Civet shopping at CBD?
from Life of a common palm civet in Singapore
Life History of Arhopala major major
from Butterflies of Singapore
Mud lobster sighting and 8 new wild boar piglets at Chek Jawa
from Peiyan.Photography and wild shores of singapore
Matt McGrath BBC News 2 Mar 13;
New plans to protect elephants, rhinos and other species will be discussed at a critical meeting that begins in Bangkok on Sunday.
Delegates will review the convention on the international trade in endangered species (CITES).
Around 35,000 animals and plants are at present protected by the treaty.
But with a global "extinction crisis" facing many species, this year's meeting is being described as the most critical in its history.
The CITES agreement was signed in Washington in March 1973 in an attempt to regulate the burgeoning trade in wild flora and fauna.
It entered into force in 1975 and experts say that legitimate global imports of wildlife products are now worth more than $300bn (£200bn) a year.
The convention works by licensing commercial trade in species.
The process is meant to be governed by the scientific evidence of threat against an animal or a plant.
However, as CITES consists of government delegations, its decision-making is rooted in the political and economic interests of member countries.
In Bangkok, delegates from some 178 countries will face some critical decisions.
Secret votes
The first one they will have to grapple with is the issue of secret ballots.
Many critics argue that CITES delegations sometimes hide behind the secret ballot process when they want to avoid being seen putting commercial interests ahead of conservation.
Many campaigners are hoping that the meeting will vote to restrict the use of secret voting in order to set a more open tone for the meeting.
"CITES ought to be a transparent body - but secret ballots have become easier to implement at the behest of certain parties who don't want their vote to be known," Mark Jones from Humane Society International told BBC News.
"We are supportive of increased transparency so that parties can be held to account," he added.
Delegates will have to deal with 70 proposals for amending the rules relating to specific species. Elephants will feature heavily as the global demand for ivory is driving poaching to unprecedented levels.
But many campaigners see Thailand as being one of the biggest contributors to the trade, as it is legal there to sell ivory taken from native elephants. Criminals are believed to use this loophole to sell stocks of ivory from African elephants as well.
The Thai government is now under pressure to take action.
"After years of failing to end this unfettered trade, Thailand should grab the spotlight and shut down these markets that are fuelling the poaching of elephants in Africa," said Carlos Drews of environmental group WWF.
Campaign groups are seeking to have sanctions imposed on Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria to try and stem the flow of ivory.
Bear wars
Another issue that is dividing both country delegations and welfare campaigners is the status of polar bears, a situation the BBC reported on last December.
The US is proposing that all trade in bear parts be banned - a move which is stridently opposed by Canada and Russia. Around 400 bears a year are killed for this purpose.
Dan Ashe is the director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and head of the American delegation at CITES.
"While we recognise that the bear-parts trade is not the factor that is driving the polar bears to extinction... we believe that the commercial trade in bear parts should cease."
On rhinos, Kenya is proposing that there should be a moratorium on the export of trophy horns from South Africa and Swaziland, which are currently exempt. Again there are divisions on the best approach.
Some environmentalists believe the trophy hunting has helped the rhino population to recover by bringing in revenue from tourism.
Other researchers are calling for the legalisation of the rhino horn trade as they blame the current ban for increasing the rewards from poaching. Last year 668 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa, and more than 100 have died so far this year.
Several species of shark are also likely to get additional protection this time round according to campaigners, as new reports indicated that over 100 million a year are being killed in commercial fisheries.
One of the most interesting aspects of this meeting is the emerging political alliance between the world's two biggest economies - the US and China are co-sponsoring proposals to restrict trade in Asian turtles and tortoises.
According to Dan Ashe, that is a significant move.
"It is the first time we have ever made a joint proposal with China - that bodes well for a future partnership emerging between US and China."
And as well as trying to save different species, the US will be pushing forward with proposals for passports for musical instruments.
Many are made from rare types of wood that require a permit to go from country to country. It is one proposal that likely to have widespread support.
The meeting runs until 14 March.
How CITES works
The Convention assigns animals and plants to different categories depending on the level of threat they face:
Appendix I covers animals and plants in which all international commercial trade is prohibited except in rare circumstances. In this category are 530 animal species including tigers, white rhinos and gorillas.
Appendix II is much bigger. Trade is allowed in these animals and plants but strictly controlled by permit. Over 4,460 animals and 28,000 plants are in this grouping, including polar bears and some shark species.
Appendix III includes species that are protected within the borders of a member country. There are 290 species in this group, including the two-toed sloth.
Nations to meet on illegal wildlife trade
Nirmal Ghosh Straits Times 3 Mar 13;
More than 2,000 delegates from 177 countries gather in Bangkok today to decide the fate of dozens of wild species killed for human consumption, including elephants, sharks and polar bears. Ironically, the meeting's host Thailand faces trade sanctions over its failure to curb the ivory trade.
The two-week Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) will see furious arguments and hard bargaining over the numbers of these species that can be killed - or in the case of ivory, over the regulation of the trade.
Some 70 proposals have been tabled, to increase or decrease the level of protection for endangered species.
Enforcement will also be an issue. Ivory is particularly controversial. Cites has come under fire for allowing the one-off sale of African ivory stocks to China in 2008. That triggered an unprecedented slaughter of elephants as poached ivory has been laundered into the legal market. Well over 50,000 elephants have been killed over the last two years - by armed gangs and militias, some operating from helicopters - in the African bush to feed the voracious market. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and its affiliate Traffic which monitors trade and enforcement in endangered species, have called for trade sanctions on China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Thailand, for not taking adequate steps to crack down on the illegal trade.
Traffic's director for South-east Asia William Schaedla wrote in an e-mail: "Thailand has so far done a great job cleaning up illegal ivory in the weeks before international delegations arrive.
"Unfortunately, for more than a decade, Thailand has failed to meet the most basic requirements for tracing and controlling ivory sales."
Ms Mary Rice, an ivory specialist with British-based Environmental Investigation Agency, told The Sunday Times that China, as the biggest end-user of ivory, should be sanctioned.
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has said her government will consider a demand to ban the ivory trade altogether.
A similar issue is rhino horn, worth thousands of US dollars per kg because of its supposed medicinal properties. Last year, 668 wild rhinos were slaughtered for their horns in Africa alone - and scores in India and Nepal.
Much of the fighting over how many of a species it is acceptable to kill, or over enforcement, centres on questions of money or culture - or both. And politics is an inevitable third aspect.
The United States, for instance, has proposed raising the level of protection for polar bears; Canada does not agree because native Inuits traditionally hunt polar bears, selling around 400 skins a year.
Tunggadewa Mattangkilang Jakarta Globe 1 Mar 13;
Nunukan, East Kalimantan. Pygmy elephants, already on the brink of extinction, face further threat, with the development of their habitat in Nunukan given preliminary approval. But the results of an assessment of the project’s impact on the environment may yet bring it to a halt.
The area around Tulin Onsoi may soon be developed as rubber and silk tree plantations after two companies — Borneo Utara Lestari and Intracawood — obtained preliminary permission to develop the area into a forestry plantation (HTI).
Before either company can begin to develop the area, both must first obtain an environmental impact analysis (Amdal) in order to gain final approval.
Wiwin Effendy, coordinator of the East Kalimantan branch of WWF Indonesia, said an analysis conducted by WWF showed that 66 percent of the land proposed for development by Borneo Utara Lestari were areas of elephant habitation, while the entire area proposed by Intracawood was elephant habitation.
Wiwin said the development should not be approved, as it could result in the elephants’ extinction. He also said that approving the HTIs would undermine the government’s commitment to protecting Indonesian elephants, as stipulated under a Forestry Ministry decree.
He said conflicts between elephants and humans in Nunukan had increased since 2005 when several oil palm plantation companies began development in the area. He added that conflicts were likely to increase with further development.
“The issue of an HTI permit in an elephant habitat would bring a negative impact for the local people. Wild elephants would face food scarcity and consequently look for food at people’s homes and this will create conflict,” he warned.
WWF Indonesia has called on the regional government to halt the operation and revoke the permits.
Studies conducted by WWF Indonesia and East Kalimantan BKSDA (Natural Resources Conservation Agency) over the past five years estimated that there were only 20 to 80 pygmy elephants left in the area and that extinction was likely without efforts by the government and other stakeholders to preserve their habitat.
Kalimatan elephants are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as on the brink of extinction.
Ilay, a local cultural figure in Sungai Tulid, criticized the regional government for issuing the permit. He said the Dayak Agabag tribe in Tulin Onsoi called the elephants “grandmother” and considered the animal holy.
Stephen Leahy Science Alert 2 Mar 13;
Killer heat waves, floods and storms are increasingly caused by climate change, new research reveals.
Scientists in Germany say they have found how greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels are helping to trap the jet stream, resulting in extraordinary weather such as the 2010 Pakistan flood and the 2011 heat wave in the United States.
Human-driven climate change repeatedly disturbs the flow of atmospheric waves around the globe’s Northern hemisphere, said lead author Vladimir Petoukhov of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany.
Giant atmospheric waves called Rossby waves are meanders in the strong, high-altitude winds known as jet streams and have a major influence on weather. These wave movements are caused by the difference in temperatures between the cold air from the Arctic and hot air from the tropics.
When the waves shift north, they suck warm air from the tropics to Europe, Russia, or the U.S., and when they swing down, they do the same thing with cold air from the Arctic, said Petoukhov.
“During several recent extreme weather events, these planetary waves almost freeze in their tracks for weeks,” he said. “So instead of bringing in cool air after having brought warm air in before, the heat just stays.”
This unnatural pattern is due to human heating of the climate through emissions of greenhouse gases that result from burning fossil fuels, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
However, this heating of the atmosphere is wildly uneven. The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the global temperature rise of 0.8C and that affects the Rossby waves and is slowing the jet stream.
“(Our research) complements previous research that already linked such phenomena to climate change,” said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a co-author of the study.
IPS previously reported research showing the dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice and rapid warming of the region was affecting weather patterns in the northern hemisphere.
The unprecedented expanse of ice-free Arctic Ocean has been absorbing the 24-hour sun over the short polar summer. The heat in the water must be released into the atmosphere if the ice is to re-form in the autumn.
“This is like a new energy source for the atmosphere,” Jennifer Francis, a researcher at Rutgers University, told the Guardian.
Major declines of Arctic summer sea ice as in 2011 and 2007 have been linked to colder winters in the UK and northern Europe, Francis said. The record ice loss in 2012 has been followed by a cold and stormy winter over much of Europe.
“The jet stream is clearly weaker,” said Francis. That means weather systems, be it rain or dry conditions, are slow to move on and last longer. Ultimately, this can result in “blocking” events, such as the conditions that produced the terrible heatwave in western Russia during the summer of 2010 and floods in Pakistan, she said.
Last summer, Greenland experienced a similar blocking anti-cyclone, resulting in a record surface melting of its ice sheet. “Blocks act like a traffic jam, slowing down weather patterns elsewhere,” Francis said.
Scientists are surprised by how extreme these changes have been with a relatively small amount of warming. That has prompted some to speak out politically to urge emission reductions. On Monday, a group of Canadian and U.S. scientists pleaded with the Canadian government to stop the expansion of the Alberta tar sands oil projects and take real steps to reduce carbon emissions.
Canada ranks 58th out of 61 countries according the 2013 Climate Change Performance Index.
“The Canadian government has no credible plan for stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions, much less reducing them,” Danny Harvey, a University of Toronto climate scientist, said in a statement.
Canada needs “across-the-board deep reductions”, Harvey said. “Continued expansion of the oil sands operations runs counter to this imperative.”
The tar sands, also called oil sands, are responsible for about 300 million tonnes of CO2 a year (production and consumption) — more than most countries. The industry, supported by the Canadian and Alberta governments, hopes to triple this amount.
In recent weeks, they have been heavily lobbying the new Obama administration to get approval for the Keystone XL pipeline. If President Obama approves it, Keystone XL will bring 800,000 barrels of tar sands oil south from Alberta to the U.S. gulf coast every day for many years.
That decision is expected in a few weeks.
Last December, at the U.N. climate conference in Doha, Qatar, Schellnhuber declared: “The first law of humanity is not to kill your children.”
Megan Gannon LiveScience.com Yahoo News 1 Mar 13;
The Okapi Faunal Reserve was thought to be a safe haven for forest elephants in the otherwise conflict-stricken eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But a new report finds that unabated poaching has sent the population into serious decline. Just 1,700 elephants are left inside the reserve, and that number could be zero within 10 years, conservationists warn.
A lucrative black-market trade in ivory drives the hunt for elephants in the region. In the last 15 years, 75 percent of the Okapi population, or 5,100 animals, have been killed, and in the last five years, the population has declined 37 percent, according to a Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) survey.
WCS officials say the numbers are surprisingly grim because the Okapi Faunal Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering more than 5,000 square miles (14,000 square km), is considered the best protected conservation area in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before a civil war broke out in the region in the late 1990s, the WCS counted about 6,800 forest elephants in the reserve. In 2007, after the war officially ended, the WCS's elephant count was down to 2,700.
Since then, park rangers have reduced the number of elephants killed in the reserve each year from 400 to 170, but conservationists warn that instability in the Ituri region could spell more trouble for the animals. In one unsettling incident last June, armed attackers descended on the park headquarters, killing park rangers and villagers and looting the park's offices before setting them ablaze. [Elephant Images: The Biggest Beasts on Land]
The WCS says it's working with the country's wildlife department (the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, or ICCN) to keep the reserve secure.
"We salute our partners at ICCN for their dedication and commitment to protect wildlife under the most difficult circumstances," James Deutsch, executive director for the WCS's African programs, said in a statement. "We remain stalwart in our partnership with them and will continue to work in their country to protect elephants and the landscapes where they live. We urge the international community to support the DRC in the fight against the threat of extinction of the forest elephant."
On the other end of the ivory trade, the WCS says more work is needed to plug the demand for ivory, especially in East Asian countries like China.
The forest elephant is a subspecies of the African elephant, which is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In addition to poaching, the massive mammals are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation.
Stephanie Pappas LiveScience Yahoo News 1 Mar 13;
Australia's summer of 2013 is the hottest on record so far, the country's Bureau of Meteorology announced today (March 1).
The country's average temperature this summer has been 83.5 degrees Fahrenheit (28.6 degrees Celsius), 2 degrees F (1 degree C) above normal. That breaks the previous summer temperature record, set in the summer of 1997 to 1998, by 0.18 degree F (0.1 degree C).
Summertime in the Southern hemisphere runs during wintertime in the Northern hemisphere. Australia defines the season based on the meteorological definition, in which summer begins on Dec. 1 and ends on the last day of February.
A widespread and prolonged heat wave drove temperatures up for three weeks in January, with the hottest temperature during that period peaking at a whopping 121.3 degrees F (49.6 degrees C) in Moomba in South Australia. That heat wave contributed to massive wildfires, with 130 burning in New South Wales alone as of Jan. 8.
Records were also set in Sydney, which hit 114.4 degrees F (45.8 degrees C), and Hobart in Tasmania, which got up to 107.2 degrees F (41.8 degrees C). According to the Bureau, of the 112 locations used for long-term climate monitoring, 14 had their hottest day on record during the summer of 2012-2013. [The Harshest Environments on Earth]
The country also experienced the highest recorded number of consecutive days the average maximum daily temperature exceeded 102. 2 degrees F (39 degrees C). That occurred over seven days between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8, beating out 1973's record of four days.
With all the heat came little moisture. Summer rainfall was at its lowest since 2004-2005, with Victoria recording its driest summer since 1984-1985.
Australia didn't swelter alone. December and January were the hottest on record for land areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Temperatures in Patagonia, Chile, were more than 7.2 degrees F (4 degrees C) above normal in January, while much of southern Africa reported its hottest temperatures on record that month.
Australia's hot summer and dangerous wildfires echo the pain of previous years. In February 2009, a heat wave hit the province of Victoria, bringing scalding temperatures and no moisture for weeks. On Feb. 7, about 400 wildfires burned through Victoria, killing 173 people and earning the date the moniker "Black Saturday."
Meanwhile, other parts of the world have experienced their own miserable summers. The first five months of 2012 were the hottest on record for the contiguous United States, and things only got worse in July, when a heat wave tied or set daily records in every state. In total, the month set 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum (nighttime) temperatures.
Lesser Whistling-ducklings all in a row
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Vol. 61 (1)
from Raffles Museum News
It is working with angling groups to stop pollution, depletion of fish stock
David Ee Straits Times 2 Mar 13;
SOME of them pollute reservoirs with discarded bait. Others take their catch home, depleting fish stocks. They often leave trash behind too.
Even as national water agency PUB continues to open up more designated spots at reservoirs for fishing, now permitted at 10 reservoirs after the inclusion of Marina Reservoir last December, it is concerned about anglers not fishing responsibly.
It is reaching out to angling groups, asking them to set an example, aware that demand for more reservoir fishing spots remains unabated.
With PUB's support, the conservation group Gamefish and Aquatic Rehabilitation Society (Gars) has been conducting monthly responsible fishing clinics at Lower Seletar Reservoir since January.
The weekend sessions run till June.
They encourage good practices such as using artificial lures instead of polluting bait such as chicken liver or worms, practising catch and release, and cleaning up their fishing spots after use.
Online angling forum Fishing Kaki has also helped to get the word out through its posts on the clinics.
The PUB said in a statement that it would "continue to work with angling groups to encourage anglers to practise ... responsible fishing habits".
"There are always rotten apples," said Gars committee member Chia Lee Wee.
He estimated that up to 40 per cent of Singapore's 300,000 or so anglers don't follow PUB's rules and guidelines.
"We understand where PUB is coming from," he said. "If we don't educate, (reservoirs) will become like the Singapore River of old... a sewer."
Currently, PUB prohibits the use of live bait and rules dictate that anglers dispose of trash properly.
But enforcement is difficult despite regular PUB patrols, said Mr Chia, given the size of reservoirs and the sheer number of anglers.
"We're helping as PUB's 'neighbourhood watch'," he added, but admitted that it "would take decades to change attitudes".
Owner of Fishing Kaki Luke Gino Cunico said: "Many anglers have been fishing like that for years. It's been ingrained into them."
He called for more educational efforts by PUB and fishing groups. On his part, Mr Cunico intends to begin posting public service announcements on his forum soon, encouraging members to fish responsibly.
Opening up more fishing spots, which anglers continue to call for, would only aggravate the problem of overfishing and pollution if anglers don't change their mindsets, he said.
"Education must start with the kids," said Mr Chia.
Gars' clinic last month attracted only about 20 anglers. It hopes more will start taking part, beginning with its next clinic on March 15.
Tan Qiuyi Channel NewsAsia 1 Mar 13;
SINGAPORE: The Animal Welfare Legislative Review Committee is calling for heavier penalties for animal abuse and abandonment.
After a year-long review, the committee has submitted its recommendations to the National Development Ministry for consideration.
The current penalty for animal abuse is a fine of up to S$10,000, one year in jail, or both.
The committee calls for a more detailed penalty structure that differentiates the intent and severity of the offence, with the maximum penalty for repeat and malicious cases going up to S$50,000, three years' jail and a one-year ban on keeping animals.
At the same time, the proposal calls for higher penalties for businesses - between S$20,000 and S$100,000, and a ban on animal-related business for up to a year.
The Animal Welfare Legislative Review Committee said the objective is to send a strong message to deter wrongdoers.
Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs, said: "The higher penalties of course may pose a deterrent to would-be offenders. But I think what's important really is enforcement.
"To move forward, there has to be some priority assigned to prosecution of this kind of cases - which means lots of investigations, and to do that I think logistically, the authorities need a lot more manpower. This is something the animal welfare groups can be empowered to help."
Most people Channel NewsAsia spoke to support the call for harsher penalties.
Another key proposal is to legally require all staff in all pet businesses to be appropriately trained in animal care and handling.
The committee is recommending regulation for all commercial pet breeding activities, and for all pet boarding facilities to be licensed.
It also wants to see pet shops screen potential buyers to ensure pets are sold to responsible and committed owners.
Mr Chua Ming Kok, who represents the Pet Enterprises and Traders Association of Singapore in the committee, said: "There will definitely be some resistance from the smaller players.
"But we'll have in place schemes to train them, to try to help them come on board this scheme. The major players in the industry have already given their consensus to be on this scheme."
George Tan, who owns Joy Doggy, a small pet shop which sells puppies, said: "Overall, the recommendations are OK. The main concern is about staff training. The turnover rate for my staff is very high, it's going to be very, very difficult for me financially to send them for training.
"If, let's say, there is a free course ... conducted by the government for us, I'll be most willing to send my staff in for training because it really will raise the standard of the industry."
Committee chairman Yeo Guat Kwang said their job is far from over.
"It's not a job that's been done. We definitely need to do more. But let's take one step at a time, and with this big step forward, I'm confident many other suggestions which are practical and reasonable will definitely also be taken into consideration in future," he said.
The committee's report details 24 recommendations in total, including a call to set a minimum age of 16 years for buying a pet. It is the result of a year-long review, including consultations with animal welfare activists, pet industry representatives, and the public.
Underpinning the recommendations is a call for interest groups on different sides of the animal welfare debate to work together.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said his ministry will carefully study the recommendations.
In a blog post, he said his instinct is that the law may need to be updated.
- CNA/ck/xq
Tougher penalties proposed to MND for animal abusers
Sumita Sreedharan Today Online 1 Mar 13;
SINGAPORE — Harsher penalties for animal abuse, a minimum age and pre-sale screening for pet buyers — these are some of the recommendations of the Animal Welfare Legislation Review Committee, which submitted its report to the Ministry of National Development yesterday, following a year-long review.
Chaired by Member of Parliament (Ang Mo Kio GRC) Yeo Guat Kwang, the committee represents various stakeholders such as community leaders, animal welfare groups, vets and members from the pet industry.
It was formed last year as part of efforts to better protect animals, in light of continued abuse cases.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who tasked Mr Yeo to chair the committee, said on his blog yesterday that his ministry will carefully study the committee’s recommendations and see how they can collectively raise the bar for animal welfare here.
“My instinct is that our law may need to be updated but this is an area which the Government alone cannot deliver a good outcome,” he noted.
Mr Yeo said he is confident that the report is feasible as it has input and support from stakeholders.
“It’s a practical and well-rounded report as we are able to address most of the concerns and, at the same time, everyone is on board,” he said.
One issue that the report addressed is the penalty for animal abuse.
Currently, the maximum fine for animal abuse is S$10,000 and a one-year jail term.
The committee recommended that the penalty be doubled for offenders who are deemed to have had malicious intent when hurting the animal. It also called for a maximum fine of S$50,000 and/or a three-year jail term to be imposed on repeat offenders.
Mr Yeo said these penalties are meant to send a strong deterrent message and are benchmarked against those in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
According to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority, over the last three years, six cases of animal abuse were heard in court and the average fine imposed per offence charged was S$4,250. In three of these six cases, the offenders could not pay the fines and were jailed for five to 10 weeks.
A lack of leads and concrete evidence to prosecute cases of animal cruelty are factors that hamper efforts to reduce animal abuse, stated the report.
To address this, it recommended initiatives to encourage witnesses to step forward to assist in investigations and to testify in court.
Ms Veron Lau from the Cat Welfare Society welcomed the recommendations, but admitted that enforcement was a big barrier to cases proceeding to court.
“I would suggest having fines at more increments and allowing the authorities to have the power to fine people who, for example, do not pick up after their dogs or allow their cats to roam,” said Ms Lau.
Other recommendations include a minimum age of 16 for pet buyers in order to curb impulse buying, and that pet shops which do not comply face a fine of up to S$5,000.
Currently, there is no age limit for pet ownership.
The committee also recommended making it a requirement for all pet-related operators to be trained and for the licensing of commercial pet breeding activities and pet boarding facilities.
Animal welfare panel calls for stiffer fines, jail terms
David Ee Straits Times 1 Mar 13;
BIGGER fines, longer jail terms and screening of pet buyers were among a slew of recommendations submitted to the Government yesterday by a panel set up to review animal welfare laws.
The 11-member panel, chaired by MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Yeo Guat Kwang, sent its widely anticipated report to the National Development Ministry yesterday after gathering public feedback and deliberating for a year.
It proposed introducing tiered penalties that take into account the intent of someone found guilty of ill-treating animals.
The current maximum penalty is a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a one-year jail term, but repeat or malicious offenders could soon be fined up to $50,000 and/or jailed for three years. They would also be barred from keeping pets for up to a year.
Those caught neglecting pets the first time would face the current penalty but would also have to perform community service with animal welfare groups.
Harsher penalties would be extended to pet shops and farms, which could be fined up to $100,000 and banned from operating for up to a year.
Animal abuse convictions should also be reported by the media and on social networks to act as a deterrent, the report added.
But Mr Yeo stressed that the panel, which also comprised animal welfare activists and industry representatives, sought preventive - not just punitive and deterrent - measures.
Its proposals for mandatory pre-sale screening of pet buyers, training staff at pet-related businesses and the stepping up of efforts to encourage responsible pet ownership were ways to "address the problem at the root", he said.
Screening pet buyers would help them make "informed decisions", added the report, and minimise impulse purchases.
The Pet Enterprises and Traders Association of Singapore, which has 61 members, has agreed to lead the forming of accreditation schemes for pet farms and breeders to spur them to improve standards. There are about 400 pet, accessories and grooming shops here.
"This is not an easy move for the industry, particularly as they worry about their bottom lines. But I'm glad we have come to a consensus and they understand that they have a key role to play," said Mr Yeo.
Animal welfare groups welcomed the report but said that without enforcement, proposed penalties would prove toothless.
Animal abuse cases handled by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rose from 1,162 in 2007 to 1,426 in 2011, but during this period, warnings or fines were issued in only about 300 cases.
"Higher penalties alone won't deter people," said Mr Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs. "The only way is successful prosecution. I didn't really see any enforcement framework emphasised in the report."
The police could support the AVA in investigations, suggested Ms Eunice Nah, chief advocate of the Agency for Animal Welfare.
Happy Paws pet shop owner Steven Ker, 40, said he would sign up to an accreditation scheme. He said: "If we do well, customers will see that we are a responsible shop. We may attract more customers."
Dog owner Gail Sethi, 49, supported publicising abuse convictions. "The only thing that will make them behave is prosecuting and shaming them," she said.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post that the ministry would study the recommendations carefully. "My instinct is that our law may need to be updated," he wrote.
The report is available at http://www.mnd.gov.sg/AWLRCreport
Protecting Animal Welfare by Minister Khaw Boon Wan
Yvonne Chan Channel NewsAsia 1 Mar 13;
SINGAPORE : The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the emergence of a trading hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG) could significantly lower price and that would help companies that use it as a source of power.
And Singapore may soon be able to add another spoke to its "hub" status.
The IEA says Singapore is the most natural location to be the regional LNG hub.
Already an important centre for global oil trading, the Republic is being eyed as the next hub for LNG.
Stiff supply contacts presently keep the price of LNG higher than it needs to be.
Current LNG prices are kept artificially high by rigid long-term contracts, or oil price indexation.
For example, the IEA reports that Japan's import bill for LNG is US$10 billion higher than what it could be in a properly efficient LNG market.
Experts say less regulation and a freer market approach would foster competition and potentially lower prices, which would make the use of LNG in Asia more sustainable in the long term.
According to the IEA, gas consumption in Asia Pacific will outstrip demand by 2017.
Asia is also likely to be saddled with the highest LNG prices prices until it develops an LNG trading hub that promotes more transparent pricing.
A unique characteristic of the natural gas trade in Asia-Pacific is the limited amount of natural gas that is traded via pipelines, and the region's growing dependence on the global LNG supply chain.
The IEA, which gives policy advice to its 28 member countries, says Singapore has advantages over its competitors in becoming the main regional LNG hub although China may also be in the race.
Laszlo Varro, Head of Division, Gas, Coal, and Power Markets Division, IEA, says: "China is the only country in the region that has a realistic prospect of developing pipeline imports from outside the region. China can import gas from Uzbekistan and Russia. In the case of Korea, Japan and Taiwan, this is not only the economic development but also geography. They are isolated energy systems - Japan and Taiwan are islands. Korea has only North Korea as a neighbour so they have no physical option to bring in the gas except for LNG."
Singapore is on track to have its first operating LNG terminal costing S$1.7 billion by the second quarter of 2013.
And it will also be the first LNG terminal in Asia to provide third-party access.
Singapore is also providing storage facilities for traders, which is important to promote a competitive market.
Warner ten Kate, Public affairs Advisor, Gasterra, says: "You have a government in place that provides the long-term signals for stability and hands-off market attitude. You have the big financial players in place to support your activities, so the only thing you would need is somebody who could facilitate the actual hub and make it clear when that's going to happen. What you need as a trader is a haven to allow the flexibility to arrive and I don't think Singapore has a competitor at the moment.
The Shanghai hub has potential, Japan has potential but they have so much more stuff to do at the same time than Singapore would have. From our perspective, Singapore has the best starting position but needs to continue to work. So the things they need to work on are things like policy, create more clarity, what are they going to do, which institutes are involved."
Shanghai remains the closest competitor to Singapore due to China's rapid growth in domestic demand, with many of its factories already using LNG the primary source of power source.
Singapore an 'ideal hub for Asia gas trade'
IEA cites Republic's global oil trading hub status, good location, legal climate
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 2 Mar 13;
SINGAPORE has the best chance of becoming a trading hub for natural gas in Asia, said a global energy association yesterday.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) backed the Republic ahead of other countries such as South Korea, Japan and China, and said Singapore could set up this hub within three years if it went full steam ahead.
It unveiled an 86-page report, Developing a Natural Gas Trading Hub in Asia, at the Orchard Hotel and said that Singapore led the pack partly because it is already a global hub for oil trading.
"Some of its broader strengths, including its good location and supportive legal environment, will be applicable for liquefied natural gas trading as well," said IEA head of gas, coal and power Laszlo Varro.
Currently, the market for natural gas in Asia is dominated by long-term contracts with prices linked to those of oil. These deals give countries energy security but may also lock them into high prices. Large reserves of shale gas, recently discovered in the United States, have led to lower prices there.
Developing a natural-gas trading hub for the region would allow countries to negotiate shorter-term contracts with prices determined mainly by supply and demand. This would allow them to respond to market forces more quickly and could lead to cheaper electricity prices in the long run.
A more transparent price signal will also help "steer investments in natural gas infrastructures", said the IEA.
Mr Chee Hong Tat, chief executive of Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA), said yesterday at the event that the country would benefit from having greater flexibility and diversity in its gas contracts.
Currently, about 80 per cent of Singapore's electricity is generated using piped natural gas from Malaysia and Indonesia. The other 20 per cent comes from fuel oil and other sources such as waste and renewable energy.
The country's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Jurong Island is expected to start operations this year and will allow for the import of gas from more countries. The EMA expects natural gas to make up more than 90 per cent of Singapore's electricity fuel mix in future.
Said Mr Chee: "While we remain open to having some of our gas supplies come from long-term, oil-indexed contracts, it would be useful for Singapore to build up a diversified gas portfolio, comprising reliable and price-competitive supplies from different sources around the world.
"In this way, we avoid being overly exposed to a particular supply source or price index."
He added in his welcome remarks that the EMA would work with industry partners here to develop their LNG-related activities but stopped short of committing Singapore to becoming a natural-gas trading hub.
"We have seen a steady growth in the presence of major trading houses and industry players such as Shell, BP and Gazprom, which are interested to use Singapore as a hub for their business in the region," he said.
"Shell, for example, has decided to locate its global gas operations in Singapore."
Last year, when asked in an interview whether Singapore could become a regional hub for LNG trading, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said: "We are open to the idea of leveraging on the LNG terminal as a platform to facilitate trading. The terminal could facilitate the physical trading of LNG as well as financial trading. We are open to both options."
He has also said that the terminal will "catalyse business opportunities such as LNG trading, break-bulk services and LNG bunkering".
Zuhaila Sedek-De Booij New Straits Times 1 Mar 13;
Four birdwatchers tell Zuhaila Sedek-De Booij about the joys of observing the creatures on their migratory journey
IT is scorching hot at Tanjung Tuan in Port Dickson and there are beads of sweat on everyone’s foreheads. Birdwatchers Andrew J. Sebastian, Khoo Swee Seng, Caroline Ho and Lam Mow Sum are waiting anxiously. They hope to see raptors emerge from among the cottony clouds.
Ho keeps one eye on the lens of her telescope. In one hand, she holds a clicker counter. Click... click... She is counting the number of raptors she spies with the telescope. The instrument lets her see what’s not visible to the naked eye.
While Ho is busy taking count, the rest carry big digital cameras in their hands. They wait patiently, observing the clear blue sky.
Every end of February till early March, the four birdwatchers go to Tanjung Tuan to be part of the Raptor Watch, an event organised by Malaysian Nature Society. At the event, bird lovers witness magnificent views of migrating raptors that fly over the waters of Straits Malacca. Among the species of raptors that migrate through this waterway are the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black Baza, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Chinese Goshawk and Grey-faced Buzzard.
The quartet’s effort at Tanjung Tuan is not only a hobby, but also a contribution to the environment. Here’s why:
CONSERVE RAPTORS
For Sebastian, 42, birdwatching has been a passion since the last decade. He became hooked on it after seeing a rare Red Head Dragon bird in Fraser’s Hill some years ago.
“I was so surprised to see such a wonderful creature in Malaysia. I saw this beautiful bird on a bench but I didn’t know what species of bird it belonged to. I bought a guidebook and saw a picture of of it. It triggered my interest in birdwatching,” says Sebastian who is also Malaysian Nature Society’s head of communications.
Apart from Tanjung Tuan, he has gone birdwatching in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand. To date he has seen about 800 species of birds.
He believes that birdwatching can bring people closer to nature. “Sometimes, in our busy lives, we forgot to look up at the sky and see how wonderful the world is. Birdwatching gives you a chance to do that.”
At Tanjung Tuan, events like Raptor Watch can help the public understand the importance of conserving natural forest, such as the coastal forest at the area. Tanjung Tuan is significant to migrating raptors. The coastal area offers a shorter passage from Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra to Pulau Rupat in Indonesia. From Pulau Rupat, the migrating birds will continue their way towards Indonesia’s other archipelago islands.
Tanjung Tuan is also one of the last remaining coastal rainforests in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Raptors need the right thermals for flight. Tanjung Tuan acts as a rest stop for the raptors while waiting for the right thermals.
“Tanjung Tuan is located along their way, they need trees to take a break from a long journey.”
The migrating raptors originate from North Asia, Northeastern Asia, Eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, Northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan and fly along the East Asian Flyway.
COUNTING FOR THE FUTURE
For married couple Khoo and Ho, watching the raptors at Tanjung Tuan is an annual event. They spend a few weeks at Tanjung Tuan lighthouse to watch and capture images of the raptors and, most importantly, count the number passing through Malacca Straits. Both are volunteers for raptor-counting.
Khoo, 52, is a remisier by profession. He takes time off from work to go birdwatching. The couple go up the lighthouse at 9am and set-up their tents and equipment to carry out the count till the evening.
Khoo captures the images while Ho, 34, counts the birds.
The data collected is given to Malaysian Nature Society for researchers.
Though they are volunteers, Khoo and his wife have spent RM30,000 on equipment for birdwatching.
“When you see hundreds of Honey Buzzard in the sky, words can’t describe what you feel. Even though you’ve seen it before, the amazement never seems to wear off,” says Khoo.
For Ho, not knowing what’s coming their way makes the venture more adventurous. If they are lucky, they get to see rare species.
“We have been counting the birds for many years. We feel like it is a responsibility,” says Khoo.
The duo started birdwatching at Tanjung Tuan since the first Raptor Watch in 2000. At that time, they watched by the seaside. Now, they get a better view from the lighthouse. But they worry that there may not be anyone to take their place.
“Finding an apprentice is not easy. You must have the passion to watch out for and count the birds,” says Ho.
LIFE LESSONS
Watching the migrating birds is calming. Lam suggests birdwatching as a remedy for stress.
“Whenever I watch the migrating birds, I feel very relaxed. Birdwatching is all about observing and doesn’t require you to run around,” says the 62 year-old retiree.
The former teacher started birdwatching around his school compound.
“The raptors are amazing. They are so beautiful and they make the world a better place,” says the soft-spoken Lam.
“These birds need their habitat so we have to safeguard it.”
He also learns a lot from these wonderful creatures. “They are tough. Despite the challenges ahead of them, they will try to make it,” says Bentong-based Lam.
He recalls raptors gasping due to fatigue while in the air.
“You can tell they are struggling when their beaks are open. Once, I saw a bird crash into the trees. I felt so bad for not being able to do anything.” .
As a senior citizen, he believes that the younger generation can learn life lessons from the raptors.
Birds of prey
• Their population is sensitive to the alterations in ecosystem structure and energy flow.
• They are birds of prey like hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls.
• If they fall in the water while migrating, chances are they are going to die. This is because they need thermals to elevate them so that they can fly.
• Sixty five species of raptors are protected under the protection of Wildlife Act 1972 in Peninsular Malaysia.
• In the 1990s, the numbers of raptors migrating through the Straits of Malacca was about 350,000. Last year, the number was 47,000.
• The biggest threat for raptors is the loss of habitat.
Two scenarios by Shell stress need to address global resource problem
Fiona Chan Straits Times 2 Mar 13;
THE world's energy demand may double in the next 50 years as the population grows to 9.5 billion and millions of people rise out of poverty, according to projections by oil and gas giant Shell.
Depending on the pace of global economic growth, Shell foresees either natural gas becoming the dominant energy source, or coal remaining widely used until solar power takes over.
These two scenarios, released by Shell on Thursday, underscore the critical role that governments and businesses play in shaping the energy system of the future, said chief executive Peter Voser.
"Above all, the scenarios reinforce the urgency of addressing the world's resource and environmental stresses," he added.
In the next seven years, the world could generate new energy demand equivalent to China's entire energy system, he said.
To address this, more use should be made of natural gas, renewable energy and technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions and stores them underground, he said.
Shell's scenarios highlight the danger of "policy drift and unbalanced regulation", which Mr Voser said could lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions and more pressing resource scarcity.
The first scenario, which Shell has termed Mountains, projects a sluggish pace of global economic growth, taking some pressure off energy demand.
In this environment, policymakers undertake smart urban planning in growing cities, triggering a transformation of the transportation sector.
Cars and trucks powered by electricity and hydrogen could dominate the road by the end of the century, and global demand for oil might peak around 2035.
This leads to greenhouse gas emissions starting to fall after 2030 and the eventual displacement of coal by natural gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel.
This scenario also envisions the use of nuclear power becoming more widespread as well. Its market share could increase by about 25 per cent by 2060, Shell said.
The second scenario, called Oceans, paints a more prosperous but volatile world where the energy landscape is dictated by market forces and civil society, rather than government policies.
Public resistance and slow adoption of policies and technology limit the development of nuclear power and restrict the growth of natural gas outside North America, Shell said.
Coal remains widely used until at least the middle of the century, and oil demand continues to grow until about 2040, with higher energy prices spurring the development of hard-to-reach oil resources.
But Shell surmises that in this scenario, the rise in oil prices will also encourage the development of solar power as an alternative.
By 2070, solar photovoltaic panels will become the world's largest primary source of energy, according to Shell.
Although both scenarios project that global emissions of carbon dioxide will drop to near zero by 2100, the Oceans scenario takes a longer time to get there. This will result in greater fossil fuel use and higher total carbon dioxide emissions over the century than in the Mountains scenario, said Shell.
In drawing up the scenarios, the company noted areas of public policy likely to have the greatest influence on a more sustainable energy future.
These include measures to promote energy-efficient cities, transportation and buildings, encourage the safe development of cleaner-burning natural gas, and put a price on carbon dioxide emissions.
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