Indonesian forests ‘remain in bad shape’

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 7 Feb 09;

Mismanagement of forests, which creates conflict among local residents, continues to reign 10 years after forest decentralization.

A seminar Friday concluded that forest decentralization, which granted authority to local administrations to manage their own resources, had continued to destroy forests and heighten conflict among local communities, instead of improving the forests’ condition.

The government granted forest management to the local administrations in 1999 with the hope that they would carry out sustainable forest management to benefit local residents.

“There are many mistakes and weaknesses [from forest decentralization]. Until now, we don’t have a format that can satisfy all stakeholders,” Tachrir Fathoni, head of research and development at the Forestry Ministry, told the seminar’s participants.

The discussion, aired by the Green Radio station, was organized by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in a ceremony to launch a series of books on forest decentralization.

CIFOR expert Godwin Limber, who was also editor of the book, said that decentralization had not succeeded in promoting sustainable forest management and improve people’s welfare.

“There is little improvement in terms of income of the people living around the forest. Certain groups get more than others and this causes conflicts,” he said.

The book was based on the group’s 10-year field study of forest decentralization in Malinau regency, East Kalimantan.

“What is happening in Malinau depicts decentralization throughout the country,” he said.

In its study, CIFOR observed the conflicts along the Malinau River where 10 ethic groups reside.

It said that the conflicts were often due to competition over the benefits from timber.

“The problem is the absence of a mechanism to resolve the conflict. The tribal leaders seem powerless to end the conflict,” Limber said.

CIFOR found that only eight conflicts took place between 1967 to 1996. But during the reform era, from 1997 to 1999, conflicts jumped to 17 cases.

“About 73 percent of the conflicts (or 63 cases) took place after forest decentralization in the period from 2000 to 2002,” the book said.

Limber said that with the decentralization, everybody talked about their rights but forgot about their responsibility to preserve the forests, which accelerated their destruction.

“Many groups claimed an indigenous status to get ‘exclusive’ rights to manage the forest for their own benefit,” he said.

Based on the 1999 Autonomy Law, local administrations are not allowed to convert their forests without permits from the Forestry Minister and the House of Representatives.

Many regencies have submitted proposals to the Forestry Ministry for spatial planning changes.

Executive director of the Indonesian Environment Information Center (PILI) Pam Minnigh warned that the booming forest carbon businesses could also damage the country’s forests due to poor preparation.

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Best of our wild blogs: 7 Feb 09

Urban encounter: White-rumped Shama
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Mottled wanderer
on the annotated budak blog and doesn't he look ducky?

Fishy workshop for Nature Guides
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Singapore's Melongena snails on Nature in Singapore
on the wild shores of singapore blog

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No let-up in remaking Singapore into top location

Joyce Teo, Straits Times 7 Feb 09;

NATIONAL Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said there will be no let-up in public building works even as the economic climate here worsens.

The Government will invest in public housing, new parks and plans, sustainable development and even accelerate the Lift Upgrading Programme for Housing Board flats, he said.

'Nothwithstanding the current economic recession, we are taking the opportunity to remake our city,' said Mr Mah during the Budget debate on estimates for his ministry yesterday.

'In five to 10 years' time we will see a new Singapore. We will have a new city as plans to transform and rejuvenate our downtown and our heartland take shape.'

'We are striving to be a global city of distinction - a top destination for global businesses to base their operations, a choice location for global talent to work in, but above all, a city that all Singaporeans can be proud to call home.'

He was responding to questions from MPs.

One of them, Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), asked if development plans for Jurong Lake District and Paya Lebar commercial district would be put on hold because of the economic downturn. He also asked if there were plans to help rescue the severe slump in the property market.

The market has corrected with the current economic downturn, said Mr Mah.

'The Government cannot artificially prop up prices, in the same way that we cannot suppress prices in a bull market.'

It has already acted swiftly to help, he said. For instance, the Government has introduced new measures in the Budget to help ease the cashflow of developers.

Mr Mah said his ministry will continue to monitor the property market closely and implement more measures if necessary to lend stability to the market.

'While we tackle the current challenges, we must not forget that our economic fundamentals remain strong, and we should continue to position Singapore so as to seize new opportunities when the upturn comes.'

Yesterday, Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol) also asked if there would be a slowdown in the Lift Upgrading Programme because of the downturn.

Senior Minister of State (National Development) Grace Fu responded: 'On the contrary we intend to step it up.'

Yesterday, Mr Mah also highlighted the development plans in growth areas and its sustainable development thrust. Among them:

Punggol 21-plus: This, said Mr Mah, is not just a rehash of the Punggol 21 plan. 'There are some very new aspects of the Punggol 21-plus plan which was never envisaged in the original Punggol 21.'

The construction of the first 2.4km of the Punggol Waterway costing $145 million is one of them. The contract has just been awarded and the waterway is slated for completion by the end of next year.

The first sale site for a mixed commercial and residential development at the town centre will be launched by 2011. When the two developments are completed, Punggol will enjoy a 'first class' waterfront environment, said Mr Mah.

Marina Bay: This precinct will take shape as a new premier business location by the end of the year.

The Government has invested close to $5.7 billion in the infrastructure there and will continue to pump in another $1 billion of infrastructural works for the next 10 to 15 years.

Many key developments such as Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Financial Centre and the integrated resort are being built now. When completed in two to three years' time, Marina Bay will become the new downtown.

New hubs in Jurong East, Paya Lebar and Kallang: The Government is pressing on with the infrastructure development for these hubs and will invest a total of $2.9 billion on essential works in the three growth areas.

Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP): The programme is on track, with the Government having selected 80 per cent of eligible blocks for lift upgrading.

In the 2008 fiscal year, the Government selected 60 precincts for LUP, 10 more than the originally intended 50. These will be announced soon.

It plans to select more for the 2009 fiscal year and to bring forward this selection by about six months.

Over the next few years, HDB will select the remaining 1,000 eligible blocks so that these can be completed by 2014.

There are still about 1,500 blocks to be selected under the LUP. 'This is a large number and we have to prioritise, but we are on track,' said Ms Fu.

HDB heartland: The Government has spent $2.4 billion over the last five years on the various upgrading programmes and will almost double it with another $4.6 billion over the next five years.

Sustainable development: Recommendations from the Inter-ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development - set up last year to chart strategies - will be released next month. A sum of $1 billion will be spent over five years to implement the recommendations.

Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (Marine Parade GRC) had asked about the work of the committee. Mr Mah said the committee's recommendations would centre on four key areas:

# Measures to improve Singapore's resource efficiency. 'In particular, we will put in special efforts to promote energy-efficient buildings,' said Mr Mah.

# Measures to enhance the liveability of Singapore. 'More efforts will be made to promote clean transport and enhance connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians.'

# New resources to build up Singapore as a hub for sustainable development technologies and solutions.

# New partnerships with people and private sectors to promote lifestyle changes to support a higher level of sustainability.

$8.5b to be spent to help remake Singapore
Business Times 7 Feb 09;

Older estates will be rejuvenated through the injection of new flats and residents

THE government will spend $8.5 billion to revamp Singapore's HDB estates and develop the commercial nodes of Marina Bay, Jurong East, Paya Lebar and Kallang.

Some $2.9 billion will be spent on essential infrastructure to pave the way for future development at Jurong East, Paya Lebar and Kallang - three regional hubs earmarked for development in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's 2008 Master Plan.

The government will pump in another $1 billion for infrastructure works at Marina Bay over the next 10-15 years.

As for HDB estates, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Parliament: 'We have spent $2.4 billion over the past five years on various upgrading programmes and we will almost double it, with another $4.6 billion over the next five years.'

Various government agencies will participate in the development of the three regional hubs.

At Jurong, the Land Transport Authority will upgrade Jurong East MRT station and redevelop the bus interchange, while JTC will expand the International Business Park and the Public Utilities Board will transform Jurong Lake for more leisure activities. The Health Ministry will build Jurong General Hospital.

At Kallang Riverside, new infrastructure will open up the area for future waterfront developments.

And at Paya Lebar Central, the Circle Line MRT and Paya Lebar MRT interchange will be operational in 2010, and the new Geylang Serai Market will be completed this year.

But the bigger price tag will be for remaking HDB estates. Rejuvenation works for the pilot town, Yishun, have started. Older estates will be rejuvenated through the injection of new flats and residents.

Mr Mah said: 'Notwithstanding the current recession, we are taking the opportunity to remake our city. In 5-10 years, we will see a new Singapore. We will have a new city, as plans to transform and rejuvenate our downtown and our heartlands take shape.'

Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said that the government would remain focused on its long-term goal of upgrading the construction sector.

Responding to questions about measures to help the industry during the downturn, she reiterated that the government's previous announcement that it would award an additional $1.3 billion of small and medium-size public sector contracts - each valued at $50 million or less - this year. Added to small and medium-size projects already planned, this will lift total public sector demand for such projects to $4.8 billion.

'This is a sizeable 67 per cent increase over the average annual value of small and medium-size government projects awarded in the past five years,' Ms Fu said.

Works to be brought forward include smaller-scale projects valued at up to $15 million, such as upgrading community clubs, roads, parks and park connectors. Projects of up to $50 million include building new rental flats and indoor sports halls in schools, upgrading hospitals and improving public housing lifts.

The government is also reducing the security deposits for public construction projects from the usual 5 per cent. In general, the deposit will be 1.25 per cent for projects of up to $15 million and 2.5 per cent for projects of higher value.

Mr Mah and Ms Fu said that the government would monitor the property market and the construction industry to see if further action is needed.

Read more!

More Singapore firms going green to cut costs

Straits Times 7 Feb 09;

THE search for ways to cut costs in the economic downturn is turning an increasing number of companies on a green route.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) announced yesterday that $3.22 million has been allocated to more than 100 companies under the Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme to conduct detailed studies on their power consumption and to enable cost-cutting.

The $10 million scheme subsidises half the cost for companies in the manufacturing and building sectors to conduct energy audits.

Applications for the funding have been steadily increasing in the four years since its launch.

From a paltry four approved applications in 2005, this number ballooned to 121 approved last year.

One benefactor of the subsidy is SingPost.

The public postal licensee invested $1.9 million in installing new energy efficient cooling units at its Paya Lebar premises two years ago.

The company has since managed to shave $1.2 million, or 23per cent, off its annual power bill.

Mr Tan Swee Guan, senior vice-president for property management and engineering at SingPost said that rising electricity prices meant the company was looking for ways to reduce its energy costs.

'It is precisely in an economic downturn that every dollar saved can count towards the bottom line,' he said.

A spokesman for NEA said that now is the ideal time for companies to undertake conversion or retrofitting projects which they may not be able to carry out during high demand periods when operation downtime is very limited.

The scheme, which complements the $50 million Sustainable Energy Fund launched last year, is part of a wider push by the Government to promote investment in green technology across all sectors of the economy.

AMRESH GUNASINGHAM

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Singapore-Indonesia border agreement: Jakarta Post editorial

Editorial: Neighborhood border
The Jakarta Post 6 Feb 09;

Never mind the length of time it took, 36 years, to agree on the western segment of the maritime border with neighboring Singapore, because the frontier is an issue with a most suspenseful character.

The famous lecture by Lord Curzon in Oxford a hundred years ago echoes this: “Frontiers are the chief anxiety of nearly every Foreign Office in the Civilized World.” It proved prophetic at a time that saw numerous wars stemming from territorial ambitions, including the two World Wars.

It is, therefore, sensible to commend the government for this agreement, the fruit of almost four years of negotiations, and express our appreciation to the Singapore government for finally agreeing not to use its southern reclaimed shoreline as the basis to determine the border.

As President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said early this week, the agreement would give Indonesia the chance to explore economic development in its territories near the boundary, as well as to boost economic ties and enhance security cooperation between Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia in safeguarding the busy Malacca Strait.

Indonesia has so far developed the Batam, Bintan and Karimun as free trade zones on the Riau Islands.

This is the second agreement, the first one, which involved the central segment of the maritime border, was signed in 1973. It is now clear that the western segment of the border between the two nations is drawn from Indonesia’s Nipah Island to Singapore’s original Sultan Shoal Island.
Talks are to start soon over the eastern segment of the maritime boundary.

Any resolved border issue is good news, given our occasional procrastination and complacency in handling such issues. A bad neighbor relationship is the last thing we want, particularly in a world saddled with a global financial crisis.

From time to time, occasional glitches do occur with neighboring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, as is usual with neighbors. But so far, we have been able to overcome them.

At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, we waged a confrontation with Malaysia. The confrontation was eventually resolved and the episode was a prelude to the birth of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that has served as peace ballast in the region for more than four decades.

As countries worldwide shift closer to tend to their own national interests under the pressure of the financial crisis, it is good to remind ourselves that we have this time-tested club. Any improvement in border issues will inevitably strengthen the region.

It is too early to say if the agreement is a reflection of our more mature attitude in dealing with our neighbors. Time will tell if this is so. We blasted Singapore when we saw it as a refuge for our corrupt officials, forgetting to question whether our own fight against corrupt officials at home had been serious enough and free from political influence.

We blasted Malaysia for its less than elegant treatment of our workers there while failing to improve the recruitment system for our workers to work overseas, and for claiming our heritage for tourism purposes while we lag behind with our tourism promotion for failing to exploit it ourselves.

The time of reacting emotionally at the slightest hint of a threat should become a thing of the past. The region should work together for a better tomorrow.

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Whale shark sightings on rise in Gulf of Mexico

Janet McConnaughey Associated Press reflector.com 6 Feb 09;

NEW ORLEANS — It was such an unusual sight that the commercial fishing crew in the northern Gulf of Mexico took an hour out of their work day to count the whale sharks swimming around and even rubbing their sandpaper-like backs against the boat.

The crew stopped at 44 to avoid double-counting the dark-bodied fish, some up to 50 feet long, opening and closing their wide mouths as they vacuumed in plankton, fish eggs or small fish southwest of Morgan City, La.

It was the largest sighting in a record year for a study of the world's largest fish that began in 2002 at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Miss.

"As far as your eye could see in every direction, you just saw fish after fish after fish after fish," said David Wesley Underwood of Pensacola, Fla., a deckhand on his uncle's boat, the Norman B.

That pod, seen in June and reported Jan. 29 to USM scientists, was among 70 sightings of at least one whale shark during 2008 — by far the largest number for the project.

"We're getting the word out," said lead researcher Eric Hoffmayer. He depends on non-scientist spotters because the sharks are seen most frequently where the water turns sharply from shallow to deep, and trips out there are expensive.

About two-thirds of the sightings have been within 100 miles of the Mississippi River's mouth.

Hoffmayer believes the sharks are attracted by plankton blooms fed by fertilizer and other nutrients in the river water — the same phenomenon that creates an oxygen-depleted dead zone closer inshore every summer.

Hoffmayer worries, however, that the sharks may be swallowing poison along with the plankton. "What about all the other chemicals that are being washed out with all this runoff?" he said.

Researchers plan to look into that. First, they need a handle on how many sharks are swimming around the northern Gulf, where they come from, and where they're going.

The one whale shark tagged last year in the northern Gulf was 260 miles south, in Mexican water, and more than a mile underwater, at 6,000 feet — probably the lowest the species has been recorded — when the electronic tag popped off, Hoffmayer said.

Little is known about whale sharks, including where they go after they leave gathering places near Australia and Yucatan, or where they give birth to their pups.

Although they were added last year to the World Conservation Union's "red list" of threatened species, the Australian research indicates that — unlike most sharks, which are declining sharply — whale sharks appear to be increasing off Western Australia, said Jason Holmberg of Portland, Ore., information architect of the Ecocean Whale Shark Photo-identification Library.

They are a warm-water fish and all sightings in the Gulf of Mexico have been between April and November, with most from June through October — roughly corresponding to the seasonal heating of Gulf waters that feeds hurricanes.

It's possible the increased numbers around the river's mouth are just a fluke, because that's where most of the spotters are.

Hoffmayer doesn't think that is the case. To find out, researchers are recruiting watchers along the Gulf from Texas to Florida.

"They may have found a new and important aggregation point," said Holmberg, who is an adjunct research associate with Murdoch University in Western Australia. He is not a biologist, but analyzes population statistics for the Australian project.

Even before the Norman B's Capt. Russell Underwood called, Hoffmayer had received 68 sightings for 2008, more than in all six previous years combined. On Jan. 30, an offshore oil worker reported the 70th, from November.

"He saw one of our posters in a safety room at whatever rig he was at," Hoffmayer said.

The posters are one way he spreads the word about his search for data. He also goes to an annual safety meeting for helicopter pilots who fly over the Gulf and is trying to establish better ties with offshore oil rig workers.

Besides Hoffmayer's project, in 2003, the Georgia Aquarium and the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla., began working with Mexico's National Commission on Protected Natural Areas to tag whale sharks off Yucatan, where an estimated 1,500 feed each summer.

It's the largest known gathering, with estimates of 500 to 3,000, said Bob Hueter, director of Mote's Center for Shark Research.

"We really think 500 is low," he said. "We've had images of as many as 75 whale sharks in one photo."

In the northern Gulf, they're more spread out. Two-thirds of those seen last year were single sharks, with 21 sightings of two or more. A few groups of 100 or more have been reported over the years.

The worldwide population may be as high as 500,000, "which sounds like a big number, but when you're talking about fish, it's not a big number at all," Hueter said.

A Coast Guard report of a whale shark in Mississippi Sound was one of the nearest inshore last year, and fits the idea the fish come for plankton nourished by riverborne nitrates and phosphates.

It showed up after the Army Corps of Engineers opened a spillway northwest of New Orleans, pouring river water into Lake Pontchartrain to avert the chance that high water might batter the river levees and endanger New Orleans.

The release created an algae bloom intense enough to create a "dead zone" of oxygen-depleted water like the much larger one that forms every year off Louisiana, and the shark was "right up where the plankton blooms would have been," Hoffmayer said.

Skipper Russell Underwood has offered his boat for a week-long study trip of the sharks in June, to see if the same large group shows up in the same area as he spotted last year. The Gulf has given him a good living, he said.

"Maybe I can give something back."

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Thailand urged to protect dugongs

mathaba.net 6 Feb 09;

PHUKET, Feb 5 (TNA) - The Thai government was urged Thursday to seriously and urgently protect the dugongs in Thai Andaman coastal waters, as the mammals are on the brink of extinction -- if appropriate conservation measures are not quickly implemented.

Marine mammal academic Kanchana Adulyanukosol at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre said that there are now only about 200 dugongs left in Thai-Andaman waters, where they are usually found in sea waters off Trang, Krabi, and Phang-nga.

"The sea cows are at risk of extinction in 20-30 years. If no concrete measures are implemented to conserve the species, no one will ever again see the sea cows in Thai waters," the expert on distinctive rare species warned.

Currently, Ms. Kanchana said, a master plan to conserve sea cows and seagrass, which was its main diet, was drafted, but has yet been submitted to the Cabinet.

It was believed that if the scheme is implemented, it will help, in a certain extent, to preserve the sea cow population, she said.

Public awareness activities to realise the importance and seriousness of the dugongs' problems is necessary were also recommended, she said.

Ms. Kanchana added that seven dugongs had been found dead during the past six months.

The causes of death are varied, she explained. The latest case is a five-year-old dugong weighing 122 kilogrammes which was found dead at a beach in Trang.

According to the Centre's autopsy, the dugong died of shock when it was caught in the nets of a fishing trawler.

Dugongs are commonly found in the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australian waters, and the western coast of southern Thailand. The dugong population has fallen rapidly, she said, and now is in critical condition due to hunting and accidental drowning in nets.

In addition, the dugong's ability to produce its offspring depends on the availability of seagrass, its main diet, which has now become scarce due to water pollution.

The mammal has also been listed as vulnerable to extinction at a global scale by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

A bad week for dwindling dugong population
Phuket Gazette 7 Feb 09;

CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: A top marine mammal researcher is drawing up a national action plan for conserving the country’s dwindling population of dugong, three of which were found dead this week.

“We have a national action plan for dugong and seagrass in Thailand to conserve the seagrass habitat, reduce mortality, continue monitoring numbers and study behavior,” said Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).

Miss Kanjana was quoted by the state-run Thai News Agency earlier this week saying the dugong faced extinction locally within 20 or 30 years if the government does not take urgent action to protect seagrass beds, their natural habitat.

About 200 dugong remain in waters along the Andaman Coast, she said.

Setting up the action plan would lead the way to Thailand signing an international memorandum of understanding (MOU) on dugong conservation, which has already been signed by 42 countries.

“The MOU was established by the Australian government after meetings held in Thailand in 2005 and 2006. Then in 2007 there was a meeting for the first signings in Abu Dhabi, followed by another meeting in Bali in 2008,” she said.

Thailand has not signed the MOU because it has to do more to co-ordinate the efforts of the six government agencies involved, including the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Fisheries and Marine Transport departments and the Foreign Ministry.

“I think Thailand is going to sign the memorandum very soon,” she said.

Coastal development and sedimentation is the main long-term threat to seagrass beds, she said.

"However, for an individual dugong the greatest threat is from human activities and various kinds of fishing gear,” she explained.

“This has been a very bad week for us. We got one dead dugong from Satun on the first of February, then two on February 3: one each from Trang and Krabi,” she said.

An examination of the first two carcasses revealed that the dugong had thick blubber – indicating that they were healthy at the time of death.

“The second one was still fresh. There were no traces of outside trauma and the pericardium was full of liquid, which indicates a sudden death, possibly from shock. So we guess that it went into sudden shock and died, probably drowning from fishing activity,” she said.

Overall seven dugong deaths have been reported to the PMBC, she said.

Read more!

Taiwan coral reefs "turn black" with disease

Reuters 6 Feb 09;

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Coral reefs off the southeast coast of Taiwan have turned black with disease possibly due to sewage discharge, threatening fragile undersea ecosystems and tourism, a study released Friday said.

The discovery on a problem long suspected but seldom documented shows that coral is suffering widely in waters up to five meters (16.4 feet) deep and 300 meters offshore from two outlying islands, said researcher Chen Chao-lun of Taiwan's state-funded Academia Sinica.

"This is a large distribution and we had no previous information," said Chen, whose began doing research with local environmental groups in 2007. "If you snorkel, you'll see it's black. If it's all black, there won't be too many tourists."

Coral reefs, delicate undersea structures resembling rocky gardens made by tiny animals called coral polyps, are important nurseries and shelters for fish and other sea life.

They also protect coastlines, provide a critical source of food for millions of people and are potential storehouses of medicines.

Taiwan's study did not pinpoint a cause for the diseased coral, but untreated sewage may a factor, Chen said.

On Green Island, a tourism hotspot and one the sites surrounded by diseased coral, garbage and excrement are dumped into the surrounding azure waters while reefs are often plundered by coral-robbing tourists, officials and long-time divers say.

The Taiwan researchers have sent their report to the government and plan to check for problems in other offshore areas known to support coral, Chen said.

Coral covers about 400,000 square km (154,000 sq miles) of tropical ocean floor. The biggest is Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a collection of 2,900 reefs along 2,100 km (1,300 miles) of Australia's northeast coast in a marine park the size of Germany.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Editing by Nick Macfie)

‘Black disease’ is killing coral reefs off Taiwan
OVER-DEVELOPMENT: Researchers refer to the coral off Orchid and Green islands as the final paradise in the nation, but say its future is threatened by human activity
Shelley Huang Taipei Times 7 Feb 09;

A disease spreading quickly through coral reefs near Taiwan’s outlying islands poses a serious threat to the nation’s marine environment, experts and environmentalists said yesterday.

The International Year of the Reef last year called on people from 157 countries in the world to sign an online petition pledging to protect coral reefs. Each person who signed the petition pledged to behave in an environmentally responsible way — such as by using products that would not pollute the sea and eating only seafood that is caught in a sustainable manner.

Taiwan ranked fourth in the number of people who have taken the pledge, after the US, Malaysia and China.

“If calculated in proportion to the total population and surface area covered by coral reefs, Taiwan would actually be the champion,” said Allen Chen (陳昭倫), assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center. “This shows that Taiwanese care a lot about the preservation of coral reefs.”

Chen was one of the leaders of last year’s reef check project. Funded by Academia Sinica and other preservation organizations, 2008 Reef Check in Taiwan gathered volunteers from local Aboriginal tribes and diving groups to check the condition of coral reefs around the nation’s offshore islands.

What the volunteer divers and researchers discovered astounded them. While coral reefs were still relatively unaffected in the areas off Taitung (台東) and Penghu (澎湖), human activities were threatening their future.

“When we dived down and saw [the coral], we couldn’t believe that such a sight would exist in Taiwan. We thought, this is Taiwan’s ‘last remaining heaven,’” Chen said.

However, human activity such as development and construction, combined with over-fishing, threatens to destroy the coral reefs and endanger marine life, he said.

The researchers also found that a “black disease” was spreading quickly, covering reefs with a black disease and causing the reef coverage rate to drop in areas with more frequent human activity, such as Green Island (綠島) and Orchid Island (蘭嶼).

The discovery of a problem long suspected but seldom documented showed that coral was suffering widely in waters up to 5m deep and 300m offshore, Chen said.

“We still have to do more research to determine where the black disease comes from — is it caused by over-fishing or pollution?” Chen said.

Chen also expressed concern that in all the coastal areas they investigated, there was a serious deficiency of the types of fish that indicate the overall health of marine life. Over-fishing is caused by Taiwanese having a rich “seafood culture,” but lacking knowledge about marine preservation, he said.

Chen and other environmentalists urged the government to view coral reefs as living organisms, not rocks.

“Coral reefs are even more important than pandas because they are the largest living organism in the ocean,” Chen said, urging the government to pass laws to protect the reefs in order to ensure a rich and diverse marine ecology.

The environmental groups will be conducting another round of reef checks this year and encourage those who are interested in protecting marine life to sign up to volunteer at http://e-info.org.tw/node/40662 .

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Smugglers target Indonesia's rare Javan hawk: official

Yahoo News 6 Feb 09;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Indonesia's national icon -- the Javan hawk-eagle -- has become the target of illegal traders after being declared a nationally at risk species in Indonesia, a wildlife watchdog warned Friday.

The Javan hawk-eagle is considered one of the world's rarest birds, according to Malaysia-based TRAFFIC, a wildlife body that works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals does not pose a conservation threat.

"Our study suggests that highlighting the Javan Hawk-eagle's plight and making it an icon for Indonesia's wildlife may actually have been the main reason behind an increase in its illegal trade," said Chris Shepherd, senior programme officer for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia in a statement.

In 1993, the Javan Hawk-eagle, an endangered species, was declared Indonesia's national rare animal by former President Suharto.

Shepherd said in the last 20 years, 70 Javan Hawk-eagles have been recorded in trade, the majority of them in recent years.

"Interest in the Javan Hawk-eagle led to a demand for birds in zoo and private collections, with evidence of eagles being smuggled abroad. The species has never bred in captivity," he said.

Shepherd said raising the profile and awareness of threatened wildlife "needs to go hand-in-hand with effective implementation and enforcement of laws to protect the species concerned".

Southeast Asia is a major centre for the wildlife trade, both as a supplier and consumer of wildlife products. The region includes some of the world?s poorest countries, where the rich biodiversity is exploited by communities to eke out an existence.

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Where Are All the Migratory Birds Going?

Hayley Rutger, National Geographic magazine 6 Feb 09;

The bobolink, a North American relative of blackbirds, finds its wintering grounds in South America by reading the sun and stars, Earth's landscape and magnetic fields, and polarized light humans can't even see.

This songbird travels 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers) with no guide—and he's only a few months old. He's just one star in the sky. Millions of palm-sized songbirds streak south on fall nights, clouding weather radar displays like storms.

Geese, birds of prey, and shorebirds migrate, too, sometimes crossing entire continents.

Pale terns and albatross zigzag across oceans, covering millions of miles in a typical 50-year lifespan and completing some of the longest flights known to science.

Even though migratory birds are among the world's most accomplished air travelers, the mysteries of how they do it and where many species go remain unsolved.

Up to 80 percent of all North American forest birds make seasonal treks, but ornithologists have only recently started tracking long-distance migrants beyond their summer breeding zones.

And they are only beginning to fill in major information gaps to answer basic questions about these birds' abilities, their habits throughout the year, and the risks they may encounter.

Even though scientists still don't know where many avian migrants spend their non-breeding season—tracking full migrations is a relatively new field—they do understand these birds face unprecedented, serious threats.

And that's of urgent concern since migratory birds are experiencing precipitous declines.

"In the 1970s and 1980s, there was this epiphany that, 'Oh my God, these birds not only migrate, but they might spend six months in the tropics and another few months getting to the tropics,'" said ornithologist Russell Greenberg, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington, DC.

"Now that migratory bird populations seem to be declining or changing a lot, everyone's desperate."

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Hong Kong reserve closed amid bird flu tests

Yahoo News 6 Feb 09;

HONG KONG (AFP) – A Hong Kong bird sanctuary has been closed for three weeks after a dead grey heron found there tested positive for the H5 bird flu virus, authorities said Friday.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said further tests would determine if it was the deadly H5N1 strain, but that the Mai Po reserve would be closed to visitors as a precautionary measure.

"We will monitor the situation closely and review the closure period as necessary," a departmental spokeswoman added.

The reserve is located in the northwestern corner of Hong Kong and has been known as a haven for migratory birds for decades.

The department said it inspected a chicken farm near the reserve but found no abnormal mortality or symptoms of avian influenza.

The carcasses of a bird and a chicken found in different locations in the city two days ago were also found to have the H5 virus and are being examined further.

The department said earlier it had found the H5N1 strain in four other dead birds collected from Lantau island since January 29.

Around 250 people have died of the human form of avian flu since 2003, the World Health Organisation says.

Most had close contact with sick birds, but scientists fear the virus could one day mutate into a form that would spread rapidly among humans, causing a pandemic.

In December, authorities found H5N1 in a chicken at a poultry farm in Hong Kong, prompting the slaughter of more than 90,000 chickens.

Hong Kong was the scene of the world's first reported major H5N1 bird flu outbreak among humans in 1997, when six people died.

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Fires threaten Australian cities, alert issued

Michael Perry, Reuters 6 Feb 09;

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Firefighters with aircraft and thermal imaging equipment tackled bushfires in and near Australia's two largest cities late on Friday as the country's densely populated southeast braced for a major heatwave.

Forecasts that searing hot weather over the weekend could bring the worst bushfires for decades put much of the country on alert, with fire bans in three states and warnings that arsonists would be harshly dealt with.

Nursing homes were warned to be ready after several deaths during a heatwave last week. The temperature in the outback town of Ivanhoe in New South Wales (NSW) state is forecast to reach 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) on Saturday and the coastal cities of Sydney and Melbourne will bake under 40-plus Celsius.

Late on Friday, fire fighters said a fire broke out in a national park in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove, while another hit the city's northern outskirts.

"We are going through mopping up operations at the moment," Superintendant Paul McGuiggan of the NSW fire service told Reuters. "We really want to ensure that through the night there's no chance of others. We have got crews working their way through the bush with thermal imaging cameras."

Aircraft were also water-bombing a fire east of Melbourne where 120 ha (300 acres) of parkland was destroyed, Victoria's Country Fire Authority said.

A spokesman said there were fears the fire in the Bunyip State Park could spread on Saturday. "It is still going. It is not under control," the spokesman said.

BRACED FOR WORST DAY EVER

Tens of thousands of firefighters are on standby to cope with bushfire outbreaks, with authorities in Victoria state warning Saturday's conditions could be worse than those that led to the deadly "Ash Wednesday" fires of 1983, which killed 75.

"It's just going to be probably ... the worst day ever in the history of the state in terms of temperatures and winds," Victoria state premier John Brumby told reporters on Friday.

"The state is just tinder dry, so people need to exercise real commonsense tomorrow, if you don't need to go out don't go out, it's a seriously bad day," he said.

Authorities fear the heatwave, which last week caused major blackouts and left thousands of residents without air conditioning, could again be fatal to the elderly.

There were 22 "sudden deaths" in Adelaide last Friday at the height of the heatwave and several in Melbourne.

"This is about protecting our nation's frail and aged," said Minister for Aging Justine Elliot, in warning nursing homes to prepare for the heatwave. Nursing homes in southeast Australia care for some 170,000 residents.

South Australia's main morgue was now almost full with 71 bodies, a temporary morgue has been hired, and elective surgery delayed as hospitals try to cope with more than 600 heat-related cases, said local media.

Rail authorities in Sydney have ordered a slowdown of the network to try and avoid accidents if rail lines buckle, as they did in last week's heatwave in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Three train lines in Adelaide will be closed on Saturday.

Emergency officials have imposed fire bans in three states, warning that arsonists would be severely dealt with.

"The government obviously has absolutely no tolerance for arsonists," NSW state Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan told reporters.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

Fires to follow floods as wild weather hits Australia
Amy Coopes Fri Yahoo News 6 Feb 09;

SYDNEY (AFP) – Eastern Australia braced for more fires and floods Friday as the south faced extreme heat and heavy rain threatened to swell floodwaters ravaging the north.

A once-in-a-century heatwave was forecast to intensify over the weekend with high temperatures and dry winds producing the worst wildfire conditions in 25 years, authorities said.

"We're talking about fire danger that hasn't been seen since Ash Wednesday coming up on Saturday," said Ron Patterson, an environment department spokesman from Victoria state.

The Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 killed 75 people and devastated large areas of Australia's southeast, wiping out some 2,500 homes.

The mercury is expected to top 44 degrees in Sydney, Australia's largest city, on Sunday, with temperatures in excess of 46 degrees forecast for inland areas.

Much of the southeast has sweltered under record temperatures this summer, with wildfires destroying at least 29 homes last week and dozens of mainly elderly people dying of heat-related stress.

The temperature in the South Australian capital Adelaide soared to above 42 degrees on Friday and authorities warned of worse to come.

"The fire danger forecast for Saturday may be as extreme as we've seen in South Australia for a number of years," said fire service spokesman Euan Ferguson.

A 120-hectare blaze was Friday threatening to break containment lines and threaten property in Victoria's Gippsland region, with the state's premier John Brumby describing conditions as "tinder-dry".

Almost 40 separate fires raged in the neighbouring state of New South Wales, where 70,000 volunteer firefighters will be on standby throughout the weekend.

Adding to the fear is the knowledge that many of Australia's wildfires are lit by arsonists.

Police are hunting fire starters believed to have sparked last week's fire that destroyed nearly 30 homes in Victoria state.

The government's Australian Institute of Criminology released a report on Sunday which said half of the nation's 20,000 to 30,000 bushfires each year are deliberately lit.

But in the northeast, floodwaters have devastated more than one million square kilometres (385,000 square miles), inundating homes, destroying at least a fifth of the region's sugar cane fields and stranding tens of thousands of cattle.

"There are cattle suffering pretty seriously," said Cattle Council of Australia president Greg Brown.

"There is some mortality rate, just how great that is at this stage is pretty hard to tell, but it's going to be, I think, substantial."

Farmers unable to move produce due to the floods were facing millions of dollars in losses, while the army was preparing to drop food into some towns that have been cut off for up to a week.

The deluge, which followed two recent cyclones, hit almost 3,000 homes, forcing dozens of evacuations and leaving scores of people stranded.

Some towns in the Gulf of Carpentaria region could remain inaccessible by road for another six weeks, authorities have warned.

Further heavy rains are expected, as a tropical low hovers off the coast, the weather bureau said.

Meteorologists have warned the extreme temperatures and downpours -- a common feature of Australian summers -- would only increase as a result of climate change.

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