Best of our wild blogs: 26 Nov 17

A Crab-ulous day out at Chek Jawa!
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Short Night Walk At Windsor Nature Park (24 Nov 2017)
Beetles@SG BLOG

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Two of seven pink dolphins at Underwater World never left Singapore

Audrey Tan Straits Times 24 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE - Two of seven pink dolphins previously housed at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) never left the country, contrary to claims by the attraction that all its aquatic animals had found new homes in regional facilities.

Trade data published last month by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) - an international agreement between governments to regulate the wildlife trade - showed that only five live pink dolphins (Sousa chinensis) were exported last year.

The pink dolphin is listed on Appendix I of Cites, which lists species threatened with extinction. Permits are required from local authorities before animals on this list are traded. In Singapore, these permits are issued by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

Underwater World Singapore, an aquarium on Sentosa Island, closed last June after 25 years due to an expiring lease. The attraction's main stars were its seven Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins or pink dolphins which were named Eaung, Pann, Splish, Splash, Jumbo, Han and Speedy. On June 5 last year, UWS sent five pink dolphins, three fur seals and five otters to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in Zhuhai, China.

Han, which had skin cancer, and Speedy, were not among the five sent to China.

But in April this year, a spokesman for Haw Par Corporation, which owned UWS, told The Straits Times that "all the other aquatic animals also found suitable facilities to be rehoused and were safely transferred out of the UWS premises to various regional facilities by end October 2016". The spokesman would not be drawn on naming the facilities.

When approached then, the AVA also declined to specify the number of permits issued to UWS, citing organisational confidentiality. The spokesman would only say that it worked with UWS to rehome all the aquatic animals to various aquaria overseas.

When queried on the export data earlier this week, the Haw Par spokesman declined to comment.

AVA, however, confirmed with The Straits Times on Friday (Nov 24) that it issued five export permits to UWS to facilitate the rehoming of live dolphins overseas as indicated in the Cites trade database. But the AVA spokesman stressed that its role was to ensure that Cites-listed animals are imported and exported according to the Convention.

"When these animals are in Singapore, their custodian (in this case, UWS) would be responsible for ensuring the care and welfare of these animals," she added. "There were no animal welfare issues detected when the dolphins were under the care of UWS."

Earlier this year, international marine conservation group Sea Shepherd visited the China facility on multiple occasions to monitor the five dolphins sent from Singapore, but found only four on display: females Eaung and Pann, as well as Pann's two calves Splish and Splash. Sea Shepherd said workers at the China park gave differing accounts for the missing dolphin, Jumbo, with one claiming that it was kept in an off-site research facility and another insisting that there were only four dolphins left.

UWS did not comment on the Sea Shepherd report then.

Marine conservation groups point out that the issue of the missing dolphins highlighted the lack of transparency around marine parks, saying that there was "very little culpability" in the dolphin trade.

Ms Jaki Teo, Singapore representative for Sea Shepherd Asia, said: "These long-living, intelligent and sensitive creatures are treated as mere commodities, and facilities are allowed to operate with appalling lack of transparency."


Not all pink dolphins sent abroad: Data
2 of 7 from Underwater World, supposedly taken to regional facilities, never left S'pore
Audrey Tan Straits Times 25 Nov 17;

Two of the seven pink dolphins previously housed at Underwater World Singapore (UWS) never left the country, contrary to claims by the attraction that all its aquatic animals had found new homes in regional facilities.

Trade data published last month by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) - an international agreement between governments to regulate the wildlife trade - showed that only five live pink dolphins (Sousa chinensis) were exported last year.

The pink dolphin is listed in Appendix I of Cites, which spells out species threatened with extinction.

Permits are required from the local authorities before animals on this list are traded. In Singapore, these permits are issued by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

UWS, an aquarium on Sentosa, closed last June after 25 years when its lease expired.

The attraction's main stars were its seven Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins or pink dolphins, which were named Eaung, Pann, Splish, Splash, Jumbo, Han and Speedy.

On June 5 last year, UWS sent five of them, three fur seals and five otters to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in Zhuhai, China.

Han, which had skin cancer, and Speedy were not among the five.

Trade data published last month by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) - an international agreement between governments to regulate the wildlife trade - showed that only five live pink dolphins (Sousa chinensis) were exported last year.
But in April this year, a spokesman for Haw Par Corporation, which owned UWS, told The Straits Times "all the other aquatic animals also found suitable facilities to be rehoused and were safely transferred out of the UWS premises to various regional facilities by end-October 2016". The spokesman declined to name the facilities.

When approached then, AVA also declined to specify the number of permits issued to UWS, citing organisational confidentiality. Its spokesman would say only that it worked with UWS to rehome all the aquatic animals in aquariums abroad.

When queried on the export data earlier this week, the Haw Par spokesman declined to comment.

AVA, however, confirmed with The Straits Times yesterday that it had issued five export permits to UWS to facilitate the rehoming of live dolphins overseas as indicated in the Cites trade database.

But the AVA spokesman stressed that its role is to ensure Cites-listed animals are imported and exported according to the Convention. "When these animals are in Singapore, their custodian (in this case, UWS) would be responsible for ensuring the care and welfare of these animals," she added. "There were no animal welfare issues detected when the dolphins were under the care of UWS."

Earlier this year, international marine conservation group Sea Shepherd visited the China facility on multiple occasions to monitor the five dolphins sent from Singapore, but found only four on display: females Eaung and Pann, as well as Pann's two calves, Splish and Splash.

Sea Shepherd said workers at the China park gave differing accounts of the missing dolphin, Jumbo.

One claimed it was kept in an off-site research facility, and the other insisted there were only four dolphins left. UWS did not comment on the Sea Shepherd report then.

Ms Jaki Teo, Singapore's representative for Sea Shepherd Asia, said: "These... creatures are treated as mere commodities, and facilities are allowed to operate with appalling lack of transparency."

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An ode to our nation of islands

Jose Hong Straits Times 26 Nov 17;

I am 10, and stand facing the sea. My toes sink into the wet sand as the evening breeze wafts by, carrying notes of salt and nostalgia.

I have always loved the shore, and that childhood memory of East Coast Park remains one of my favourite memories. The seas of Singapore constantly surprise me, with the coral reefs, turtles and dolphins that dwell beneath the thousands of ships that crowd the straits. The seas also connect us to the islands that lie within sight of our beaches.

Singapore is described as many things: city-state, city in a garden, the little red dot. But we are also an island-nation. In fact, we are a nation of islands.

We are familiar with a few of them: Sentosa, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong and Coney Island. Further thought might squeeze out more names: Pulau Brani, Kusu Island and Jurong Island.

According to the Singapore Land Authority, 64 islands surround the main island of Singapore today.

Each has its story and role to play, from Sisters' Islands, which houses the country's first marine park, to Pulau Semakau, on which charred waste is turned into new land, and Pedra Branca's lighthouse, rising from the sea east of Changi.

I write this piece from Pulau Ujong, an island you may not have heard of but which you most certainly know, for it is the main island of Singapore. It literally means "island at the end", a reference to our place off the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia.

Each of the isles, in its own way, reinforces the reality that we are a nation borne of the sea.

This part of the country's past and present was so important that in 2014, the Singapore HeritageFest had as its theme "Our Islands, Our Home". But Singapore's islands should not be celebrated only in one-off events but also in our regular everyday lives.

Yet, it is exactly their perceived remoteness, with whiffs of the past, that consign them to the background. As academic David Lowenthal said: "Islands often physically embody desired pasts in personal memory or in collective fancy... felt to be foreign, far from ordinary modes of life and thought."

He noted with irony that we imagine islands as a paradisaical escape from a life that is hectic and overwhelming, when, actually, they form some of the earth's most densely populated places, like Manhattan (28,000 people per sq km), Hong Kong (7,000 per sq km) and Singapore (8,000 per sq km).

Yet, the perception of Singapore's islands as a relic of the past could also be generational in nature.

Last week, I paid a visit to the Singapore Maritime Gallery, a newly renovated, almost-unknown museum dedicated to our nautical heritage, tucked above Marina South Pier. There, the clues as to how society's attention moved away from the sea became clearer.

It was in the 1970s that ships started losing to aeroplanes as the main mode of travel, and when the nation bet big and won on containerisation - the process of trade through hulking metal boxes. As industry intensified its use of the oceans as trade highways, people turned the other way, with Singaporeans' gazes shifting up towards the skies.

To you and me, the image of water as a highway is now replaced by water as an obstacle. And the islands, though still as near to the mainland as they always have been, are somehow farther away. Perhaps this is why we easily think of Singapore as an aviation hub, and not as a maritime nation, for flight is aspirational in its modernity.

But I suggest we cast our eyes seawards, for our health's sake. Research in psychology has yielded evidence that exposure to bodies of water - be they lakes, oceans or rivers - lower stress levels significantly. And by accident of geography, the sea remains the largest body of water accessible to most people here.

The founder of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Professor Michael Depledge, showed through studies that although exposure to greenery lowered stress levels, exposure to greenery and water had the most positive effect on people. As The Guardian reported, "there is something deeply profound about water and humans".

It may not be so surprising to hear, for sea-facing properties in Singapore fetch eye-watering prices, and we often dream of Hawaii, Mykonos or Okinawa as destinations to escape from the stresses of modern living. But perhaps we should look closer at our humble islands, our unassuming "pulaus", for they provide a similar experience at the fraction of the cost.

I have spent less than $20 on many a happy weekend on Pulau Ubin, and also taken trips to the Southern Islands for biological expeditions to survey coral reefs and seagrass meadows.

Leaving the mainland on a boat always brings a sense of excitement and adventure, as one chugs away on a sea that becomes gradually open and immense, and hears the surf that crashes over the hull in salty gusts that promise a life we once were close to.

Many of us, after all, trace our lineage back to those who arrived on these shores on the promise of a better life, a promise that remains whispered in the hush of the deep blue that laps our islands.

So next weekend, why not take the MRT to Marina South Pier, visit the maritime gallery above it (free), and book a trip to our southern isles? It costs less than $20 per person, and in an hour, you will find yourself on shores from which you can view the distant Central Business District, separated by the gentle waves that teem with coral and fish in waters clearer than you thought possible for Singapore.

Our islands tell our story, and in our busy, hectic lives, perhaps we should listen to them.

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Sembawang Hot Spring to be developed into 1-hectare park by 2019

Vanessa Paige Chelvan Channel NewsAsia 25 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE: Sembawang Hot Spring, the only hot spring on mainland Singapore, will be developed into a community park 10 times its current size.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said it would keep the rustic, kampung-like feel of the hot spring while turning the 0.1 hectare space, now tucked about 100m off Gambas Avenue, into a 1.1 hectare park.

NParks unveiled these plans at a public exhibition on Saturday (Nov 25). Among planned additions are a cascading pool cum foot bath, sheltered seating areas as well as a café and a floral walk.

Edible plants such as ginger, rambutan and chiku will be planted along the floral walkway to evoke memories of a bygone era in Singapore and also to preserve the hot spring’s untouched feel.

“Many of the residents from Sembawang and Yishun used to live in kampungs around here. They know how it was like back then and they also reminisce about the past," said Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung, who visited the exhibition on Saturday.

"They know that Singapore, between highly developed buildings and city centres versus a kampong atmosphere, can co-exist. And I think this is a fine place to demonstrate that."

Work on the park will begin in early 2018 and are expected to be completed by 2019.

Among the first to scribble a light-hearted suggestion was Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan.

“Let the chickens in!” he wrote on a Post-It note, before sticking it onto a board set up to collect public feedback.

Besides Mr Ong, Mr Khaw was accompanied by Members of Parliament from Nee Soon and Sembawang GRCs, including Mr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Vikram Nair.

They planted the first trees along the walkway, toured the exhibition and chatted to regular users of the hot spring. They even sampled soft-boiled eggs cooked by the spring’s steaming water and soaked their feet in pails of warm spring water, much to the delight of residents.

“We are a concrete jungle, with lots of tall buildings, highly developed places and intensified plot ratios," said Mr Ong.

"So to find a jewel like this in Singapore is really rare, and we’re quite determined to keep this rustic vibe with the kampung spirit going."

ONCE A THERMAL BATHHOUSE FOR JAPANESE SOLDIERS

The Sembawang Hot Spring was discovered in 1908 on the grounds owned by a Chinese merchant, Seah Eng Keong. Since then, the land has changed hands a few times.

It was once a thermal bathhouse for Japanese soldiers, after their occupation of Singapore during World War II. Later in the 1960s, local media reported suggestions were made to develop the area into a tourist spa resort, restaurant, miniature golf course or nature reserve - but none came to fruition.

These ideas were put forth to local food and beverage conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N), who had acquired the land in 1921 after buying over an on-site spring water bottling plant established by the grounds’ original owner, Seah Eng Keong.

According to a signboard at the entrance of the spring, it was not the Chinese merchant who first discovered the spring in 1908, but a British soldier named William Arthur Bates Goodall.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) acquired the land in 1985, and in 2002 built much of the present infrastructure, including the entrance gate, perimeter fence, cemented walkway, concrete floor and standpipes.

MINDEF will return the land to the state, which will hand the plot to NParks ahead of works slated to begin next year.

The public exhibition at the hot springs will be held until Dec 3, and members of the public are invited to pen their thoughts on development plans.

The public can also view these plans and share their ideas until Dec 10 at www.nparks.gov.sg/sembawanghotspring.


Sembawang Hot Spring to be developed into bigger park with floral walk and cafe by 2019
Samantha Boh Straits Times 25 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE - The country's only natural hot spring on the mainland, the Sembawang Hot Spring, will soon be developed into a park 10 times its current size and feature a cafe, toilets and a floral walk.

Construction work will start in early 2018 and be completed by 2019, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Saturday (Nov 25).

NParks said it will look into ways to ensure that people can still access the spring water during the construction period.

When completed, a floral walkway comprising flowers one would normally find in a kampung like the golden trumpet and oleander will greet visitors at the entrance to Sembawang Hot Spring Park, as it will be known.

There will also be toilets and a cafe, which will have shrubs and climbers on its walls to integrate it with the surrounding greenery.

Fruit trees like chiku and rambutan will also be planted in the vicinity.


In place of the current central pipes and taps, where the spring water runs from, there will be a cascading pool flowing down.

The cascading effect will help the water to cool down, and people will be able to dip their legs in the pool.

The pool will also come with a temperature meter.

Those who still want to collect the spring water in pails will be able to do so at a water collection point.

Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Sembawang GRC MP, Mr Ong Ye Kung, who was at the unveiling of the plans, said: "We are a concrete jungle...to find a jewel like this in the middle of Singapore is really rare so we are determined to keep this in the kampung spirit and the kampung rustic feel."

Other features include a naturalised stream that will channel the used water from the pool into a drainage system.

Sheltered seating areas, bicycle racks and a storage area for pails will also be added.

Sembawang Hot Spring to be developed into bigger park with floral walk and cafe by 2019

The NParks is soliciting public feedback on the plans till Dec 10, and will make alterations if need be.

The hot spring currently sits on Sembawang Air Base grounds, near the junction of Sembawang Road and Gambas Avenue, along Jalan Ulu Sembawang.

A deserted brick house believed to be part of a former bottled drink factory marks the site, which is open to the public from 7am to 7pm.

The spring was discovered in 1909 by Chinese merchant Seah Eng Keong, and people claim that its water can cure rheumatism, and heal skin problems such as acne or psoriasis.

News that the site was to be developed into a park was met with mixed reviews in April, with some wanting to keep its rustic character while others open to having facilities such as washrooms and basins.

On Saturday, visitors to the spring were generally p​ositive about the redevelopment plans.

"There is nothing wrong with making it look prettier. In fact, it would be great if more people get to know about it because of that and come to benefit from it," said retiree Lim Chu Sun, 69, who used to work in a hotel.

She suggested having a space for people to completely submerge themselves in the water.

Madam Chris Goh, 56, a patient service associate, is open to the development plans as well but added that she is happy with how it is currently.

"They don't need to make it that nice, I'm already very satisfied with it," she said.

A daily visitor to the spring, she is looking forward to the toilets as she currently uses a towel to shield herself when she bathes with the spring water.

"My only request is that they don't cover the drains. I often lie on the railings as I feel that the steam rising from the water helps to improve my blood circulation."

Members of the public can view the plans and give their feedback on www.nparks.gov.sg/sembawanghotspringpark.

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Malaysia, Johor: New water treatment plants in the pipeline

The Star 24 Nov 17;

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government has announced 12 water infrastructure projects and conservation initiatives to deal with water supply in the state.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said all development projects involved an allocation of RM925.6mil from the Federal Government, and RM130mil from the state government.

“Water infrastructure in Johor will be developed through an allocation from Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) worth RM925.6mil and this involves 12 major projects,” he said while tabling the state budget 2018 at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar.

The projects involve the construction of new water treatment plants at Buluh Kasap in Segamat, Sungai Layang 2 in Johor Baru, Pagoh in Muar and a new tank in Labis.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled also said a total of RM8mil has been allocated to the Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj) in the 2018 budget for nine water conservation initiatives.

“The initiatives also include the management of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Sungai Johor with a cost of RM2mil, Sungai Johor weir barrage installation project (RM1.2mil) and water source projects in various districts (RM2.4mil),” he said.

Mohamed Khaled added that for water supply projects in rural areas in Johor, the Federal Government approved an allocation of RM5mil for 2018.

Meanwhile, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) received a development allocation of RM35mil to carry out maintenance work including flood mitigation projects throughout Johor.

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Malaysia: Met dept issues severe warning alert

The Star 26 nov 17;

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Meteoro­logical Department (MetMalaysia) has issued severe warning alert for the east coast states, predicting continuous rain and a wet wee­kend.

According to the department’s Facebook page, parts of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang will experience heavy rain until today.

“Heavy rain is expected to persist in Kelantan (Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Baru, Bachok, Pasir Puteh, Machang, Tanah Merah, Jeli, Kuala Krai and Gua Musang as well as Terengganu,” it said in a statement.

The northeast monsoon, which started on Nov 13, is expected to last until March.

The department also issued a bad weather warning in Pahang and Johor.


MetMalaysia: Heavy rain expected to hit east coast until Sunday
razak ahmad The Star 23 Nov 17;

PETALING JAYA: Continuous heavy rain brought by the northeast monsoon will hit the east coast of the peninsula from today, according to a forecast.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a yellow alert weather warning for Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and east Johor.

“Continuous heavy rain is expected to occur over the states,” read the alert, adding it would go on until Sunday.

The northeast monsoon, which started on Nov 13, is expected to last until March.

MetMalaysia is expecting between four and five episodes of continuous heavy rain during the monsoon.

A yellow alert means heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days. And if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.

An orange alert indicates continuous heavy rain that will exceed six hours and rainfall collection of at least 60mm. A red alert signifies continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.

On Tuesday, MetMalaysia issued a First Category warning of strong winds and rough sea conditions, both of which are dangerous to small boats.

It said that northeastern winds of between 40kph and 50kph, along with waves as high as 3.5m, were expected in the sea off Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, east Johor, Sarawak, Labuan and parts of Sabah from today until Monday.

“The strong winds and rough sea conditions are dangerous to small boats, sea sports and recreational activities,” MetMalaysia said.

Bad weather on the east coast until year end
FAISAL ASYRAF New Straits Times 26 Nov 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: People in the east coast have been told to brace for floods, as heavy rain brought by the monsoon weather is expected to persist until year end.

Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahar said if the downpour continues for more than three consecutive days, floods would inevitably occur in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, as well as Johor.

“The department is not expecting a severe floods situation like last year, as the weather, this year is not influenced by phenomena such as El Nino and La Nina.

“Nonetheless, if the rainfall continues for more than three days in a row, or even between close intervals, it is likely that some districts will be flooded,” he said when contacted by the New Straits Times.

He said severe thunderstorm warning has been issued in several districts in Kelantan including Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Puteh, Machang, Tanah Merah, and Gua Musang.

Other districts on alert include Pahang (Jerantut, Kuantan, Pekan, Rompin, Temerloh and Maran), Mersing and Kota Tinggi in Johor; as well as Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, and Pokok Sena in Kedah.

However, Alui said weather would improve by January, but torrential rain would soon make its way to Sabah and Sarawak.

He advised the public to install the mobile application myCuaca to keep tabs on the weather forecast or follow the department's Twitter account @malaysianmet.

The public can visit the department’s website www.met.gov.my, or contact via text message at 15888, or call the 1300 22 1638 hotline.

The annual east coast monsoon season, originating in the Pacific Ocean, generally runs from mid-October to late March.

Last year, at least 1200 people in Kelantan were evacuated to flood centres after their homes were inundated with flood waters, which was believed to have worsened by the logging and land-clearing activities.

In 2014, at least 20,000 were moved to be relief shelters after the flood worsened in Kelantan, which was the worst the country has ever seen in almost half a century.

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Malaysia: NGO training locals to herd elephants away

muguntan vanar The Star 26 Nov 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife conservationists are addressing problems of rummaging Borneo pygmy elephants which have destroyed small farms close to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah’s east coast Sukau.

HUTAN, a Sabah-based wildlife research and conservation non-governmental organisation (NGO), has a team in Kg Litang, a village close to the reserve, to train locals on how to tackle the animals encroaching into their land.

Its scientific director Marc Acrenaz said villagers are being taught how to approach and chase the wild elephants, which are fully protected, back into the reserve.

Sukau assemblyman Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman had sought help from the Wildlife Department and NGOs after elephants destroyed 400ha of newly planted commercial crops in the Kg Litang area last month.

He pointed out that most of the rummaging in the areas involved just a few animals.

“It was only that particular raid (last month) where there were two herds with 58 elephants that caused a lot of damage,” he said

He said Kg Litang is located 2kms from the Tabin reserve and easily accessible to its 450 elephants.

Tuuga said wildlife rangers could only help by driving away the animals when they encroached on land outside the reserve.

Acrenaz pointed out these elephants were moving around their natural routes which had been opened up for commercial crops.

“Efforts must be focused on land use planning that includes a forest corridor or save passage for these animals,” he said.

He said conflicts between elephants and humans in the Lower Kinabatangan area were resolved through a forest corridor set up by the Wildlife Department and the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC).

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'Borneo Atlas' to help palm oil buyers check on forest damage

Michael Taylor Reuters 24 Nov 17;

KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Researchers have created for the first time a detailed map that will help buyers and consumers of palm oil work out whether the supply chain is harming forests on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.

Developed over the past year, the “Borneo Atlas” was unveiled this week by the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

The map shows the location and ownership of 467 palm-oil mills on Borneo, which is shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and is one of the biggest island producers of the cheap, edible oil.

“It is the most comprehensive data set so far,” David Gaveau, an environmental scientist at CIFOR, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Mapping of palm mills is more than 90 percent complete for the whole island, he added.

To create the Borneo Atlas, CIFOR researchers sifted through online and other documents published by companies, non-governmental organizations, palm-oil certification agencies, mapping websites and social media networks.

A tool linked to the Borneo Atlas will use regularly updated satellite imagery to show a 10-km (6-mile) radius around each mill, detailing its impact on nearby forested areas and any expansion of existing plantations.

Users can also bring up a high-resolution image of each palm mill using Google Maps.

It is hoped the new map will help palm oil buyers and traders trace their supply chain more clearly, and identify whether it is tainted with deforestation, said Gaveau.

“By showing plantations, mills and all (the) infrastructure associated, people will be able to realize the full impact of palm oil planting on forests,” he said.

CIFOR is now collaborating with the World Resources Institute think tank and Greenpeace to improve land ownership identification for the atlas.

Next year, it will add ports used by the palm mills to ship the vegetable oil, and it is also working to identify which banks are funding plantation developments.

“We use it for investigations and to educate people about deforestation,” said Zhang Wen, executive director at Singapore environment group People’s Movement to Stop Haze. “It holds companies accountable for the change of the landscape.”

CIFOR plans to team up with Trase, an online transparency platform which could help link ports with European importers, exporters and buyers to complete the supply chain.

Palm oil, used in thousands of household products from snack foods to soaps, as well as to make biodiesel, has come under increasing fire in Europe for causing forest destruction.

Borneo, the world’s third largest island, has about 8.3 million hectares of oil palm plantations.

Environmental activists have pressured consumer companies into demanding that their palm oil suppliers adopt more environmentally sustainable forestry practices.

CIFOR has now begun working on a similar project mapping Indonesia’s other key palm-producing island of Sumatra.

“This is just the start,” said Gaveau. “The idea is that we will have much more advanced systems in the future that will hold companies accountable for their environmental commitments.”

Reporting by Michael Taylor, editing by Megan Rowling;

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