Best of our wild blogs: 25 Aug 2017

Terumbu Semakau with large fish traps
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STB and EDB launch new brand to market Singapore abroad

Dewi Fabbri Channel NewsAsia 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) jointly launched a brand to market Singapore internationally on Thursday (Aug 24).

Passion Made Possible is the first joint brand by the agencies, and aims to attract tourism and business by showcasing Singapore’s attitude and mindset as well as serving as a platform for Singaporeans to market themselves globally, the agencies said in a joint press release.

As part of the brand's development, the agencies said they conducted research involving close to 4,500 respondents in Singapore and across 10 countries - Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, India, Australia, US, UK, Germany and Belgium - on what Singapore stands for.

The respondents shared that themes of "passion" and "possibilities" best reflected Singapore’s spirit: "While ‘possibilities’ was strongly associated with Singapore as a destination, the ‘passion’ to strive was what drove these possibilities."

According to the agencies, the brand takes on a different approach from previous campaign such as STB’s YourSingapore and EDB’s Future Ready Singapore by presenting Singapore’s attributes beyond tourism and business.

A series of films and visuals featuring nearly 100 Singaporeans, residents and notable personalities will be broadcast on various media channels, social media platforms website VisitSingapore.com.

STB chief executive Lionel Yeo said the brand articulates what Singapore stands for as a country and "supports the telling of many stories about this destination and its people”.

It will "appeal to the more sophisticated tourists who are seeking more aspirational value propositions in their travel”, Mr Yeo added.

EDB chairman Beh Swan Gin added that with Singapore “making the shift from being primarily an investment-driven economy to one that will be led by innovation”, the brand sends “a strong and clear signal” to local and international companies seeking to create new products, services and solutions that they can do so “successfully from Singapore and turn possibilities into reality”.

The unified brand also features a logo coined the “SG Mark” - a circle with the letters "SG" within it - as part of a brand identity developed by TSLA Design, the branding and design practice of Singapore creative shop The Secret Little Agency (TSLA).

The design of the SG Mark plays on Singapore’s “little red dot” nickname and is an evolution of the SG50 logo created for Singapore’s golden jubilee in 2015, TSLA said.

"The SG Mark expresses Singapore’s coming of age with a quiet confidence, true to the nation’s personality. This is seen in the use of the country abbreviation ‘SG’ as well as a custom typeface," the design agency said in a fact sheet.

The logo will be used across Passion Made Possible's campaigns and will behave as a "trust mark", applied to key visual icons of Singapore or text headlines with a "distinctly Singapore perspective" in a similar way to a trademark logo.

The SG Mark will also be used in visual-led campaigns or on brand collaterals as a "trust stamp", in a way modelled after official seals to endorse materials, TSLA said. (Image: STB)
The brand will also be adopted by other statutory boards and agencies under the Trade and Industry Ministry, such as in their marketing campaigns and trade shows when reaching out to international audiences, the agencies said.

Passion Made Possible will start its global tour in Japan on Aug 25, making its debut at the Singapore: Inside Out Tokyo creative art showcase. It will also be rolled out across Asia Pacific, Europe and the US from September, they added.

Move over, ‘YourSingapore’, it’s now ‘Passion Made Possible’
RUMI HARDASMALANI Today Online 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE — The Republic will now be marketed overseas to potential investors and visitors as “Passion Made Possible”, under the “first unified brand” for the country launched on Thursday (Aug 24) by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Economic Development Board (EDB).

The brand was the result of “qualitative and quantitative research with close to 4,500 respondents on what Singapore stands for”, involving residents, industry stakeholders and international audiences in Singapore and across 10 countries, the agencies said in a press release.

According to STB and EDB, the respondents felt the themes of “passion” and “possibilities” best reflected the Singapore spirit. “While ‘possibilities’ was strongly associated with Singapore as a destination, the ‘passion’ to strive was what drove these possibilities,” they said.

“Passion Made Possible was thus derived to capture the spirit of the nation in a way that builds affinity, affiliation and top-of-mind recall for choosing Singapore as a destination to visit and invest in.”

Reiterating that the brand is the “embodiment of the country’s track record and tenacity to fulfil passions and continually create new possibilities”, STB and EDB said: “By capturing the spirit of the nation, the brand will speak to Singaporeans and residents alike to build affinity and affiliation. For potential visitors and businesses, it will also help entrench stronger top-of-mind recall for choosing Singapore as a destination to visit and invest in.”

The push to refresh the nation’s brand positioning — beyond its strong reputation as a safe and stable global business and tourism hub supported by top-notch infrastructure — comes amid intense global competition to attract tourists and investments and a much more complex media landscape, STB and EDB said.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (MTI) S Iswaran said the new slogan “epitomises what Singapore stands for”.

“It can be used to describe the journey over the last 50 years. It is also about the attribute that makes Singapore what it is today. It is also about what Singapore wants to be and what Singapore offers to the rest of the world,” he said.

The economic agencies and the MTI are looking at how they can adapt the slogan for their use. The Ministry of Communications and Information is also exploring how it can be used in the “larger government messaging”, said Mr Iswaran, who added that the logo was simple and “very adaptable”.

The tourism authorities’ first branding exercise was launched in 1984 under the tagline “Surprising Singapore”. Other past slogans included “New Asia Singapore” and “Uniquely Singapore”. The most recent brand, “YourSingapore”, which was launched in 2010, underpinned “Singapore’s strengths as a destination; that is, an experience which can be easily personalised”.

Latest figures from the STB showed that between January and March, international arrivals to Singapore increased 4 per cent compared with the same period last year to reach 4.3 million, while tourism receipts grew 15 per cent to S$6.4 billion.

STB and EDB noted that visitors have become more discerning in their travel choices, “seeking to immerse themselves in cultures and build deeper connections with destinations”. International businesses, on the other hand, “want to create new solutions that make a difference”.

The unified brand is aimed at helping Singapore stand out on the international stage, the agencies added.

As part of the brand, a new logo was also unveiled. It features the “SG Mark” from the Republic’s “SG50” golden jubilee logo which was widely used in 2015. The logo is “an emblem of Singapore’s attributes as a place that is always trusted to deliver, and can be applied as a trust mark or a trust stamp to connote quality and trust”, STB and EDB said.

STB chief executive Lionel Yeo said the unified brand supports the telling of many stories about Singapore and its people.

“With Passion Made Possible, STB is presenting a brand that can tell a fuller Singapore story beyond just tourism ... it will appeal to the more sophisticated tourists, who are seeking more aspirational value propositions in their travel,” he added.

EDB chairman Beh Swan Gin described the launch of the unified brand as a well-timed move, given Singapore’s shift in strategy from being an investment-driven economy to one that will be led by innovation.

“Local and international companies are seeking to create new products, services and solutions that will have a stronger impact in Asia,” he said. “It is timely to send a strong and clear signal that companies can do this successfully from Singapore and turn possibilities into reality.”

The Passion Made Possible global campaign will be unveiled across cities around the world through consumer launches, trade events, industry partnerships and marketing initiatives featuring visuals and films that showcase individuals and groups pursuing their passions in various fields.

The campaign will kick off in Japan on Friday with Singapore: Inside Out Tokyo, which brings Singaporean and Japanese contemporary creative talents together. It will be rolled out across Asia-Pacific and longer-haul markets such as Europe and the United States from next month.

The unified brand will also be adopted by other statutory boards and agencies under the MTI.

FILM SERIES PART OF GLOBAL MARKETING PUSH

A key feature of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) global marketing campaign is a series of films that “share how Singapore is Passion Made Possible”.

Featuring almost 100 Singaporeans, residents and prominent personalities, the films will be broadcast on various media channels, social media platforms, and on VisitSingapore.com.

STB has also worked with tour operators to refresh and come up with new trips, such as a hawker food trail and a journey through Joo Chiat on a Vespa sidecar. STB said on Thursday that there more than 20 tours to “enable visitors to discover Singapore based on their lifestyles and interests”.

The tours are curated around the theme of “Passion Tribes” to incorporate deeper storytelling elements, in line with the new unified brand launched by STB and the Economic Development Board.

Apart from the hawker food trail and Joo Chiat tour, the other new tours are visits to Kampong Glam and trips to trace the history of Singapore, among other things.

STB said the films aim to appeal to the aspirations of visitors by “showcasing the depth of offerings and how Singapore ignites these passions”. They feature Singaporeans and residents who have “persevered and achieved their dreams, constantly striving for progress amidst challenges, whom potential visitors might be able to personally identify with”.

For a start, STB has unveiled three personality-driven films, on Candlenut head chef and owner Malcolm Lee, designer Mark Ong and wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai.

STB is also partnering hotels to enhance visitors’ stay in Singapore, Some of these hotels include Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, Parkroyal on Pickering and the various Village Hotels at Changi, Katong, Bugis and Albert Court.

Parkroyal on Pickering, for example, plans to offer a curated architectural and eco-tour via an augmented reality app, to “showcase how they pioneered the concept of green hospitality in Singapore”, STB said.


A fresh branding emerges from deep dive into Singapore spirit
Passion Made Possible motto goes beyond tourists and businesses to showcase nation's attitude and mindset
JUDITH TAN Business Times 25 Aug 17;

IT'S no longer just about drawing tourists or businesses. Singapore's latest branding exercise aims to capture the nation's essence in its entirety.

Called Passion Made Possible, the first joint branding effort by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Economic Development Board (EDB), was launched by Trade and Industry Minister S Iswaran on Thursday evening.

It aims to showcase Singapore's attitude and mindset - a passionate, never-settling spirit of determination and enterprise that constantly pursues possibilities and reinvention - through storytelling.

The campaign adopts an inside-out approach of what Singapore stands for by using local personalities, from entrepreneurs and restaurateurs to sports stars and celebrities, to share their different passions.

An example was a 4½-minute video of wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai, who spoke about his love of nature as he explored Pulau Ubin and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. This and other clips will be showcased on sites such as CNN, BBC and National Geographic.

The new brand provides the opportunity and platform for Singaporeans and residents to showcase their enterprising and persevering spirit to the world, its assistant chief executive for marketing group Lynette Pang said.

Coming on the back of stiffer competition for tourism dollars from other countries, STB decided to take a different approach from previous brands such as STB's YourSingapore and EDB's Future Ready Singapore.

Singapore's tourism numbers have grown in recent years after a 7.6 per cent dip in receipts in 2015 to S$21.8 billion.

Last year, the number of visitors rose by 7.7 per cent to 16.4 million, while tourism receipts increased by 13 per cent to S$24.6 billion and in the first quarter of this year, there were 4.3 million visitors who spent S$6.4 billion, a 15 per cent increase in tourism receipts over the same period of 2016.

Chief executive of STB Lionel Yeo said: "Today, Singapore's iconic attractions such as Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Sentosa are well known in our major source markets, and we are also well known for our attributes of security and efficiency. We will build on this by telling stories of passion made possible to develop an even more positive affinity between our target audience and Singapore."

The revamped brand, which came seven years after YourSingapore was introduced, took about a year to be conceptualised, starting with qualitative and quantitative research on what Singapore stands for. The research involved close to 4,500 respondents, who comprised residents, industry stakeholders and international audiences in Singapore and across 10 countries and most of whom thought "passion" and "possibilities" best reflected Singapore's spirit.

"With Passion Made Possible, STB is presenting a brand that can tell a fuller Singapore story beyond just tourism... This brand is in line with quality tourism as it will appeal to the more sophisticated tourists who are seeking more aspirational value propositions in their travel," Mr Yeo said.

EDB chairman Beh Swan Gin said Singapore is making the shift from being primarily an investment-driven economy to one that is led by innovation, particularly "seeking to create new products, services and solutions that will have stronger impact in Asia".

"It is timely to send a strong and clear signal that companies can do this successfully from Singapore and turn possibilities into reality," he said.

Other statutory boards and agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry will also adopt this branding when reaching out to international audiences.

This would be STB's fifth brand since "Instant Asia", its first brand in 1966.

Not everyone The Business Times spoke to sees merit in regular rebranding exercises.

Associate professor of Marketing at Nanyang Business School and a fellow of the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight Sharon Ng said building a strong perception and brand takes time and constant re-branding of a product "confuses the target audience".

"We want people to have a clear image of what the brand stands for. It is hard to achieve that if a brand constantly changes its positioning and image. Brands need to re-brand when their target audience changes or when society evolves making their existing brand image look obsolete. But these should be done judiciously," she said. But associate professor Ang Swee Hoon from the Department of Marketing at the NUS Business School said the re-branding exercises that STB has undertaken span between six and 11 years.

"By which time, other countries may have developed different stories about themselves to attract tourists. Singapore needs to refresh itself to compete more effectively for the tourism market not only for first time visitors but repeat visitors as well," she said, adding that re-branding is necessary "to rejuvenate the brand so that it does not look tired and not progressing".

"Companies, especially those very much in the public's eye, do that all the time."

Having said that, Prof Ang added that re-branding "should be well thought out because it is a strategic move".

"It is called for when there's a change in the competitive environment and/or customers. The re-branding should speak to how the brand addresses customer needs amid the changing competitive landscape. Competition and customers do not change overnight. As such, re-branding exercises do not occur frequently," she said.

Both STB and EDB did not give the exact cost for the revamp and would only say that marketing the campaign would be where the investments would go into.

"We have an annual budget for marketing, so it's not as if suddenly there is a big change in the marketing budget (this year). It's just the way we deploy that budget (which) will be in support of this 'one brand one campaign' approach so that over time it will gain traction," Mr Yeo said.

STB's previous spending includes S$200 million in Singapore Roars! to attract more travellers in the post-Sars period of 2003, S$90 million for its Boost (Building On Opportunities to Strengthen Tourism) initiative of 2009, and its S$20 million global marketing campaign in 2015, targeted at tourists from seven countries.

On the Passion Made Possible campaign, Prof Ng said: "We can't put a magic figure to this. It depends on how they want to execute this. A global campaign with ads in every country and both online and offline channels will be very expensive. If it is simply changing the slogan and reflecting that on the website and brochure, it will be cheap. It is hard to give a figure until we know the ambition of the rebranding team."

Noting that STB and EDB are having a joint branding for the first time, Prof Ang said it is a noble, but challenging move.

"While few countries have done this, for example, New Zealand, STB and EDB have distinct audiences who have different priorities. It would be challenging to express the same theme in different meaningful ways to appeal to their separate audiences, and not be a source of confusion," she said.

Following its debut, Passion Made Possible will be unveiled in various cities worldwide, beginning with STB's travelling showcase Singapore: Inside Out in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday. It will be rolled out across the Asia-Pacific and longer-haul markets, Europe and the United States, from next month.


Singapore's new international brand by STB and EDB: Passion Made Possible
Kok Xing Hui and Annabeth Leow Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - From New Asia Singapore to Uniquely Singapore and YourSingapore, and now - Passion Made Possible.

Passion Made Possible is Singapore's new brand and was unveiled on Thursday (Aug 24) after a year of planning.

For the first time, the branding will go beyond targeting tourists and will also be used to woo businesses.

While previous brand campaigns were Singapore Tourism Board (STB) efforts, this one is a partnership between STB and the Economic Development Board (EDB).

The idea is to have a "unified" brand that can be used across all campaigns to market Singapore - whether to tourists or businesses.

The new tagline, the agencies said, puts forth Singapore's attitude and mindset: "A passionate, never-settling spirit of determination and enterprise that constantly pursues possibilities and reinvention."

Other statutory boards and agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry will also adopt this branding when reaching out to international audiences.

A key feature of the new campaign is a shift towards storytelling.

Instead of talking about the different things a tourist can do in Singapore, STB will use local personalities and share stories about their passion.

For example, a 4½-minute video has been made of wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai talking about his love of nature as he walked through Pulau Ubin and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

To showcase such videos, the agencies intend to partner sites such as CNN, BBC and National Geographic, as well as digital platforms such as Mafengwo and WeChat.

The new branding was launched at Infinite Studios, near Ayer Rajah, by Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran.

Mr Lionel Yeo, chief executive of STB, said: “Today, Singapore’s iconic attractions such as Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Sentosa are well known in our major source markets, and we are also well known for our attributes of security and efficiency. We will build on this by telling stories of passion made possible to develop an even more positive affinity between our target audience and Singapore.”

The logo that accompanies the Passion Made Possible tagline features the letters SG inside a circle.

Said Mr Yeo: "It draws on the widely recognised SG50 logo. We are calling it the SG Mark, and this can be applied to visuals or text to immediately connote the Singapore stamp of quality and trust, which underpins our spirit of passion made possible."

The revamp comes on the back of stiffer competition for tourism dollars from other countries.

For example, Britain has the "GREAT Britain" tourism campaign, while New Zealand has billed itself as "100% Pure". There are also the "Malaysia, Truly Asia" and "Amazing Thailand" campaigns.

To come up with the new brand, STB and EDB surveyed close to 4,500 respondents in Singapore and 10 other countries on what the Republic stands for.

They said respondents thought "passion" and "possibilities" best reflected Singapore's spirit.

"While 'possibilities' was strongly associated with Singapore as a destination, the 'passion' to strive was what drove these possibilities," said STB and EDB.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic tourism senior lecturer Michael Chiam thought it was interesting that this new tagline makes no mention of Singapore, unlike previous campaigns such as Uniquely Singapore and YourSingapore.

He added that Passion Made Possible is flexible enough for business and tourism purposes.

"For the tourism sector, the new tagline invites tourists who are passionate about something to explore different possibilities relating to their passion when they are in Singapore. For the business person, he can explore what drives Singaporeans, which can open up business possibilities," he said.

Singapore's tourism numbers have grown in recent years after a 7.6 per cent dip in tourism receipts in 2015 to $21.8 billion.

The number of visitors grew by 7.7 per cent to 16.4 million last year, while tourism receipts rose by 13 per cent to $24.6 billion.

In the first quarter of this year, there were 4.3 million visitors who spent $6.4 billion - a 15 per cent increase in tourism receipts over the same period last year.

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Visiting pair of hornbills thrill condo residents

Shayna Toh Straits Times 25 Aug 17;

A pair of oriental pied hornbills have been spotted at Country Park Condominium in Bedok, creating quite a stir among residents.

First seen there in January, the birds are now known to frequent the condo in the late afternoon when the weather is cooler, to forage for fruit from the estate's palm trees, say residents.

Oriental pied hornbills can be identified easily due to their size, distinctive yellow horn-topped beaks, and black and white plumage.

While the natural habitats of hornbills are moist lowland forests, "it is not unusual to see them in built-up areas", said Dr Lena Chan, group director of the National Biodiversity Centre of the National Parks Board (NParks).

These native Singapore birds, once thought to be extinct here, can now be seen all over the island.

In fact, there are around 100 oriental pied hornbills in Singapore today, cementing the bird's position as a poster child for species rehabilitation here.

FROM SURPRISE TO EXCITEMENT

While we were surprised to see the hornbills in the beginning, we are now excited whenever they are around.

MS PRISCILLA TI, resident of Country Park Condominium, on sighting the hornbills.
The birds were thought to have disappeared for good here for over 100 years, until a pair reappeared in Pulau Ubin in 1994.

Since then, there has been an ongoing effort to ensure the continued survival and proliferation of this striking bird species.

In 2004, NParks worked with partners, including the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Jurong Bird Park, on the Singapore Hornbill Project. This project studied the breeding and nesting patterns of the birds to find out how this species could be repopulated. Part of the effort included designing nest boxes for breeding pairs.

Following the success of the project, a hornbill breeding programme was conducted in the Istana in 2008 by NParks, Jurong Bird Park, researcher Marc Cremades and Professor Ng Soon Chye.

While their numbers may be relatively small, the hornbill population in a place the size of Singapore is "not insignificant", said NParks, and it demonstrates what can be done to encourage the fairly rapid population increase of a large bird species in an urban setting.

But if you do see the hornbills, do not get too close and definitely do not feed them, say the experts. Dr Chan stressed that people should observe them from a distance and not feed them as there are sufficient food sources in the wild.

Keeping a natural diet is important for the hornbills as they help disperse seeds from the wild fruit they consume. "By not feeding them, we can ensure they continue to disperse seeds and help with forest regeneration," she said.

As the birds continue to thrive and explore new territory here, more people are experiencing the thrill of spotting them.

Said Country Park Condominium resident Priscilla Ti, 40, who is self-employed: "While we were surprised to see the hornbills in the beginning, we are now excited whenever they are around."

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Malaysia: Scent of decline hangs heavy

Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

TWO issues affecting forestry and wildlife in Johor were recently exposed and seriously need looking into.

The first is poaching of the valuable agarwood resin, which is only found in the wild. This illicit activity is being carried out by foreign poachers, who would spend several weeks in jungles such as the Endau-Rompin National Park.

A case early this year involved five Cambodian men and a 55-year-old Malaysian woman of Cambodian descent, who was their getaway driver.

They were caught while driving out of the jungle in a Toyota Hilux four-wheel drive with seven gunnysacks of agarwood worth RM20,000 and totalling 25kg.

Their illicit activity deep in the jungles of central Johor were sniffed out by the state Forestry Department and Wildlife and National Park Department (Perhilitan) in a joint operation with the army and police under a National Blue Ocean Strategy initiative.

The officers stopped the group as they ended their three-week “jungle expedition” in Jalan Kahang-Peta, Kluang, at 6.25pm on March 11.

The five Cambodian men were also in possession of the liver of a monitor lizard, which is a protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

The men were jailed five months after pleading guilty at the Kluang Sessions Court to the possession of agarwood. They were also charged separately for possession of entrails of a monitor lizard.

The woman, however, pleaded not guilty to the same charges and is awaiting trial.

Rosli Zakaria, my colleague in Terengganu, once wrote an exclusive story in the New Straits Times about agarwood and how it was regarded as the green gold of the rainforest.

This highly-prized resin is becoming rare due to illegal felling.

Rosli explained how there were two agarwood species in the country, the Aquilaria malaccensis (gaharu) and Aquilaria hirta (chandan).

The value of the resin is astounding as Grade A agarwood resin could fetch RM25,000 per kg while Grade C could easily cost RM2,500 per kg.

If not stopped, this lucrative but illegal trade could spell disaster for our rainforests.

There needs to be more effort to drive home the message that such activities will be dealt with under the law. Enforcement needs to be stepped up under the 1Malaysia Biodiversity Enforcement Operation Network, a partnership between the military and Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to control poaching of wildlife and preserve biodiversity in national parks.

Perhilitan revealed last year that Malaysia lost RM123.17 million worth of forest produce, such as gaharu and wildlife, between 2002 and 2013 because of encroachment on national parks.

Francis Cheong, who is with a non-governmental organisation focusing on conserving wildlife in Johor, said illegal harvesting of agarwood was mostly done by Cambodian, Thai or Vietnamese poachers in recent years.

“Most of the poachers come from these countries. Some people regard Cambodians as experts in agarwood harvesting.

“Due to the depletion of agarwood in their home countries, they come to Malaysia.”

Cheong said agarwood, or aloeswood, was in high demand in the Middle East as it was a vital ingredient in perfumes.

“The Chinese also use it to make incense and that’s why it is highly sought-after in Hong Kong.”

The second issue concerns elephants encroaching on human settlements in Johor.

Though such occurrences are a norm for residents in Mawai near Tanjung Sedili, Kota Tinggi, and Kahang in Kluang, the people are concerned about their frequency in the past three years.

A 33-year-old Indonesian plantation worker was believed to have been trampled to death by elephants in Ladang Tunjuk Laut, Tanjung Sedili, on June 21 this year. Since then, there were claimed sightings of the mammals along the Kota Tinggi-Mersing trunk road and six elephant encounters by residents in Kampung Lukut, Kota Tinggi.

Mawai resident Badrul Zaman Abu Samah, 51, said people were living in fear and worried about the safety of their loved ones, especially their children.

“I have been seeing elephants in my village since my childhood. But, those encounters in the past were few and far between.

“Back then, elephants would roam into our banana plantations or smalholdings twice a year. But, this month alone, I have seen herds of elephants near the village several times.”

Malaysian Nature Society vice-chairman Vincent Chow said elephants would venture out of their natural habitat if that habitat was disturbed.

“The areas around Mawai and Sungai Panti are part of the migratory routes and feeding ground for elephants. Any disruption will make elephants seek food and water elsewhere.”

Badrul and Chow have high hopes for an elephant sanctuary that will be developed this year in Panti.

One of the priority projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan, a 100ha sanctuary will comprise two development phases under a RM39 million allocation from the Federal Government.

Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat had said that the second phase could involve the state government roping in the private sector to invest RM30 million to provide chalets and other tourism infrastructure at the sanctuary.

The sanctuary will have up to 75 elephants. Hopefully, this would help to preserve the 140-to-150 elephant population in Johor.

The writer is NST Johor bureau chief. When not working, he loves driving along the coastal highway and trunk roads of Johor. A lover
of food, music and theatre, he
recommends everyone to try Johor’s version of ‘ais kacang’ which is drenched in chocolate sauce.

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Thailand: Thais, Chinese arrested for removing marine life from Phuket coral reefs

Eakkapop Thongtub The Phuket News 24 Aug 17;

PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has reported the arrests of two Thais and a Chinese tourist for fishing and removing marine life from a protected coral reef in two separate incidents yesterday (Aug 23).

Chinese national Dong Jinliang, 45, was arrested after he was caught using a rock to break a giant clam off the rocks at Ao Teu beach.

Nares Chuphueng fisheries specialist together with officials from the DMCR Phuket office arrested Jamrus Somboon and Passawat Ngernhorm, both from Phuket, off the southern tip of Cape Panwa, off Phuket’s east coast, at 3:40pm.

Officials seized the speedboat ‘Ussama Travel’, two fishing lines, five kilograms of live fish and squid.

The two men were taken to Wichit Police Station to face charges of illegally removing marine life from near a coral reef.

At 5pm at Racha Yai Island, about 25 kilometres south of Phuket, DMCR officials arrested Chinese national Dong Jinliang, 45, from Zhejiang, after he was caught using a rock to break a giant clam off the rocks at Ao Teu beach.

Dong was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with removing marine life near a coral reef.

In January, Suchat Rattanarueangsri, Director of the Phuket-based office of the DMCR, together with other officials posted notices at Racha Island’s Batok, Siam and Teu bays warning tourists and locals of tough new penalties for breaking marine conservation laws.

The signs posted are in three languages – Thai, Chinese and English – and clearly state that “Marine life (including corals and carcasses) are not allow to taken and marine animals are not to be fed.”

“If any person breaks these regulations they will face legal action and be punished with not more than one year in jail and fined not more than B100,000,” Mr Suchat said. (See story here.)

Those warnings were put to the test when Chinese tourist Huang Yongjia, 35, was charged and fined B100,000 after he was caught with two baby Parrotfish in a plastic bottle at Racha Yai. (See story here.)

Officials tried the same with 53-year-old Russian tourist Olga Smirnova, but as she did not have the B100,000, she spent two nights in police lockup while awaiting trial for feeding bread to fish at Racha Yai Island. (See story here.)

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Aug 17

Job Opportunity: Research Associate/Fellow – Executive Secretary, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

These 3 companies owe Indonesia millions of dollars for damaging the environment. Why haven’t they paid?
mongabay.com

Protests over geothermal development heat up in Central Java
mongabay.com

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Clutch of 141 eggs laid by critically endangered turtle moved to safer location: NParks

Audrey Tan Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - The clutch of 141 eggs that was laid by a critically endangered hawksbill turtle at a beach along East Coast Park on Wednesday (Aug 23) night has been moved to a safer location with less foot traffic and low light pollution.

The National Parks Board (NParks) told The Straits Times that the decision was made to move the eggs as the original site posed a high risk to the nest.

"Based on factors such as the proximity to the shore, the amount of light pollution and foot traffic, NParks assessed that the site posed a high risk to the nest," said Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine division at NParks' National Biodiversity Centre.

"Following best turtle management practices, we have translocated the 141 eggs to a more suitable spot with less foot traffic and low light pollution. We will continue to monitor the eggs closely," she added.

While sightings of freshly-hatched turtle hatchlings have been regularly reported, the sight of a turtle laying eggs is a rare one.

The pregnant turtle had on Wednesday evening been spotted by a member of the public making landfall at a beach in East Coast Park.

NParks was alerted and its officers were on the scene within half an hour, to observe and monitor the turtle and take down notes.

Following a report by The Straits Times on the sighting, members of the public on social media raised concerns about the lights used in the process.

Dr Tun clarified that the site was kept dark and quiet while the turtle was trying to find a suitable area to dig the hole.

"Once the turtle started laying her eggs, lights were used, from the back, to monitor the egg laying process and for data collection purposes. NParks was careful to avoid directing the light at the turtle's face to minimise disturbance to it," she added.

When The Straits Times was at the scene on Wednesday night, NParks scientists, who had gone to Australia earlier this year to learn more about turtle management at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre - an established institute on turtle ecology - were also seen supervising the use of lights, and ensuring that all observers kept their distance.

Members of the public are reminded to contact the NParks helpline (1800-471-7300), and to keep their distance and speak softly when a turtle is sighted.

Touching the turtle may scare or provoke it. People should also not handle the eggs as this might damage them.

Critically endangered turtle spotted laying eggs at East Coast beach
Audrey Tan Straits Times 23 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - A critically endangered hawksbill turtle was spotted laying eggs on a beach at East Coast Park on Wednesday evening (Aug 23).

While sightings of freshly-hatched turtle hatchlings have been regularly reported, the sight of a turtle laying eggs is a rare one.

Last week on Aug 16, 32 hawksbill turtle hatchlings were guided back to sea by the National Parks Board (NParks) after they were spotted scampering about by members of the public.

On Wednesday, the pregnant turtle made landfall at around dusk, and NParks said it was alerted to the sighting by a member of the public at about 7.30pm.

NParks officers, who were in Australia to learn more about turtle management earlier this year at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre - an established institute on turtle ecology, were on the scene within half an hour.

Their observations showed that the reptile started laying eggs at about 8.40pm.

When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at about 9pm, the turtle was lying motionless on the beach as it laid its eggs. Its shell was also covered with sand, making it less conspicuous.

The turtle started covering the eggs with sand at 9.18pm and moved off at 9.52pm.

It was back in the water at 10.06pm.

The trained NParks officers also took photographs and a number of other measurements, such as the width of the turtle's trail and the length of its shell. They also made observations about its entry and exit points.

They learnt that the turtle followed a similar route when coming onto land and making its way back to the sea - an important find, as the team now knows what to look out for when combing the beach for turtles.

This latest sighting comes after a Marine Turtle Working Group - comprising staff from NParks, academics from institutions such as the National University of Singapore, and interest groups and individuals - was re-established last year.

Such collaborative work has been ongoing since 2006, but the re-establishment of the working group helped with the enhancement of a standard operating procedure (SOP) when turtle sightings are reported.

This includes installing more signages on the beach, getting members of the public to contact NParks when turtles are spotted, and advisories on what to do when these reptiles are encountered.

There are two species of turtles native to Singapore - the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle.

Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine branch at NParks National Biodiversity Centre, said the incident was an exciting one, as it provided researchers the opportunity to learn more about these rarely encountered animals.

"The discovery shows that turtles are still coming in and that our environment is still favourable for them to come in and lay eggs," said Dr Tun.

Members of the public are reminded to contact the NParks helpline (1800-471-7300), and to keep their distance and speak softly when a turtle is sighted.

Touching the turtle may scare or provoke it. People should also not handle the eggs as this might damage them.








Critically endangered hawksbill turtle seen laying eggs at East Coast Park
Channel NewsAsia 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE: A hawksbill turtle was spotted laying eggs at East Coast Park on Wednesday (Aug 23) night, in a second sighting of the critically endangered marine animal in two weeks.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said a member of the public tipped the authorities off about the rare sight.

“Alerted by a member of the public, NParks officers observed a hawksbill turtle about to lay her eggs along the shores of East Coast Park,” NParks posted on Facebook on Tuesday.

It also shared a video of the process on social media. NParks officers were at the egg-laying to make sure conditions were “favourable”, it added.

“Following the best practices of some of the most established turtle hatcheries in the world, our colleagues monitored the process to ensure that the conditions were favourable for the turtle,” said NParks in the post. “We are excited to share this very special moment with all of you here.”

Last Wednesday, turtle hatchlings were seen trying to make their way to the sea at East Coast Park.

They were befuddled by bright lights and got some help from NParks officers, who moved them to a more suitable location.

Singapore waters are home to two types of turtles – the green turtle and the hawksbill.

While the turtles have been known to come ashore to lay eggs at East Coast Park, it is rare to observe an animal in action.

Members of the public who see turtles can call NParks at 1800-4717300. NParks urged the public to keep their distance from the turtle and the eggs.

“Touching the turtle may scare or provoke it. Handling the eggs may damage them, or introduce bacteria into the nest.”

Read more!

Warning signs put up after crocodile spotted at Changi Beach

Channel NewsAsia 23 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) has put up warning signs at Changi Beach Park following reports of a crocodile in the area.

Channel NewsAsia understands the signs were put up on Monday (Aug 21).

Video and photos circulating on social media appeared to show a crocodile in the waters around Changi Beach.

One eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said that he had seen a crocodile near Changi Point Ferry Terminal for the past four days, including near the boardwalk area close to the ferry terminal.

He added that he had also made reports to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and to NParks.

The latest sighting comes after at least two sightings were reported at Pasir Ris Park earlier this month.

A crocodile was seen at the mudflat of Sungei Tampines in Pasir Ris Park and another sighting was reported in the waters off the park's beach on another occasion.

According to wildlife photographer Jeffery Teo, the Changi crocodile is probably the same as the one spotted in Pasir Ris, as crocodiles are usually spotted on the north-west side of Singapore but rarely in the north-east.

"I think it's highly unlikely there are two crocodiles ... my gut feel is that it's probably just one crocodile," he said.

"In Kranji, Sungei Buloh, we do see crocodiles regularly, but (the one in) the north-east is a rare sighting, so this particular crocodile is gaining a lot of interest."

He added the crocodile was an estuarine crocodile and that it could possibly have come from Malaysia, but that it was probably a "transient crocodile".

"(It's) just exploring, it hasn't located a place to stay, that's why you see it moving to different places."

He added that it could possibly stay put in Changi, depending on how good the environment was.

Responding to the sightings at Pasir Ris, NParks had said they were likely to be of estuarine crocodiles as they are known to "swim freely in the Straits of Johor".

It told visitors to keep to designated paths and away from water edges. Should members of the public encounter a crocodile, they should "stay calm and back away slowly" and not approach, provoke or feed it, NParks added.

If members of the public need help, they should call the NParks helpline at 1800-471 7300. More information on estuarine crocodiles can be found on NParks’ website.

Warning signs put up at Changi Beach Park after crocodile sighting
Lee Min Kok Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

SINGAPORE - Warning signs have been put up at Changi Beach Park after a reported sighting of a crocodile in the area.

The Straits Times understands that the signs have been put up since Monday (Aug 21).

Mr Yusaini Abdul Rahim, 41, an Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officer working at Changi Ferry Point Terminal, first saw the crocodile on Monday morning while out on patrol.

He subsequently contacted the National Parks Board (NParks) and Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

Mr Yusaini spotted the reptile again on Wednesday and posted several photos and videos of it on Facebook.

His Facebook post, which came with a warning to people not to swim at the beach, has since received over 7,000 shares.

"My immediate priority was to warn the public to stay away as it can be quite dangerous," Mr Yusaini told ST.

He suggested that the crocodile could be the same one that was spotted at Pasir Ris Park earlier this month.

Sightings of crocodiles, while not uncommon in places such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in north-western Singapore, are much rarer in the north-eastern region.

NParks, in response to the Pasir Ris sightings, had said it is monitoring the situation and will take steps to remove the crocodile should it venture into publicly accessible areas.

It also advised people who come across a crocodile to stay calm and back away slowly. They should not approach, provoke or feed the animal, and can call the NParks helpline on 1800-471-7300 for assistance.

The Straits Times has contacted NParks for more information.


Crocodile sighted twice in Changi Beach Park area
NParks urges park users to heed warning signs and stay away from water edges
Lee Min Kok Straits Times 25 Aug 17;

Warning signs have been put up at Changi Beach Park after a reported sighting of a crocodile in the area.

The Straits Times understands that the signs have been up since Monday.

Mr Yusaini Abdul Rahim, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer working at Changi Ferry Point Terminal, first saw the crocodile on Monday morning while out on patrol. The 41-year-old then contacted the National Parks Board (NParks) and Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

He spotted the reptile again on Wednesday and posted several photos and videos of it on Facebook. The post has since received over 7,000 shares.

"My immediate priority was to warn the public to stay away as it can be quite dangerous," Mr Yusaini told ST yesterday.

He suggested that the crocodile could be the same one that was spotted at Pasir Ris Park earlier this month.

Sightings of crocodiles, while not uncommon in places such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in north-western Singapore, are much rarer in the north-eastern region.

Mr Yusaini Abdul Rahim, an ICA officer who works at Changi Ferry Point Terminal, spotted the crocodile twice while he was on patrol. He posted some photos and videos of the reptile on Facebook to warn others to be careful while in the area.

NParks' group director of parks Chia Seng Jiang told ST that the board is aware of recent sightings of a crocodile in the waters around Changi Beach Park.

"On Aug 21, 2017, a crocodile was sighted in the waters off the beach area of the park," he said. "It was likely an estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)."

Estuarine crocodiles are known to swim freely in the Strait of Johor. They feed and rest in mangroves and freshwater bodies, and are usually found in the water or at mudflats away from visitor routes.

Mr Chia said NParks is working with the AVA and Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) to monitor the sightings of the crocodile, as well as to catch and move it to another location, for the safety of park users.

"NParks and AVA have also advised vessel owners, fish farmers, and operators of establishments along the coast to take the necessary precautions," he said.

Warning signs and advisory notices have been put up in the park near water edges.

"Visitors should heed these signs, in particular to keep to designated paths and away from water edges," said Mr Chia.

He also advised people who come across a crocodile to stay calm and back away slowly. They should not approach, provoke or feed the animal, and can call the NParks helpline on 1800-471-7300 for assistance.

Read more!

Malaysia: 10-year-old elephant killed while crossing highway

AMANDA YEAP The Star 24 Aug 17;

IPOH: A 10-year-old elephant was killed when it was crossing the road at KM60 of the Gerik-Jeli Highway in Gerik, some 130km from here early Wednesday.

Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director Loo Kean Seong said state officers rushed to the scene at around 9am after they were informed of the 5.30am incident.

"The elephant was hit by a tour bus when it was crossing the road and it was already dead by the time we arrived at the scene.

"Fortunately, the bus driver stayed at the scene and we questioned him for details," he said, adding that none of the bus passengers or the driver were hurt.

Loo said that the stretch of highway was located near a forested area, which is the habitat of elephants.

"They would be roaming around the area at any time of the day, so motorists must be careful and drive cautiously when using the highway. Please avoid speeding," he added.

The elephant carcass will be sent for a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.


Tour bus rams into elephant on east-west highway
Bernama New Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

GERIK: A tour bus heading to Gerik rammed into a bull elephant on the East-West Highway near here early today, killing the 12-year-old animal.

The bus driver, Eng Koon Seng, 62, and the 32 passengers were unhurt in the accident that happened at 5.30 am at Km59 of the highway about five kilometres from the Titiwangsa Rest and Service Area.

Gerik Police deputy chief DSP Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said the bus, heading from Jeli to Gerik, hit the elephant while descending a gradient.

The animal had emerged from the right side of the road and ran across it, he added.

“The driver could not stop the vehicle in time to avoid hitting the elephant. The animal collapsed and then got up and walked to the grass on the road shoulder and died,” he said in a statement here.

He said the elephant was injured in the head and body while the bus had a shattered windscreen and a huge dent at the front.

Mohd Sohaimi said the Department of Wildlife and National Parks had been informed. -- Bernama


Elephant dies after being rammed by tour bus
ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 24 Aug 17;

KUALA TERENGGANU: It was a rude awakening for 32 senior citizens when the chartered bus they were traveling rammed into an elephant at dawn, killing the pachyderm.

A passenger onboard the bus, who wished to be identified only as Madam Chong, said they were fast asleep when the were jolted from the impact at Km59 of the East-West Highway along the Grik-Jeli route at 5.30am today.

“Fortunately, none of us were injured although some were initially shocked from the sudden crash along a dark down-slope of the road.

“We were taken aback when we alighted from the bus to see the elephant groaning briefly before it died at the scene,” she said, adding the bus was about 5km from the Titiwangsa Range rest and recreation area.

Madam Chong said the sight of the elephant lying dead moved many of the passengers to tears.

“ Many sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of the dead elephant,” she said.

The impact with the elephant calf severely dented the front of the bus and shattered its windscreen, with the driver fortunate to escape unhurt.

She said the group, who were on a three day, two nights tour of Betong in southern Thailand, had departed Kuala Terengganu at midnight.

“We were stranded for nearly five hours while waiting for the driver to lodge a police report and to catch a replacement bus despatched by the charter company.

“We finally continued our journey and arrived in Betong nearly 2pm,” she said.

Grik deputy police chief Deputy Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said initial investigations revealed that the driver was unable to avoid slamming into the elephant down the slope as it suddenly appeared from the forest.

He said the elephant, estimated to be 12-years old, struggled to its feet momentarily after the impact but collapsed and died shortly afterwards.

Police summoned the National Parks and Wildlife Department to remove the carcass.

Read more!

Indonesia's whale sharks yield clues on ecosystem

'Beautiful, peaceful' animals draw conservationists and tourism dollars

PETER GUEST Nikkei 23 Aug 17;

KWATISORE, Indonesia -- Balanced precariously on wooden struts that jolt upward with every passing wave, three fishermen lean over the sea to lower buckets of baitfish into the waters of Cenderawasih Bay. Beneath them, the meter-wide gasping maw of a whale shark breaks the surface, then sinks below. Its fin throws up an arc of spray as it turns away to resume a slow patrol around the bagan, a traditional fishing platform composed of a floating scaffold fixed to a central boat hull and strung with lines and nets.

It takes half an hour to entice the animal -- a juvenile male, but already more than five meters long -- into the net. As the fishermen on the platform haul it close, a team of divers, waiting on two speedboats tied to the bagan, move in.

Almost daily, whale sharks turn up at the bagans at Cendrawasih Bay, attracted by the baitfish that accumulate in the nets. Once trapped, they are constrained enough that researchers can get to them to take blood samples and fit them with satellite tags, making this remote area off the coast of West Papua a uniquely valuable place for researchers into this enigmatic and poorly understood animal.

"What we experienced here is just completely, mind-blowingly unique, the chance to sit still with a whale shark. Everywhere else it's completely impossible," said Al Dove, vice-president of research and conservation at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

In late July and early August, Dove and Mark Erdmann, vice-president of Asia-Pacific marine programs at Conservation International, led a nine-day, 10-person expedition to the bay, collecting unprecedented amounts of data about the behavior, biology and health of whale sharks, information which they hope will inform conservation efforts in an area that Erdmann called the "epicenter of global marine biodiversity."

A wide-mouthed bay ringed by mist-shrouded hills thick with jungle, Cendrawasih has so far been protected by its isolation. Air links are poor, even from Jakarta, with most of the routes serving the mines that form the bulk of West Papua's economy. Visitors have to fly via Bali and Timika, then onward to pick up a boat in the coastal cities of Nabire or Manokwari.

However, the area -- nominally a national park -- is not insulated from the economic forces that have led to the destruction of large swathes of Indonesia's natural capital onshore and off. The maritime economy is worth 11% of the country's $930 billion economy; fisheries account for nearly three-quarters of that total. The Jakarta government wants to double that contribution over the next decade by dramatically expanding the fishing and tourism sectors, putting even greater pressure on the ecosystem services that support them.

Anchor research

As that development starts to encroach on Cendrawasih, scientists hope that by building a dataset on the health of the region's wild whale sharks, they can create a benchmark that will allow conservationists and the government to better understand the impact of human activities on the ecosystem.

Even armed with that information, they could be swimming against a strong tide. Cendrawasih is a microcosm of the political, social and economic challenges facing maritime ecosystems in Southeast Asia, and particularly Indonesia.

The bagans themselves are imported from South Sulawesi, taking advantage of gaps in Indonesia's laws created by the complex devolution of some powers from Jakarta to the provinces. Fishing licenses have been handed to the owners of the bagan fleets by the regional government in Nabire, while the national park that covers the entire of the bay is administered by a body from Jakarta. The former, apparently, trumps the latter.

"In reality, it's a national park, and they really shouldn't be issuing fishing licenses," Erdmann said. "But that's the chaos that is Indonesian decentralization."

To further complicate the situation, local communities claim customary rights over the reefs and fish in the bay. Many Melanesian communities, such as those in Papua, see marine resources as their traditional inheritance, putting them into conflict with national legal systems that do not officially recognize their claims. West Papua is culturally and ethnically distinct from most of Indonesia, and highly sensitive to anything that could be interpreted as a threat to or dilution of traditional rights and culture.

"The very notion of a national park in West Papua is problematic to the people here," Erdmann, who has worked with local and national authorities across the country, said. "It's actually problematic across Indonesia, but in West Papua it's even more problematic, especially into the marine realm because the people here feel they own the resources."

Local communities have taken matters into their own hands, and extract rent from bagan owners moored in the bay.

The presence of the fishing platforms, while useful in the short term for research, is concerning in the long run. Stripping out the baitfish at the bottom of the food web would directly impact the sharks that feed on them, and could ultimately lead to the hollowing out of the entire ecosystem.

"It's unreported and unregulated," said Abraham Sianipar, a shark and ray expert at Conservation International.

Sianipar estimates that the fishermen are pulling a couple of tons of baitfish out of the water each day. "There's no one actually monitoring that, there's no one regulating that. That's scary to me, seeing the future," he said.

Lure of tourism

These days, the fishermen have a side business. Tourism is growing, albeit slowly. A few "live-aboard" dive boats moor in the bay each month, offering intrepid vacationers the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks at the bagans. Onshore, a single resort offers a couple of moldy shacks for rent.

Three days before the expedition boat, the Putiraja, set sail out of the bay, three motorboats of tourists arrived at a bagan being used for the study. While the research team worked inside the net, a dozen people were in the water, crowding around a pair of free-swimming animals, brandishing GoPro cameras as a drone whined overhead. The fishermen -- who can earn 4 million rupiah ($301) per day to host tourists -- flung buckets of baitfish into the churning water.

While the fishing industry is a threat to the sharks' food supply, tourism -- if well-managed -- could be a way to tie the economic future of the area to its charismatic megafauna, and by extension the preservation of its wider ecosystem. Conservation tends to be most effective when it is driven from the bottom up, and where local communities have a meaningful stake in it.

In Kwatisore, a village of 200 people that is the largest settlement in the inner bay, a few small handicraft stalls sell wooden sharks for a few dollars each.

District leader Sam Andoyi said that traditional beliefs hold that the animals -- known locally as gurano bintang, or "star whales" -- are the ghosts of ancestors, who can drag a sailor from his boat and carry him out to sea. It is a superstition that is easy to understand, when a 10-meter animal looms huge and alien out of the deep.

So far, the villagers only have a limited stake in the emerging tourism industry developing around the sharks. Erdman helped to broker a deal whereby tourists on boats visiting the bay pay a voluntary 300,000 rupiah per person.

National park fees go straight into the ministry of finance, but are not earmarked for specific conservation efforts in Cendrawasih.

Georgia's Dove, who has worked with governments in the Pacific to advise on how to balance their conservation efforts with the development of a tourist industry around the whale sharks, said it was vital to set a high market value for the sharks and their habitat.

Australia's Ningaloo Reef, which is also a prime whale shark spotting region, has managed to find an equilibrium, he said. "It's set up as a premium experience, a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list thing, and you pay accordingly."

The fear is that the diving business in Cendrawasih Bay becomes a race to the bottom, like some of the resorts in Mexico and the Indian Ocean, where sustainability has taken a backseat to short-term market forces.

"I would hate to come back in 10 years' time to see dozens of 'liveaboards,' people crashing into the water," Dove said.

Dove and his colleagues hope that the data that they collected during their study, which included taking blood samples from 20 individual animals, will allow them to build a baseline understanding of how healthy whale sharks behave in the wild. From that, they will be able to measure how human activity impacts on the species in the bay, but also as they travel around the region.

With good data, they can advise local communities, governments and supranational bodies on how to limit the impact on the sharks, and by extension the ecosystems they are part of.

"If you can get people to care enough about whale sharks to do something about their plight, then a lot of other species get proxy protection because they're part of the whale sharks' world," Dove said.

"It's the ideal species to represent its ecosystem. It's large, it's harmless, it's peaceful and beautiful, it's covered in polka dots. What's not to love? It's a beautiful, beautiful species."

Read more!

Indonesia: Russia keen to build nuclear power plant in Indonesia

Antara 23 Aug 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Russia, on Wednesday, expressed interest to invest in Indonesia by building a nuclear power plant to boost the nations power supply, which currently reaches only 89.5 percent.

"We believe that Indonesias power requirement will not be met ideally through the use of conventional methods, which is why we are offering to build a nuclear power plant," Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzin informed reporters in Jakarta.

Galuzin stated that Moscow already has rich experience in developing nuclear power plants in various countries in the world. Last year, Russia had helped to implement a nuclear power plant project valued at US$10 billion in Iran.

In May this year, Russias Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation had also proposed the same project to Indonesia through Maritime Coordinating Minister Luhut Pandjaitan. Rosatom has already proposed various potential sites to build a power plant, with a capacity of over one thousand megawatts, in earthquake-proof areas, such as Bangka Island and East Kalimantan.

However, at that time, Pandjaitan had remarked that Indonesia was not yet ready and needed to first increase public awareness on nuclear power.

Nuclear power is still a debatable topic in Indonesia. According to the World Nuclear Association, Indonesia will need as much as 450 billion kilowatt hour of energy by 2026 based on the assumption that the industrial demand will rise by 10.5 percent every year.

Most of the demand for power is still met by power plants in Java and Bali that use gasoline and natural gas, with a low power reserve that had resulted in frequent blackouts due to high demand.

Looking at the current situation, Russia has offered to build a nuclear power plant that will not only increase the power share ratio but will also ensure reliable supply.

Moreover, stakeholders believe that the highly toxic nuclear waste is hazardous and cannot be recycled.

Until now, the only way to discard nuclear waste was by burying it underground, but since Indonesia is located in the "ring of fire," with a quake-prone environment, this method poses high risks in terms of leaks and poisoning of the underground water table.

Nuclear leaks were reported in Japan in 2011 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the nuclear facility in Fukushima. According to Greenpeace, the leak could destroy the ecosystem, with the damage lasting for centuries.(*)

Read more!

Ten dead as typhoon smashes into Macau, Hong Kong and south China

Elaine YU, Aaron TAM, Laura MANNERING AFP Yahoo News 24 Aug 17;

Hong Kong (AFP) - Typhoon Hato ripped a path of destruction across southern China on Wednesday, killing 10 people after battering Hong Kong skyscrapers, flooding streets and forcing thousands to flee to shelters.

The storm had raised Hong Kong's most severe Typhoon 10 warning, only the third time a storm of this power has pounded the financial hub in the past 20 years.

Five people were killed in the gambling mecca of Macau, where local media showed cars underwater and people swimming along what are normally streets. The enclave's famed mega-casinos were running on backup generators.

One man died after being injured by a wall that blew down, another fell from a fourth floor terrace and another was a Chinese tourist hit by a truck, the Macau government said. Details on the two other victims there were not immediately available.

The powerful storm earlier swept through neighbouring Hong Kong, where an 83-year-old man died after he fell into the sea, police said. More than 120 were injured as the territory was lashed with hurricane winds and pounding rain.

In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, at least four people died and 26,817 people evacuated to temporary shelters, the official Xinhua news agency said. Nearly two million households were briefly without power.

Authorities issued alerts over possible landslides and flooding as the typhoon continued on a path inland.

In Macau, people swam through muddy water on what are normally roads, as others were swept off their feet by winds, footage from Apple Daily showed.

The sprawling Venetian casino resort was on back-up power and without air conditioning or proper lighting, according to one source.

An employee of Sands, which owns the Venetian and the Parisian, said power had been out across the whole of Macau but was beginning to return.

"Because many guests come in the summer, a lot of them have been stuck in the major resorts and casinos," the employee said.

"All transportations -- air, ground, sea -- have halted, so customers who have checked out cannot leave yet."

Residents took to social media to complain about city-wide power and mobile phone network outages.

Brian Chan, 31, said authorities had failed to give enough notice of the impending storm and were not properly prepared, describing the territory as "totally lost" in the typhoon.

Water supply was also limited, authorities said, and 50 flights cancelled from its international airport.

By evening, parts of Macau were still without power.

"Some have no tap water supply. The city looks like after an attack," Harald Bruning, editor of the Macau Post Daily, told AFP, describing it as the worst typhoon he had experienced in 30 years.

- 'Flying trees' -

The typhoon passed as close as 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Hong Kong and made landfall at noon (0400 GMT) in the southern mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai.

The typhoon shut down the stock market in the territory of 7.3 million people, and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Hato sent metres-high waves crashing into Hong Kong's shorelines with flooding knee deep in some areas.

Swathes of marine rubbish washed up on beaches and in coastal residential areas, including white globs of palm oil which have been coming ashore since a massive spillage at sea earlier this month.

Gusts of up to 207 kilometres per hour brought flying debris, tearing down trees and scaffolding and smashing skyscraper windows.

Fallen trees cut off roads to parts of the territory.

More than 400 flights were cancelled, with Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific axing most of its departures until 5 pm (0900 GMT).

The airline said it had begun to reschedule the flights with some taking off Wednesday evening.

Hong Kong is regularly besieged by typhoons between July and October, but direct hits are rare.

The city saw its strongest storm in 1962 when the eye of typhoon Wanda passed over and gusts of 284 kilometres per hour were recorded.

It killed 130 people and left 72,000 people homeless.

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