Seletar Wasteland On Christmas Day 2010
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature
Little Grebe at the Singapore Quarry
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker eating fruit of Indian cherry
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Visits from Singapore Botanic Gardens
from wonderful creation
Singapore Botanic Gardens
from Urban Forest
Chek Jawa with the Naked Hermit Crabs
from wild shores of singapore
Green activist: Grant Pereira
from The Green Volunteers
Charles Choi National Geographic News 7 Jan 11;
The mountain jungles of Vietnam are home to a new breed of "vampire"—a "flying" tree frog dubbed Rhacophorus vampyrus.
Photograph courtesy Jodi Rowley, Australian Museum
First found in 2008, the 2-inch-long (5-centimeter-long) amphibian is known to live only in southern Vietnamese cloud forests, where it uses webbed fingers and toes to glide from tree to tree.
Adults deposit their eggs in water pools in tree trunks, which protects their offspring from predators lurking in rivers and ponds.
"It has absolutely no reason to ever go down on the ground," said study leader Jodi Rowley, an amphibian biologist at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
However, that trick isn't what earned the species its bloodsucking name. Rather, it's the strange curved "fangs" displayed by its tadpoles, which the scientists discovered in 2010.
"When I first saw them by looking through a microscope, I said, 'Oh my God, wow,'" said Rowley, whose research is funded in part by the National Geographic Society's Conservation Trust.
Frog Fangs Still a Mystery
Tadpoles normally have mouthparts similar to a beak. Instead, vampire tree frog tadpoles have a pair of hard black hooks sticking out from the undersides of their mouths—the first time such fangs have been seen in a frog tadpole. (See more frog pictures.)
The scientists do not yet know what purpose the fangs serve. However, frogs that raise tadpoles in tree-trunk water holes often feed their young by laying unfertilized eggs as meals. The fangs, Rowley speculated, could help in slicing these open.
The new vampire flying frog species was formally described on December 21 in the journal Zootaxa.
Shanti Gunaratnam New Straits Times 9 Jan 11;
THE lucrative bird's nest business has through the years come under fire from people who claim it is a health hazard and a threat to heritage.
Over the last few years, getting swiftlets to roost in converted shophouses has become big business as entrepreneurs cash in on the strong demand for bird's nests, mainly from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong.
The nests, made from the saliva of Aerodamus fuciphagus, are said to be excellent for the complexion and in promoting respiratory and gastric health.
The swiftlets use their spit to string together small gauze-like nests which are the main ingredient of bird's nest soup, a Chinese delicacy.
The "bird houses" started flourishing in the 1990s. There are now an estimated 50,000 such "swiftlet hotels" in the country.
Now, there are plans to build swiftlet ranches which promise a more organised and structured method of producing the delicacy.
In the ranches, said to be the first of its kind in the world, "housing units" of detached, semi-detached and terrace types permit edible bird's nests to be cultivated in an organised manner, with the ranches also serving as an eco-tourism centre.
Fourteen swiftlet ranches have been planned throughout the country. Sites have been identified in Perak, Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu and Johor.
"We are looking to be the second largest producer of edible bird's nests in the world," said Swiftlet Eco Park Berhad chief operating officer C.H. Tan.
Swiftlet Eco Park is part of a holding company that is involved in the planning, development, construction and marketing of custom-made and licensed swiftlet farms.
According to the group's website, its first project in Manjung, Perak, was developed in collaboration with the Perak State Development Corporation. The group is developing 14 similar projects all over Malaysia and aims to complete 25 projects with 1,000 licensed buildings over the next three years at a gross development value of RM500 million.
Malaysia is, at present, the second largest producer of bird's nests in the world after Indonesia.
Indonesia produces 78 per cent of the world's bird's nests with Malaysia trailing far behind with only 10 per cent, while Thailand produces the rest.
Some 375 tonnes of raw unprocessed bird's nests were produced last year.
The development of the parks is aimed at assisting the government in addressing the current problem of illegal and disorganised bird's nest cultivation in Malaysia.
"While the industry is growing in a big way, there has also been negative perception from both the public and authorities in recent years, no thanks to errant bird house owners."
Many swiftlet house owners had been taken to task for playing loud chirping sounds round the clock to lure the swiftlets into the bird houses which were converted from old houses, commercial shop offices, or abandoned buildings without approval from the authorities.
There have also been complaints of foul-smelling swiftlet droppings which could be a health hazard.
Other problems include swiftlet houses operating in crowded urban areas.
Also other matters of concern are H5N1 bird flu, bird mites fever and unattended electrical equipment and appliances in swiftlet houses which might pose a fire hazard and the fact that many of the bird houses are illegal, thus depriving the state government of income.
"We intend to be a huge player in the bird's nest industry and are looking at producing up to 25 per cent of the world's demand.
"The whole industry is worth RM15 billion and we want a big chunk of that to flow back into the country," Tan said.
The company hopes to produce about 240kg per bird house which will bring them an income of RM300 million annually.
Initially, 50 per cent of Swiftlet Eco Park's bird's nests will be sold locally, to cater for domestic demand.
"Malaysians, for decades, have known the benefits of consuming bird's nests.
"The Chinese have included bird's nests in their diet for centuries while India, a new market along with the Middle East, is catching up in a big way along with other countries."
The company is also considering venturing into eco-tourism which include swiftlet watching, house visits, feeding swiftlet chicks, learning more about swiftlet habitat, and it has earmarked the Setiu ranch in Terengganu for this purpose.
"People have always been fascinated with bird's nests and where they come from.
"Since we construct and custom-make swiftlet farms, we are in a position to show them how they are produced.
"Bird's nests are fetching very good prices now with the raw unprocessed ones costing between RM4,500 to RM5,500 per kg, while processed ones are sold between RM11,000 to RM19,000 per kg."
Environmental scientists have been criticised for exaggerating the size of an "island" of plastic waste said to be swirling around in the Pacific Ocean after a study finds that it is 200 times smaller than claimed.
Richard Alleyne, The Telegraph 6 Jan 11;
Claims that the "Great Garbage Patch" between California and Japan is twice the size of Texas is "grossly exaggerated" said the research which reckons it is more like one per cent the size.
Further reports that the oceans are filled with more plastic than plankton, and that the patch has been growing tenfold each decade since the 1950s are equally misleading, the new research claimed.
In reality it often cannot even be seen from the deck of a passing boat, said the latest analysts from the Oregon State University professor of oceanography Angelicque White.
The scientist took part in a recent marine expedition to examine the mass of plastic that is floating in the ocean and found there was a problem.
But genuine scientific concerns are undermined by scare tactics from those proclaiming the trash patch is so big that there is more plastic than plankton in the Pacific.
Prof White said: "There is no doubt that the amount of plastic in the world's oceans is troubling, but this kind of exaggeration undermines the credibility of scientists.
"We have data that allow us to make reasonable estimates. We don't need the hyperbole.
"Given the observed concentration of plastic in the North Pacific, it is simply inaccurate to state that plastic outweighs plankton, or that we have observed an exponential increase in plastic."
One popular claim is that the size of the patch is twice that of the state of Texas – half a million square miles or the equivalent of 20 times the size of England.
But while the plastic stretches across the surface, its mass compared to the amount of water means it only takes up a tiny fraction of its proclaimed area, said Prof White.
"The amount of plastic out there isn't trivial," she said.
"But the patch ... is a small fraction of the state of Texas, not twice the size."
Prof White said plastic can be toxic to some marine life forms but it can absorb other toxins – there is evidence that some organisms are breeding on tiny plastic debris.
However, it is also a danger to seabirds and fish and she said: "Plastic clearly does not belong in the ocean."
Getting rid of it is too expensive and could damage the fragile ecology under the ocean, she said. Preventing more from entering the water should now be the main focus instead.
She added: "If there is a takeaway message, it's that we should consider it good news that the 'garbage patch' doesn't seem to be as bad as advertised.
"Since it would be prohibitively costly to remove the plastic, we need to focus our efforts on preventing more trash from fouling our oceans in the first place."
Recent research by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found that the amount of plastic, at least in the Atlantic Ocean, hasn't increased since the mid-1980s – despite greater production and consumption of materials made from plastic, she pointed out.
'Great Garbage Patch': 20 ways to reduce your plastic consumption
The plastic debris in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has killed millions of birds and other marine animals. Here are 20 ways to reduce your plastic consumption.
The Telegraph 6 Jan 11;
Compost your rubbish to reduce your use of plastic bags.
Don't use bin liners – just tip your rubbish into the bin.
Bring unusable cloth bags to the shops with you.
Avoid buying beverages in plastic bottles – opt for glass where possible.
Carry your own thermal mug and ask coffee retailers to fill it for you rather than taking a disposable cup. Bring your own coffee mug to work with you.
Avoid buying foods packaged in plastic. Buy loose fruit and vegetables.
Make your own bread or buy it from bakeries that package it in paper.
Clean your home with baking soda and vinegar instead of using cleanering products packaged in plastic.
Buy washing powder in boxes, not liquid in plastic containers.
Buy cheese and meat from your local delicatessen and have it wrapped in paper.
Use bar soap to wash your dishes – and yourself.
Use scented candles or incense instead of artificial air fresheners.
Buy milk in paper cartons or glass, rather than plastic bottles.
Buy toilet paper that is wrapped in paper, not plastic.
Don’t wrap left-over foods in cling film - use aluminium or wax paper instead.
Use matches instead of plastic-encased lighters.
Give your pets cloth-based toys, like catnip mice and soft balls.
Buy cloth nappies instead of disposables.
Stuff delicate postal packages with old newspapers or junk mail instead of bubble wrap.
Use rechargeable batteries to avoid buying batteries packaged in plastic.
Jay Lindsay, Associated Press Yahoo News 8 Jan 11;
BOSTON – For the first time in at least a century, U.S. fishermen won't take too much of any species from the sea, one of the nation's top fishery scientists says.
The projected end of overfishing comes during a turbulent fishing year that's seen New England fishermen switch to a radically new management system. But scientist Steve Murawski said that for the first time in written fishing history, which goes back to 1900, "As far as we know, we've hit the right levels, which is a milestone."
"And this isn't just a decadal milestone, this is a century phenomenon," said Murawski, who retired last week as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service.
Murawski said it's more than a dramatic benchmark — it also signals the coming of increasingly healthy stocks and better days for fishermen who've suffered financially. In New England, the fleet has deteriorated since the mid-1990s from 1,200 boats to only about 580, but Murawski believes fishermen may have already endured their worst times.
"I honestly think that's true, and that's why I think it's a newsworthy event," said Murawski, now a professor at the University of South Florida.
But fishermen and their advocates say ending overfishing came at an unnecessarily high cost. Dave Marciano fished out of Gloucester, an hour's drive northeast of Boston, for three decades until he was forced to sell his fishing permit in June. He said the new system made it too costly to catch enough fish to stay in business.
"It ruined me," said Marciano, 45. "We could have ended overfishing and had a lot more consideration for the human side of the fishery."
An end to overfishing doesn't mean all stocks are healthy, but scientists believe it's a crucial step to getting there.
When fishermen are overfishing a species, they're catching it at a rate scientists believe is too fast to ensure that the species can rebuild and then stay healthy. It's different from when a species is overfished, which is when scientists believe its population is too low.
Murawski said it's a nearly ironclad rule of fishery management that species become far more abundant when they're being fished at the appropriate level, which is determined after considering factors such as a species' life span and death rates.
A mandate to end overfishing by the 2010 fishing year — which concludes at different times in 2011, depending on the region — came in the 2007 reauthorization of the nation's fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Murawski said the U.S. is the only country that has a law that defines overfishing and requires its fishermen not to engage in it.
"When you compare the United States with the European Union, with Asian countries, et cetera, we are the only industrialized fishing nation who actually has succeeded in ending overfishing," he said.
Regulators say 37 stocks nationwide last year were being overfished (counting only those that live exclusively in U.S. waters); New England had the most with 10. But Murawski said management systems that emphasize strict catch limits have made a big difference, and New England just made the switch.
Fishermen there now work in groups called sectors to divide an annual quota of groundfish, which include cod, haddock and flounder. If they exceed their limits on one species, they're forced to stop fishing on all species.
About two-thirds into the current fishing year, which ends April 30, federal data indicated New England fishermen were on pace to catch fewer than their allotted fish in all but one stock, Georges Bank winter flounder. But Murawski said he didn't expect fishermen would exceed their quota on any stock.
In other regions with overfishing — the South Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean — regulators project catch limits and other measures will end overfishing this fishing year. Already, South Atlantic black grouper and Gulf of Mexico red snapper are no longer being overfished.
The final verification that overfishing has ended nationwide, at least for one fishing year, will come after detailed stock assessments.
It will be a "Pyrrhic victory" in hard-hit New England, said Brian Rothschild, a fisheries scientist at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He said regulators could legally loosen the rules and allow fishermen to safely catch more fish, but regulators have refused to do it, and fishermen have needlessly been shut out from even healthy stocks.
The science is far from perfect, Marciano said. Regulators believed fishermen were overfishing pollock until new data last year indicated scientists had badly underestimated its population, he said. And some stocks, such as Gulf of Maine cod, have recovered even when fishermen were technically overfishing them.
"To say you can't rebuild stocks while overfishing is occurring is an outright lie. We did it," Marciano said.
Tom Nies, a fisheries analyst for regional New England regulators, said stocks can sometimes be boosted by variables such as strong births in a given year, but they'll inevitably decline if overfishing continues on them.
Peter Shelley, senior counsel of the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental group, said the industry's problems are rooted in years of overfishing, especially during the 1980s, not regulation.
"It was a bubble," he said. "Fishermen were living in a bit of a fantasy world at that point, and it wasn't something you could sustain."
That's why Murawski's projection about the end of overfishing is "a very big deal," he said.
"I think we're just starting to see signs of a new future," Shelley said.
What fisherman Steve Arnold, 46, sees in his home port of Point Judith, R.I., are fewer boats, older fishermen and "a lot of frowns on people's faces."
Overfishing might end this year, but the fleet has suffered and has an uncertain future, he said.
"I believe we can get to a better place, but the work isn't done," Arnold said. "We're living through something that we're learning as we go. It's not a comfortable feeling."
While authorities beef up security for Olive Ridley turtles, pipeline crack poses threat
Manoj Kar The Telegraph Calcutta 8 Jan 11;
Kendrapara, Jan. 8: Leakage of oil from the Paradip-Haldia pipeline following a crack has posed a threat to the aquatic life including the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.
The underground pipeline of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), for carrying crude oil from Paradip port to its oil refinery at Haldia in Bengal, cracked near the Sansara creek at Sandhakuda on the outskirts of Orissa’s port town, official sources said here today.
“There was a crack in the pipeline due to a technical snag. It occurred, most probably, on Thursday night. Fishermen informed us about the incident. We have since plugged the crack and there is no leakage now,” V.C. Suti, deputy general manager of Paradip-Haldia project of IOCL said today.
Suti, who agreed that aquatic life had been affected by the leak, said: “We will compensate the losses suffered by traditional marine fishermen after assessing the situation and obtaining a report.” In the 300 acre Sansar water body, located on the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, there are 25 prawn gheries set up by traditional marine fishermen. “We are taking up the matter with the authorities to contain the toxic effect on the water bodies as the leaked crude oil has already got mixed with the water,”added Suti.
However, he said, at present there is no cause for worry. After inspecting the spot, Pabitra Kumar Pradhan, district fisheries officer, Jagatsinghpur, said thick layers of oily substance were floating in the water and a large number of fish were found to be dead in the area under the toxic effect of crude oil.
“If the oil further slicks into the sea, it could affect the Olive Ridley sea turtles visiting the sprawling beaches in the district. The Orissa government is not equipped with the mechanism to regulate the toxic effect of oil slick. IOCL should initiate remedial measures immediately to negate the impact. We are assessing the losses caused to the fishermen,” Pradhan said.
A team of officials from Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPC) rushed to the site to asses the impact on the environment. Local fishermen said their year-long labour had gone down the drain due to the oil slick. “All the prawn catches in the area perished due to leakage and we have already suffered huge loss. IOCL should ensure that there is no repetition of such incidents,” said Gayadhar Behera, a fisherman.
Narayan Haldar, president of Orissa traditional marine fishermen’s association, said: “Oil leak or toxic impact on the water in the area being perpetrated by industries including IOCL has become routine phenomenon...Though the state government has imposed ban on fishing for seven months keeping in view safety of Olive Ridley turtles, the remaining months are marred by intermittent incidents of oil leakage and resultant toxic effect on the aquatic life.”
Firms warn of effect of government spending cuts on planned defences
Andrew McCorkell The Independent 9 Jan 11;
Homeowners living near rivers and the coast face losing up to 40 per cent of the value of their homes as flood risk makes them uninsurable.
More than a million homes and 300,000 businesses are at risk, including those in parts of London, Southend, Brighton, Reading, Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Hull, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Environment Agency says.
The insurance industry points to evidence that climate change and rising sea levels will increase the likelihood of floods. It has an agreement with the Government – which runs out in 2013 – committing it to provide cover for customers, as long as flood risk is properly managed.
Insurers are expressing concern about cuts to investment in flood defences implied in the coalition's Comprehensive Spending Review, and the affect of funding cuts on extending the agreement – the UK is currently one of the few countries to provide flood coverage automatically through property insurance.
Nick Starling, of the Association of British Insurers, said: "We must ensure that our spending on flood defences and flood management is targeted to those areas where it is needed the most, and that the Government implements a long-term flood management strategy."
Flooding is expensive for insurers, with claims typically between £20,000 and £40,000. In the past decade insurers have paid out £4.5bn to customers whose homes or businesses have flooded, three times the £1.5bn paid in the previous decade.
Under the spending review, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs took a 29 per cent budget cut, including £110m from planned spending on new flood defences. Defra insists flood risk management is a "priority".
Some 20,000 families in Essex coastal areas say they have lost equity and are struggling with increasing premiums. Essex County Council has approached the Government for £20m to build a sea wall to protect 35 high-flood-risk homes at Great Wavering. The Environment Agency has completed 160 flood schemes defending 160,000 properties since 2007.
Dr Paul Leinster, its chief executive said: "We will continue to reduce flood risk by investing in defence schemes, but it is essential that people are all also better prepared, by signing up to the Environment Agency's flood warning service and rebuilding damaged properties to make them more flood-proof."
'It'll be harder to sell now'
Wot Blowers, 62, a self-employed gardener from Cockermouth, Cumbria, was rehoused through her insurance company following floods in the county in 2009
"It was awful. I was out of my home for nearly a year. I am back now, but it has taken the best part of a year to get the house fixed. The whole of the ground floor was flooded halfway to the ceiling.
"I probably have lost value on my house. I've been wanting to sell it for years, but it's going to be a lot harder now. My premium was £150 originally, but when I got my insurance renewal it was £2,111. I spoke to Trading Standards, but it's still higher than it was."
AFP The Independent 8 Jan 11;
Scientists have found evidence of a "drastic" shift since the 1970s in north Atlantic Ocean currents that usually influence weather in the northern hemisphere, Swiss researchers said on Tuesday.
The team of biochemists and oceanographers from Switzerland, Canada and the United States detected changes in deep sea Atlantic corals that indicated the declining influence of the cold northern Labrador Current.
They said in the US National Academy of Science journal PNAS that the change "since the early 1970s is largely unique in the context of the last approximately 1,800 years," and raised the prospect of a direct link with global warming.
The Labrador Current interacts with the warmer Gulfstream from the south.
They in turn have a complex interaction with a climate pattern, the North Atlantic Oscillation, which has a dominant impact on weather in Europe and North America.
Scientists have pointed to a disruption or shifts in the oscillation as an explanation for moist or harsh winters in Europe, or severe summer droughts such as in Russia, in recent years.
One of the five scientists, Carsten Schubert, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Acquatic Sciences and Technology (EAWAG), underlined that for nearly 2,000 years the sub polar Labrador current off northern Canada and Newfoundland was the dominant force.
However that pattern appeared to have only been repeated occasionally in recent decades.
"Now the southern current has taken over, it's really a drastic change," Schubert told AFP, pointing to the evidence of the shift towards warmer water in the northwest Atlantic.
The research was based on nitrogen isotope signatures in 700 year old coral reefs on the ocean floor, which feed on sinking organic particles.
While water pushed by the Gulfstream is salty and rich in nutrients, the colder Arctic waters carried by the Labrador current contain fewer nutrients.
Changes could be dated because of the natural growth rings seen in corals.
"The researchers suspect there is a direct connection between the changes in oceanic currents in the North Atlantic and global warming caused by human activities," said EAWAG in a statement.
Singapore Green Landscape 2011
from Green Future Solutions
New Additions to Seagrass-Monitoring for 2011
from teamseagrass
110106 Venus Drive
from Singapore Nature
Letter from Krist Boo Vice-President, Communications Resorts World Sentosa
Today Online 8 Jan 11;
When Resorts World Sentosa won the bid to build Singapore's first integrated resort in December 2006, it promised a Marine Life Park (MLP) that would put the Republic on the world map as the region's leader in marine research, conservation and education.
The MLP has on board today a team of professionals and animal experts who have been working to ensure that its development follows top-notch international practices and that it will eventually gain accreditation from a reputable international body. Even before it opens, the MLP has put its pledge on conservation into practice. In May 2008, MLP launched the $3.2 million Marine Life Fund for marine-life research, education and conservation projects.
In December 2008, the fund made its first disbursement to WildAid for anti-poaching patrol boats in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. In 2009, it aided a national shark conservation campaign in China. In the same year, it funded a marine-life education programme among kindergarten children, which raised funds for a local conservation group.
RWS has also undertaken coral conservation and remains one of the few destination resorts in the world that does not serve shark's fin in its restaurants. Just as what zoos have done to raise the profile of the panda and created awareness of its endangered status, the MLP has its role in wildlife conservation and education. The MLP team welcomes views and remains committed to dialogue with special interest groups, supporters and individuals keen to learn and act on marine conservation.
RWS must comply
Letter from Carrie Kwik Director, Integrated Resorts Industry Development Group II Singapore Tourism Board
Today Online 8 Jan 11;
I refer to the letter from Mr Roger Chow ("For PR's sake, free the dolphins", Dec 27) and thank him for his feedback.
The proposals for the Marine Life Park were submitted as part of the winning integrated resort tender bid by RWS. The range of attractions developed within the integrated resort and the specific components within each attraction, such as the plans for its Marine Life Park, are commercial decisions made by the developer.
In developing the Marine Life Park, RWS has committed to ensure that all aspects of development and implementation follow the relevant regulations and guidelines.
RWS must comply with international regulations, which include those of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), as well as the requirements of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) to safeguard animal health and ensure no animals are harmed or treated inappropriately at any time.
RWS will also be required to work with AVA to ensure that the marine animals in Singapore are provided with adequate space and care, among other considerations.
Attractions like the Marine Life Park have proven to be successful internationally not only for their appeal but also for educating the public on marine life and environmental issues.
We would like to see the Marine Life Park at RWS fulfil its potential to introduce young minds to the world of marine life and provide guests with educational and enriching experiences.
Resorts World Sentosa committed to wildlife conservation
Straits Times 10 Jan 11;
I THANK the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for its letter ('SPCA voices concern over animal welfare, experimentation'; Dec 30).
When Resorts World Sentosa won the bid to build Singapore's first integrated resort, it promised a Marine Life Park (MLP) that would put the Republic on the world map as the region's leader in marine research, conservation and education.
To deliver the promise, the MLP has on board today a world-class team of experienced professionals and animal experts. This team has been working towards ensuring that the park's development follows top-notch international practices, and that it will eventually gain accreditation from a reputable international body.
Even before opening, the MLP has put its pledge on conservation into practice.
In May 2008, it launched the $3.2 million Marine Life Fund for marine-life research, education and conservation projects. In December 2008, the fund made its first disbursement to WildAid for anti-poaching patrol boats in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
In 2009, the fund aided a national shark conservation campaign in China. In the same year, it funded a marine life education programme among kindergarten children, which raised funds for a local conservation group.
Resorts World Sentosa has also undertaken coral conservation and today, remains one of the few destination resorts in the world with restaurants that do not serve shark's fin.
Just as what zoos have done to raise the profile of the panda and created awareness of its endangered status, the MLP has its role in wildlife conservation and education. The MLP team welcomes views and remains committed to dialogue with special interest groups, supporters and individuals keen to learn and act on marine conservation.
Krist Boo (Ms)
Vice President, Communications
Resorts World Sentosa
Esther Ng Today Online 8 Jan 11;
LANGKAWI - First there were seven, then five and now there are none.
The five remaining bottlenose dolphins at a holding area in Langkawi destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) Marine Life Park were no longer at the pen of the Awana Porto Malai resort when MediaCorp visited on Friday.
An employee who wanted to be known as Ahmed, told MediaCorp that the dolphins were put into a container last month and sent to Langkawi's international airport, from where they shipped to the Philippines.
MediaCorp had reported on Dec 18 that two of the dolphins had died from an acute bacterial infection in October.
The dolphins were caught in the Solomon Islands last January.
Mr Ahmed believes that the rest were moved from the Malaysian resort, which is owned by the Genting group, because the water "was not good" for their health.
"We had a lot of rain and muddy run-off from the nearby mountains could have affected the dolphins," he said.
Until they were removed, said Mr Ahmed, the dolphins were friendly and trained three times a day by six trainers - two each from Mexico, Hong Kong and Singapore.
"Contacted by MediaCorp, RWS was unable to respond by press time if the mammals were joining its 18 other dolphins being trained at the Ocean Adventure Park in the Philippines.
The RWS had previously said the dolphins there were in "good health" and that it was continuing with the "development and establishment of the medical, behavioural, husbandry and training programmes ... to ensure the well-being and health of the dolphins".
While animal activists have been up in arms about the captivity of dolphins in Singapore, RWS had stressed that the Marine Life Park was "part of the bid" when it won the integrated resort licence.
After winning the bid, RWS signed an agreement with the Sentosa Development Corporation, a Government statutory board. This means the ball is not just in the RWS court when it comes to any decision about the dolphins.
On Friday, the RWS wrote to MediaCorp to explain how its Marine Life Park would support conservation.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Tourism Board stressed on Friday that RWS must comply with international regulations, which include the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), as well as the requirements of the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority to safeguard animal health.
Bottlenose dolphins are listed in Appendix II of Cites, which entails strict regulations in their trade. The RWS had said previously it would comply with these regulations.
RWS relocates 7 dolphins to Philippines
Channel NewsAsia 8 Jan 11;
SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) says it has relocated seven dolphins to the Philippines as part of its overall strategy to set up a satellite facility identical to its permanent operations in Singapore.
The dolphins are destined for RWS' yet-to-be-completed Marine Life Park.
RWS adds that it has set up an animal hospital and laboratory in the Philippines, hired a vet who specialises in marine mammals to support its consulting veterinary team and continue with its husbandry and behaviour training programmes.
The integrated resort says the relocation of the dolphins in December last year from a holding area in Malaysia's Langkawi island to the Philippines was done to enhance and expand the training and development of the dolphins and trainers as well as to continue integrating the dolphins into social groupings.
RWS will also start preparations to commence its long-term goal of developing a breeding programme for the dolphins.
It says details of the Marine Life Park are still being finalised.
The care and well-being of the dolphins are of paramount importance and they will be moved to Singapore only when the facility is ready, fully complying with international regulations, which include the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, says RWS.
There were originally nine dolphins at the Langkawi holding area, but two died in October from an acute bacterial infection. The dolphins were caught from the wild at Solomon Islands in January last year.
RWS moves dolphins again
Straits Times 9 Jan 11;
Seven dolphins destined for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) have been moved from their holding pen on the Malaysian island of Langkawi to another facility in the Philippines.
The move comes after two dolphins died in captivity in Langkawi in October, drawing flak from animal welfare groups. They had suffered an acute bacterial infection.
Captured in January last year at the Solomon Islands, the nine dolphins were first brought to Langkawi for training by professional RWS trainers.
According to RWS spokesman Robin Goh, the move to the Philippines was done 'to enhance and expand the training and development of the dolphins'.
In addition, it also wants to integrate the dolphins into social groups, and is preparing to start a long-term breeding programme.
It plans to use the dolphins for its Marine Life Park, an 8ha oceanarium which was part of its winning proposal to build the Sentosa integrated resort in 2006.
It could not confirm when the park will officially open this year, or what role the dolphins would play in it.
It did not comment on whether the dolphins were moved because of what could be poor water quality at the Langkawi facility that could have threatened the dolphins' health.
To prevent any further deaths, Mr Goh said RWS has built an animal hospital and laboratory at its facility in the Philippines, and has hired a full-time vet who specialises in marine mammals to join its consultative team of vets.
The trade of bottlenose dolphins is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which RWS said it has pledged to comply fully with.
Lin Yang
Five years after Semakau opened to the public, visitor numbers and wildlife flourish
Ong Dai Lin Today Online 8 Jan 11;
THE photos in her wedding album show the lovebirds all aglow against a backdrop of sweeping azure skies, wind-swept tall grass, green plains starred with white flowers, and serene tree-lined paths.
Said Mrs Rochelle Ong: "When people see my wedding pictures, they ask if I took the photos in Korea. When you tell them it is a landfill, they go: 'Huh?'."
It was by chance that Mrs Ong had stumbled across Pulau Semakau, Singapore's last operational landfill, while surfing the Internet. Impressed with how beautiful the island looked, the 31-year-old assistant sales manager decided she had to have her nuptial pictures taken there, and wrote to the National Environment Agency (NEA) for permission. They got their wish in 2007.
The next year, Mr Adrial Tan and his bride became the second couple to take their wedding shots there since the island was opened to the public in 2005. "We didn't need to go overseas for a different type of photo shoot - that would have cost quite a bit," said the 33-year-old teacher. "I think nobody expected a landfill to have such scenery."
Every day, about 2,000 tonnes of ash, sludge and non-incinerable solid waste - the residue from the mainland's four waste incineration plants - make their way to their final resting place at Semakau.
Through the ingenious efforts of the Ministry of the Environment, what could have been a literal dump has instead been transformed into an ecological and recreational haven for nature lovers, bird watchers, sport fishermen and stargazers.
According to the agency, the number of members of the public trooping to Semakau has tripled since 2005, from more than 4,000 to 13,000 last year.
To ensure Mother Nature isn't stressed by so many visitors, the number is limited to 160 a day. They have to sign up for a tour with the NEA or join the activities of The Astronomical Society of Singapore (Tasos), the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and Sport Fishing Association Singapore (SFAS), which have permission to hold their events on Semakau.
SHARKS AND EAGLES
These interest groups tell MediaCorp that they see more people joining the trips they conduct to Semakau.
The NSS, which organises bi-monthly bird-watching trips to the landfill with 20 to 30 people each time, says there has been a "substantial increase" in interest. Society president Shawn Lum said: "More people are aware of the environment and have more knowledge about Semakau."
Recounting how Semakau has changed since it opened for landfill operations in 1999, Dr Lum said: "It was just the reclaimed land initially ... the grasslands and wetlands had not yet evolved. Now, the planted mangroves have established themselves and matured, and there are habitats now that never existed, and we see more biodiversity on Semakau."
For instance, the changeable hawk eagle - a rare sighting in mainland forests, which is not known to visit offshore islands - has been spotted on Semakau, Dr Lum said.
Sports fishermen have seen turtles and stingrays, which breed in the waters off Semakau; the black-tipped reef shark, which can grow to 1.8m in length; as well as sea otters in the mangroves, according to Mr Chin Chi Khiong, chairman of the SFAS.
The association organises monthly fishing trips to Semakau but not to worry - the anglers use artificial bait and practise the "catch and release" method, said Mr Chin. The SFAS promotes fishing as a sport, not a meat-hunting exercise.
For human day trippers, more facilities have been built, such as a briefing room and pantry for groups that stay overnight, noted Tasos assistant honorary secretary Albert Ho. The society visits Semakau four to six times a year in groups of 20 to 50; they get twice the number of participants these days than when the trips out first started.
At night, minus the glare of urban lights, the Milky Way and the Summer Triangle (a star formation) are some of the sky objects that are visible from Semakau.
HUMAN IMPACT
The NEA has not studied the impact of visitors' activities on Semakau but interest groups say it is minimal because of the cap on visitor numbers. Said Mr Chin: "When we go in a small group, the impact on nature is very small. And we don't go very often, we give nature time to recover."
The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity, which is conducting a three-year census of Semakau's marine species, declined to be interviewed for this feature. Its Project Semakau, which started in November 2008, uses volunteers to help researchers document species of plants and animals, as well as conduct tours for schools and the public.
Other interest groups such as the Tropical Marine Science Institute and TeamSeaGrass also monitor eco systems around the island. The western shore of Semakau, for instance, is home to what are probably Singapore's largest remaining coral reefs and pristine expanse of seagrass.
Given how this ecological gem appears to be flourishing, should the landfill's doors be cracked open for more human visitors to appreciate it? It's something the interest groups are in favour of but with understandable caution. Said Mr Ho: "It's good to expose people to Semakau. But there must be a balance between opening up and letting the place become commercialised like Sentosa. Then we will lose the charm of the place."
For now, the NEA is not considering raising the visitor limit. Mr Ivan Yap, manager of landfill operations at Semakau, said there is limited transportation and manpower to cope with an increased visitor count.
"If there are too many people, the visitors will not be able to enjoy the trip," he added.
From waste ash to homes for man and nature
by Ong Dai Lin
Another challenge Pulau Semakau faces is coping with the waste that Singapore produces with a growing economy and population.
Besides encouraging Singaporeans to recycle more, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is looking to see if it can make use of the waste being dumped at Semakau.
In March last year, it began an eight-month study to assess the possibility of building a commercial plant to recycle the waste ash into useful material for construction work.
By reducing the amount of waste that ends up at the landfill, its lifespan can be extended beyond 2045. Manager of landfill operations at Semakau Ivan Yap said: "We are trying to change our perceptions too. What you term as waste now can eventually be a resource."
He adedd: "Once Semakau landfill is used up, it is very costly and difficult to find another place to develop a landfill site."
The NEA is also thinking of attracting more biodiversity research by the likes of academics and nature groups, on the island's mangroves, sea grass and corals for instance.
The $610-million Semakau Landfill, created out of the amalgamation of Pulau Sakeng and Pulau Semakau, began operations in 1999. Care was taken to minimise the impact of construction on the ecosystems, including replanting lost tracts of mangroves.
A rock bund built around the 350-hectare landfill, and lined with an impermeable membrane and clay, prevents pollution of the sea.
Cells divide the landfill. Each evening, waste ash, sludge and non-incinerable waste is barged over from the mainland and fill those cells.
When a cell is full, a layer of earth is poured over it and, over time, nature makes its home there.
Besides being featured by international media such as the Discovery Channel, environment ministers from over the world such as Japan and New Zealand have visited Semakau to learn about its nature-friendly waste management efforts. Ong Dai Lin
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