LOW YOUJIN Today Online 13 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE — Many Singaporeans may not have heard of Pulau Satumu or Pulau Semakau, but these small southern islands boast a diverse marine ecosystem of coral reefs, coastal forests, mangroves and more.
They are part of three island groups that the Singapore Blue Plan has proposed to be designated as marine reserves, among a list of other recommendations in the third instalment of the proposal for the conservation of marine ecosystems.
The Southern island clusters are: Pulau Semakau-Hantu-Jong, Pulau Satumu-Biola, and Pulau Ubin.
The 230-page proposal, which is published every decade, was prepared by marine biologists and included contributions of more than 100 academics, environmental lawyers, and stakeholders. It presented six broad recommendations to manage and conserve the marine ecosystems in Singapore, and was submitted to the Government on Saturday (Oct 13).
Dr Zeehan Jaafar, Lead Editor of the Singapore Blue Plan, said these islands are important because they harbour a high diversity of marine life. They also represent the "little that remains of our natural areas", and serve as emblems of our national heritage, added Dr Zeehan, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore's Department of Biological Sciences.
For instance, the landfill island of Pulau Semakau boasts an ecosystem of coral reefs, patch reefs, coastal forests, intertidal sandflats, seagrass meadows, and mangrove areas.
Pulau Satumu, where the Raffles Lighthouse is located, and the adjacent islet of Pulau Biola comprise the highest percentage of coral cover in Singapore, and host a high diversity of corals and marine organisms.
"These are considered source reefs for the region and the sites can contribute to regional genetic diversity," said Dr Zeehan, who added that these reefs produce young that follow water currents and settle in coral reefs in Indonesia.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), coral reefs not only support enormous biodiversity, they also help prevent coastal erosion, and can even be a source for medical research.
Dr Zeehan said that protection for Pulau Satumu and Biola is more urgent as there have been signs that ship grounding has destroyed portions of these reefs.
She added: "We are not advocating for these areas to be closed off from members of the public. Instead, we are encouraging their protection through better management."
With larger protected areas, sensitive portions will be closed off to large groups, but other areas can continue to be utilised, said Dr Zeehan.
For example, including Pulau Hantu in the protection plan will mean that diving companies will have to be more careful about anchoring in the area, and divers have to take more care when diving to minimise harm to the coral reefs.
The proposal said that designating the islands as marine reserves will allow for better protection of marine biodiversity through better management, such as clearer agency roles and better legislation, as well as include community involvement and stakeholder participation.
Other recommendations in the Singapore Blue Plan include providing continued funding for research initiatives, and long-term monitoring programmes.
The proposal said that ensuring the "long-term sustainability of these related programmes" would be crucial to "the success of marine science in Singapore".
It also made a suggestion for the establishment of formal management systems for marine environments, including introducing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law that requires projects to be subjected to impact assessments.
Existing legislation and administrative practices also need to be amended to fill gaps in regulation and detection of maritime offences, said the Blue Plan.
For instance, the Fisheries Act could be amended to incorporate the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act. This would make it illegal for fishing vessels to indiscriminately dispose their equipment in the sea, which could endanger marine life.
MARINE CONSERVATION 'STARTS AT HOME'
Dr Zeehan said the previous Singapore Blue Plan in 2009 resulted in a number of positive developments for marine conservation, including the 2010 Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey, and the establishment of the Sisters' Islands Marine Park.
Over 1,100 species, including several new ones, were discovered around Singapore's waters during the five-year Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey by the National Parks Board (NParks) and the National University of Singapore.
Regarded as a conservation milestone by the community, the Sisters' Island Marine Park saw NParks initiating projects such as a coral nursery, and Singapore's first dive trail.
Singapore's first sea turtle hatchery was also opened on the island's Marine Park on Sept 29 this year.
Dr Zeehan said: "Due to (the sea's) vast nature, there is still so much that we do not know. But we do know that many human activities are causing harm to marine organisms and affecting natural marine processes."
"How can we even start fixing this seemingly insurmountable global problem? We start at home!"
New Blue Plan to preserve more of Singapore's marine landscape
More than 100 people contributed to the third iteration of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
Linette Lai Straits Times 13 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE - Conservationists have drawn up an extensive new plan to preserve more of Singapore's marine landscape - from mangroves and seagrass meadows to coastal forests and coral reefs.
The third iteration of the Blue Plan makes six recommendations, including improved laws to protect marine environments, formalised management systems for these areas, and sustained funding for long-term research and monitoring programmes.
It also advocates for better coordination between agencies and researchers, further measures to protect Singapore's remaining marine habitats and the inclusion of information about such habitats in the school curriculum.
More than 100 people contributed to this edition of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
The 220-page plan was presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on Saturday morning (Oct 13) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Lee is also Minister for Social and Family Development.
"The amazing marine biodiversity that thrives along our shores and in our waters is something we should treasure and be proud of," Mr Lee said, noting that progress has been made since the second Blue Plan was launched in 2009.
"We will approach the proposals in this Blue Plan with the same spirit of collaboration and openness," Mr Lee said. "The agencies will study the recommendations in detail and see how we can work with the marine community to realise some of the common goals."
Mr Lee said that apart from funding marine research, the Government will work to expand outreach and education efforts to help Singaporeans better appreciate the country's biodiversity. He said: "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know."
The first Blue Plan was drawn up in 2001, with a second one following eight years later. This year's instalment was led by five marine biologists, including Dr Zeehan Jaafar, a lecturer at the NUS department of biological sciences.
Dr Jaafar said that the previous iteration of the Blue Plan was much shorter and focused primarily on the protection of coral reefs.
A year after it was launched, the National Parks Board led a five-year effort to conduct the first Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey. In 2014, Sisters' Islands was designated a marine park as part of efforts to protect Singapore's coral reefs.
"But, in the past decade, there has been a shift in our research capabilities to look at other marine environments that are equally important, but not so front-and-centre as coral reefs," Dr Jaafar said. "As a result, we decided to relook some of the previous recommendations and fortify them."
One of those who worked on this year's Blue Plan is Ms Samantha Lai, a PhD candidate at NUS. The 29-year-old, who specialises in seagrass research, wants stronger legislation to protect the environment. For example, she hopes that Environmental Impact Assessments can be made legally mandatory for proposed developments.
"Marine habitats are part of our natural heritage," she said. "They are as much a part of our history as any building we have built, and we have so little left of it that we need to protect what there is."
Conservationists set out Blue Plan to preserve marine landscape
Govt will work with the marine community to realise common goals in ground-up initiative
Linette Lai Straits Times 14 Oct 18;
Conservationists have drawn up an extensive new plan to preserve more of Singapore's marine landscape - from mangroves and seagrass meadows to coastal forests and coral reefs.
Responding to the ground-up initiative, the Government has said it will see how it can work with the marine community to realise common goals.
The third iteration of the Blue Plan makes six recommendations, including improved laws to protect marine environments, formalised management systems for these areas and sustained funding for long-term research and monitoring programmes.
It also advocates better coordination between agencies and researchers, further measures to protect Singapore's remaining marine habitats and the inclusion of information about such habitats in the school curriculum.
More than 100 people contributed to the latest edition of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
The 220-page plan was presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee yesterday at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Lee is also Minister for Social and Family Development.
"The amazing marine biodiversity that thrives along our shores and in our waters is something we should treasure and be proud of," Mr Lee said, noting that progress has been made since the second Blue Plan was launched in 2009.
LEARNING TO VALUE MARINE TREASURE
The amazing marine biodiversity that thrives along our shores and in our waters is something we should treasure and be proud of... You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know.
SECOND MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DESMOND LEE, who said outreach and education efforts will be expanded to help Singaporeans better appreciate the nation's biodiversity.
Coral reefs seen near Pulau Semakau. At low tide, one will find the island as well as the waters around it teeming with life, said marine biologist Huang Danwei.
"We will approach the proposals in this Blue Plan with the same spirit of collaboration and openness," he added. "The agencies will study the recommendations in detail and see how we can work with the marine community to realise some of the common goals."
Mr Lee said that apart from funding marine research, the Government will expand outreach and education efforts to help Singaporeans better appreciate the country's biodiversity. "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know," he said.
The first Blue Plan was drawn up in 2001, with the second one following eight years later. This year's instalment was led by five marine biologists, including Dr Zeehan Jaafar, a lecturer at the NUS department of biological sciences.
Dr Jaafar said that the previous iteration of the Blue Plan was much shorter and focused primarily on the protection of coral reefs.
A year after it was launched, the National Parks Board led a five-year effort to conduct the first Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey. In 2014, Sisters' Islands were designated a marine park as part of efforts to protect Singapore's coral reefs.
"But, in the past decade, there has been a shift in our research capabilities to look at other marine environments that are equally important, but not so front-and-centre as coral reefs," Dr Jaafar said. "As a result, we decided to relook some of the previous recommendations and fortify them."
One of those who worked on this year's Blue Plan was Ms Samantha Lai, 29, a PhD candidate at NUS specialising in seagrass research. She wants stronger legislation to protect the environment. "Marine habitats are part of our natural heritage," she said. "They are as much a part of our history as any building we have built, and we have so little left of it that we need to protect what there is."
Semakau - not just a landfill, but full of life
New Blue Plan by conservationists contains six recommendations to protect such habitats
Linette Lai Straits Times 14 Oct 18;
For many Singaporeans, Pulau Semakau is just an offshore landfill.
But at low tide, one will find the island as well as the waters around it teeming with life, said marine biologist Huang Danwei.
"You will see many mangrove trees and animals that live on these trees, and if you go seaward you will see a very luxurious growth of seagrasses," said Dr Huang, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore's biological sciences department. "If you go out even more, you will see a reef habitat with lots of corals."
Protecting marine habitats like Pulau Semakau is a goal of the third Blue Plan, which was drawn up by conservationists like Dr Huang, presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee yesterday.
It contains six recommendations to protect such habitats in Singapore. Among them is a proposal that the coastal areas of certain islands be designated as marine reserves.
These include Pulau Semakau and its neighbours Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong, as well as Pulau Satumu and Pulau Biola. It also includes Pulau Ubin, which is home to Chek Jawa, one of Singapore's richest ecosystems where a variety of different habitats can be found.
The plan also suggests that the waters around Lazarus, St John's and Kusu islands be made no-fishing areas as they are established sites for coral nurseries.
The latest Blue Plan states that: "Although marine habitats in Singapore are fragmented and small, these sites are each unique and host high diversity." For example, the tiny islands of Pulau Satumu and Pulau Biola have a wide variety of corals and other marine organisms.
The Blue Plan notes that protecting the waters around these islands is "urgent as there are signs ship grounding have destroyed portions of these reefs".
More than 100 people contributed to the third iteration of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
The movement to protect marine habitats in Singapore has come a long way in the past few decades.
Speaking to the audience at yesterday's event, veteran marine biologist Leo Tan recounted his struggle to get Labrador Nature Reserve designated as a protected area many years ago. "I started on a lonely journey in the 1970s trying to save one 300m stretch of rocky beach in Labrador," Prof Tan said. "It took 30 years before it was legislated as a nature reserve."
In the 1980s and 1990s, non-governmental organisations initiated efforts to survey and conserve Singapore's coral reefs.
The first Blue Plan was produced in 2001 and the second in 2009.
This year's 220-page Blue Plan is the most extensive yet, with more than 100 contributors from various fields. Mr Lee, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development, yesterday emphasised the importance of grounding such conservation efforts in science.
"Only by understanding the marine ecosystems and their complexities better, can we develop sustainable solutions to manage and maintain them," he said.
Three coastal areas proposed for conservation in Singapore Blue Plan
Nisha Abdul Rahim Channel NewsAsia 13 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE: Three marine areas that include island clusters around Semakau and Satumu islands in southern Singapore have been proposed for immediate conservation.
This is one of six recommendations in the latest Singapore Blue Plan launched on Saturday (Oct 13).
The 220-page proposal by more than 100 environmentalists proposes ways to better protect marine ecosystems in Singapore.
The proposal, led by National University of Singapore marine biologists, with help from academics and environmental lawyers, took almost a year to develop.
One of the six recommendations include ways to conserve fragmented and small marine habitats more effectively in clusters or ecosystems.
Three such areas were proposed for "immediate conservation priority".
The first is a group of islands around Pulau Semakau, Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong; another is the area around Pulau Satumu, where Raffles Lighthouse is located; and the third, Pulau Ubin's coastal areas including Chek Jawa.
The areas have significant biodiversity and integrate various habitats like seagrass meadows, reefs and coastal forests.
Elevated protection was also proposed for St John's Islands and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
There were also calls for stiffer laws to deter oil pollution from fishing vessels and illegal possession of protected aquatic and marine life.
The plan is based on the latest in marine conservation research, according to Dr Zeehan Jaafar, lead editor of the Singapore Blue Plan.
In the 2009 Blue Plan, they recommended areas that were mostly coral reefs.
And now, they have expanded studies on more habitat types such as mangrove areas and seagrass meadows.
"There were several key areas which we recommended for protection, most of the areas were coral reefs. In the past 10 years, we have increased our studies on other marine habitats," Dr Jaafar said.
The Sisters' Islands Marine Park, which houses a turtle hatchery was part of the previous 2009 Blue Plan.
The plan also suggests that information about biodiversity, Singapore's marine ecosystems and the natural environment be incorporated into Singapore schools' syllabus.
"The success Singapore has had with the 'Garden City' concept should be expanded to include the sea," the report said.
At the launch, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee stressed the need to involve the community.
"It is only when the broader community of Singaporeans learn about and marvel at about our biodiversity – both on land and in the water that we can better appreciate it and actively help to protect it," said Mr Lee, who is also Second Minister for National Development.
He added: "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know."
The plan will be submitted to the Government for consideration next week.
Source: CNA/hm
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