Best of our wild blogs: 19 Feb 17

25 Feb (Sat) Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Flew In Visitors (17 Feb 2017)
Beetles@SG BLOG

Butterfly of the Month - February 2017
Butterflies of Singapore

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New study of Singapore’s bird markets highlights dangers of overharvesting as critical bird trade Summit gets underway

TRAFFIC 18 Feb 17;

Singapore, 19th February 2016—A new TRAFFIC report has documented over 14,000 birds for sale in shops in Singapore over four days, 70% of them species non-native or formerly native to the country—a stark departure from patterns observed in other bird markets in the region.

Of the 14,085 birds of 109 species found in the market, some 6,473 (46%) were Oriental White-eyes Zosterops palpebrosus—a species once native to Singapore that was eradicated largely through trapping for the bird trade.

“The presence of thousands of Oriental White-eyes in Singapore’s bird markets is a poignant reminder of the dangers of persistent over harvesting and poorly managed trade,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Senior Programme Manager for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia and a co-author of the new study Songsters of Singapore: An Overview of the Bird Species in Singapore Pet Shops (PDF, 2.1 MB).

The study was released as experts from around the world gather to focus on developing and implementing a plan of action to avert the crisis facing Asia’s songbirds during the second Asian Songbird Trade Crisis Summit, which takes place from 19-21 February 2017 at the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.

During the first Summit held in 2015, the Oriental White-eye was among the species listed as of immediate concern from bird trapping in Asia along with the second most commonly observed species in Singapore’s markets—Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus, of which some 2,811 individuals were recorded.

“Singapore lost its Oriental White-eyes largely through excessive trapping, which should have hoisted a red flag warning that the ongoing trade will impose the same fate on this and other species elsewhere until there are no more left,” said Krishnasamy.

Previous TRAFFIC surveys of bird markets in Jakarta, Malang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta in Indonesia as well as Bangkok in Thailand, found that trade in those countries was dominated by species native to the country or elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Of the species in Singapore, more than 30 percent were from Central and South America, said the report, highlighting Singapore’s specialist role in trading birds from that region, although the country has been an historical focus for the exotic bird trade in Asia since at least the mid-19th Century.

“The volume of birds in Singapore’s birds markets are comparable to those in Indonesia, although the majority in Singapore are non-native species, hence the need to be particularly vigilant about the impacts of trade elsewhere in Asia and beyond,” said Krishnasamy.

Of concern, 97% of the individual birds seen in Singapore’s markets were not species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meaning they are not subject to international regulation—and with trade largely under the radar, there is often little, if anything, known of its impact on wild populations.

The TRAFFIC report calls for, among other actions, clarity on protocols in place to regulate non-CITES and non-protected species that are being imported and exported from Singapore in large volumes. It also seeks a disclosure of any quotas set for trade as well as a captive breeding regulation and registration details to enable civil society organizations to aid conservation efforts.

“The people and organizations coming together at the important Asian Songbird Trade Crisis Summit are dedicated to ensuring none of the bird species threatened by trade are lost,” said Dr Chris R. Shepherd, Regional Director of TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia. “It is very heartening to have so many experts coming together to tackle this crisis, and to make sure illegal and unsustainable trade does not lead to extinction.”

Members of the public who suspect that any illegal activity is occurring are encouraged to report suspected crime directly to AVA, or through TRAFFIC’s Wildlife Witness App, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play for free.

In November 2016, Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), the country’s CITES Management Authority, found that 14 of 27 pet bird shops surveyed by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) did not comply with the government’s licensing conditions on welfare, while investigations into online bird trade for CITES Appendix I and II listed-species are ongoing.

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Celebrating the common man: The rise of community history in Singapore

Linette Lim Channel NewsAsia 18 Feb 17;

SINGAPORE: Postgraduate student Kwek Li Yong is a familiar face to residents and shopkeepers in Queenstown. Since 2010, the heritage group the 27-year-old co-founded, My Community, has been running free guided tours in the neighbourhood’s estates.

Over the past seven years, the group’s guided tours have benefitted about 3,000 Singapore residents, and its volunteer base has grown to 50 strong. These volunteers include trail guides, resident ambassadors who promote its events, and researchers who go door-to-door to conduct oral history interviews with residents.

“We’ve seen this trend in the last four years. It’s not unique to Singapore,” said Mr Kwek, referring to greater community-driven interest in local heritage and the documentation of memories. “The trend mirrors those in fast-developing cities like Hong Kong, Taipei, where there are more vocal groups coming up to say, we should do something on vernacular heritage.”

When contacted for comment, the National Heritage Board (NHB) confirmed it has seen “a healthy, growing interest in ground-up community-driven projects and initiatives”.

Record levels of community participation in such projects have been accompanied by rising attendance numbers in its signature outreach events like the Singapore HeritageFest, according to NHB, citing an unprecedented 120 partners “contributing programmes and participating as volunteers” at 2016’s HeritageFest.

“This evolvement of the community’s role – from one of passive participant to active contributor – attests to the growing maturity of the heritage scene and (Singapore’s) progress as a nation,” said NHB assistant CEO Alvin Tan.

“There are a lot of pent-up memories that need to be told,” explained volunteer guide Huang Eu Chai, adding that My Community’s activities provided an avenue for residents like him to do something about heritage preservation, in the face of rapid change.

Describing his role guiding on the group’s Commonweath and Holland Village trail, Mr Huang, a lifelong resident of the area said: “I’m not just there to tell people what went on. I’m also there to encourage people who come on this tour to contribute to the story so it’s more of a discussion than a one-way lecture. And it’s turned out that way for most cases.”

Currently, My Community runs three trails, and has begun research on a fourth one, in Bukit Merah. According to Mr Kwek, each trail takes about two years to develop, due to the research, fundraising, and promotion work involved. “We’d also need to acquire rights to use old photographs, and speak to stakeholders to gain access to sites,” he added.

TAPPING ON RICH, LIVED EXPERIENCES

There are other groups in Singapore doing similar work, including non-profit organisations such as Tiong Bahru Heritage Volunteers; People’s Association-backed committees such as the Geylang Serai's Integration and Naturalisation Champions Committee, which organises free tours in that area; and commercial outfits like Geylang Adventures, which charges S$30-S$40 a head for a three-hour tour.

NHB, which supports some of these ground-up projects, including My Community’s, said that these efforts “contribute to the richness and diversity of the Singapore story”.

“Singapore’s success does not boil down to one person, one party, or a group of like-minded people. It’s made up of contributions and sacrifices from each and every one in our communities … We try to document these stories, so that we may understand how the common man’s experiences made our country successful,” said Mr Kwek, elaborating on his group’s focus on the history of everyday things.

“It’s a lot of work - asking the right questions to extract the memories, and getting old photos from residents. We need to build rapport and gain the trust of the residents,” admitted Mr Kwek’s co-founder Jasper Tan, adding that he’s fortunate to have the door closed in his face only once or twice, out of more than 7,000 households.

Part of the work also involves convincing the residents that their stories matter and are worth telling, according to the 27-year-old, who has a day job in a voluntary welfare organisation.

One resident who did not need much convincing is 69-year-old retiree Alice Lee, who has been helping out as a resident ambassador since Day one. Her role involves telling the story of her life in Tanglin Halt – spanning 49 years – at a designated stop along the Tanglin Halt and Margaret Drive trail.

“(Alice) actually has a key press, where she’s got various people’s house keys, so that if they happen to be out for example, and they’ve left the window open and it’s about to rain, she can go there can close the windows,” said Mr Huang, who runs a travel business.

“That tells you how tight the community is. And it’s something that comes out, only after you’ve lived in a place for 50 years," Mr Huang added.

MORE THAN NOSTALGIA

But these social bonds and memories are under threat as residents move away or die, or when places get demolished and redeveloped, said Singapore Heritage Society president Chua Ai Lin, naming Tanglin Halt, Dakota Crescent, and Rochor Centre as examples.

“A place becomes meaningful because we understand what happened there before, the stories that go around it and the people who are connected with it," explained the independent researcher. “Normally people don’t really see (the mundane stories) as important, but in most other countries you don’t face such a rapid pace of change."

Over years of research and advocacy, Ms Chua said she has observed greater willingness on the part of Government agencies to engage community stakeholders, understand different perspectives, and work with them to resolve issues.

“In recent years, NHB has got a whole department dedicated to supporting and encouraging community efforts,” she noted. “There’s a lot of encouragement from Government agencies. And what is encouraging Government interest is because this all (has) to do with national identity, community bonding.”

While thankful for greater government support and civic participation in community history, Mr Kwek is keenly aware of the need to celebrate and honour the past, without romanticising it.

“Nostalgia sells, but at the end of the day, I think if you ask anybody whether they’d want to go back to the kampung period, or to the one- or two-room, very rudimentary flats, I don’t think anyone would,” he said. “Of course there were good memories... but infrastructure has improved; they’re (now) living with better sanitary conditions, better (wheelchair) access.”

Overall, heritage champions like Mr Kwek, Ms Chua and heritage blogger Jerome Lim agree that present attitudes to community heritage and conservation are a far cry from the top-down, “bulldozer approach” seen in the 1960s to 80s.

“There is an element of – we’ve gone so far, so fast, so much so that we left a lot of things behind without having a chance to look back. For me, for example, (it felt as if) I woke up and the places that I was familiar with as a child - they’re all gone,” said Mr Lim.

The 52-year-old naval architect, who also runs the 12,566-strong Facebook group On a little street in Singapore, said that the numbers on his blog and Facebook group have seen a “10-fold increase from two to three years ago”.

“I suppose there was a ready audience,” he said. “People like to remember, talk about bits and pieces of the past that don’t exist anymore. It helps us to cope, reconnect, and identify ourselves with Singapore.”

- CNA/ll

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From harvesting vegetables to crafting wood: Kampung Kampus offers space to learn and play

Rachel Phua Channel NewsAsia 18 Feb 17;

SINGAPORE: Away from Singapore's cityscape is new community space where residents can take part in "kampung-style" activities like harvesting vegetables, crafting wood and creating mud bricks for simple construction works.

It's called Kampung Kampus, which opened on Saturday (Feb 18) at the former Bottle Tree Park at Khatib. It is run by non-profit group Ground-Up Initiative (GUI), as a space where people can learn and play.

For instance, a permanent workshop will be built for Touchwood, a social enterprise under GUI that specialises in craft works. There will also be other DIY craft studios and a new camping site for schools and companies to hold overnight group events.

The opening of the 26,000 sqm centre on Saturday is the first of three phases. Construction of the second and third phases of Kampung Kampus is expected to start from 2018 and will involve the building of spaces such as a bamboo gallery and refurbished kampung-style huts.

It is hoped that the new centre will encourage more Singaporeans to participate in environmental and social projects, and “get in touch with their roots," said founder of GUI Tay Lai Hock.

This is also in line with Singapore's drive to get more Singaporeans to engage in social projects, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee during the launch.

“Hopefully, this will in turn kickstart more projects around Singapore to promote active participation in social causes but more importantly, that we feel it is our responsibility to grow these social causes,” said Mr Lee.

This is particularly important for a globalised and digital world, Mr Lee added, where Singaporeans are looking for and succeeding in opportunities outside of the country.

“We need to counter-balance this with a deeper sense of rootedness. Our roots must run deeper … and it can never only be an initiative the government leads. In fact, civil society, communities, volunteers, all play an important part in helping Singaporeans find their feet and to find their identity and to grow it and evolve it along the way,” Lee added.

So far, GUI has spent S$1 million on the new sites, and the financing was partially sponsored by local construction companies, the non-profit group said.

- CNA/xk

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Feb 17

World pangolin day 2017
sundapangolin

It’s World Pangolin Day!
Mongabay.com Conservation news

Singapore to implement carbon pricing
Green Future Solutions

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As animal encounters hit the headlines, a divide opens up

SIAU MING EN Today Online 18 Feb 17;

SINGAPORE — A few months ago, Bukit Panjang resident Madam Sherry Yeo watched, stunned, as a monkey appeared at the windowsill of her 12th floor unit, and then made its way into her kitchen for a bite of her leftover red bean bun.

“I’ve been living here for the last 10 years and have never seen monkeys in the area until they started appearing in November,” said the 44-year-old cleaning assistant living in Block 467 Segar Road.

The block of flats Mdm Yeo lives at faces Zhenghua Nature Park, which was recently expanded to provide a larger green space for residents and increase the green buffer for the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The park’s 3.8ha extension was officially opened in 2015.

In recent months, Mdm Yeo has observed that at least one monkey will appear on most mornings and evenings, often climbing into residents’ homes, presumably in search of food. “They can mess up the house and eat our food. And after eating, they will defecate here and there,” she added in Mandarin.

Singapore may be the Garden City, but it is not always paradise: Be it monkeys, wild boars, or lately, chickens, the Republic has a long history of encounters between people and wildlife, and how they are handled have continued to provoke debate.

Two weeks ago, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) put down 24 free-roaming chickens around Thomson View and the Sin Ming area. It had received 20 complaints, mainly about noise, from nearby residents, and later explained that risk of exposure to bird flu prompted it to cull the chickens. It also said there was “clear scientific evidence” that the chickens are susceptible to the virus and could transmit the disease to humans.

The ensuring uproar saw some up in arms over what they felt was a “knee-jerk” response to a minor complaint; others said culling them would prevent possible contamination of the gene-pool of the red junglefowl, the wild and vulnerable cousins that live among them.

When animals and humans collide, culling is one method employed by the authorities — in the case of macaques and wild boars — much to the chagrin to wildlife activists, who question whether such decisions are backed by scientific data and studies, and whether this information can be made public.

A GREENER SINGAPORE, A GROWING PROBLEM?

Compared to the days of villagers being eaten by tigers, today’s tussles with crowing chickens and bun-eating monkeys seem mild, and could even be seen as an improvement.

According to Associate Professor Michael Gumert, a primatologist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), such conflicts date back to the Republic’s early years as a nation. A clash between humans and the long-tailed macaques was first recorded at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in the 1960s, and the animals were subsequently culled in the 1970s.

“Heck, people used to be eaten by tigers in Singapore, so I would say conflict is much less now in terms of the average cost and potential damage per person. Another lower cost now is since no one farms, no one takes expensive crop losses,” he said.

While data on whether wildlife population has grown is inconclusive, two factors appear to contribute to the perception that conflicts are on the rise — urban development encroaching on the last of Singapore’s pockets of wilderness, while efforts at greening Singapore increasing the chances of encountering wildlife, setting the stage for clashes.

For example, families of smooth-coated otters are now often spotted in Singapore’s rejuvenated waterways — such as Kallang River @ Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park — but some have also eaten koi from homes at Sentosa Cove, and fish from a farm in Pasir Ris Park.

As Singapore urbanises, less space is left for what could be the same number of animals, said founder of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) Louis Ng, noting that much of the development has also taken place around the edge of the nature reserves.

“The animals have to go somewhere and they are coming into the urban areas… (for instance), we are seeing a lot of the pythons come out of our toilet bowls because they are using our drains as their new networks, their new roads. Obviously then the amount of conflict will increase,” said Mr Ng, who is also a Member of Parliament.

As encounters with the wildlife become more frequent, people start to develop a “fear about what these animals are and what will they do to me”, which then leads to more complaints, he added.

NUS Associate Professor Harvey Neo said the number of conflicts may appear to be on the rise, because of a vocal minority that have become less tolerant of particular forms of wildlife or nature. It does not help that the authorities seem to be reactive to such voices, he added.

Professor Agustin Fuentes from the Department of Anthropology in the University of Notre Dame in the United States, who has studied the monkey-human interactions here, noted that Singapore has also done well in keeping green spaces in the urban landscapes, and there could be more species around to engage in such conflicts, he added.

Dr Lena Chan, group director of the National Parks Board’s (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre, said NParks has made efforts to enhance and restore certain natural habitats, while at the same time, connecting the fragmented natural spaces.

As such there could be more sightings of wildlife — and interactions — when more people use green spaces like the parks. “Now whether that leads to conflict or not (boils) down to your attitude,” she said, adding that so-called conflicts usually arise when humans initiate action, such as feeding.

It is difficult to pinpoint whether the wildlife population here is increasing or not as the trend varies across different species. To date, there are about 1,500 long-tailed macaques, 500 wild boars and more than 50 smooth-coated otters.

Dr Chan said the act of feeding – similar to giving “fast-food” to these animals — will lead to animals thinking that food is available in an urban setting, and that they no longer need to hunt for food in the nature reserves.

Wildlife activist Vilma D’Rozario said that it is “dangerous” to suggest that more wildlife is thriving in these increased green spaces without proper studies.

“We do not want people to say, hey we have to cut back on what NParks is trying to do, to green our landscape,” she said, adding that this would then affect the green habitats for the wildlife.

Pointing out that Singapore has lost 95 per cent of its forests, while National Parks Board has created more parks than habitats, Assoc Prof Gumert said the wildlife population would not have grown.

CULLING THE RIGHT RESPONSE?

Regardless of wildlife population size, the AVA has generally been receiving an increasing number of wildlife-related feedback, said its spokesperson.

The authority did not respond to TODAY’s queries on the number of animals it has culled. But previous media reports showed that close to 630 monkeys were culled by the AVA in 2015. That same year, they received about 750 monkey-related complaints. In 2013, 570 monkeys were culled and had received about 1,870 related complaints.

In managing wildlife populations, AVA’s priority is to ensure that public health and safety are not compromised, she said.

Meanwhile, NParks’ approach to the human-wildlife conflicts is science-based, said Dr Chan. “If you don’t approach it from science (and have) a knee-jerk reaction, then you’ve got no leg to stand on later to say, ‘How do I defend this action?’” she noted.

Over the past two years, they have been studying and collecting data on the various wildlife species here, such as its population size and growth rate, demographics, living space, and how development is encroaching into their habitats.

But at least five to 10 years of study is needed for a more complete picture. In the meantime, Dr Chan said the authorities are also more mindful about taking any action before the data collection is complete.

“NParks is an agency responsible for biodiversity conservation, so we take it seriously... It has got to be backed by some science, long-term monitoring,” she added. In addition to complaints, other factors need to be considered in the management of human-wildlife interactions.

When asked if there is a threshold before the authorities decide to take any action, Dr Chan noted that there is no “magic figure”.

In the case of the macaques, while NParks can do a population viability analysis by plugging information on demographics, population, food availability, among others into a formula, the situation is complicated by human factors — such as when humans feed the monkeys and lure them out of the forest.

For the wild boars, Dr Chan said the authorities made the decision to cull them in 2014, for instance, as studies found them to be “very damaging” to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. They were eating the regenerated saplings and their population size was increasing very rapidly, she added.

Asked if NParks’ goals may clash with the AVA’s, and how the two agencies work together to manage human-wildlife conflicts, Dr Chan said the board works actively with the community to create awareness and educate the public on the importance of responsible behaviour in managing human-wildlife interactions.

This community includes AVA, residents, schools, the grassroots and various animal welfare groups, she added.

But ACRES’ Louis Ng felt culling was being done here on a complaints’ basis, rather than in a scientific way. “Such culling hasn’t been effective. If it has worked, it would have worked decades ago,” he added, citing studies that have shown how the culling of feral cats in Southern Tasmania have subsequently led to increases in population and activity. The same situation was seen in the culling of ferrets in the United Kingdom.

Mr Ben Lee, founder of nature conservation group Nature Trekker, said that there were other options — such as relocating the animals — which the authorities failed to explore. “The authorities should be more transparent when they want to cull, when providing information and data for the reason of culling,” he said.

NParks’ Dr Chan said wild animals have their own mechanisms for controlling their own population. “They can sense that if their population is getting high, they can sense that there is food limitation and space, they will do their own ways of managing their own population,” she added.

But within Singapore’s urbanised setting, where there are no predators such as the tigers, population of certain wildlife will increase because of the absence of these predators. In these cases, human beings have to play the predator role. “But to the best, we would like to leave it to nature and let them control,” said Dr Chan.

Others such as wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai also felt that culling is a necessity in Singapore, particularly with exotic animals introduced into the natural environment.

Prof Fuentes felt that “Singapore is ahead of the game on hand” by actively managing human-wildlife interactions, but the Republic country also relies heavily on culling, which in many cases is “often a short-sighted and suboptimal response”.

Assistant Professor Frank Rheindt from National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of Biological Sciences urged a “healthy perspective” on the issue.

“Nowadays, Singapore’s growth has levelled out, and human wildlife conflict would therefore be at much lower levels than before – even if certain members of the public may perceive this differently,” he said.

Added Assoc Prof Gumert: “Wildlife conflict in Singapore is only an inconvenience, not a real meaningful conflict in terms of damaging peoples’ lives, like in other areas of South-east Asia.”

NParks’ Dr Chan also stressed the distinction between human-wildlife interaction and conflicts. “Not everybody thinks it’s a conflict ... The silent majority do appreciate (the wildlife) but they don’t write thousands of letters,” she added.

To ensure positive interactions with the animals, Singaporeans need to be educated about the wildlife, backed by science and data. “Unless people know the facts — and they can’t love something, appreciate something, if they don’t know anything about it,” said Dr Chan.

NUS’ Dr Neo noted that people who complain about animals may not be persuaded by science. “Telling the one person who encounters a wild boar that the wild boar population is actually manageable will not make any difference to their perceptions if they are ill-disposed to the animal in the first place,” he added.

Assoc Prof Gumert, commenting on the varied response to the culling of different animals, attributes to anthropomorphism. “We love animals that are cute and cuddly and tend not to care about animals that are not. I think our disdain for culling is mostly driven by this, and not a general concern for life,” he added.

That said, the management of human-wildlife conflicts should move away from being too complaint-oriented, where “complaints seem to supersede the science and ecology of wildlife population management”. Rather than turn to the public for answers, wildlife experts and ecologists should set ground rules.

“Public sentiment towards which animals to save (is) pretty much governed by the same psychological mechanisms by which we pick stuffed animals at the toy store, while decisions to eradicate animals are easily driven by selfish motivations to clear out everything we conflict with,” he said.

By 2030, the goal is to have nine in 10 homes within 400m of a park, as set out in the 2015 Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. “We are aware, all the time, that there will be potential for interactions ... But on the other hand, there are other segments of the population who really like it and say we really want more parks,” said Dr Chan.

The authorities want to provide pockets of nature near where people live for a better living environment, she noted. “But at the same time you also have wildlife and wildlife actually use these spaces, and you can’t tell them, ‘this is reserved, stop here,’...It’s better for people to appreciate wildlife and live harmoniously,” said Dr Chan.


Grouses about snakes, birds and monkeys on the rise
SIAU MING EN Today Online 18 Feb 17;

SINGAPORE — There has been an increase in the number of complaints about snakes and birds since 2013, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) revealed, while complaints against monkeys have been falling despite a rise last year.

Last year, the AVA received about 7,860 complaints about birds (up from about 4,360 in 2013) and about 850 for snakes (compared to about 220 in 2013). For monkeys, the number of complaints went down from about 1,870 in 2013 to 750 in 2015, before rising to 910 last year.

A spokesperson from AVA said: “Most of the feedback is related to disamenities caused by wildlife, such as noise and soiling, and the incursion of wild animals into premises. There has also been feedback regarding concerns on health risks posed by animals.”

The authority said that the increased feedback could be due to a greater awareness of its role as a first-responder for animal-related issues, which it took up in 2012.

The spokesperson stressed that AVA’s priority in its approach to managing the wild animal population is to ensure that public health and safety are not compromised.

If the animals do not pose significant health or safety concerns, it would advise the feedback-providers on ways to mitigate the situation, such as working with town councils to trim trees.

In cases where animals enter premises and destroy property, injure residents, or are potential carriers of disease, it would work with the relevant parties to explore relocation options wherever possible.

“If AVA has no alternatives, it has to act decisively to safeguard public health and safety through humane euthanasia,” the spokesperson added.

In other measures, it has embarked on various studies, including trials on the effectiveness of bird contraceptives in managing the pigeon population.

It also routinely conducts surveillance and keeps track of the feedback received to understand which areas have greater human-wildlife interaction.

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Singapore evaluating when, how best to impose carbon pricing

Move is part of govt plan to cut emissions intensity to 36% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Andrea Soh, Business Times AsiaOne 17 Feb 17;

Singapore is set to impose a carbon price as it looks to cut greenhouse emissions to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement, The Business Times has learnt.

The government is now determining the timeline and what form of carbon pricing to take in the city-state, according to the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS).

Various countries around the world have implemented some form of carbon pricing as they seek to reduce emissions in a cost-effective manner. Singapore, too, has been studying this policy option and monitoring such international developments for some time, said NCCS.

"Alongside current measures such as regulations, incentives and capability building, a carbon price can help improve energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions and promote low-carbon technology," said a spokesman in response to a BT query. "We are evaluating when and how best to implement carbon pricing in Singapore."

The move follows other policy initiatives the government is planning to cut the country's emissions intensity to 36 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, as it had pledged under the 2015 Paris climate change pact.

It has set a target of ramping up improvement in energy efficiency in the manufacturing sector by one to 2 per cent a year from 2020 to 2030. In November last year, it also said that it is planning to tighten energy monitoring and reporting requirements for large industrial players.

The industry sector, which accounted for 59 per cent of Singapore's greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, is expected to take most of the weight of a carbon price. The petroleum refining, chemicals and semiconductor sectors made up the bulk of these emissions. The largest refining and petrochemical complexes in Singapore are owned by Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil.

Shell, together with five other European oil majors such as BP and Statoil, had during the run-up to the Paris summit in 2015called on governments to introduce a carbon price. This, they said, would discourage high-carbon options and help to stimulate investments in the right low-carbon technologies. ExxonMobil has said that it is supportive of a carbon tax. "We are committed to working with the Singapore government on this important issue to find solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring Singapore's long-term competitiveness," said an ExxonMobil spokesman, adding that the group is taking action to reduce emissions in Singapore through energy efficiency initiatives such as building cogeneration plants.


A price on carbon emissions - Graphic showing the two main forms of carbon pricing and its pricing in Asia. It is increasingly gaining favour with governments as countries around the world look for ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions.Photo: The Business Times

Carbon pricing can take either the form of a carbon tax which puts a price on each tonne of carbon produced, or an emissions trading scheme which uses market mechanisms to price carbon.

The Singapore government had indicated that carbon pricing is an option as early as in 2010. Then, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed that the government already worked with a shadow carbon price.

"If there is a global regime to curb carbon emissions and that means that Singapore will have to reduce our own emissions more sharply than we are doing now, in order to comply with international obligations, then we will have to make the carbon price explicit, to send the right price signals," he said in a speech at the Singapore International Energy Week.

In the Climate Action Plan unveiled in July last year, the government said that it will be studying the need to price carbon to enhance energy efficiency efforts across all sectors.

"A carbon price would send appropriate price signals to encourage changes in energy consumption, provide market incentives for the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon solutions, and stimulate growth in green industries," said NCCS in the document.

But a carbon price will incur costs, including affecting Singapore's competitiveness, it also noted. "Its overall impact will have to be studied."

The shift in Singapore's position comes as the idea of a carbon price increasingly gains popularity with other governments around the world. About 40 national jurisdictions and over 20 cities, states and regions are already putting a price on carbon, according to the World Bank.

Carbon prices range from about US$1 per tonne of carbon emissions in Poland and Mexico, to US$137 per tonne in Sweden, a report by the World Bank in October last year showed. In Asia, South Korea has started a national emissions trading scheme in 2015, while China aims to roll out a nation-wide emissions trading system by the second half of this year.

"A carbon price would send appropriate price signals to encourage changes in energy consumption, provide market incentives for the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and low-carbon solutions, and stimulate growth in green industries."

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Indonesia: Task force of forest fire prevention extinguishes land fires

Antara 17 Feb 17;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - A task force of forest fire prevention workers in Riau province has managed to extinguish the land fires which devoured 20 hectares of dry peatlands in Pangkalan Terap village, Kerumutan sub-district, Pelalawan district.

"Firefighting carried out by both teams on the ground and in the air took up to five days," secretary of Mangala Agni of Center for Natural Resources Conservation of Riau province, Ihsan Abdillah told ANTARA in Pekanbaru, Friday.

Manggala Agni is Indonesias Forest Fire Control Brigade formed by the Forestry Ministry.

Abdillah said the joint officers had trouble putting out the fires at the location because of the rough terrain, potentially flammable dry peat, and limited water resources.

Riau province alerted a Bell 412 helicopter capable of transporting 1,200 liters of water for bombing.

"A total of 28,000 liters of water was poured into the location of the fires to help the blackout," he pointed out.

Because of the hard work of the joint team, including Manggala Agni, Regional Disaster Management Agency, Indonesian National Army, and the police, the land fires were extinguished, even though the rain had abated in the last two days.

"Thank God, all fires have been extinguished. Currently, we are focusing on cooling (the land)," he said.

Based on the data released by the Riau Police, the burnt land was owned by a company engaged in the business of oil palm plantations, PT Sumber Sawit Sejahtera in Pelalawan district.

Meanwhile, the fires in Pelalawan district occurred several times in 2017. The land fires had also occurred in Segati village, Langgam sub-district, Pelalawan district last month.

The hotspots were located not far from the Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan district. Three hectares of land at the site were burned, although firefighters eventually extinguished the land fires.(*)

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Indonesia to declare battle against marine plastic debris

Hans Nicholas Jong The Jakarta Post 18 Feb 17;

Indonesia will declare its commitment to combat plastic debris in marines on Feb. 23. Studies indicate that the country may be the second-biggest contributor to marine plastic debris worldwide, with an estimated 1.3 million tons originating from the archipelago annually.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Saturday that Indonesia is among 10 countries committed to combating the problem.

"Indonesia has received special attention because we are one of 10 countries, including Brazil, committed to cleaning up waste in the ocean," she said during the commemoration of National Waste Awareness Day in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

Siti added that the government would officially declare the commitment on Feb. 23.

Indonesia is also scheduled to present a national action plan during the fourth World's Ocean Summit in Bali from Feb. 22 to 24.

In January 2016, a World Economic Forum report concluded that with the current trajectory, there would be more plastic than fish measured by weight in the world’s oceans by 2050. A previous study by APEC estimated that marine pollution cost member economies US$1.3 billion. Moreover, 95 percent of the value of plastic packaging material, worth $80-120 billion annually, is lost to the global economy. (evi)

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Indonesia: Three named suspects for feasting on orangutan in Kapuas

Jakarta Post 18 Feb 17;

The police have named three suspects for allegedly slaughtering, cooking and eating an orangutan after the endangered species was caught wandering around in an oil palm concession in Kapuas regency, Central Kalimantan.

Kapuas Police chief Sr. Comr. Jukiman Situmorang said on Friday that after 10 people had been taken in for questioning on Tuesday, investigators had decided to name three plantation workers, identified by their initials AY, 30, EMS, 39 and ER, 23, suspects.

“They [allegedly] killed the orangutan just to consume its flesh,” said Jukiman, adding that the police would not detain the suspects because the maximum penalty for the offense was not more than five years.

The case is believed to have occurred at an oil palm concession owned by PT Susantri Permai, part of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Group, in Tumbang Puroh village, on Jan. 28.

The incident reportedly began when a worker was harvesting fruit before encountering and being chased by an agitated orangutan.

The worker later told the story to AY who then went out to hunt down the animal, where he purportedly killed it with an air rifle and machete. The animal was then taken by AY and his two colleagues EMS and ER to a nearby camp to be dined on.

(Read also: 10 held for slaughtering, cooking, eating orangutan)

“They’re just like pigs or deer, the orangutan was skinned, chopped up and cooked,” said an eyewitness who works at the plantation as a fruit harvester but refused to be named for safety reasons, on Tuesday.

Jukiman said the perpetrators could face up to five years in prison if found guilty under the law on biodiversity conservation.

Orangutans are under grave threat from their shrinking rainforest habitat due to illegal logging, land conversion and forest fires, as well as from poaching and climate change.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has adjusted its status for the species from “endangered” to “critically endangered”—one category before extinction.

The IUCN estimates that the number of Bornean orangutans has dropped by nearly two-thirds since the early 1970s and will further decline to 47,000 by 2025.

As orangutans keep losing their habitat, they are forced to roam into plantation areas in search of food, which can lead to them being killed.

“That’s why orangutans enter oil palm plantations [because these areas] used to be part of their habitat,” said Yaya Rayadin, an orangutan researcher at Mulawarman University in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Tuesday.

Orangutans are often deemed disruptive by palm oil companies as they like to eat leaves and young palm fruit bunches.

According to research in 2006, an orangutan can destroy 30 to 50 oil palms in a day.

“They are forced to eat [the fruit bunches] because they have no other options,” said Yatim, an environmental activist from Muara Wahau, East Kalimantan.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar was said to be enraged upon receiving the report and said the ministry would work closely with the police to ensure the perpetrators faced justice.

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Indonesia: Sumatra elephants' habitat continues to shrink: NGO

Antara 17 Feb 17;

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - The habitat of Sumatra elephants (Elephas Maximus Sumatranus), which continues to shrink, has sparked more conflict between the endangered species and humans, an NGO working in the field of nature conservation has said.

"Conflict (with humans) has occurred more often because the habitat of the elephants has continued to shrink. In the latest incident, wild elephants roaming the Gajah Makmur village led to a feeling of restlessness among the villagers," the program coordinator of the Nature Conservation Alliance (Akar) Network, Ali Akbar, said here on Friday.

An investigation conducted by the Akar Network found that the corridor that is the elephants roaming track in the Seblat Nature Tourism Park has increasingly shrunk due to changing patterns of land use.

The cultivation rights awarded to some plantations and illegal land clearing have led to a situation where elephants feel annoyed in their own habitat.

"The wild elephants entering the village came from Seblat Park, having passed through the oil palm plantation of PT Alno to HPT Air Rami, but then found themselves trapped in Air Rami," he explained.

Ali argued pointed out to the statement of the Bengkulu-Lamping nature conservation agency, which claimed that the protected species could not return to the Seblat elephant training center due to forest encroachment at Air Rami production forest.

Based on investigation on the ground, Ali revealed that the encroachers had left the site and currently there are some 10 rubber farmers with less than 20 hectares of planting area in the region.

"The elephants have often passed through the farmers land and no one disturbed them. But this time they had entered the Gajah Makmur village and that sparked anxiety among the villagers," he added.

He suspected that the endangered species could not pass PT Alno plantation area to return to the Seblat training center because they tried to guard the plantation area with fire.

"We need a solution to save the remaining elephants to avoid further conflict with humans," Ali stressed.

Previously, an official of the Bengkulu-Lampung nature conservation agency (BKSDA), Said Jauhari, had said that dozens of elephants were trapped at the Air Rami production forest and could not return to Seblat due to illegal land clearing in the area.

Said estimated that there are some 30 wild elephants in Air Rami.(*)

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Indonesian flooding spreads to more areas

Fardah Antara 18 Feb 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As forecast by the National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysic Agency (BMKG), the rainy season in Indonesia has peaked in February, triggering hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landsides in several provinces.

In the last few days, floods have been reported in Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, North Maluku, Banten, and North Sulawesi, among others.

Floods in Jakarta since February 15, have hit 7,788 people, or 3,393 households, following incessant rainfall that caused the Ciliwung River to spill over its bank.

"Heavy downpour in upstream and central areas of Ciliwung River triggered flooding along its bank in Jakarta," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBN), said in a statement.

Flood waters, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meter, submerged several areas in East Jakarta, such as Cawang, Cibubur, Rambutan (Ciracas Sub-district), Cililitan, Kampung Melayu, and Bidakara Cina (Jatinegara Sub-district).

In Cirebon, West Java, floods have hit seven sub-districts, following incessant rains that caused several rivers to swell and overflow, leaving thousands of homes inundated.

Senior Commissioner Yusri Yunus, spokesman of the West Java Police Office, here, Thursday, confirmed the natural disaster in Cirebon on February 14.

The seven sub-districts were Lemahabang, Asjap, Gebang, Greged, Pangenan, Pabedilan, and Susukanlebak.

Landslides also affected several villages in the district, he said.

The West Java Police have deployed officers and rubber boats for evacuation in flood-hit villages.

Several schools were also flooded, thereby preventing students from attending them.

"Now, students are asked to help clear the mud and floodwaters from their schools," Samsul Huda, a teacher of Islamic junior high school, added.

In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Incessant and heavy downpour triggered flooding in several parts of the West Kalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak.

Several roads were inundated, with floodwaters reaching heights of between 10 centimeters and 40 centimeters, Aswin Thaufik, head of the Pontianak disaster mitigation office, said on Feb 16.

Floods also affected several residential areas in the city. In the Danau Sentarum area, the floodwaters reached a height of up to 50 centimeters.

In North Sulawesi, floods hit Bitung City have forced 4,622 inhabitants to take refuge in higher grounds.

The floods have hit the sub-districts of Aertembaga, Maesa, North Lembeh, and South Lembeh, Head of North Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Office Noldy Liow said on Feb 14.

Incessant heavy rain since Sunday had caused flooding that submerged 1,132 homes and a landslide that buried 30 homes.

In West Nusa Tenggara Province, floods hit seven sub-districts in Sumbawa District on Feb. 11.

As many as 5,232 houses in Lebak and Pandeglang Districts, Banten Province, had been flooded from Feb 9 to Feb 11.

Floods forced 4,510 inhabitants of Bitung in North Sulawesi Province to take refuge in higher grounds on Feb 12.

In Banten, floods submerged 1,908 homes in 65 villages in 17 sub-districts in Lebak District, caused by several rivers overflowing their banks.

"We are constantly distributing relief aid, particularly food items, to prevent flood victims from facing any shortage," Kaprawi, head of the Lebak disaster mitigation office, stated recently.

Most of the homes affected by flooding are located near riverbanks, he pointed out.

Floods also submerged 1,273.25 hectares (ha) of rice fields in Lebak, inflicting material losses worth billions of rupiah.

"We hope the Agriculture Ministry would help by offering compensation for the losses incurred, as the paddy fields were ravaged by floods. Hence, after receiving the aid, the farmers could speed up replanting," Itan Oktarianto of the local agriculture office, stated.

In addition to flooding, landslides were also reported to have killed 13 people and buried several homes in Kintamani Sub-district of Bali Province recently.

"The heavy rain that occurred since Thursday evening (February 9) has triggered landslides in three villages of Kintamani, Bangli District," Nugroho said in a statement on February 11.

Meanwhile, whirlwind damaged 924 homes in several sub-districts in East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

The whirlwind hit the eastern part of Flores Island from February 6 to 12, Paulus Igo Geroda, head of the East Flores Disaster Mitigation Office, said in Kupang on February 17.

The disaster also damaged 19 school buildings, seven houses of worship, four clinics, 38 shops, and 34 other public facilities.

Larantuka town was the worst affected by whirlwind, as 654 homes located along the Larantuka beach were damaged.

The authorities will help rehabilitate the damaged buildings, he promised.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Nila F Moeloek has warned the public of diseases that spread during flooding in the current rainy season.

"During flooding, microbes causing diseases, such as diarrhea, typhus, and leptospirosis caused by rat droppings, are carried by flood waters," Moeloek said on Feb 14.

She also reminded the public to maintain cleanliness during flooding, which often triggers diseases.

In case of flooding, those affected by the disaster should take refuge in safe, clean, and dry places, the minister stated.(*)


Floods affect 7,788 residents of Jakarta
Antara 17 Feb 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The floods that have hit Jakarta since Wednesday affected 7,788 people or 3,393 families in the capital, following incessant rains that caused Ciliwung River to overflow its banks.

"Heavy downpour in the upstream and central areas of Ciliwung River has triggered flooding along the the river bank areas in Jakarta," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, noted in a statement.

Floodwaters, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters, submerged several areas in East Jakarta, such as Cawang, Cibubur, Rambutan in Ciracas Sub-district, Cililitan, Kampung Melayu, and Bidakara Cina in Jatinegara Sub-district.

In Cawang, floodwaters reaching 150 centimeters high affected 3,896 people of 1,188 households, and one-meter-deep floodwaters in Kampung Melayu affected 1,456 people, or 443 families.

He urged the residents of Jakarta to remain vigilant as the peak of the rainy season will last until late February 2017.

Meanwhile, floods have also hit the three sub-districts of East Cikarang, Kedungwaringin, and Muara Gembong in Bekasi District, West Java Province, following incessant heavy rains that caused the Citarum River to overflow its banks since Monday.

The floodwaters reached a height of up to two meters and inundated an elementary school in Kedungwaringin.(*)


Whirlwind damages 924 homes in East Flores
Antara 17 Feb 17;

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Whirlwind has damaged 924 homes in several sub-districts in East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

The whirlwind hit eastern part of Flores Island from February 6 to 12, Paulus Igo Geroda, head of the East Flores disaster mitigation office, said here, Friday.

The disaster also damaged 19 school buildings, seven houses of worship, four clinics, 38 shops, and 34 other public facilities.

Larantuka town was the worst affected by the whirlwind, as 654 homes located along the Larantuka beach were damaged.

Whirlwind and heavy downpour also damaged over 1,400ha of agricultural fields.

The authorities has promised to help rehabilitate the damaged buildings.(*)


Floods in Central Java displace thousands of residents
Suherdjoko The Jakarta Post 18 Feb 17;

Flooding has struck several areas in Central Java over recent days, displacing thousands of local residents and cutting off access via main roads.

For the last two days, the overflowing Pemali, Cisaranggung and Babakan rivers have damaged embankments, causing flooding in several areas, including Brebes, Wanasari, Banjarharjo, Losari and Jatibarang.

Flooding struck 10 villages in Brebes regency, forcing 4,930 people to be evacuated from the area. The number of displaced residents has reached 4,930 people, with the potential to increase if weather conditions worsen over the coming days.

Among the villages struck by floods were Terlangu, Miri, Lengkong and Wangandalem.

Data from the Brebes Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) showed that floodwater in 16 villages had reached 30 to 150 centimeters deep, affecting approximately 1,500 houses.

Flooding also cut off access via the main road connecting Brebes and Tegal regencies through Jatibarang.

Central Java search and rescue team spokesperson Zulhawary Agustianto said the areas worst impacted by the flood were Terlangu and Kemaron villages.

“Those two villages are located near the damaged embankment. The flood reached 1 meter [deep] in certain areas,” Agustianto said.

The three biggest evacuation shelters currently housing residents are Lengkong with 1,350 people, Brebes Sports Center with 1,075 residents and Pulosari with 850 residents. Wisma Saditan accommodated the smallest number of residents, with only 30 people taking refuge there.

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