wildsingapore news: palm-oil

Showing posts with label palm-oil. Show all posts

Showing posts with label palm-oil. Show all posts

Indonesian police investigate palm oil companies over forest fires: ministry

Reuters 29 Aug 19;

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian police are investigating three palm oil companies on suspicion of starting fires on Borneo island, where environmentalists say extensive deforestation has occurred to make way for plantations, a government ministry said.

The Ministry of the Environment and Forests is also investigating 24 other companies on Borneo and Sumatra island in connection with fires in their concession area, Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry’s director general for law enforcement, told reporters.

“Previously, we focused more on bringing suspects to civil courts and giving administrative sanctions. But with the forest fires still taking place in 2019, we are using criminal instruments more intensively,” Sani said.

Indonesia: Minister admits poor law enforcement against those who ignite forest fire

Antara 22 Aug 19;

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto has admitted poor law enforcement against individuals applying slash and burn method caused forest and land fires. He said the government would take a different approach to stop the traditional farming practices.

"This traditional society, we have reminded them. Corporations can help them with tractors (for land clearing) hence they do not have to burn the forest," Wiranto said after a meeting on land and forest fire here on Wednesday.

According to Wiranto the sanction imposed for individuals that ignited the fires was ineffective to stop the practice.

"It is ineffective, we have to find another way to solve the problem. Because they practise this for generations. But we have to change the mindset, and we need the help of all stakeholders to change their mindset," Wiranto remarked.

Indonesia seals palm, timber concessions amid forest fires: ministry

Reuters 15 Aug 19;

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has sealed parts of palm oil and timber concessions owned by 10 companies on Borneo island after a spate of forest fires, authorities said on Thursday, warning those involved in forest burning would be severely punished.

Indonesia is under pressure to end slash-and-burn clearance of land, often on plant palm and pulp plantations. The practice caused devastating fires in 2015 that spread a choking haze across most of Southeast Asia.

The disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) recorded 1,092 hot spots as of Thursday, the highest since the 2015 fires, and at least six provinces on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo have declared an emergency.

About 200 hectares (494 acres) of land had been sealed in Borneo’s West Kalimantan province, the environment ministry said.

Warning letters were also sent to 58 plantation firms with hot spots indicating fire or a high risk of fire, said Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry’s director general of law enforcement.

Indonesia: Individuals who annexed Riau national park land identified

Antara 13 Aug 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Environment and Forestry Ministry has identified individuals who allegedly annexed thousands of hectares of land within the Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) area. "We have the map of who has annexed three hectares (of the national park) and who has 3,000 hectares," Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya told journalists in Pelalawan District Tuesday.

The minister stated this after monitoring the land and forest fire in Riau, in the company of the Indonesian Military Chief Air Chief Marchall Hadi Tjahjanto, the Indonesian Police Chief, Gen. Tito Karnavian, and head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen Doni Monardo.

The group took off from Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base in Pekanbaru and monitored the land and forest fire in Pelalawan and around the Tesso Nilo National Park.

The forest fire in the national park was intentional as she could see some zones drawn by certain groups in the conservation area, Nurbaya said.

Indonesia: Tesso Nilo's elephants show signs of stress due to forest fire

Antara 13 Aug 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - Mahouts of the elephant Flying Squad at the Tesso Nilo National Park had to evacuate the trained elephants to a safer place, as they showed signs of stress due to a forest fire that gutted the conservation area in Pelalawan District.

"The elephants have shown a change in behavior, because the fire has made them uncomfortable," chief of the Flying Squad Team, Erwin Daulay, told Antara here on Tuesday.

The Tesso Nilo National Park is a conservation forest, a home for the Sumatran endemic elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

The TNTN area was extended in 2009 to 83,068 hectares, from only 38,576 hectares in 2004, by including the limited production forest.

However, massive illegal encroachment of the conservation area has changed its landscape into palm oil plantations.

Indonesia: Riau Police name palm oil corporation as forest fire suspect

Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 10 Aug 19;

The Riau Police on Friday named palm oil company PT Sumber Sawit Sejahtera as the suspect in a forest fire in Pelalawan regency, Riau.

The corporation is alleged to be responsible for causing a fire on a 150-hectare field in Meranti district, Pelalawan.

Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Widodo Eko Prihastopo said the police decided to name the company the suspect after gathering enough evidence and statements from expert witnesses.

Malaysia: Orangutan numbers drop as much as 30% in Malaysian palm oil estate forests - WWF

Reuters 18 Jul 19;

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Orangutan populations in forest patches found in oil palm estates in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah fell as much as 30% in 15 years, but the overall population of the species in the area is stable, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said.

WWF’s findings, which it says are the result of the most intensive survey ever done on any great ape in the world, show that orangutan numbers fell by 30% and 15% respectively in Kulamba and Tabin, in eastern Sabah, between 2002 and 2017.

Indonesia: 11 provinces should declare alert status for forest fire - Ministry

Antara 18 Jul 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs has appealed to 11 provincial administrations prone to land and forest fires to impose emergency alert status in their respective regions.

"Regions must soon declare an emergency alert status, because of the total 16 provinces (prone to forest fires), only five have imposed the status," the ministry's Deputy for Public Order and Security Coordination Insp. Gen Carlo B. Tewu remarked during a coordination meeting to evaluate and take precautionary measures against land and forest fires here on Thursday.

Malaysia, Johor: DOE acting on river pollution complaints

The Star 11 Jul 19;

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor Department Of Environment (DOE) has received eight complaints of pollution in a river in Ulu Tiram since last year.

Johor local government, urban well-being and environmental committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said following complaints about Sungai Kopok, the department carried out inspections.

“Among complaints received include the change in the colour of the river water, which turned darker and emitted a stench.

“There were also claims of dead fishes in the river,” he said in reply to S. Gopalakrishnan ( PH – Tiram) at the Johor state assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar here.

Tan said initial investigations by the department found that the pollution was due to the discharge of industrial effluents from palm oil, oleochemical, biodiesel, soap-based and food-based companies in the area.

Malaysia: Johor DOE receives eight complaints over pollution at Sg Kopok

The Star 7 Jul 19;

ISKANDAR PUTERI (Bernama): The Johor Environment Department (DOE) has received eight complaints over pollution at Sungai Kopok, Ulu Tiram since 2018.

State Local Government, Urban Well-being and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said the complaints were on its foul smell and dark colour, and incidents of dead fishes in the river.

He said investigations were carried out following the complaints and it was found that the pollution was caused by the discharge of industrial effluents with high organic load, especially from palm oil-based operations such as oleochemicals, and soap-based operations, biodiesel as well as food-based manufacturing.

"Although the plants are equipped with effluent treatment facilities, there are a few that have been negligent in controlling discharge of effluents from their premises.

Malaysia: Call to protect Sungai Johor

zazali musa The Star 27 Jun 19;

JOHOR BARU: Johor government is urged to be more proactive in monitoring the quality of Sungai Johor as the river is the main source of raw water supply in south of the state.

Green Earth Society Johor president P. Sivakumar said based on incidents over the years, contamination in the river caused inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of consumers.

He said the main cause of pollution in Johor’s longest river was the high content of ammonia in the water due to effluents discharged by oil palm mills upstream.

Malaysia’s palm oil growers fall on hard times

Vincent Tan Channel NewsAsia 12 May 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: It has not been a particularly good year for Malaysia's palm oil industry, hammered first by dwindling demand from its traditional markets, and then in March, the European Commission (EC) concluded that palm oil would be phased out from use in transport fuels by 2030 due to environmental concerns.

As the world’s second largest producer of palm oil, Malaysia has hit back, with politicians calling the EC’s decision protectionist and threatening retaliation.

On the ground, low palm prices and sustainability are only part of the problems faced by smallholders. They also have to deal with pests and low yield; some are considering whether to repurpose their plantations.

Mr Ibrahim Manap, 58, a smallholder in Hulu Selangor, said the declaration by the EC that palm oil is “unsustainable” is only a political excuse.

“They can chop their forests down, but we are (supposed to be) oxygen suppliers. This is not fair,” Mr Ibrahim said.

Singapore shoppers given tool to choose products using ethical palm oil

Michael Taylor Reuters 2 May 19;

KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new online shopping tool gives Singaporeans the option of buying products made using ethical palm oil, a non-profit behind the scheme said on Thursday, as it looks to tackle the region’s haze fires.

Launched by the Singapore-based People’s Movement to Stop Haze (PM Haze) and advertising agency Havas Group, EcoCart is a Google Chrome ‘plugin’ that allows online shoppers to identify items that use sustainability produced palm oil.

As well as flagging items that do not contain sustainable palm oil, the tool suggests similar products that do.

Malaysian minister criticises 'sensationalised' signs on palm oil at Singapore Zoo

NAVENE ELANGOVAN Today Online 2 May 19;

SINGAPORE — A Malaysian government minister has used a speech in Singapore to take a swipe at what she called “sensationalised” signs at Singapore Zoo that deal with palm oil production and deforestation.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok called for solidarity among the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) on the issue, in a keynote address at the 6th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources, a forum organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, a think-tank.

She said that Malaysia is working hard to create a sustainable palm oil industry and “it is sad to hear that sentiments against palm oil have also taken root in Singapore”.

“For example, the Singapore Zoo has on several occasions created sensationalised displays on palm oil and deforestation at its orangutan’s enclosures,” she told the audience at the Fullerton Hotel Singapore.

“These damage the image of palm oil producing countries within this region despite progressive efforts towards sustainability and wildlife conservation. In this case, Singapore Zoo acted possibly in haste and (is) reflecting emotions expressed by many ill-informed visitors.”

Malaysia: Population survey on orang utan, pygmy elephants ready by 2021

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 14 Apr 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Wildlife Department is expected to release the latest population of orang utan and pygmy elephants by 2021.

Its director Augustine Tuuga said the survey, which recently received RM1.5 million fund from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), would help the state plan conservation efforts for the two species in the future.

“The last studies on both animals were done in 2003, in which the orang utan survey was conducted with a non-governmental organisation, Hutan, while Borneo pygmy elephant population data was provided by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Malaysia: Four water treatment plants to resume operations after ammonia scare

The Star 5 Apr 19;

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Four water treatment plants (WTP) that were shut down after high ammonia content was detected in Sungai Johor, have resumed operations with water supply restored in stages, says the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).

The water treatment plants involved are Sungai Sayong, Semangar and Sungai Johor while the Tai Hong plant will start operation on Friday (April 5) night.

"The closure of the water treatment plants caused water supply disruption to 171,500 consumer accounts in Kota Tinggi, Kulai and Johor Baru.

PUB’s waterworks in Johor stops operations after high ammonia levels found in Johor River

Today Online 4 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE — PUB’s waterworks in Johor stopped treatment operations on Thursday (April 4) afternoon due to high ammonia levels found in the Johor River, Singapore’s national water agency said.

The stoppage of treatment operations at the Johor River Waterworks disrupted its water supply to Singapore and some parts of Johor.

Water supply in Singapore is not affected, PUB said, as it has stepped up production at the desalination plants and waterworks here to meet demand.

“PUB is monitoring the raw water quality in Johor River closely and will resume abstraction and treatment of raw water when water quality is suitable,” the water agency said.

Malaysia: 17,000 households in Kulai go dry after ammonia pollution in Sungai Sayong

mohd farhaan shah The Star 4 Apr 19;

JOHOR BARU: High-level of ammonia pollution in Sungai Sayong has disrupted water supply to about 17,000 households in Kulai.

Johor International Trade, Investment and Utility Committee chairman Jimmy Puah Wee Tse said a reservoir at a bio-composite centre next to an oil palm refinery in Sedenak burst, causing the ammonia-contaminated water to flow into Sungai Sayong, which is one of the creeks that supplies raw water to Sungai Johor.

Malaysia: Federal government to help wildlife conservation and reforestation efforts in Sabah

muguntan vanar The Star 2 Apr 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The federal government will help Sabah in its restoration of degraded forests as well as carry out fresh surveys on the population of orang utans and Borneo pygmy elephants in the state.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said that the her ministry together with the Sabah Forestry Department have identified 6,500ha of degraded forest in the Lower Kawag, Ulu Segama Forests Reserve as the site for reforestation.

“We plan to plant one million forest tree species within the next 10 years,” she told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at his office here Tuesday (April 2).

She said reforestation efforts would be sponsored primarily by oil palm players.

Indonesia threatens to quit Paris climate deal over palm oil

Reuters 27 Mar 19;

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A senior Indonesian minister warned on Wednesday Southeast Asia’s biggest economy could consider exiting the Paris climate deal if the European Union goes ahead with a plan to phase out palm oil in renewable transportation fuel.

Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, has lashed out at the EU after the bloc classified palm oil as a risky crop that caused significant deforestation and ruled that its use in renewable fuel should stop by 2030.

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