Best of our wild blogs: 19 Apr 16

Trumpeter Hornbill in Bidadari (April 18, 2016)
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Job Opportunity: Management Assistant Officer (1 Year Contract)
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

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Singapore’s Wild Bird Trade Raises Troubling Questions About African Grey Parrots

TRAFFIC 18 Apr 16;

A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society and TRAFFIC underlines Singapore's role as a leading transit hub for birds from Africa and Europe to East Asia and the Middle East, and highlights serious discrepancies in the way this trade has been recorded over a decade.

Published in Oryx, the study is the first of its kind that describes Singapore’s prominent involvement in the trade in birds listed in CITES Appendix I and II based on government data. Notably, it also emphasizes trade record discrepancies.

The study found Singapore to have imported specimens from 212 bird species listed in Appendices I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 2005 to 2014.

Close to 86,000 birds traded over this period could not be accounted for after arrival in Singapore. “Birds that were not re-exported can be presumed to have remained in the country for the domestic markets, but given the scale of the discrepancy, it seems unlikely,” said Chris Shepherd, Regional Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia.

Of all species, the African Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus, a popular pet bird, topped the list of species imported to and exported from Singapore during the assessed period—more than 41,700 traded birds were recorded.

Researchers found that Singapore had imported twice as many African Grey Parrots as birds of other species, and re-exported three times as many of the parrots as birds of other species. Almost half of the African Grey Parrots imported during the study period were reported to be wild-caught, from countries under scrutiny for unsustainable exports.

Included as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the once highly-abundant African Grey Parrot is at great risk from hunting for the global pet trade and has already been eliminated in parts of its native range in Central and West Africa. In response to this growing threat to the species, a number of African countries led by Gabon are supporting the uplisting of the African Grey Parrot from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I, the strictest category, later this year when the CITES member governments meet in South Africa.

“Such significant trade data discrepancies in government figures as unearthed in this study warrant further investigation, as an inability to effectively monitor the movement of species such as the African Grey Parrot fundamentally undermines CITES and facilitates potential loopholes for illegal trade,” said Colin Poole, Regional Director for WCS.

The authors state that Singapore is well positioned to serve as a global leader, employing best practices in the regulation, compliance and monitoring of the international trade in wildlife. This is particularly important, not only in terms of its obligations under CITES, but also in relation to the potentially serious impacts that could arise from zoonotic diseases, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, being brought into Singapore inadvertently through an inadequately regulated wildlife trade.

The study calls for Singapore to begin by taking greater steps to fulfil its obligations to internationally agreed CITES guidelines and provide more complete and accurate trade information, including clearly reporting the actual number of animals in trade rather than simply the number of permits issued. In 2012, Singapore was put in the spotlight by an earlier TRAFFIC study for allowing imports of tens of thousands of parrots, mostly falsely declared as captive-bred from the Solomon Islands but in fact laundered from the wild.

Shades of grey: the legal trade in CITES-listed birds in Singapore, notably the globally threatened African grey parrot Psittacus erithacus, appears in the journal Oryx here.

The study was partly funded by WWF-Singapore.

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Give citizens a sense of ownership in city planning: SMU Provost

As Asia’s cities and populations grow, Professor Lily Kong says it is critical that city leaders engage citizens beyond just having exhibitions of city plans.
Samantha Yap Channel NewsAsia 18 Apr 16;

SINGAPORE: Asia is in the middle of its steepest growth and it is crucial for city leaders to start fully involving their citizens in the early stages of development, said panellists on Channel NewsAsia’s Perspectives discussion panel.

Professor Lily Kong, Provost of the Singapore Management University (SMU), for one, said city leaders should take time to sit down with citizens. Leaders need to understand what their citizens' needs are and take them on board when planning cities, because it will be the citizens who will benefit or be affected by top-level decisions, she explained.

“Master planning without public engagement, without community engagement, without involvement, risks a city without a sense of ownership,” Prof Kong, who has written extensively on the social and economic aspects of cities, said.

She pointed to her experience in Japan, where she observed a sense of belonging in some neighbourhoods.

Said Prof Kong: “I was walking along the Ueno region fairly recently. I saw 70- and 80-year-olds in the lake picking up pebble by pebble and scrubbing them. It was about a sense of ownership of the city; it was a sense of pride for the cleanliness for their immediate neighbourhood.

“That sense of belonging, to me, is admirable.”

The SMU Provost noted that city leaders and planners should do more than merely have exhibitions of city plans conceptualised without adequate citizen input.

“It’s not a case of: ‘We’ve put out all these plans and we’ll have an exhibition that’s roving and you come and take a look’, and (say) that’s public consultation. I don’t think that’s public consultation. That’s communication,” she said.

PEOPLE AS AGENTS OF CHANGE: DR HEYZER

Prof Kong was joined by other academics and private sector experts as they addressed the urban challenges facing Asia’s megacities during the discussion panel.

Dr Noeleen Hezyer, a social scientist and former United Nations Under-Secretary General, said that city planning should involve all parties, including the private sector, civil societies such as non-governmental organisations, and governments. In an ideal situation, they should find solutions to problems facing developed and developing cities, such as poverty and inequality, she added.

“People can no longer be seen as just beneficiaries of urbanisation. They need to be seen as agents of change,” she said.

The UN predicted that by 2030, there will be 41 megacities – urban areas with a population of more than 10 million – across the globe. Asia Pacific will account for 22 of these megacities.

According to Professor Dr Stephen Cairns, Programme Director at Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre, Asia is “in the middle of the steepest growth of urbanisation”, and in the next 50 years, “predominantly rural populations will become predominantly urban”.

Hanoi, for example, is facing an identity crisis as spontaneous construction projects take place in older neighbourhoods to cater for its growing population. By 2030, its current population of more than 7 million is expected to grow to 9 million.

SHOULD PRIVATE SECTOR TAKE THE LEAD?

Mr Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO of Surbana Jurong, said that as populations in Asian cities grow, planners will need to adjust their economic activities to suit their environment, and take in feedback from the community.

But he added that developing cities will face budgeting challenges and must find ways to do more with less, such as partnering with the private sector to take the lead.

“Each of the cities have limited capital budget, so you need to concentrate on using some of those dollars a bit better and let the private sector take the lead in some of the economic infrastructure.”

However, Prof Kong voiced her concerns over privatising urban development without involving the government because master planning with public engagement is still essential.

“Community involvement is critical in making cities work for the people who will actually live in the cities,” Prof Kong said.

Watch the full episode of Urban Challenges In Asia's Megacities, along with past episodes, on the Perspectives homepage.

- CNA/kc

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Lessons for emerging cities from car-lite moves

Lee Meixian. The Straits Times AsiaOne 19 Apr 16;

At a time when cities are going car-lite for environmental reasons, it may be a blessing in disguise for developing countries that have yet to build their road and highway infrastructure.

This is because they have the opportunity to avoid the mistakes of the more advanced countries. Now, they can move directly into a car-lite, road-lite transport system, and leapfrog a whole era of car-driven environment degradation, said Gabe Klein, special venture partner at venture capital firm Fontinalis Partners. Mr Klein recently spoke to The Business Times.

The entrepreneur, author, investor and former government transport official in Chicago and Washington DC, was in Singapore at the invitation of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to facilitate a workshop with public and private stakeholders on creating car-lite cities. This included speaking at a lecture organised by ULI and the Centre for Liveable Cities, which was attended by 80 participants from the public and private sectors and academia.

Speaking to BT after the lecture, he said: "The problem is we get so focused on technology, and it's great that we have all this technology that we can use, but looking back at earlier times, perhaps we had some things right.

"Perhaps in simpler times when people primarily walked and cycled and took more rudimentary forms of transit - and I'm not saying as you scale up, you don't want to improve your systems, because you do - but we've used the idea of technology to build horrible monstrosities of freeways and cities."

Mr Klein vehemently believes in a utopian city in the future where traditional cars and roads have all but given way to sidewalks and bicycle paths, and people live in dense communities and work remotely, which minimises the need for travelling.

Every way he puts it, driving is bad - for the environment, for pedestrian safety, even for people's health and fitness. "It will kill you, your city, the air quality, the value of real estate, it will make people unhealthy and fat," he said plainly.

What has been the typical trajectory in many rapidly urbanising countries is that cities quickly become car-oriented, partly also because people see car ownership as a sign of affluence. "You see people in China and India wanting to have a car if the Americans do. Then they realise it's a mistake and they build transit, or a confluence of transit, roads and highways. That's where Singapore is."

Singapore is in the midst of going car-lite as well, in the footsteps of its Western peers. It is discouraging car ownership through high costs and taxes, ramping up its public bus and rail systems, encouraging cycling as a mode of transport to work, decentralising offices, and studying car-sharing schemes as well as the feasibility of driverless pods.

"We've made a tremendous amount of mistakes in the Western world, and a lot of other countries have copied our mistakes, including China. The price they face now is pollution and congestion," Mr Klein said.

Referring to a chart in his presentation (top right), he said: "So if you are in a country that is at the beginning of the curve, jump to here (City C), don't go through the curve of mistakes. It's a really important lesson. You'll waste billions of dollars making the mistakes."

Another mistake that many major cities have made is to create the concept of a downtown - where people work - and the suburbs - where people live.

This has resulted in droves of people mass-commuting across cities at peak hours of the day - something which didn't happen in the past because people had tended to live close to where they worked.

He said: "So what we fundamentally have are challenges of land use. If we have the right land use and the right density, the right services and amenities, and the ability to work close to where we live as we did 100 years ago, perhaps we don't need the advanced transportation system. Just a simple one that focuses on walking, cycling, some high quality transit to link our neighbourhoods and cities."

He continued: "We have gone from this era of hyper consumption in post World War II to people really being more concerned about a higher quality of life by being able to walk, bike, take transit within 5-10 minutes to everywhere they want and not necessarily feeling the need to own everything.

"In transportation, we are really moving from the 'me' economy to the 'we' economy."

And new business models are springing up - be it private-hire and limousine services such as GrabCar and Uber, or shared car ownership initiatives such as Zipcar.

He said: "The innovation is happening at private-sector speed, meaning the profits are driving it. And when you take that and combine it with the exponential rate of change in technology, you can see this (the disappearance of cars from roads) is going to happen very, very fast, before the end of this decade."

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said this could take effect in Singapore as early as 2030.

Meanwhile, there has been debate in Singapore about whether the privatisation of public transport has led to its demise, as profit-maximising operators cut down on maintenance works to reduce costs.

To that end, the government is reportedly studying options for rail operator SMRT Corp to sell its trains to the government, so that SMRT can focus entirely on meeting service standards without being saddled with heavy capital expenditures.

This is something Mr Klein would agree with. He is in favour of the government owning the physical asset, with a private firm operating the asset under contract to the government.

That way, the private company has the benefit of experience; the state can do its checks and balances; and the customer benefits with lower costs and better services.

"Public-private partnerships are about a relationship. And you figure out contractually how much risks you want to maintain on the public side, and how much risks you want to transfer to the private side," he said.

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Proper regulation needed to boost e-waste recycling in Singapore: Experts

With more than 100,000 tonnes of e-waste generated in Singapore each year, experts say authorities need to take the lead to encourage recycling, and regulation should be the first step.
Angela Lim, Channel NewsAsia 18 Apr 16;

SINGAPORE: Proper regulation, including legislation, is needed to boost the recycling rates of electronic waste (e-waste) in Singapore, said experts, who added that efforts need to target small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the informal sector.

This comes as the Environment and Water Resources Ministry announced that it has launched a study that looks into having a national e-waste management system. The study will be completed around the first quarter of 2017.

E-waste like discarded mobile phones and computers contain valuable materials like aluminium, but also small amounts of hazardous substances that can pose pollution and health problems.

With more than 100,000 tonnes of e-waste generated in Singapore each year, experts said authorities need to take the lead to encourage recycling, and regulation should be the first step.

Said Mr Venkatesha Murthy, managing director at Vans Chemistry: "The key issue here is awareness. We do not understand what happens when the electronic products end their life.

"Extended producer responsibility and corporate social responsibility have to be in place so that these end-of-life electronics go to the right recycling. The third thing is legislation. Any success always goes with the mandatory law and regulation."

When it comes to corporate e-waste, one recycler said small businesses need to be brought on board. Unlike SMEs, multinational corporations typically have existing contracts with recycling companies to dispose of large amounts of e-waste.

"We concentrate on the formal sector, the large businesses," said Mr Scott Mac Meekin, chief operating officer at TES-AMM. "We'll deploy their new computers to them and take back their old ones at the same time. It's a very efficient system."

"If you look at the SME sector in most countries, they will tend to use their computers much longer and they'll use it through the cycle where there's no more remaining economic value left in it. It really is a recyclable play by that time and no longer a reuse play," he added.

Informal operators that collect e-waste and sell the most lucrative parts to recyclers for profit are another area of concern. Mr Meekin said this is because they discard the rest of the materials, contributing to incomplete recycling.

"I think as long as we have a clear policy that's enforceable, that's a starting point because that helps to obstruct the informal sector that may or may not follow compliance rules very well," he said.

For the wider community, experts said that part of the solution also lies in making it more convenient for individuals to recycle their unwanted electronic products.

- CNA/hs

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Zika virus 'likely to reach S'pore, so mosquito control vital'

Linette Lai, The Straits Times AsiaOne 18 Apr 16;

Local travel patterns make it "almost inevitable" that the Zika virus will find its way here, said Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor yesterday.

This is because Singapore plays host to many foreign visitors and residents travel abroad frequently, making imported Zika cases likely.

"While we have instituted measures to tackle the Zika threat, it is also critical for the community... to play an active role in preventing the breeding of mosquitoes," said Dr Khor, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health.

The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which also transmits dengue. Cases have been reported in neighbouring countries, including the Philippines, Thailand and East Malaysia.

Two weeks ago, Vietnam reported its first two cases of the virus.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed last week a definite link between Zika and infants born with microcephaly, or abnormally small brains.

Speaking to around 500 women at a seminar organised by the People's Association (PA), Dr Khor said that with the proven link between Zika infections and microcephaly in babies, pregnant women will be "particularly concerned" if the virus becomes entrenched here.

It is the first time that the PA has organised a grassroots event focusing on Zika.

At yesterday's seminar, participants learnt about the origins and effects of the Zika virus from Dr Ng Wee Tong, an occupational medicine specialist with ST Healthcare.

"It belongs to the same virus family as dengue," he said. "And like dengue, people can get bitten but have no symptoms at all."

Zika infections can appear very similar to dengue infections, as both share similar symptoms, such as rashes, headaches and muscle pains.

But those infected by the Zika virus also tend to have conjunctivitis, more commonly known as red eyes. Anyone who shows these symptoms should see a doctor immediately.

In February, the National Environment Agency announced that it was stepping up efforts to stamp out the Aedes mosquito.

These include training more than 5,000 grassroots volunteers to educate residents on preventing mosquito breeding, and deploying another 20,000 mosquito traps by June.

Former nurse Alice Goh, who attended the seminar, said she felt that people need to take the Zika threat more seriously. She has two daughters, both of whom are of child-bearing age.

"People tend to think that it's so far away and it won't come here, but we have to be very alert and aware," the 68-year-old said.

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Malaysia: Four million at risk of water cuts

The Star 19 Apr 16;

GEORGE TOWN: About four million people in the north will be affected if the Federal Government does not act fast to resolve the impending water crisis.

Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said Penangites would be hit hard as both the Beris dam and Muda dam could only last for 30 and 50 days respectively as reported.

“These two dams release water to sustain the water level of Sungai Muda where 80% of Penang water comes from.

“We are concerned with the sustainability of the water level in Sungai Muda,” he said.

Jaseni also raised concern of Kedah’s contingency plan if both dams dried up.

“If they continue to supply water for irrigation in Southern Kedah, they will be in serious deficit.

“That is a fact,” he said at a press conference after the signing of “Corporate Integrity Pledge” (CIP) between PBA Holdings Bhd and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission at Jen Hotel yesterday.

Jaseni said the company had proposed to the Federal Government to carry out four urgent measures – large scale cloud seeding, postponement of irrigation activities in the northern region, minimising draw down of reserves from all dams and to advise consumers to use less water.

Jaseni said although there were rains on Sunday, they managed to collect only 1mm and 31mm at the Air Itam dam and Teluk Bahang dam respectively.

“We were supposed to get rains for the last three weeks but we did not because of El Nino.

“Business will be crippled. Any water rationing can cause chaos in domestic and commercial activities,” he said.

Jaseni said certain parts of Johor and Perlis have already started water rationing.

“This is getting serious. The national water council should convene and find a solution for the problem because it involves four million people,” he said.

No rationing in Klang Valley for now
The Star 19 Apr 16;

PETALING JAYA: There will be no water rationing in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya for now.

The water situation in Selangor was stable and all water treatment plants were fully operational, said Air Selangor corporate communications head Amin Lin Abdullah.

In the northern parts of Perlis, water rationing exercises begun last Saturday in Wang Kelian, Kaki Bukit, Titi Tinggi, Beseri and Abi.

Syarikat Air Perlis (SAP) chief executive officer Abd Hamid Sahid said the company was reducing production at Timah Tasoh dam so there would be reserve water for a few more days.

Timah Tasoh supplies 30% of Perlis’ water needs.

“There is water but the pressure is low for those in lower ground areas. We have been sending water tanks daily to help them out,” said Abd Hamid.

No water rationing in Penang
BERNAMA New Straits Times 18 Apr 16;

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Government will not ration water despite the prolonged dry spell which shows no sign of abating.

However, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa said immediate measure needed to be taken by the federal government to mitigate the Super El Nino phenomenon.

He said PBAPP had no plan for water rationing as it would cause chaos for domestic and commercial activities.

“In Penang, we have a policy of no water rationing and that is why we are seriously raising this issue... we urge the federal government to act now to avoid and prevent a foreseeable crisis,” he told reporters here today.

He said PBAPP was primarily concerned with the sustainability of the water level in Sungai Muda as it supplied more than 80 per cent water to this state.

Jaseni said he was informed that the Beris Dam could only last for 30 days while Muda Dam had 50 days, adding that they were the only dams in Kedah which released water to sustain the level of Sungai Muda.

“We like to know what the Kedah contingency plan is about...if the Muda and Beris dam water levels fall below the minimum level and based on the current reserve level, how will it continue to release water to Sungai Muda?” he asked.--BERNAMA


El Nino not yearly phenomenon: Mosti
BERNAMA New Straits Times 18 Apr 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will not experience the hot and dry spell caused by the El Nino every year because such a phenomenon only happens once in two to seven years.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Md Diah said in Malaysia, especially northern states, are currently experience a hot and dry spell due to the El Nino phenomenon and their proximity to the subtropical ridge.

“Subtropical ridge is a significant belt of atmospheric high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Abu Bakar when answering a question from Senator Datuk Jaspal Singh in Dewan Negara, here today. Jaspal had wanted to know why Malaysia, especially the northern states, were experiencing hot weather and a continuous dry spell this year.

Abu Bakar said the hot and dry spell experienced by Malaysia was not an annual occurrence since records on the El Nino phenomenon showed that there was always a gap. Malaysia experienced a similar phenomenon in 1982-1983, followed by 1997-1998 and now from 2015-2016.

The El Nino phenomenon did not only affect Malaysia, but other countries in South East Asia, Asia Pacific as well as Australia, he said.--BERNAMA

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Malaysia: Johor villagers complain scheduled water cut three days early

NORBAITI PHAHARORADZI The Star 19 Apr 16;

KOTA TINGGI: Villagers at Felda Lok Heng here are disappointed that the water supply to their area was cut three days earlier than the date announced by the state water concessionaire.

The settlement, which has more than 18,000 consumers, was among many areas in Kota Tinggi and Mersing affected by cuts on 85,000 domestic and industrial consumers.

Water concessionaire SAJ Holdings had announced that the areas would undergo scheduled rationing for 28 days from April 18 to May 15.

Housewife Zalimah Bujang (pic), 53, claimed the supply stopped on Friday.

Housewife Zalimah Bujang said that she only received the water rationing notice on April 16 but the water supply had stopped a day before (April 15).Pic by ABDUL RAHMAN EMBONG/The Star.

“Why did they cut it three days early and not give us a chance to store some water first?

“They should have let the water flow on Sunday so that we could prepare,” she said at her house yesterday.

Her neighbour Misah Saat, 67, who has lived in the settlement for 32 years, hoped the cut would not go on till the Muslim fasting month which was expected in June.

Housewife Suparti Mohamed, 55, said that although the cut began on Friday, she claimed the water tankers from SAJ Holdings only came in yesterday.

“We had to buy bottles of mineral water and make do with the water from the lorries,” she said.

She said the state government had said earlier that no rationing was needed in Johor.

“So why are we now told that there are cuts between April 18 and May 15?” she said.

Foodstall operator Sally Dahar, 53, said she was using a portable tank which provided her with water for three days.

“My business is not affected. But I hope the cut will not last until the fasting month,” she added.

SAJ Holdings corporate communications chief Jamaluddin Jamal said the cut was due to operational issues.

He said that during the rationing exercise, water would flow for one day, followed by two days of dry taps, and the cycle repeated.

“The exercise is necessary after levels at the four water treatment plants in the two districts became critical,” he said.

The plants are in Lok Heng and Sungai Gembut in Kota Tinggi, and Sungai Mersing and Tenglu in Mersing.

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Malaysia: Perak, Johor to ban polystyrene

The Star 19 Apr 16;

IPOH: Perak and Johor, which are moving towards a ban on polystyrene containers, are encouraging people to use tiffin carriers or other biodegradable containers.

The Perak government has declared a total ban on the usage of polystyrene containers and plastic bags from June next year.

Residents here will have to use biodegradable containers or their own shopping bags then.

Perak Environment Committee chairman Datuk Dr Muhammad Amin Zakaria (BN-Batu Kurau) said the ban would be enforced in stages starting with state government buildings this June, citing that cafeterias there would have to use biodegradable containers every Friday.

“In the second stage, the ban will be extended from weekly to daily, starting January 2017.

“The third stage will take place during the same period at the premises of all local governments in the state.

“Finally, the fourth stage will start in June 2017 when the usage of polystyrene and plastic bags will be banned throughout the state, especially in supermarkets, hypermarkets and sundry stores,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Muhammad Amin said the ban would be enforced by all local authorities in every district.

“Although the move may seem drastic, this is an issue that the state has been contemplating for a while now. We are indeed serious in eliminating polystyrene and plastic waste, so we decided to implement the ban in stages so that the people are given time to get used to the idea of using their own containers and shopping bags,” he said.

Muhammad Amin said the state would work with the Department of Environment to build more e-waste collection centres so that the waste could be handled in a safe manner.

In Iskandar Puteri, state Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said there would be an announcement on the ban by the end of the year.

For now, consumers in Johor should start bringing their own tiffin carriers or food containers for takeaways.

He said the state authorities were conducting a study before banning the use of plastic and polystyrene containers, acknowledging that this was a delicate issue.

Ayub said plastic and polystyrene containers had been clogging up drains and rivers and even becoming mosquito-breeding grounds.

Speaking to reporters, Ayub said that 80% of the 160 tonnes of the rubbish collected yearly in Sungai Skudai, one of the dirtiest rivers in Johor, was made up of polystyrene and plastic.

He also cautioned that the price of takeaway food should not increase once the ban was enforced.

“Customers may not be happy if they are charged an extra 50 sen for taking away food in biodegradable containers.”

Ayub said the state government wanted to encourage food operators to gradually switch to biodegradable containers.

Both Penang and Malacca have banned the use of polystyrene containers in their states.


Johor Govt Plans To Ban Use Of Polystyrene, Plastic
Bernama 18 Apr 16;

ISKANDAR PUTERI, April 18 (Bernama) -- The use of polystyrene and plastic will be banned in Johor to protect the environment and for health, the Johor State Assembly was told Monday.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the matter would be announced by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the end of the year at the tabling of the 2017 State Budget.

Towards this end, he said, a working paper on the use of biodegradable and biocompostable containers to replace polystyrene and plastic was being prepared by the Johor Biotechnology and Biodiversity Corporation (J-Biotech).

He said this in response to an oral question from Chua Wee Beng (DAP-Bentayan) who wanted to know if the state government had plans to ban the use of polystyrene and plastic.

--BERNAMA


Public encouraged to bring containers for takeaways
The Star 20 Apr 16;

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Customers in Johor are encouraged to bring their own tiffin carriers or food containers for takeaways when patronising food outlets in the state.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said that the practice would make them fully prepared when the banning of polystyrene takes place in Johor.

He said the state authorities and agencies were in the midst of conducting an in-depth study before banning the use of plastic and polystyrene containers, adding that this was a delicate issue.

Ayub said plastic and polystyrene containers have been identified for clogging up drains and rivers and even becoming mosquito-breeding grounds.

“We are definitely moving there and Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin will make the announcement on the banning by the end of the year,’’ he told reporters during a break at the state assembly sitting here on Monday.

Ayub said for instance, about 80% of the 160 tonnes of the rubbish collected yearly in Sungai Skudai, one of the dirtiest rivers in Johor, were made up of polystyrene and plastic.

He said while banning such containers would be good for the environment, at the same time the authorities needed to look into other factors.

“Any decision will have to be a win-win situation for both food operators and customers and the price of takeaways should not increase,’’ added Ayub.

He said for instance, customers might not be happy they were charged an extra 50 sen for taking away food in biodegradable containers.

Ayub said that right now the government wanted to encourage food operators to gradually switch to biodegradable containers.

Polystyrene, which does not break down naturally, can remain an environmental hazard for hundreds of years, clogging up drains and rivers.

Those that collect water also end up becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Earlier during the sitting, Ayub said that the government has given Johor Biotechnology and Biodiversity Corp (J-Biotech) the responsibility to submit proposals, initiatives as well as the preparation of a roadmap.

He said that J-Biotech was selected to come up with a five-year roadmap for the consideration of the government.

“J-Biotech is in the midst of preparing an introductory proposal on the replacement of plastic and polystyrene packaging materials to biodegradable and bio-compostable ones.

“The working papers will include suggestions and action plan along with a five-year roadmap to see through the success of the initiative,” he said in reply to a question posed by Chua Wee Beng (Bentayan-DAP) here on Monday.

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Indonesia: Five forest fire cases going to Indonesian A-G

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, The Straits Times AsiaOne 18 Apr 16;

Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry will submit five cases of land and forest fires to the Attorney-General's office by the end of the month, a ministry official told The Straits Times last Friday.

The cases are among 26 that are under investigation.

Mr Shaifuddin Akbar, a sub- director at the ministry who is in charge of coordinating the investigations, declined to name the culprits but said the cases involved illegal fires in Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra and Central Kalimantan provinces during last year's transboundary haze crisis.

The ministry is pressing criminal charges against errant companies and smallholders accused of clearing land by burning, which in turn triggered uncontrolled fires between August and November last year. These offences carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and a maximum fine of 10 billion rupiah (S$1 million).

The Attorney-General's office will write up indictments based on the criminal investigation dossier from the ministry, and table them in the district courts.

Mr Shaifuddin said the criminal cases had been slow due to an inadequate number of personnel.

"We are overloaded. Only 10 investigators are working on the 26 cases," he told The Straits Times, adding that only five cases had reached an advanced, cross-examination stage.

His ministry has filed a request to the Law and Human Rights Ministry to boost the number of investigators. He said he needed more officials with an environment case investigator licence.

"We can work at full speed only after then," Mr Shaifuddin said.

The criminal investigations are in addition to the administrative sanctions the Environment and Forestry Ministry imposed on companies late last year. Some had their business licences revoked, others suspended.

Concurrently, Indonesian police are also investigating companies and individuals that used illegal slash-and-burn techniques to clear land during last year's haze season. None of these had reached the Attorney-General's office.

Under Indonesian law, any criminal investigation dossier drawn up by an authorised body - including the police and the Environment and Forestry Ministry - must be submitted to the Attorney-General before trials begin.

When asked by The Straits Times at a recent doorstop for an update on prosecutions of companies accused of illegal land clearing, Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo said: "I haven't been updated of any progress on this."

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Indonesia: Taking the hot seat in war on haze

Mr Nazir plans to plant agricultural crops on the restored land, thus boosting Indonesia's food security while providing new incomes for companies and communities.
David Fogarty, The Straits Times AsiaOne 18 Apr 16;

Conservation veteran Nazir Foead is Indonesian President Joko Widodo's frontman in the fight against the haze.

He is literally a man in the hot seat, and he knows he has to deliver where others failed.

As head of the newly created presidential Peatland Restoration Agency, he is tasked with leading a national effort to restore fire-prone peatlands to curb the annual fire risk.

To succeed, his agency will have to change the way bureaucrats, companies and farmers think about how they exploit the land - moving from development with little heed for the damage caused, to agricultural development that protects the land while benefiting communities and companies.

It's a monumental challenge for a nation that has become synonymous with massive deforestation and rampant, poorly governed agricultural expansion.

But Mr Nazir, 49, an ethnic Chinese from Medan, is confident his agency can succeed. He said last year's fires changed everything.

"The government was shocked to see what happened in 2015," he told a sustainability conference in Singapore last Friday.

"I cannot emphasise more how serious Indonesia is, preparing actions, programmes and changing policies to prevent fires from happening. We understand that prevention actions have not been a focus."

That had changed, he stressed.

He said he had the full support of the President and key ministries. But he faces a sceptical public and sceptical regional neighbours tired of seeing Indonesia's forests and peatlands go up in smoke every year.

Mr Nazir, however, is used to getting his way. He spent 20 years at WWF coaxing bureaucrats and companies into making Indonesia a little greener.

Before becoming head of the peat agency in January this year, he led the Indonesia conservation initiative for the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), a collaboration by a group of United States foundations.

A key focus was encouraging palm oil as well as pulp and paper companies to be more environmentally responsible and to respect local communities. Preserving peatlands was another focus.

Mr Nazir brings that depth of understanding of the issues to his new ministerial-ranked role. Unlike many of his government peers, he does not belong to a political party, and has never worked in the bureaucracy or the corporate world. Thus, his new role represents a major shift in his career... and risks.

And those risks were daunting - so much so that he initially turned down the job, he told The Straits Times.

"I was in my comfort zone at the CLUA," he said. "I loved the job. Leaving meant taking on a huge responsibility, maybe creating many more enemies in my career. But if we all were concerned about the risks in the first place, we would not start to make a change."

"I believe in this President," he added.

With Mr Joko, he shares a background in forestry. Both attended the forestry school at Gadjah Mada University, in Yogyakarta, although in different years.

The new agency's mission is to restore two million ha of peatlands within five years in seven provinces. Priority areas will be in Sumatra and Central Kalimantan, where most of last year's fires raged. Nearly one million ha of peatlands went up in flames, producing the acrid smoke that blanketed the region.

Peat becomes highly flammable when cleared of forest and drained using deep drainage canals.

It can burn for weeks or months. Some peatlands are up to 8m deep, and an estimated 2 million km of canals have been dug over the years by loggers and plantation firms.

Damming the canals and reflooding the surrounding landscape is seen as the best way to reduce the fire risk.

But that pits Mr Nazir's agency directly against companies with plantations on peatlands, as well as officials with vested interests in palm oil or other crops planted in peat.

On the sidelines of the sustainability conference organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Mr Nazir said his agency had already mapped 2.26 million ha of priority areas - sites where there have been a high fire frequency and where the peatlands are dry.

Of these, about 1.9 million ha are in cultivation areas, with 25 per cent on community lands. The remaining sites are in government conservation areas, which will be reflooded and returned to natural forest.

The agency is still finalising the map of areas to be restored, and companies are waiting to see how much of their land will be affected. But Mr Nazir noted that rewetting peatlands could benefit all sides.

"It is an easy logic. Instead of having these fires, we're restoring the land and planting with agricultural crops, not only forest species, that increase Indonesia's food security."

He said there are about 100 species, including crops and timber, that can grow in flooded peatlands. These provide alternative incomes for companies and communities.

Land that is repeatedly burnt is already loss-making and non-productive, said Mr Nazir. Restoring it makes economic sense, and can help end conflicts between communities and companies.

"If the conflict can be resolved, the land can be flooded, and it can be planted with certain crops that benefit the companies and the farmers, everybody wins," said Mr Nazir.

That runs counter to the view that clearing peatlands and burning the forest is profitable. In reality, doing so simply primes the land for more fires in future, said Mr Nazir.

It is this change in mindset that he hoped would take root.

Already, he said, the main pulpwood companies are keen to explore growing alternative peatland timber crops that can be used in their mills. He also pointed to the major palm oil and pulp firms supporting zero-deforestation, zero fires and zero peatland clearance in their green policies.

He said his agency had set a target of restoring 600,000ha by the end of this year and another 400,000ha next year, and had already begun work in Riau province near Singapore.

Moreover, he had received about US$135 million (S$183 million) in funding pledges from Norway, the US, the European Union, Britain and soon Japan, with major additional funding from the Indonesian government from next year.

He said the idea was to mainstream peatland restoration, and community livelihoods, so it became standard practice. That would be like hitting the jackpot, he added.

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/taking-hot-seat-war-haze#sthash.n4iJ7e1Z.dpuf

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Indonesia: Gorontalo whale shark site reopens, with new rules

Syamsul Huda M. Suhari The Jakarta Post 18 Apr 16;

A whale shark viewing site reopened on Sunday off Botubarani village in Bone Bolango regency, Gorontalo, with bans on visitors feeding and touching the animals.

Gorontalo Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency head Sutrisno said the area, which was previously unregulated and freely accessible to local people and tourists, was closed off completely for one week while the provincial administration formulated rules for visitors.

Prior to the regulations, the waters were swarmed by visitors. Photos of people feeding, touching and riding on the backs of whale sharks in Botubarani can easily be found on social media.

Since opening as a viewing site, the new regulations aim to support the conservation of the animals. Hundreds of visitors have once again flocked to the site since its reopening.

Sutrisno said the administration had secured a 1-hectare protection zone for the whale sharks.

“Fishermen and visitors are not allowed to enter or pass through the zone [in which the whale sharks typically congregate], which is very close to the shoreline,” he said.

Sutrisno added that the only people allowed inside the area would be workers who fed the whale sharks three times a day.

The new regulation bans the use of motorboats in the zone. It also imposes fees of Rp 15,000 (US$1.10) on visitors and Rp 50,000 on divers who wish to view the sharks from the perimeters of the secured area.

Revenue from the fees will be used to buy food for the whale sharks, which eat shrimp, and for the village’s coffers. Divers are only allowed to visit the area in small groups, accompanied by official guides.

Meanwhile, Whale Shark Indonesia project leader Mahardika Rizqi Himawan said the management of the new tourist attraction should come under a single organization capable of watching over the protected animals, which are prone to extinction.

Mahardika said the feeding of whale sharks by humans would change their behavior.

“The behavior of whale sharks in Botubarani has changed, as they appear the moment boats arrive. They assume they will get food from visitors,” he said.

Whale Shark Indonesia is currently in Gorontalo to conduct research and identify behaviors of the sharks.

Based on preliminary observations, whale sharks in Botubarani are immature and measure between five and seven meters long.

Previously, residents reported that whale sharks often visited the village over the past two years, especially since the establishment of a shrimp processing plant, which disposes of waste products into the sea.

As many as eight whale sharks are reported to be approaching the area every morning and afternoon.

However, in recent days, Whale Shark Indonesia could only identify seven individuals, all of them male.

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