enterprises, technology providers, research institutions and institutes of higher learning.

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Vegetable farm land tender closes with 28 bids

Wendy Wong Channel NewsAsia 26 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: A total of 28 bids were submitted for 12 land parcels to be used for vegetable farming in Lim Chu Kang, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said on Thursday (Oct 26).

The land parcels are the first to be tendered out for agriculture in more than 20 years. The 12 plots with 20-year leases were put up for public tender in August. Nine are located at Neo Tiew Harvest Lane, two at Neo Tiew Harvest Link and one at Neo Tiew Harvest Place.

A fixed-price tender method was used, with bidders competing on the basis of their tender proposals, while land prices are fixed.

The proposals will be evaluated based on factors such as production capability, track record, relevant experience and qualifications, and the ability to use innovation to improve and sustain production.

One farmer who submitted his bid is 30-year-old Desmond Khoo, founder of Eden PurelyFresh Farm.

"Our proposal tackles the problems of space (and) efficiency using vertical technology and some indoor farming," said Mr Khoo. "With all this technology, we hope our proposal is something special that AVA can consider."

CONCERNS OVER SOIL QUALITY, TECHNOLOGY COST

However, Channel NewsAsia understands that some farmers did not go ahead with the bid due to concerns over the soil quality of the tendered land.

"The land condition of the new site is not too ideal for soil-based farming," said president of the Kranji Countryside Association Kenny Eng, who spoke with farmers in his association.

"So it may not be able to achieve the yield they hope far compared to the existing site."

Mr Eng also cited the large amount of money needed to invest in technology as another reason discouraging some farmers.

"There is no guarantee at this present moment that high-tech farming is able to increase their yield compared to what they’re currently doing," he said.

In response, an AVA spokesperson said that the sites have been "assessed to be suitable for vegetable production".

"Nevertheless, as part of good agricultural practices, farmers can make additions to improve the soil’s fertility and deploy efficient irrigation systems to ensure the crops are well-irrigated. Farmers can also consider using soil-less farming methods," she added.

Account managers assigned to the farms have helped the farmers with the tendering process, the spokesperson said.

A technology-matching session was also organised last month, bringing together farmers, solution providers and agribusiness investors to "explore collaboration opportunities", the spokesperson added.

The results of the tender will be announced after the proposals have been evaluated, AVA said.

The plots are part of the 60 hectares of land set aside by AVA earlier this year for food farming in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah.

It is the first tranche of a total of 36 plots, with another three plots for fish farming to be put up for tender by the end of this month.
Source: CNA/kc

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MBS to reel in more sources of sustainable seafood

Cheow Sue-Ann Straits Times 26 Oct 17;

Integrated resort Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is fishing for new means to ensure sustainable seafood in its restaurants.

By 2020, half of all seafood procured for MBS establishments will be from sources that meet international standards of sustainable farming and fishing.

Already, those looking to eat red garoupa or blue fin tuna, which are on the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) avoid list, will no longer find them on the menus at the nine restaurants run by MBS, as well as its hotel menu and at MBS events.

These are the latest seafood items MBS has removed, following its removal of shark's fin in 2014. MBS buys over four million kg of seafood each year.

According to WWF, Asia consumes two-thirds of the global fish catch, with Singapore's per capita seafood consumption of 22kg exceeding the global average of 20kg.

Over-fishing to meet such demand is now the single biggest threat to the oceans.

To curb its effects, MBS will collaborate with the international non-governmental organisation to develop measurable and achievable goals that improve responsible sourcing of supplies used by the integrated resort.

The partnership kicks off with a primary focus on seafood and ocean conservation, with MBS aiming to have 50 per cent of its seafood items, including its 10 most-popular items, responsibly sourced by 2020.

As of now, the resort has made some progress in attaining this goal, with all of its salmon, tilapia, prawns, mussels, lobsters and oysters obtained from sustainable sources.

These are sources that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council, independent third-party councils that analyse and certify fishing and farming practices.

Ms Elaine Tan, chief executive officer of WWF-Singapore, said the efforts of MBS, as a big buyer, will make a significant impact on the market, and pressure both fisheries and industry competitors to move towards responsible sourcing.

Mr Ian Wilson, MBS' senior vice-president of hotel operations, said the shift to sustainable practices will not cost MBS more and has not affected its business.

He said: "There is no increase in cost, and even if there is, we will pass zero dollars of the cost down to the consumer."

He also said that while MBS is removing certain items from its menus, it is working towards replacing each item with a more sustainable variety or a similar dish.

Under the programme, MBS is also supporting four aquaculture farms in Malaysia that practise sustainable farming. For every participant in its new eco-friendly events package, called It's Easy Meeting Green, MBS will donate $1 to support these farms.

Ms Tan said: " Given that 85 per cent of global fishing grounds are fished up to or above their limits, the urgency to transform fisheries is critical."

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Indonesia Claims Success in Reducing Fire Hotspots

Telly Nathalia Jakarta Globe 26 Oct 17;

Jakarta. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB, said Indonesia has managed to reduce the number of fire hotspots in the country this year by more than 30 percent, with the peak of the dry season having already passed. The overall number of land and forest fires has also declined.

Air pollution index in the country stays at normal to healthy. Visibility is normal and no flights have been canceled due to air pollution, BNPB Head Sutopo Nugroho said.

"In 2016, the number of fire hotspots according to the NOAA [US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] was 3,568. In 2017 so far, there have been 2,400," he said.

The number of land and forest fires was also down almost 47 percent to 1,927 spots in 2017 according to Terra-Aqua satellite surveillance, Sutopo said.

Only 124,983 hectares of land and forest were affected by fire this year compared to 438,360 hectares in 2016 and 2.61 million hectares in 2015.

"In previous years, the areas affected by fire are mostly in Sumatra and Kalimantan. In 2017, fires are found in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and Papua," Sutopo said.

A shorter than usual dry season, which had already peaked in September, is responsible for the low number of fire hotspots this year.

The BNPB has also conducted more fire prevention efforts this year, including establishing 300 monitoring posts for 1,203 fire-prone areas, improving coordination between communities and officials — including the police and the military, and deploying 26 helicopters and three airplanes for water bombing, Sutopo said.


Hot spots from forest fires in Indonesia fell 32.6 % in 2017
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 25 Oct 17;

JAKARTA: Forest fires in Indonesia have been under control this year. The peak of the dry season in September has passed without any major increase in the number of hot spots, according to statistics by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) released on Wednesday (Oct 25).

A total of 2,400 hot spots were detected so far this year, compared to 3,563 during the same period in 2016, according to records made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite. That's a 32.6 per cent drop in hot spots.

"This is thanks to the alertness and synergy of various parties, anticipating the occurrence of forest fires ... the number of hot spots and the extent of forest fires have been curbed," said BNPB's spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho in a statement.

Dr Sutopo added that this year, the air pollution index has been between the normal and healthy range, visibility has been normal and the community has been able to carry on with their daily activities without any major disruptions.

In addition, none of the airports had to be closed because of the haze.

Based on satellite analysis by the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the extent of forest fires have also been reduced.

In 2017, a total of 124,983 hectares of land were destroyed by fires, which is less than the 438,360 hectares recorded in 2016.

About 2.61 million hectares of land were destroyed during the catastrophic forest fires in 2015. It caused thick haze which blanketed parts of Indonesia and its neighbours, and the pollution cost Indonesia more than US$16 billion in economic losses.

BNPB added that learning from the 2015 incident, local governments have been quick in declaring an emergency alert status so that they can get resources and funding from the central government to carry out anticipatory measures.

Forest fire mitigation efforts continue in Indonesia as the emergency alert status in most districts ends in November.
Source: CNA/am



Fewer forest fires, land burned in Indonesia this year
Francis Chan Straits Times 25 Oct 17;

JAKARTA - The number of forest fires across Indonesia fell by more than 30 per cent this year as fire prevention and enforcement efforts, started after the transboundary haze crisis in 2015 sent air pollution to record levels, continue to bear fruit.

The 2,400 hot spots recorded thus far this year as the dry season ends is less than the 3,563 picked up by satellites run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) over the same period last year.

Similarly, hot spots detected by Terra-Aqua satellites also decreased by 47 per cent, from 3,628 hot spots in 2016, to 1,927 this year, said Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday (Oct 25).

The latest figures on hot spots are substantially lower than the 130,000 or more hot spots that hit Indonesia in 2015 when more than 2.6 million hectares of land were razed.

The burning of forests and peatland in Kalimantan and Sumatra that same year also produced transboundary haze that blanketed the region and led to record air pollution levels across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for months.

Since then, Indonesia has managed to limit the amount of land burned and prevent a repeat of the 2015 crisis.

BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that based on satellite imagery analysis conducted by Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry, about 124,983ha of land was burned so far, this year, which is just over a quarter of the 438,360ha affected by fires last year.

"The peak period for the threat of forest and land fires has passed," said Dr Sutopo, referring to the months of September and October, when the dry season usually hits Indonesia. "And thanks to the preparation, synergy and anticipation by various parties to fight forest and land fires, the number of hot spots and the extent of fires was down compared with the previous year."

The latest figures on hot spots, however, revealed a shift in the location of forest and land fires, from Kalimantan and Sumatra islands, to East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and Papua, he added.

According to data from the ministry, about 33,030ha and 26,217ha of land in east and west Nusa Tenggara respectively, were burned, while 16,492ha of land were similarly affected in Papua.

More favourable weather also played a part in Indonesia's recent success in preventing fires, said Dr Sutopo.

The dry season of 2017 was "normal" and drier than the 2016 season, which was shorter due to the La Nina phenomenon, he said.

"But compared with 2015, the drought in 2017 was lower in intensity. In 2015, it was a very long and dry season due to the impact of El Nino."

El Nino refers to the climate phenomenon that causes a warming trend conducive to the burning of land, but it is usually followed by the wetter La Nina season.

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Malaysia: Mutilated tapir may have been strangled to death

New Straits Times 26 Oct 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has initiated an investigation into an adult male tapir’s death that happened yesterday.

Its director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said preliminary investigations by the department found that the carcass of the tapir located at Taman Desa Saujana, Batu 14, Hulu Langat had some parts of its body such as ears, front leg, trunk and skin mutilated.

Abdul Kadir said based on interviews with residents of Taman Desa Saujana and the security guard on duty that night revealed the tapir had initially wandered into the neighbourhood and later fell into a drain.

“In an effort to rescue the tapir, the residents had contacted the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Fire and Rescue Department and the police.

“The rescue operation carried out by the APM and Fire and Rescue Department ended at 1am but had left the tapir dead and its carcass was abandoned at the scene. Residents were present during the rescue operation,” he said in a statement.

Perhilitan had also voiced its concern over the death of an adult tapir, as it has an impact on wildlife population in its habitat.

“The tapir’s cause of death will be determined through a post-mortem.

“However, the initial observation of the Department has hinted that possible cause of death was due to stress and inappropriate rescue methods.

“From pictures sent to us by residents, it can be seen that three length of ropes were used and tied around the tapir’s neck to pull it up,” he said adding it could have been strangled to death.

Abdul Kadir reminded the public to not take matters into their own hands and contact the nearest Perhilitan branch to seek wildlife rescue assistance especially if they encounter any large mammal or endangered species.

Ill treatment of wildlife is punishable under Section 86 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) and if convicted, the offender can be fined of up to RM50,000 or imprisoned up to one year or both.

“In addition, tapirs are a fully protected species under Act 716 where taking and keeping a fully protected wildlife is an offense under Section 68 and those convicted can be fined up to RM100,000 or imprisoned up to three years or both,” he said.


Handle wildlife carefully when rescuing
LETTERS The Star 28 Oct 17;

WE refer to the report on the death of a young tapir on Oct 25, which has gone viral on social media and is raising a massive outcry from netizens and the public at large for solutions to be found to reduce or stop such unfortunate incidents.

Recent news reports have also highlighted roadkill of tapirs, elephants, tigers and other wildlife species. The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) views with great concern the increase in such incidents and calls on the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to ensure wildlife and human conflicts precipitated by rapid developments around the country be addressed as a priority.

No thanks to the frequent encroachments by such developments and highways into wildlife habitats, the latest addition to the concerns is the East Coast Railway Link (ECRL) that is likely to compound the situation further.

MNS had already raised its concerns over the ECRL.

A suggestion to set up a wildlife rescue unit within the Department of Wildlife and Parks is a good one and should be looked into. More could also be done on creating public awareness, education and information dissemination pertaining to the behaviour and the handling of wildlife.

Let’s all collectively do our part to take the necessary actions now before it is too late.

HENRY GOH

President

Malaysian Nature Society

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Malaysia: To put an end to logging at Ulu Muda Forest, pay Kedah, Govt told

The Star 27 Oct 17;

GEORGE TOWN: The Muda Dam water catchment area at the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve in neighbouring Kedah has shrunk by 87.3% – from 98,400ha in 1969 to just 12,484ha this year.

This has alarmed the Penang Water Supply Corporation because the dam provided 80% of the daily raw water needs for this state.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa urged the Federal Government to compensate Kedah if the state gazetted the entire 106,418ha forest reserve as a water catchment area – putting an end to logging there.

He said the forest reserve was the most important water catchment area in the Northern Corridor Economic Region but timber production there was growing because Kedah depended on logging as a source of income.

“According to a Kedah Forestry Department report in 2008, the gazetted catchment area for the dam was 22,611ha while 78,052ha of forest land was allocated for timber production.

“In a written reply to a parliamentary question raised by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in August, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry stated that only 12,484ha of the 106,418ha Ulu Muda Forest Reserve was gazetted as a water catchment area,” Jaseni told reporters in Komtar yesterday.

He said the statistics reflected a disturbing and dangerous trend in Ulu Muda.

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Malaysia: Riparian forests crucial for crocodiles' survival

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 26 Oct 17;

KINABATANGAN: Large overhanging trees play a pivotal role in the nocturnal hunting of macaques by estuarine crocodiles.

Published in the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science)
ONE, a new study suggests the riparian forests are crucial for the survival of estuarine crocodiles.

The study was carried out by Luke Evans, who is a post doctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science, with Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) here.

According to the research, crocodile resting locations are influenced by the sight of large trees, which are found to attract macaques to rest at night.

Evans said crocodile-hunting usually consists of a “sit and wait” strategy.

“This, combined with the rather boisterous sleeping arrangements of long-tailed macaques, means crocodiles are ideally placed when individuals fall in the river,” he said in a statement.

Evans used a combination of global positioning system telemetry data and airborne laser imaging of riparian zones collected by the Carnegie Airborne Observatory.

Greg Asner of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, in a statement, said the high-resolution imagery enabled visualisation of fine scale habitat use.

“By examining vegetation structure, we were able to establish that both macaques and crocodiles prefer large, overhanging trees.

“Large crocodiles only need to eat infrequently, so these long-term strategies have the potential to be highly productive,” he said.

Meanwhile, DGFC director Benoit Goossens said the study was another tool to retain and restore riparian connectivity throughout the lowlands of eastern Sabah.

“Moreover, the maintenance of primate prey sources has the potential of mitigating human-crocodile conflict, particularly in areas such as the Kinabatangan,” he said.

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Malaysia: Two arrested for trying to sell endangered pangolin

ruben sario The Star 26 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: An endangered pangolin was saved from uncertain fate when it was seized from two men who were trying to sell it off.

Sabah Wildlife Department personnel arrested the men, aged 25 and 27, from Papar at Tanjung Lipat near here.

Department director Augustine Tuuga said the men were trying to sell the animal, which was in a weakened state and weighed some 1.9kg, for RM150 per kg.

"They are being detained for investigation under Section 41(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for illegal possession of a protected species," he said late Thursday.

"The pangolin was found in a container placed on the back seat of their car," Tuuga said.

"According to the informer, a man with the name 'Mastang Roy' was advertising the sale of the pangolin through social media," he added.

Those in illegal possession of pangolins are liable to a minimum fine of not less than RM30,000 but not exceeding RM100,000, or jail of not less than one year but not exceeding three years, or both on conviction.


Two men detained in the act of selling live pangolin
KRISTY INUS New Straits Times 26 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Two men were arrested at Likas here when they tried selling a live pangolin this afternoon.

The suspects aged 25 and 27 years old from Papar, were caught at 1:30pm with the animal in a container at the back seat of their Proton Saga.

They were detained for investigation under section 41(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for illegal possession of a protected species.

“The arrest was made near Anjung Selera, Tanjung Lipat, as they were trying to sell the animal to their customer.

“Acting on a tip-off from the public, an enforcement team from Sabah Wildlife Department was dispatched to the location where the transaction was supposed to take place,” said Department director Augustine Tuuga.

According to the information from the informer, a man with the name ‘Mastang Roy’ was advertising to sell the pangolin through the social media, he revealed in a statement.

“They were trying to sell the pangolin at RM150 per kilogramme.

“The pangolin weighs 1.9 kg and was in a very weak condition when confiscated by the enforcement team,” he said.

Illegal possession of pangolin is liable to minimum fine of not less than RM30,000 but not exceeding RM100,000 or a jail term of not less than one year but not exceeding three years, or both, upon conviction.

The Sunda pangolin or Manis javanica is listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of Sabah’s Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 which allows the hunting of the animal with a permit.

The government however is in the process of elevating the status of pangolins as totally protected species.

“It is already approved by the State Cabinet but cannot be enforced until it is gazetted … in the process,” said Augustine.

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Indonesia hit by more floods in 2017

Antara 26 Oct 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - At least 640 floods have hit Indonesia so far in 2017 or the most frequent ever with largest loss of lives and missing people .

Head of the Center for Information Data and Public Relations of the National Agency for Disaster Control Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 109 people were killed in floods and 86 injured.

Sutopo told reporters here on Thursday, flood water inundated 266,458 houses including 1,146 units badly damaged forcing 1.9 million people to live in refugee camps in various areas in the country.

Floods also damaged 483 educational facilities, 317 houses of worship and 70 health care facilities. The hardest hit were the regencies of Bandung and South Bandung.

The most frequent hit by floods is East Java reaching 97 times in 2017 , followed by Central Java 96 times and West Java 58 times, he said.

In West Java the regencies of Bandung and South Bandung are the hardest hit and most frequently hit by floods. Floods could hit the regencies 5 to 10 times a year," he said.

The regency of Bandung suffers flooding when the Citarum river overflowed its banks in rainy days, he added.

He said the flood problem in the regency of Bandung is complex caused by a number of factors such as sedimentation as the river banks have been crowded with houses. In addition, the forest upstream had been almost denuded.

"Floods and landslides were caused by accumulation of environmental damage for years," he said.

Other regions prone to flooding include Aceh, the city of Medan, Riau in areas around the rivers of Siak; Kampar and Rokan, Jambi in area around the river of Batanghari, Banten in area around the rivers of Ciujung and Cisadane, in Jakarta around the river of Ciliwung; Pesanggrahan; and Angke.

Apart from floods , there were 533 cases of whirlwinds, 488 landslides 95 cases of forest fires.(*)

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Indonesia: 3 Sumatran tigers spotted near Bengkulu coal mine

The Jakarta Post 26 Oct 17;

Three Sumatran tigers have been spotted roaming around a mine belonging to PT Bara Indah Lestari in Seluma regency, located within the Bukit Badas limited production forest (HPT) in the North Seluma district of Bengkulu, kompas.com has reported a local conservation official as saying on Thursday.

“We've spotted three tigers in the area in the past few months,” Darwis Saragih, head of the Bengkulu Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA), said on Thursday.

The tigers were seen at night around coal piles at the mining site, he added.

Read also: Two caught apparently trading Sumatran tiger skin

The big cats, which are categorized as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, have apparently started roaming closer to the mine, as their natural habitat has been damaged by forest fires.It is estimated there are only 300 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

The BKSDA has intensified its monitoring of the three tigers to prevent them from getting too close to local villages and possibly attacking their cattle livestock. The agency has also been fighting the rampant illegal poaching in the area, which is part of the Kerinci Seblat National Park. (dmr)

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