Best of our wild blogs: 26 Mar 15

Palm oil waste and other damaging activities at Pasir Ris
from wild shores of singapore

How are seagrasses at Pasir Ris after the mass fish deaths?
from wild shores of singapore

Pellets from Tuas: 6. Nesting of Black-shouldered Kites
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Destruction of elephant, tiger, and orangutan habitat doubles
from Mongabay.com news

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Indonesia defends deforestation for palm oil on economic grounds

Stella Dawson PlanetArk 26 Mar 15;

Clearing forests for palm oil plantations is a "technical" matter that should not get tied up with trade discussions, an Indonesian minister told a land and poverty conference.

Growing global demand for palm oil is fuelling rapid deforestation in Indonesia, at a faster pace than in Brazil's Amazon region, making Indonesia a major contributor to global warming.

But Prabianto Mukti Wibowo, assistant deputy minister for forestry in the Economic Affairs Ministry, told a World Bank conference on land and poverty held in Washington this week that deforestation was a rich-country concern.

"We know that our primary customers are not concerned about deforestation," he said.

Asian nations, led by India, China and Pakistan, buy 55 percent of Indonesia's palm oil exports, while Europe buys only 8 percent, yet Europe puts much of the pressure on Indonesia not to cut down and burn forests to make way for plantations, he said.

Palm oil is important to Indonesia's development because it reduces poverty by bringing roads, schools and other infrastructure to rural communities and generates five million jobs that benefit 15 million people, Wibowo said.

The pace of forest loss declined rapidly between 2009 and 2013, he said, even before last year's New York Declaration on Forests called for an end to deforestation by 2020.

Hence the issue should be treated as a technical matter not a trade issue, and reserved for discussion in such forums as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) among industry, investors and civil society groups, he said.

"The zero deforestation commitment should not be a trade barrier because deforestation is a governance issue and about effective implementation, not about trade," Wibowo said.

Illegal logging, a primary source of deforestation in Indonesia, is under discussion at the World Trade Organization, which aims to complete some environmental negotiations by July as part of the Doha round of global trade talks.

Indonesia also signed a 2006 memorandum to combat illegal logging as part of its trade agreement with the United States.

(Reporting by Stella Dawson; Editing by Tim Pearce)

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Mar 15

lone otter @ pasir ris - March 2015
from sgbeachbum

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Malaysia: Chant questions Middlebank reclamation by state government

MELISSA DARLYNE CHOW New Straits Times 24 Mar 15;

GEORGE TOWN: An environmental interest group here questioned the state government's insistence in going ahead with the Middlebank reclamation, with the knowledge that it could destroy the ecosystem of the seagrass bed there.

Speaking in a press conference today on the matter, Citizens Awareness Chant Group (Chant) adviser Yan Lee said the Penang government should explain why it insist on reclaiming the Middlebank area, when there are so many other places to be reclaimed.

"Choose somewhere else that is feasible. The ecosystem on the seagrass bed has to be a priority," he said in a press conference here.

Lee claimed that reclamation in the area would change the whole system and water flow in Penang, affecting fish farmers from the island to Nibong Tebal, and cause siltation.

Lee cited the Forest City project in Johor as an example of how such a seagrass bed should not be touched for development. He said the Johor Department of Environment (DoE) had not allowed the Forest City developer to reclaim areas that have a large amount of seagrass.

The 50.6ha seabed in the Middlebank, located between the first Penang Bridge and the Sungai Pinang river mouth, is the second largest in Peninsular Malaysia after Merambong in Johor.

It was reported that the state government planned to reclaim the area under the proposed RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan.

The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) had called for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to reclaim the area, and ended on Feb 23.

When contacted by the New Straits Times, state Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said nothing has been decided yet on the project.

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Malaysia: Forest city to create 250,000 jobs

JASSMINE SHADIQE New Straits Times 25 Mar 15;

THE Forest City project is expected to create some 250,000 job opportunities, besides offering free education to locals via its vocational and technique schools, to equip them with skills upon its completion in 2045.

The ultra-mega Forest City project will create four man-made islands with a gross development value of RM600 billion over a period of 30 years.

It developer and operator Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd is committed to complete the project according to the necessary rules and regulations, including adhering to the detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) necessities.

Country Garden Pacificview's executive director Datuk Md Othman Yusuf said Johoreans and Malaysians will benefit from the project as it will contribute to the nation's goal in reaching high-income status.

Forest City is consistent with the government's vision as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), to increase the population and household income for the state of Johor.

Forest City is expected to generate additional income for the state by way of quit rent, assessment, advertising taxes and entertainment taxes.

The 1,623 hectares (ha) will be constructed by way of reclamation. It will create new land mass to the state government and will directly contribute to state income when it matures.

"We aim to provide world class facilities to attract game players and market makers from around the world.

"It will have a domino effect where the country will benefit from the spill over effect. This will also be a catalyst for local migration, from different parts of Malaysia, ensuing in creation of new job opportunities," he said.

The Forest City project of 1,386.05ha on reclamation land in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, in Johor will ensure that all compliance and monitoring, in terms of air, noise, water quality and sediment, are robustly implemented and carried out.

Md Othman said their immediate priorities are to minimise the impact on the local communities by ensuring that the surrounding ecology is well preserved.

"We are committed in ensuring the villages in the vicinity are also developed and for the people to benefit from the project's spill over effects," he said during a visit to the site during an exclusive interview with Media Prima Group.

He said after taking into consideration the DEIA and Hydraulic Study, they voluntarily reduced the reclamation works to form new land comprising four islands, which was approximately 1,624ha.

The new model was reduced by 354ha to ensure the sea grass area was preserved for future generations while maintaining the flora and fauna of the surrounding area.

Md Othman said Country Garden Pacificview is a responsible company and had walked the talk.

"We always ensure that our projects are compliant, adopt best practices of governance and we fully represent the needs of the communities, the environment and the state's economic development," he said.

"We walk the extra mile as we strive to provide the best quality in terms of facilities, services and designs while ensuring that the needs of the communities are fulfilled.

"Forest city's green concept will set the trend for tomorrow's model eco-city as we believe that people and the nature can live harmoniously together by maintaining a balance between nature and nurture," Md Othman said.

"To ensure that the project has economical scale and is sustainable, we need a sizeable land bank for the entire development project. If we were to acquire existing land, it may create a long list of social impact towards the local community by way of displacement. Through reclamation, we are creating a new land mass for the state government and the people of Johor by minimising the social impacts. We aim to develop harmoniously with the support of the local community," Md Othman explained.

He guaranteed that the local community will grow together with the Forest City project, and they will ensure that no one was left behind. This was achievable with regular dialogue sessions with the villagers.

"We provided training, workshops, and even contributed in transforming their fishing methods, including assistance to pursue deeper sea fishing. We are looking at the possibility of providing training and assistance in aquaculture, such as fish hatcheries," he said.

Meanwhile, Tanjung Kupang villagers who are mostly fishermen said they are confident that via the Forest City project they and the future generation will enjoy the spill over effects.

Zainuddin Abd Jabar, 54, from Kampung Tiram Duku, Mukim Tanjung Kupang, said initially he had his reservation when the project was first announced as it would definitely have an effect on their catch.

However, Country Garden Pacificview personnel conducted several dialogue sessions with the villagers to understand their concerns better.

"Although most of the villagers are fishermen and small traders, yet Country Garden Pacificview took our concerns seriously and addressed them sincerely," he said.

Fisherman Johari Lasim, 63, said he is proud that an ultra-mega development is taking place in his " backyard" and was sure that his children and their children will benefit from the project.

Md Othman said the Forest City was a challenge proposed by the Sultan of Johor.

"Sultan Ibrahim wanted a balance development in the south of Johor that will benefit his subjects and put Johor on the world's map. Forest City aims to balance the development between south-east, central and south - west of Johor.

"Sultan Ibrahim is a man of vision. He suggested that there should be developments in the south of Johor near the Second Link Highway.

That was a brilliant idea. Sultan Ibrahim's aim is for Johor to be developed equally, as it will contribute not only to the nation, but to Johoreans residing in any part of the state.

"Sultan Ibrahim played a paramount role in convincing foreign investors to develop Johor, turning it into an urban metropolis. Tuanku Sultan reminded us that no Johorean should be left out of the benefits of any development in the state," he said

"His subjects are very close to his heart, thus they are always his priority,' he added.

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Malaysia: Monsoon transition will continue until early may: DOE

SERI NOR NADIAH New Straits Times 24 Mar 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The current haze-like situation in the city is due to the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere.

Department of Environment Air Division senior principal assistant director Noraziah Jaafar said the country is currently experiencing a monsoon transition, which is expected to continue until early May.

“The Air Pollution Index showed that Miri is the only town in the country with a higher reading compared to the others.

“This is due to the bush fires there,” she told the New Straits Times.

She also warned of thunderstorms, flash floods and strong winds occuring during the transition period.

500 forest and bush fires due to dry spell this month: KK Fire and Rescue Dept
FATMA WATI MUNIR New Straits Times 24 Mar 15;

KOTA KINABALU : The Fire and Rescue Department responded to over 500 cases of forest and bush fires around the state this month due to the prolonged dry spell.

Its State director Nordin Pauzi said the district here and Papar recorded the highest number of cases this month at 131 and 69 respectively.

Meanwhile bush fire brought by the dry spell has ravaged the Katagazan Cemetery in Penampang on Sunday.

Babaig Condolence Committee chairman Victor Tokuyuk some of the graves in the cemetery were damaged and the surrounding area too needs to be cleared to prevent another Bush fire from spreading.

"Hopefully the government can help us here with the clearing works before it triggers another round of Bush fire," he said.

The dry spell which began in mid February is expected to continue next month before the transitional monsoon brings rain by May.

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Indonesia: Elephants trample man to death

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 24 Mar 15;

An oil palm plantation watchman, Waklung, 52, died after being trampled by a herd of feral elephants not far from his house in Koto Pait hamlet, Serai Wangi village, Pinggir district, Bengkalis regency.

Head of the local environmental group, Mandau Nature Society, Zul Husni Syukri, said the incident took place on March 21 at around 8 p.m. local time.

“The incident occurred when hamlet residents were driving away a herd of around 30 wild elephants that had entered their farms seeking food,” Zul told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Oil palm farmers jointly drove away the elephants whenever they came near, he added.

The herd of elephants was driven to a farm owned by Tewin, a local resident. Waklung was on guard duty.

“Residents stopped chasing the elephants at the farm watched by Waklung. They thought Waklung was away and were unaware he was resting in his hut,” said Zul.

The residents were then startled by screams coming from Tewin’s farm. After investigating they found Waklung, who hailed from Kalimantan, dead on the ground.

As forested areas have been converted into farms, elephants tend to migrate between neighboring plantations. Whenever elephants come, farmers join together to move them away, generally moving from one plantation to another.

According to Zul, the farm guarded by Waklung is located just 6 kilometers from the where a wild elephant was shot and killed, its tusks hacked off by poachers on Feb. 10 this year.

“One of the poachers, arrested by the Riau Police, hails from Koto Pait. Residents believe the dead elephant came from the same herd that trampled Waklung. Residents of Pinggir believe the incident to be an act of vengeance,” said Zul.

According to him, residents have long believed that wild animals like tigers and elephants exact revenge if one of their group is killed.

Zul has urged the relevant authorities to take action so as to prevent the same from happening again. “The provincial government must act, as it has so far been keeping quiet as residents confront wild animals,” he said.

World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia’s (WWF) Riau program spokesperson Syamsidar said he believed the herd of elephants came from the Balai Raja Wildlife Refuge in Mandau district, Bengkalis.

“Currently, the elephant-passage to Mandau is hampered by the West Duri Ring Road project. They are afraid to cross when heading home to Balai Raja due to the huge number of workers, so they are trapped at residents’ farms,” said Syamsidar.

The WWF and other environmental groups have urged the local administration to reconsider the road project due to its deleterious effect on the elephant habitat.

“As the road bisects the natural elephant track, human-to-elephant conflict increases. Elephants have never altered their roaming range and the routes they use are the same their whole life,” added Syamsidar.

Syamsidar also urged the government to restore, or reinstate, the function of the Balai Raja Wildlife Refuge, most of which has been damaged and converted into oil palm farms. Of the 18,000 hectares (ha) in the original refuge area, just 150 ha of forest remain intact.

“It is unfortunate that the Balai Raja Wildlife Refuge is allowed to be converted into oil palm farms. Protection of the area must be enhanced because the conservation area is an elephant habitat with the second-largest elephant population in Riau. When the source of food in nature runs out, the elephants will switch to the residents’ farms,” Syamsidar added

- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/24/elephants-trample-man-death.html#sthash.tjDOip67.dpuf

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Mar 15

Sharing Singapore's last natural western reefs with agencies
from wild shores of singapore

11 Apr (Sat) morning: Free guided walk at the Chek Jawa Boardwalk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Birds bathing in the rain
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Painted Jezebel’s post-eclosion behaviour
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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NTU develops mobile app to help reduce its energy usage

AsiaOne 23 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE - Nanyang Technological University has launched a new Eco-App to cultivate environment-friendly behaviour among students.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Environment and Water Resources, launched the new app today during the opening of NTU's annual Greenfest, the flagship event of NTU's environmental student club Earthlink.

The new app, POWERZ, enables students and staff to earn points through environmentally-friendly behaviours such as using fans instead of air-conditioning in residential halls, or switching off lights in lecture theatres when not in use.

Through its EcoCampus initiative, NTU aims to achieve a 35 per cent reduction in its energy and water usage, carbon footprint and waste output by year 2020.

The app also allow users to redeem rewards in real time. Students who use the app can redeem rewards like lucky draw coupons or food vouchers.

Associate Professor Yohanes Eko Riyanto, Principal Investigator for the POWERZ project said: "Simple everyday actions, such as switching off the lights and taking the stairs instead of the lift, can go a long way in creating a more sustainable future. The app provides a fun and exciting way to nudge people to be more environmentally conscious".

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Malaysia: Structural encroachment is one of the cause for flood in Cameron Highland

NURADZIMMAH DAIM New Straits Times 23 Mar 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The occurrence of mud floods in Cameron Highlands was due to prolonged medium downpour, high sediment at the Sultan Abu Bakar hydro-electrical dam, structural encroachment on water channels, and the drastic increase in farming development using agriculture plastic houses, Parliament was told.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said among the measures taken to counter this include the flood mitigation projects at Sungai Bertam and Sungai Ringlet, a national-level long-term comprehensive study on flash floods which was completed in 2013, preparation of the Cameron Highlands' environmental-friendly irrigation system master plan and the proposed implementation of the rain water harvesting.

"The rehabilitation efforts also include replanting of some 6,000 trees at the affected areas, so far. We aim to plant one million trees by 2020. The Sungai Bertam and Sungai Ringlet mitigation projects, which include the riverbank rehabilitation, cost RM40million and RM58million, respectively," he said.

The recurrence of floods at Cameron Highlands which claimed lives had prompted the government last year to launch a war against illegal farm operators who were found encroached on some 6,000 ha of land there.

A Cameron Highlands' special meeting in January has set a six-month deadline for the relevant agencies to review and prepare a long-term local plan for the area as part of rehabilitation efforts.

The efforts also include ongoing enforcement on the encroached land and illegal immigrants.

The floods in Kampung Raja near Ringlet and Lembah Bertam here on Nov 5 last year claimed the lives of five people and caused more than 90 victims evacuated.

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Elephant poaching crisis unchanged a year after global pledge

Poaching of elephants in Africa still exceeds natural rate of population growth a year after 46 countries pledged to control illegal ivory trade
Karl Mathiesen The Guardian 23 Mar 15;

The number of elephants being killed by poachers in Africa remains unchanged a year after 46 countries pledged to control the illegal ivory trade.

A representative of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), the UN body dedicated to fighting the global poaching crisis, told a conference in Botswana on Monday poaching still exceeds the natural rate of population growth.

Cites estimated that in 2013 more than 20,000 African elephants were killed for their ivory tusks. Last year the numbers were virtually the same. More than 60% of carcasses surveyed across the continent in 2014 died at the hands of poachers. According to Cites, anything more than 50% sends elephant numbers into decline.

The bad news comes a year after 46 countries signed the London declaration on the illegal wildlife trade. Former UK foreign secretary William Hague said the deal would “mark the turning point in the fight to save endangered species and to end the illegal wildlife trade”. But wildlife experts and the UK government said on Monday it was too early to judge the effectiveness of the accord.

A UK government spokeswoman said “significant progress” had been made since the meeting in London.
“But there is clearly no ‘quick fix’ for the complicated issues involved in the illegal wildlife trade, and the London declaration commitments were for the long term. The Kasane statement will identify possible gaps and areas that need strengthening. We are all dedicated to fighting this vicious trade,” she said.

Heather Sohl, chief adviser on species for WWF-UK, said some African governments had passed tougher anti-poaching laws and important demand reduction programmes have begun in China, the destination for much of the world’s illegal ivory.

Cites secretary general John Scanlon said the actions initiated by the London declaration needed more time to come to fruition.

“The momentum generated over the past few years is translating into deeper and stronger efforts to fight these crimes on the front line, where it is needed most – from the field, to police and customs, to illicit markets – and this enhanced frontline effort gives us confidence that if we persist with, and deepen this collective effort, we will reverse the devastating poaching trends of the past decade,” he said.

A spokesman for anti-poaching group Traffic said “incremental progress” had been made to combat poaching.

“Clearly action is being ramped up, but we will only be able to say things are getting better after we see evidence of a significant drop in poaching levels sustained over a period of years,” he said.

Scanlon said the Africa-wide numbers disguised regional successes and failures. Numbers in west Africa were at their worst since reliable record-keeping began. The smaller population of elephants in the west makes the species particularly vulnerable. In east Africa, poaching continued to decline from its peak in 2011, the continent’s worst year for elephant poaching.

“African elephant populations continue to face an immediate threat to their survival from high-levels of poaching for their ivory, especially in central and west Africa where the situation appears to have deteriorated. We are however also seeing some encouraging signals in parts of east Africa where the overall poaching trends have declined, which shows us all what is possible through a sustained and collective effort,” said Scanlon.

Sohl said: “The key thing that we have to keep coming back to is that the poaching rates are greater than the natural birth rates and that means that we are seeing a decline in African elephant populations. If this continues along the current rate we certainly could see the extinction of elephants in central Africa, where the current poaching rates are twice that of the continental average. That could be seen in our lifetime, so we are in a very desperate situation that needs to be addressed effectively.”

In recent years poaching has been driven by the increasing involvement of international criminal gangs, attracted by lucrative ivory prices. Between 2013 and 2014 the price of ivory in China tripled. This has lead to thousands more elephants being killed each year.

On Wednesday countries will meet again in Botswana to report their progress in fighting the international poaching crisis for all endangered species.

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Best of our wild blogs: 23 Mar 15

How is Pasir Ris marinelife after the mass fish deaths?
from wild shores of singapore

What activities affect water quality at Pasir Ris?
from wild shores of singapore

Battlefield Tour by Jon Cooper (Sun 29 Mar’15, 9.30am – 12pm)
from a.t.Bukit Brown. Heritage. Habitat. History.

Back to Chek Jawa Boardwalk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Laced Woodpecker pecking on an Oil Palm Fruit
from Singapore Bird Group

Celebrating the spirit of the Independents on World Water Day!
from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Brownback Trevally (Carangoides praeustus) @ Pasir Ris
from Monday Morgue

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