Best of our wild blogs: 7 Mar 15

Distressed and dead fishes at Sungei Buloh
from wild shores of singapore

Birdwatching in Bidadari (February 2015)
from Rojak Librarian

14-15 March 2015: D’Kranji Farm Fair in the Kranji countryside
from The Tender Gardener

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Malaysia: Fish found dead at Straits

The Star/Asia News Network AsiaOne 7 Mar 15;

JOHOR BARU - An estimated six tonnes of wild and cultured fish were found dead along the Straits of Johor in the past four days.

Johor Fisheries Department director Munir Mohd Nawi said that the department will be conducting a thorough investigation to identify the cause for the bad water quality that contributed to the death of the fish at the Straits.

He said the fish were found dead around Johor Port, Puteri Harbour, Kampung Pendas and Kampung Sungai Melayu areas.

"Some six tonnes of fish including five tonnes of cultured fish had died due to toxic effect as the water quality has deteriorated tremendously," he said yesterday.

Munir added that the department started receiving reports on the dead fish some three days ago.

He said the dead fish were first spotted floating in the water near the Johor Port vicinity before similar reports from other affected areas were received.


Oriental Daily News 7 Mar 15;
鱼群大量死亡　柔渔排损失70万

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鱼群大量死亡　柔渔排损失70万
渔排大量鱼群死亡，导致业者面对惨重损失。

（新山5日讯）振林山本达斯渔村靠近马新第二通道海域附近的渔排场，继去年鱼群大量死亡后，前日再度浮现大量鱼尸，这次除了渔排遭殃，野生鱼群也大量死亡，令业者蒙受至少70万令吉损失。

继去年2月该海域出现大量鱼只翻肚死亡后，渔排业者前日凌晨发现鱼群不断跳跃的不寻常现象，早上鱼群相继死亡。

受访渔排业者吴来顺（37岁）透露，他所饲养的鱼只超过3万只，大多供应本地市场，此次事件令他蒙受40万令吉损失。

「这里的海域相信有超过10多个渔排场，由不同业者负责。我所养殖的各种鱼类包括金目鱸、白午、红鰽、红鸡等都死亡，令公司的鱼苗生產线中断。」

他表示，他在上述海域有2个渔排，以他10年养鱼经验判断，这次鱼群死亡的原因可能是因为水质污染问题，气候也是因素之一。

「我发现海面上有油质的现象，我会抽取海水样本，下星期一交给渔业发展局供研究。」

郑姓渔排业者（42岁）表示，这次事件令他损失超过30万令吉，目前无法確实估计鱼只死亡数量，但相信比去年更加严重，渔业局官员昨晚致电予他了解情况。

影响渔货来源

他也透露，本身有一个渔排，他认为此次事件是红潮所致，但之前同样的状况却没造成如此惨重损失，真正原因还需要调查。

媒体今早在民主行动党环境事务发言人，也是该党彭佳兰岭丁州议员邹裕豪及振林山国会议员特別助理黄照松的带领下，前往受影响海域观察，並进一步向业者瞭解情况。

邹裕豪表示，再次发生鱼群大量死亡事件，不但业者损失惨重，也严重影响该区渔货来源，因此他会抽取抽取海水样本，並尽快送到渔业发展局研究肇因，同时跟进该局接下来所採取的行动。

「上述海域今年2月进行填海工程，至于是否因此影响当地水质，则还需要调查。」

除了本地渔排业者，新加坡东部和东北部岸外也出现大量死鱼，该国农粮兽医局表示，主因是海里的浮游生物大量繁殖，与海洋生物爭氧气，最终导致鱼群缺氧死去。

当地渔农估计，今年的死鱼量高达400公吨，是歷来损失最惨重的一次。据瞭解，我国东部和东北部的岸外渔场共有64家，有业者估计至少半数业者在这一轮受到影响。

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Dry spell: Contingency plans already in place, says Vivian Balakrishnan

Eileen Poh Channel NewsAsia 6 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE: Contingency plans for dry weather are already in place, with authorities stepping up desalination and NEWater production about a month ago, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to reporters on the sidelines of a community event on Friday (Mar 6), where he was asked about plans to deal with the ongoing dry spell.

"We are running at about 70 per cent of our maximum capacity right now. And we are using that to maintain the levels of our reservoirs,” he said. “If we didn't do that, you would have noticed that the water levels in our reservoirs would be much lower than it is now. So in a sense, the contingency plans have been implemented."

Dr Balakrishnan also reminded Singaporeans about the importance of water conservation.

"We cannot control the weather, we cannot take things for granted, so please don't waste, be careful, be mindful about the way we use water at home, at work and also for the industries,” he said.

To cut down the demand for water, he said the Government is working with companies to leverage technologies and explore innovative methods to reduce their use of water.

In February, all areas of Singapore received below-average rainfall. The dry phase is expected to continue into next week, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in its latest forecast.

NEA added that there may be occasional windy conditions and showers.

- CNA/ek

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More help given to town councils to address rodent problems

LAURA ELIZABETH PHILOMIN Today Online 6 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE — On the back of rodent infestation problems that have been in the news in recent months, more help will be given to town councils to tackle the problem.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) will engage pest control operators to target rats in housing estates, and maintenance and management of bin centres and refuse chutes will be improved so as to deny rodents easy access to food sources.

This comes after the NEA received 4,000 cases of feedback on rodent sightings last year, 1,000 more than in 2013.

Announcing these enhancements to the Rat Attack programme yesterday (March 4), Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu said: “As rodents have adapted well to our urban environment and multiply quickly in poorly managed or maintained bin centres and refuse chutes, NEA will provide more assistance to the town councils.”

Ms Fu was responding to a parliamentary question from Member of Parliament (Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC) Dr Teo Ho Pin on updates on the rodent situation and measures to eradicate them.

Rodent infestation has been in the public spotlight. In December last year, a weeks-long extermination operation had to be carried out at a mound in Bukit Batok, with more than 230 rats caught by the end.

In January, a rat carcass found in a dish in a Marina Square restaurant led to the uncovering of rodent activity at 14 of the mall’s F&B establishments.

Noting that rodents thrive in places with poor food storage and waste management practices, Ms Fu said NEA has implemented an island-wide rodent surveillance programme since 2011 to identify potential food sources, harbourages and burrowing activity for pre-emptive measures against infestations.

Food establishments and shopping malls are also inspected regularly, she added. Shopping malls are required to have rodent control programmes and proper waste management practices, while food establishments with rodent problems can have their licenses suspended or revoked with a downgraded food hygiene grading.

Ms Fu said that the NEA conducted a total of about 140,000 inspections island-wide in relation to rodent activity last year. An NEA spokesperson said the majority of these inspections were at food retail establishments.

Ms Fu added that NEA will not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against premises owners for lapses in rodent management. Last year, NEA took enforcement action against 82 errant premises owners for rodent infestations.

Stressing that the key strategy is to remove food sources and areas of harbourage, she added: “Ultimately, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders, including land owners, building management and foodshop operators, to put in place a good system of housekeeping, refuse management and routine pest control checks and treatment to ensure that the rodent population is kept under control.”

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Malaysia: GM mosquito project shelved

LOH FOON FONG The Star 6 Mar 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government’s plan to release genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes as a way to fight dengue has been shelved.

Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that after the field trials in 2010 and 2011, the ministry did not proceed further as it was not cost effective to be implemented.

“We did not proceed further after the initial study,” he told The Star yesterday.

The purpose of GM mosquito dengue control was to reduce the Aedes Aegypti population – the GM mosquito would mate with the females in the wild and the eggs would hatch but the offspring would die before reaching adulthood.

In the field trial undertaken by the Institute of Medical Research and British-based biotech company Oxitec Ltd, about 6,000 male GM Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were released at an uninhabited forested area near Bentong, Pahang, on Dec 21, 2010.

An equal number of unmodified male mosquitoes were released at the same time for the purpose of studying and comparing the GM mosquitoes under natural conditions against their wild counterparts.

The study ended on Jan 5 and the area was fogged to destroy the mosquitoes the following day.

In response to public outcry over safety concerns at that time, Medical Entomology Unit & WHO Collaborating Centre for Vectors IMR head Dr Lee Han Lim said that the exhaustive studies lasting four years confirmed that the biology, behaviour, mating competitiveness and the capacity to transmit disease of the genetically modified Aedes aegypti were not altered.

Health Ministry vector-borne disease sector head Dr Rose Nani Mudin said Brazil, which had carried out a large-scale GM mosquito testing there, had announced that they would not implement the dengue-control method.

GeneWatch UK director Dr Helen Wallace wrote in the New York Times recently that computer model­ling of the findings showed that 2.8 million genetically engineered adult male mosquitoes would need to be released per week to suppress a wild population of only 20,000 mosquitoes, which was impractical on any scale.

“There is no evidence of any reduction in the risk of dengue fever, which can continue even if the number of mosquitoes is reduced,” she said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 6 Mar 15

Dead fish updates: More seen at Sungei Buloh, and other updates
from wild shores of singapore

A Rare Male Asian Koel Call – With Sound Visualisation
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Up to 600 tonnes of fish lost to algal bloom: AVA

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 5 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE — Up to 600 tonnes of fish belonging to 55 farms have been lost to algal bloom in recent days, said the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority today (Mar 5).

Issuing its first comments on the algal bloom since last Saturday, the authority said last year’s plankton bloom cost 53 farms about 500 tonnes of fish.

The AVA also said it would help the affected fish farmers — who operate off Pasir Ris in the East Johor Strait — to recover and restart their operations, and enhance their resilience to environmental challenges.

AVA’s media statement and replies to queries came after Minister of State for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman visited two affected fish farms today. One of the farmers he visited, Mr Gary Chang, told TODAY via the phone that he managed to minimise his losses to just over a tonne — or 10 to 15 per cent of his fish — by moving half of his stocks to the farm of a good friend in Malaysia. He enveloped the remaining half in canvas bags and aerated the water in the bags, said Mr Chang, who rears grouper and sea bass.

Dr Maliki said farmers who suffered severe losses may not have taken measures early enough. “Plankton bloom occurences are very difficult to prevent, but it is possible to reduce the impact. Whilst we provide assistance to help farmers tide over this difficult period, it is also important for farmers to do their part to take mitigating measures early,” he said. The AVA is looking to build up farmers’ resilience against these incidents, such as through robust contingency plans and contingency exercises. It will also ask farmers who have taken early action to share their experience with other farmers, Dr Maliki added.

Farmers reported the bulk of deaths to have occurred in the pre-dawn hours last Saturday, and many dead wild fish also washed up on Pasir Ris beach over the weekend. TODAY reported on Wednesday that a laboratory test had identified the algae species to belong to the Gymnodinium group, but AVA said its preliminary findings point to the Karlodinium veneficum species, which has been associated with fish kills worldwide.

According to website algaebase.org, the Karlodinium veneficum has been detected in places including France, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and is known to produce karlotoxin, an agent responsible for fish kills. According to Western Australia’s Swan River Trust, there is no evidence that this species is toxic to humans.

The AVA said the dead fish had gill damage caused by plankton. No marine biotixins have been detected in fish samples from affected farms and live fish harvested from the farms are safe for consumption, it added.

DHI Water & Environment, which did the laboratory test for TODAY, said that the seawater sample tested was examined at a magnification of 400 times. At that level, species of algae belonging to the Karlodinium and Gymnodinium groups would appear very similar. To be able to positively identify the algae species, a genetic test or a microscope with 1,500 to 2,000 times’ magnification would be needed, said Dr Hans Eikaas, head of environmental technology and chemistry at DHI, a not-for-profit offering consultancy and water-modelling services.

To his knowledge, no Karlodinium algae has been found in the East Johor Strait, although they have been found in the West Johor Strait, said Dr Eikaas.

Blogger and marine enthusiast Ria Tan reported seeing dead wild and farmed fish at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Extension, which is near the West Johor Strait, yesterday afternoon. But West Johor Strait farmer Malcolm Ong said there have been no fish deaths on his farm so far. His staff are on alert during this “dangerous period” and have pumps and aerators on standby, said Mr Ong, chief executive of Metropolitan Fishery Group, which is a major stakeholder in Singapore’s largest marine fish farm, off Lim Chu Kang.

On how it was dealing with plankton bloom in the longer term, the AVA said it has been working with the Tropical Marine Science Institute of the National University of Singapore on plankton bloom studies since last year’s episode. The studies, for the development of effective mitigating solutions, are ongoing, it said.

The AVA also called for proposals to design and develop a closed-containment aquaculture system for coastal fish farming last year. It recently awarded the tender to five companies, which will be working on a sustainable option for fish farms to minimise exposure to changes in the environment, such as plankton bloom, said the authority.

Fish farmers affected by fish deaths will receive help from AVA
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 5 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE: Fish farmers affected by the recent fish deaths will get help to recover and restart their operations, as well as increase their resilience against environmental challenges.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will help farmers take early action to mitigate the impact of plankton bloom by putting in place robust contingency plans. It is also working with external agencies, companies and experts to look into possible solutions to minimise the impact of plankton bloom in the long term.

It recently contracted five companies to work on systems that offer a sustainable option for coastal fish farms, to minimise exposure to environmental changes.

Last month, many local farms at the East Johor Straits were affected by a plankton bloom that triggered a massive amount of fish deaths.

- CNA/rg

MND facebook post:
Earlier this morning, MOS Dr Maliki Osman paid a quiet visit to two affected coastal fish farms to better understand their situation after the fish kill and the mitigating measures they have taken. One of the farmers - Mr Gary Chang of San Lay Marine Culture Co, shared how quick implementation of many early measures has helped to salvage his fish stock. Since Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) sounded the first warning in January, he had set up canvas bags to hold his fishes or transferred them to other alternative sites. He still lost about 1.5 tonnes of his fish but he is grateful that his situation is better than last year when he lost almost 16 tonnes of his stock.

Dr Maliki also met Mr Goh Khoon Heng from De Kelong, who unfortunately suffered heavy losses because he could not react in time to the plankton bloom.

AVA will continue to provide the necessary equipment, manpower and technical expertise to help the affected farmers through this period of recovery. AVA is also collaborating with experts and other agencies to explore long term solutions to this problem. This includes looking at closed containment aquaculture systems, which they have recently approved five proposals from companies. These systems will help to minimise exposure to environmental hazards, which are caused by multiple factors and often challenging to solve in the short term.

Incidents like these are likely to incur again in the future. AVA will continue to provide support and assistance. Farmers, too, must be prepared to handle such contingencies so as to minimise impact.

AVA TO WORK WITH FARMERS AFFECTED BY FISH DEATHS TO RECOVER AND BUILD UP RESILIENCE
AVA media release AsiaOne 6 Mar 15;

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) will provide assistance to fish farmers affected by the recent fish deaths to recover and restart their operations, as well as enhance their resilience against environmental challenges.

Background

In late February 2015, many local fish farms at the East Johor Straits were affected by a plankton bloom situation. These farms suffered massive fish deaths as a result.

Prior to the incident, AVA had been actively monitoring the situation at the fish farming areas. AVA alerted fish farmers in the area on the 16 and 17 February 2015, to elevated plankton levels and to prepare to take the necessary precautions.

These included deploying canvas bags to isolate the fish from its external environment, early harvest of fish to cut loss, and transferring their fish stock to unaffected areas.

Taking early action to mitigate impact of plankton bloom

Minister of State for National Development and Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, visited two of the affected fish farms today. He sympathised with the fish farmers who are affected by the recent incident as it must have been difficult for the farmers to see all these losses.

However, he learnt that one farmer who took early action was able to save his fish and minimise losses significantly.

"Mr Gary Chang told me that he started preparing for a possible plankton bloom once he was alerted to elevated plankton levels. He lined his net-cages with canvas and installed a simple filtration system to maintain the water quality. Other farmers also took measures, but unfortunately suffered severe losses as they may not have done so early enough."

"Plankton bloom occurrences are very difficult to prevent, but it is possible to reduce the impact. Whilst we provide assistance to help farmers tide over this difficult period, it is also important for farmers to do their part to take mitigating measures early.

At the same time, AVA is looking into how to build up farmers' resilience against such incidents. This includes putting in place robust contingency plans and conducting contingency exercises. We will also ask those who have taken early action to share their experience with other farmers," Dr Maliki shared.

Dealing with plankton bloom in the long term

AVA is also working with external agencies, companies and experts to look into possible solutions to minimise the impact of plankton bloom in the long term.

Following last year's plankton bloom episode, AVA has been working with the Tropical Marine Science Institute of NUS (TMSI) on a research project to conduct studies on plankton blooms, to enable development of effective mitigating solutions. The studies are ongoing.

In addition, AVA called for proposals for the design and development of closed-containment aquaculture system for coastal fish farming last year. We recently awarded the tender to five companies to develop a more sustainable sea-based farming system, under the Co-Innovation Partnership Programme (CIPartnership).

The companies will be working on systems that offer a sustainable option for coastal fish farms, to minimise exposure to environmental changes, such as plankton bloom.

AVA's CEO Ms Tan Poh Hong said, "The proposals from the companies are promising. We look forward to working with them on the projects. We hope that the projects can bring about significant improvements to boost the resilience of fish farming."

Channel 8 News article
红潮导致我国东部海上渔场大批鱼儿死亡
发布: 04/03/2015 22:26 | 更新: 04/03/2015 23:44
记者：吴俍祥
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红潮导致我国东部海上渔场、大批鱼儿死亡。有陆上渔场因为使用海水饲养鱼苗，30万条鱼苗相继死去。附近的观赏鱼业者也差点遭殃。

位于巴西立第1农道，这个陆上鱼苗养殖场的水，是从500米外的海域抽上来的。回忆起上个月17日红潮来袭时，渔农心有余悸。

鱼苗养殖营运经理林传兴说，“因为速度太快，所以损失的鱼也是很多，估计20万、30万条，10多万新币这样。”

渔场负责人说，死去的鱼苗种类包括石斑和红鲷。渔场如今改用经过消毒的海水。渔场附近的这家观赏鱼业者，本来也是用海水养鱼。

观赏鱼养殖业者陈江平说，“我们就用海盐加我们自己泡的（去离子）水。盐的东西比较贵，从外国进口的，美国中国进口。”

业者说，使用海盐加水，成本提高五成，不过暂时不会转嫁给消费者。另外，有渔场把红潮来袭时成功救起的700条龙虎斑，放回巴西立海域试养。

受影响渔场业者黄靖凯说，“到现在为止是可以活，那个需求还在，我们一停供应，需求可能会掉。”

新加坡鱼商公会受询时说，本地养殖鱼占总供应量的2%到3%，影响不大。再说，从邻国进口的鲜鱼数量充足。

据本台了解，自本地渔场再次出现大批养殖鱼突然大批死亡事故，农粮局从每两个月一、两次，改而天天上渔场采集海水和鱼儿样本，以确保水质是符合标准，而鱼儿是安全可食用的。

- CH8/JK

Mass fish deaths off Singapore coast spark concern
Tessa Wong BBC News 6 Mar 15;

Last Sunday morning, Bryan Ang woke up onboard his floating fish farm on the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore to find nearly all his stock had died.

"We woke up and saw all the fish floating belly-up," he said. "It's devastating."

He was not alone. Hundreds of tonnes of fish - both farmed and wild - died over the weekend in the eastern part of the strait. Fish farmers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock overnight.

Floating out at sea and washing up on the beaches and mangroves, dead sea creatures began to appear, from sea snakes and seahorses to squid and moray eel.

Nature guide and environmental biology student Sean Yap - who supplied some of these pictures to the BBC - said he was jogging along the eastern Pasir Ris beach on Saturday evening when he smelt a foul stench.

It came from what he described as a "mass grave" - thousands of dead fish washed up on shore.

"There were cleaners present on the shore on Sunday morning to deal with the carcasses, but when we returned at night the high tide had brought in a new batch of bodies."

The environmental authorities said the deaths were due to a plankton bloom, where a species of plankton multiplies rapidly, damaging the gills of fish. It can be triggered by sudden changes in temperature, high nutrient levels in the water, and poor water circulation.

Government agencies were unable to provide the BBC with figures, but said they were "concerned" about the potential impact on marine biodiversity and were taking steps to investigate and help farmers clean up.

Mr Yap said he found it alarming that even species such as catfish and burrowing gobies, which are considered to be more resilient, were found dead. The deaths of "invertebrates like worms is also alarming, as it may mean that the base of the food chain is affected," he said.

There have been similar mass fish deaths in the past five years. This time round, the authorities had given an early warning to farmers - giving them time to move their stock into protective nets, activate pumps to keep the water moving or even float their entire farm to safer areas.

Some managed to save their stock, but few had anticipated the intensity of the plankton bloom nor how quickly it would strike, killing the fish en masse within hours.

Several fish farmers told the BBC that rapid development in the western part of the strait in Johor, the Malaysian state closest to Singapore, was one of the factors affecting the water quality.

"The plankton bloomed this fast because the nutrient content in the sea is so high. And where are all these nutrients coming from? Land reclamation in Malaysia," said Frank Tan.

But tiny Singapore has also reclaimed parts of its northern coast, and dammed up estuaries in the northeast to create reservoirs. It has pumped millions of dollars into the fish farming industry to boost its domestic food security.

Latest government figures show there are now 117 fish farms in waters surrounding the island, spread out over 102ha - twice the amount of space compared to a decade ago.

This photo taken on 26 March 2010 shows Singaporean property developer Eric Cheng (L) watching as a worker feeds the fish on his floating farm in Singapore.
Dr Lim Po Teen, a marine scientist with the University of Malaya, said climate change was in part to blame for the blooms, by affecting temperatures and weather patterns.

"But on a local level, you can see the number of farms increasing in the last few years", he said, which is directly increasing the level of nutrients in the water from fish food and waste.

"We need to have very strict controls and improve the water circulation."

This photo taken on 26 March 2010 shows a floating fish farm in Singapore.
Some of the farmers reeling from the loss of their stock were considering moving away altogether to less troubled waters.

"This weekend's incident was the worst I'd ever seen. Everyone is horrified." said Mr Tan. "We may have to relocate now." He said he was eyeing spots to the south of Singapore.

But many of the farmers were hoping to get through the year by restocking with new fry and selling what little they could save of their remaining stock. Said Mr Ang: "We are trying to explain to people that our fish is still edible. We just need to regain people's trust."

Additional reporting by Heather Chen

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Indonesia: Riau Police name 15 suspects over forest fires in Riau

Antara 5 Mar 15;

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - The Riau Police has named 15 arsonists as suspects responsible for the forest fires that occurred in January and February this year.

The 15 suspects were caught red-handed while deliberately setting fires in different districts in Riau province, Chief of the Riau Police Brigadier General Dolly Bambang Hermawan told the press here on Thursday.

The police hope to find the masterminds behind these arson attacks by interrogating the suspects.

Furthermore, the Riau Police will focus on investigating the forest and plantation fires in the province.

"Investigations will continue because we suspect they were ordered to set the fires by other orchestrators," a spokesman for the Riau Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo, stated.

The police will also probe the possible involvement of plantation companies in the setting of the forest fires in several districts.

"There is no discrimination. If companies are proven to be involved, they will be questioned and brought to court. Last year, PT NSP was tried in court," Tejo affirmed.

Riau province has been hit by forest fires of late, which triggered haze in some cities and districts such as Meranti Islands, Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir and Rokan Hulu.

Land and aerial efforts to extinguish the fires are still going on.
(T.KR-FZR/F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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India, Bangladesh, China most at risk from river floods: study

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 6 Mar 15;

India, Bangladesh and China are most at risk from river floods, with an increasing number of people threatened because of climate change and economic growth in low-lying regions, a study said on Thursday.

The U.S.-based World Resources Institute think-tank and four Dutch research groups estimated that some 21 million people worldwide were affected by river flooding in a typical year.

"That number could increase to 54 million in 2030 due to climate change and socio-economic development," their report said.

People living in 15 emerging nations, led by India, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam and Pakistan, accounted for almost 80 percent of all those affected by floods in an average year, it said. In India alone, almost five million people were at risk.

The United States had 167,000 people exposed to floods in a average year, the most for any developed nation, putting it 18th on a ranking of more than 160 nations.

The U.N. panel of climate scientists said last year that global warming would lead to more risks of floods, heatwaves, storms, downpours, landslides, air pollution, water scarcity, sea level rise and storm surges.

Thursday's study estimated that $96 billion of annual global gross domestic product was exposed to river floods every year, led by India on $14 billion and Bangladesh on $5.4 billion. This amount could rise to $521 billion by 2030. it said.

"There will be a huge increase in risk, especially in South East Asia," Hessel Winsemius, an author of the study at Dutch independent research institute Deltares, told Reuters.

Such flooding can also impact multinational companies which spread their production capacity -- monsoon floods in Thailand in 2011 killed more than 800 people and closed many factories -- including some making parts for firms such as Intel and Apple.

Many cities on flood plains were expected to expand in coming years, putting more people and businesses at risk. Multinational companies should think more about flood risks, including back-up suppliers or insurance from vulnerable areas.

Developing nations are working to adapt.

Thailand, for instance, is experimenting with floating homes that can rise up above the waters on pontoons filled with styrofoam.

(Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Global flood toll to triple by 2030
Claire Marshall BBC 5 Mar 15;

The number of people affected by river flooding worldwide could nearly triple in the next 15 years, analysis shows.

Climate change and population growth are driving the increase, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).

In the UK, about 76,000 people a year could be at risk of being affected by flooding if defences aren't improved, it says.

The yearly cost of damage to urban areas could reach more than £1bn.

The centre says this is the first public analysis of all world data on current and future river-flood risks.

It demonstrates some 20 million people are at risk of being affected by flooding, and it costs almost £65bn in GDP.

According to the new evaluation, in just 15 years time these numbers could rise to around 50 million people with an annual potential cost to the world economy of around £340bn.

Much of this is attributed to climate change and socioeconomic development.

By 2030, if there isn't any increased investment in flood prevention, the UK could be facing a yearly bill of more than £2bn.

The World Bank says that this calculator will help to inform governments about mitigation and defence strategies.

According to the Red Cross, almost half of natural disasters they dealt with last year were caused by floods.

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El Niño finally arrives but is weaker than expected, says US agency

Arrival of long-anticipated climate phenomenon will be too little, too late for drought-struck California, meteorologists say
Associated Press The Guardian 5 Mar 15;

The US National Weather Service on Thursday proclaimed the phenomenon is now in place. It​ involves a warming of a certain patch of the central Pacific that changes weather patterns worldwide, associated with flooding in some places, droughts elsewhere, a generally warmer globe, and fewer Atlantic hurricanes.

El Niños are usually so important that economists even track them because of how they affect commodities.

But this is a weak, weird and late version of El Niño, so do not​ expect too many places to feel its effects, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center. He said there may be a slight decrease in the number of Atlantic hurricanes this summer, but he also points out that 1992’s devastating Hurricane Andrew in Florida occurred during an El Ninño summer, so coastal residents should not​ let their guard down.

This is the first El Niño since spring of 2010.

Ever since March 2014, the weather service has been saying an El Nino was just around the corner. But it did not​ quite show up until now.

Meteorologists said the key patch of the Pacific was warming but they didn’t see the second technical part of its definition — certain changes in the atmosphere. Halpert said he did not​ know why this El Niño didn’t form as forecast, saying “something just didn’t click this year.”

For drought-struck California, it​ is too little, too late, meteorologists say.

Last year, some experts were hoping that El Niño would help the southwestern U​S​ droughts because moderate-to-strong events bring more winter rain and snow to California — even flooding and mudslides during 1998’s strong El Niño. But this El Niño arrives at the end of California’s rainy season and is quite weak, Halpert said.

Allan Clarke, a physical oceanography professor at Florida State University, said as far he​ is concerned, El Niño has been around a while and the weather service did not​ acknowledge it. But he agrees that this does​ not look like a strong one.

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Best of our wild blogs: 5 Mar 15

A Quiet Morning @ Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill Park
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

4 Lessons on Visual Storytelling from Chai Jing’s Documentary on Smog in China
from Green Future Solutions

Fishes dying at Sungei Buloh?
from wild shores of singapore

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Fish farms may move from Changi after mass deaths

Carolyn Khew The Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Mar 15;

AFTER a plankton bloom at the weekend wiped out almost all their stocks of fish, some farmers in Changi are looking at moving to sites with stronger tide conditions.

Others told The Straits Times they planned to invest in more costly closed containment systems that would be protected from such blooms, which can suffocate marine life.

The weekend incident was a blow to farms still trying to recover from a similarly devastating bloom a year ago. One of them, Ah Hua Kelong, went online to appeal for donations to help it meet its daily running costs.

Mr Frank Tan, chief operating officer of Marine Life Aquaculture, which produces about 200 tonnes of seabass and threadfin annually, said he had planned to move to two sites - one on Pulau Tekong and the other on the Southern Islands - following last year's incident, which wiped out 20 tonnes of his fish.

Last Saturday's bloom killed 120 tonnes of his fish.

"We spent the past year rebuilding our business and were planning to move only in about a few years' time.

Yesterday, he was still busy directing staff to bag and remove the dead fish.

Following the authorities' warnings, he had managed to save a few hundred adult fish by moving them to an offshore site located near his Changi farm.

Mr Tan said he will be ready to move in one to two months. He estimates the tides at Pulau Tekong to have a water flow rate three times stronger than those at Changi, so stronger support structures need to be built for the farm.

Fin Fisher owner Timothy Hromatka, 42, is not discounting a move to Pulau Tekong, but estimates he would need $500,000 to do so.

"Tekong is farther away (from the mainland), and this means higher operational costs."

The smell of rotting fish was strong around the fish farms, located near the Lorong Halus jetty, yesterday as workers continued to dispose of the dead fish.

As of October last year, home-grown farms contributed about 7 per cent to the industry, producing fish like sea bass and grouper as well as lobsters.

Plankton blooms are caused by factors such as warmer weather and a neap tide, when the high tide is at its lowest.

Some farmers such as Mr Malcolm Ong, chief executive of The Fish Farmer, who is in his 50s, are looking at farming under controlled conditions to protect their stocks from such unpredictable blooms.

But another farmer, Mr Simon Oh, in his 60s, said the systems can be challenging to install. He lost all 35 tonnes of his pomfret last week.

"I have no funds to restart my business, much less invest in such equipment," he said.

Additional reporting by Isaac Neo













Fish supply, prices in supermarkets unaffected by plankton bloom
CAROLYN KHEW Straits Times 5 Mar 15;

With local produce accounting for less than 10 per cent of their supply, supermarkets still have plenty of fish even after a devastating plankton bloom over the weekend killed more than 300 tonnes of stocks at farms in Changi.

Dairy Farm, which owns both Cold Storage and Giant supermarkets, said neither its supply nor price is affected as it practises "diversified sourcing", buying fresh fish from countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

About 10 per cent of Giant's fish supply comes from local farms while Cold Storage buys a "minimal" amount, said a spokesman. Local farms supply species such as grey mullet, golden snapper and golden pomfret, she said.

Home-grown produce makes up just 5 per cent to 10 per cent of FairPrice's fish, and less than 5 per cent of Sheng Siong's.

"Most of the local fish farms do not have the required facilities to transport live fish directly to our chain stores. So, at the moment, most of our live fish comes from Malaysia," said a Sheng Siong spokesman. The supermarket chain buys about 500kg of fresh fish daily from local farmers, mainly milkfish and mullet.

FairPrice and Sheng Siong said they are still buying local fish and reassured consumers that they are safe to eat. Overall, local fish farms contribute about 7 per cent to Singapore's supply.

The unexpected plankton bloom, the second in as many years, affected Changi farms located off Lorong Halus jetty most badly, with some losing almost all of their fish stock overnight. Plankton blooms can be deadly as they suck oxygen from the water, suffocating other marine life.

One farm alone, Marine Life Aquaculture, lost 120 tonnes of threadfin and seabass.

Another, Kelong FC116 in Pasir Ris, appealed for funds on crowdfunding website Indiegogo yesterday to keep operating after losing more than 20 tonnes of fish. It is the second farm to look for help online, following in the footsteps of Ah Hua Kelong.

Between Saturday and last night, Ah Hua Kelong had managed to raise more than $16,000.

Marine life has also been found washed up along the shores of Pasir Ris Beach and near the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Extension.

Dr Diana Chan, course manager for the diploma in veterinary technology at Temasek Polytechnic's School of Applied Science, said the concentration of farms in Changi and their close proximity to each other could create a situation in which water cannot flow freely.

A plankton bloom is caused by various factors like warm temperatures and high nutrients leading to lower levels of dissolved oxygen. It happens worldwide, including in countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, say experts.

Associate Professor Federico Lauro from the Asian School of the Environment at the Nanyang Technological University said the micro-organisms can double every three to four hours.

"With a better understanding of the many factors leading to a bloom, scientists should be able to provide risk assessment tools for the conditions leading to a bloom. We are just not at that stage yet."

Still, farmers can brace themselves for such eventualities by employing systems to monitor dissolved oxygen and nutrient levels, said Mr Chan Wei Loong, programme chair of Republic Polytechnic's diploma in marine science and aquaculture.

Even though when a plankton bloom occurs is "anyone's guess", a trained person will know how to read this information and be prepared for it, he said.

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