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Audrey Tan Straits Times 29 Jan 18;
Birds here are dying from encounters with an unexpected "predator".
A new study by scientists here has shown that almost a third of resident birds found dead in Singapore over a four-year period were killed because of collisions with buildings.
Between November 2013 and last October, a total of 362 bird carcasses were picked up by ornithologists from institutions such as the National University of Singapore (NUS), non-profit body BirdLife International and Nature Society (Singapore). They were alerted to the carcasses by members of the public.
The study's lead author from NUS, Mr David Tan, said 104 of the carcasses were found at the base of buildings and exhibited forms of facial injury or head trauma, confirming that their deaths were the result of building collisions.
It was not possible to pinpoint the causes of deaths for most of the carcasses - 225 of them - although the remainder were killed by, among other things, vehicular collision and attacks by animals such as cats.
The rise in bird-building collision rates is not unique to Singapore. In North America, estimates of bird deaths from collisions range from 100 million to one billion a year.
The Singapore study, published last November in The International Journal of Tropical Veterinary and Biomedical Research, also found some species of resident birds were more susceptible to building collisions. Pink-necked green pigeons, Asian glossy starlings and Asian emerald doves seemed exceptionally vulnerable, making up 64 out of the 104 carcasses found.
The fact that all three species are forest-edge fruit-eaters suggests that both feeding patterns and habitat affect a species' susceptibility to collision, the study said. "Given the patchy distribution of parks and forest fragments in Singapore, it is likely these nomadic forest-edge frugivores pass through urban areas as part of their foraging movements, which increases the likelihood of building collisions occurring," the scientists wrote in the paper.
Dr Yong Ding Li from Nature Society (Singapore) said this suggests that buildings near nature areas could incorporate wildlife-friendly measures in their designs, such as reducing the use of huge glass panes which birds tend to crash into.
The findings of the recent study mirror the results of an earlier one focusing on causes of death for migratory birds in Singapore, done by the same group of researchers. That study, published last June, found that between 1998 and 2016, 237 migratory birds collided with buildings and 157 of them died.
On the need to differentiate between migratory birds and resident birds, Mr Tan said: "Migratory birds are pass-through species, not long-term residents, so the factors that result in collisions may be different.
"For example, why is Jurong West a death hot spot for migratory birds, but not for resident birds?"
But the latest study found two regions where resident and migratory collision hot spots overlap: in the Clementi area, near the NUS campus, and in the Central Business District. Finding out the reasons for this - such as whether it was due to light pollution-is what the scientists hope to do next.
In New York, a growing number of building owners are switching off non-essential lights after becoming aware of the fatal attraction birds have to lights. Since 2005, over 90 buildings in the city, including the Rockefeller Centre, have joined the Lights Out scheme, which encourages buildings to take a lights-off approach to keep birds safe.
Here in Singapore, scientists are hopeful that more can be done to reduce bird-building collisions. Mr Tan is in touch with owners of buildings where dead birds have been found, such as at Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) on Pulau Ubin.
An OBS spokesman said a staff member has found three bird carcasses over the past two years. "As part of our efforts to better understand and appreciate the biodiversity of our flora and fauna on Pulau Ubin, we welcome the opportunity to work with Mr David Tan on his research efforts."
Audrey Tan Straits Times 29 Jan 18;
See a bird, butterfly or squirrel outside your window?
The Nature Society (Singapore), or NSS, wants to know all about it: How it looks, where you spotted it and at what time.
All that is needed is a free mobile phone application called iNaturalist. With it, people can simply snap a photograph of the animal or plant encountered, then upload it onto the app along with details such as the date, time and location it was spotted.
The data will be publicly available, and would be useful for researchers learning more about the biodiversity in an area, said Dr Anuj Jain, part of the NSS team spearheading this effort.
"We will also be able to identify the changes in flowering and fruiting patterns of garden plants and understand the impacts of climate change better," he said.
The effort is part of NSS' new citizen science programme, Every Singaporean a Naturalist, which aims to get people to document the wildlife they encounter at work, school or play.
"We hope that by getting people to document the wildlife they encounter on a daily basis, it would help them be aware of the biodiversity that thrives even in the city. That is the first step towards greater appreciation of wildlife," said Dr Anuj.
NSS is starting the programme with a pilot involving six organisations - four primary and secondary schools including Queenstown Primary School and Unity Secondary School, as well as two university clubs from the Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore.
But the hope is that everyone in Singapore will join the programme, he added.
Audrey Tan
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 28 Jan 18;
SINGAPORE — With cycling accidents on Pulau Ubin showing no signs of a let-up, the authorities have set up a first-aid facility on the island, heeding public calls in recent years for a formal space to attend to the injured.
The National Parks Board (NParks) told TODAY in response to queries that the first-aid room at the Ubin Living Lab opened in February 2016.
The lab is situated in the southwest of the island for education and research, and other uses.
Dr Adrian Loo, NParks’ acting group director of conservation, said that the first-aid room is equipped with an examination couch, first-aid materials and equipment such as stretchers, wheelchairs and an automated external defibrillator.
Since it opened, it has provided services for about 50 walk-in cases. Most of the people needed treatment for cuts and abrasions.
The same first-aid materials and equipment are available at the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub — a one-stop centre several minutes by foot from the Ubin Jetty, Dr Loo added.
NParks staff members are at both spots to provide first aid during operation hours throughout the week.
The Ubin Living Lab opens from 9.30am to 4.30pm and the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub, from 8.30am to 5.30pm, on weekdays and weekends.
In January 2015, TODAY reported that NParks was considering having a first-aid facility on the island at the suggestion of residents and visitors.
After the report ran, the Singapore Red Cross expanded its First Aider on Wheels programme to Pulau Ubin, deploying personnel to the island on public holidays since July 2015, and the second Sunday of every month since March or April 2016.
They are stationed at a first-aid post in the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub.
Last year alone, Red Cross first-aiders attended to 100 to 120 casualties on the island, a spokesperson for the humanitarian agency told TODAY. At least half the cases were cycling-related, and common injuries included abrasions on the elbows and knees.
Less than 5 per cent of these casualties had to be evacuated by the Police Coast Guard to the mainland — some with head injuries from collisions or suspected heart attacks, the Red Cross spokesperson added.
Last year, the Police Coast Guard evacuated 52 casualties from Pulau Ubin to the mainland, up from 46 in 2016. Roughly 60 per cent of these cases last year were involved in cycling-related accidents, a police spokesperson said.
Besides the provision of first aid on the island, Dr Loo from NParks said that various measures have been in place to promote safe cycling.
These include notice boards at the jetty reminding visitors of safe cycling practices, and signs along the trails advising cyclists to dismount and push their bicycles, or to slow down at certain spots.
The island’s bicycle rental shops also offer protective gear, including helmets.
Dr Loo said: “We urge cyclists to exercise personal responsibility by wearing helmets and protective gear, observe signs that apprise them of the difficulty level of the trails and to adopt safe practices.
“Novice and younger cyclists should also be accompanied by experienced, adult cyclists.”
muguntan vanar The Star 28 Jan 18;
KOTA KINABALU: A baby whale that was stranded in shallow waters close to Sabah’s east Lahad Datu town was safely pushed back to open sea as firemen, marine policemen and ordinary folks got together in a collective effort to rescue it.
The whale weighing at least 400kg with a length of 4.5m was slowly pushed out of the shallow waters till it was brought out to deep sea about three-kilometres away.
“It just swam away from our view. I believe it is safe now,” Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Services Station head of operations Mazran Mohammad Noh said.
He said the whole operation was completed about five hours after they received a call from the public at about 10.06am on Sunday (Jan 28) stating that the whale was stuck in knee deep waters near Lahad Datu POIC container port area.
“Eventually, we used a boat to trawl the whale into open sea,” he said, adding the operations involving five firemen and 10 marine policemen apart from members of the public ended by 2.17pm.
It’s a big fish, it’s a whale … nope, it’s a dolphin
stephanie lee The Star 29 Jan 18;
KOTA KINABALU: The “big fish” that was stranded along the coast of Lahad Datu on Sunday is actually a dolphin and not a baby whale as reported earlier.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the dolphin, which may have been mistaken as a baby whale by rescuers due to its size, has yet to return to the open sea.
“We tried bringing it further from the shore on Sunday after it was spotted but it returned (to the shore) not long after,” he said on Monday.
He said the dolphin was spotted early in the morning and rescuers, including marine police and firemen, tried to bring it out to the open sea.
“However, it returned late in the evening,” Tuuga said, adding they found some minor injuries on the dolphin but were not sure how it got them.
He said rescuers would try to return the stranded dolphin to the open sea again on Monday.
He said apart from the minor injuries, the dolphin looked healthy and that efforts were being undertaken to send it off again.
“We hope it will return to where it belongs and not come up near the shore again,” Tuuga said.
Jonathan L. Mayuga Business Mirror 28 Jan 18;
TO prevent the problems besetting Boracay from being repeated in El Nido, Palawan, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is now taking a proactive approach before environmental problems become unmanageable.
In a press statement, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said he wants to implement policies to help minimize the negative impact of tourism in El Nido.
Reports showed El Nido is beset with problems of diminishing water quality, biodiversity loss, flooding and proliferation of informal settlers, business establishments and structures without a permit, and a host of other problems.
“I want people to experience the beauty of El Nido and other natural wonders of our country for as long as possible,” Cimatu said.
The DENR chief added he had instructed all DENR personnel to address such priorities as clean water, clean air and solid-waste management hounding island tourist destinations like El Nido and Boracay.
Officials of DENR in Mimaropa have identified El Nido as a priority area. El Nido used to be known for promoting sustainable tourism. Situated within the province known as the country’s last ecological frontier, El Nido boasts of rich flora and fauna, breath-taking landscapes and small-island scenery, lagoons with pristine waters.
El Nido is also hosting unique bird species and is frequented by large marine wildlife like the sea or marine turtles, sea cow or dugong, dolphins, sharks and rays.
“We do not want El Nido to face the same problems of Boracay,” DENR Mimaropa Regional Director Natividad Bernardino said in the same press statement.
Bernardino was referring to the mounting garbage problem and water contamination due to unregulated activities in Boracay.
Big resorts in Boracay are facing closure if they are found violating environmental laws. The DENR is in the process of validating a list of resorts not connected to the existing sewer system on Boracay Island.
The House committee on tourism is currently conducting an investigation into the problems besetting Boracay Island, known for its white-sand beaches and pristine waters. Foremost of these problems is its mounting garbage problem.
Acting on the problem last year, Cimatu had immediately stepped in. Within 20 days in June and July last year, 1,906 tons of garbage were hauled from Boracay to Aklan.
Two weeks ago, Cimatu and Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo agreed to step up efforts to save Boracay, including penalizing establishments violating environmental and other laws.
“We value El Nido’s contribution to the economy of Palawan and of the country. We cannot help but worry that the magnitude of tourist activities in El Nido is already way beyond its carrying capacity,” Bernardino said.
The 2016 report of the El Nido Municipal Tourism Office said tourist arrival in the town increased by more than 30 percent annually in the last three years, with last year reaching almost 200,000.
This does not only mean increased revenue for the town, but also increased demand for fresh water, timber, and other construction materials, use of fuel and consumer goods, and activities in the islands, all of which exert tremendous pressure on the rich biodiversity of El Nido.
Bernardino said the Protected Area Management Board of El Nido-Taytay Protected Area already passed a resolution limiting tourist entry and activity in three of the most-visited places in El Nido.
In the Big Lagoon, only 60 guests will be allowed at any one time or a maximum of 720 guests per day. In the Small Lagoon, a maximum of 30 guests will be allowed at any one time or a total of 360 persons per day. For the Secret Beach, only 12 visitors will be allowed at any one time or a total of 144 a day.
Limits on the number of conveyances have also been set – maximum of five boats in the anchorage area and 30 kayaks inside the Big Lagoon, only 15 kayaks inside the Small Lagoon, and two boats in the anchorage area of Secret Beach.
Moreover, activities such as fishing, cliff jumping, grilling of food, and playing of loud music have been prohibited in the three spots.
In another resolution, PAMB identified the Strict Protection Zone, areas with high biodiversity value, that shall be closed to human activity except for scientific research and/or ceremonial use by indigenous communities. These include Helicopter Island, Balinaud Beach, Turtle Island, and Pacanayan Island.
In the coming months, the DENR also plans to conduct inspection of all establishments in El Nido and ensure compliance on the disposal of solid and liquid wastes, monitor air and water quality, validate tenurial instruments of business and residents, and monitor strict observance of environmental laws, and other measures that will help lessen the harmful impact of tourism activities on the environment, people’s livelihood, and tourism itself.
Bangkok Post 29 Jan 18;
The total area experiencing coral reef damage in Thailand has increased from 30% to 77% in just one decade, according to marine ecologist Asst Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat.
Asst Prof Thon, deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, said 77% or 140,000 out of total 107,800 rai of coral reef area in the Thai seas is in a sorry state, with unhealthy coral reefs expanding at an alarming rate.
In 2008, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said 42,000 rai (30%) of total 140,000 rai of corals was devastated.
Asst Prof Thon blamed tourism and polluted water released by beachfront hotels, resorts and residential houses as the main cause for the unhealthy coral reefs.
He added the situation was also exacerbated by plastic trash dumped in water, which can infect coral and cause them long-term harm.
Asst Prof Thon singled out water contamination as the largest contributor to the degeneration of coral reefs in the country, as only 30% of polluted water goes through waste water treatment process.
Besides, reefs were also being damaged by sediments from landfills along coastal areas, he said.
"All of this [the degeneration of corals] is a result of man-made pollution, especially the influx of tourists which is not being handled properly. Over the past two or three years, Thailand has had no problems about coral bleaching, but the degeneration has continued to this day," Asst Prof Thon said.
The marine ecologist also voiced his concern over the 77% damage to the country's coral reefs, which in his view is a considerable figure.
Meanwhile, Petch Manopawitr, a scientist of the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, pointed out to plastic waste as a cause for coral diseases.
He said Thailand was ranked the fourth in the world among countries which produce the most amount of marine waste, according to an assessment by US-based non-profit marine conservation group, Ocean Conservacy, last year.
He said plastic waste in the Thai seas has worsened the health of corals and referred to a latest article in Science magazine about research which found out that coral reefs digest plastic garbage and suffer as a consequence.
Mr Petch added that previous research jointly conducted by Cornell University, James Cook University and Prince of Songkla University in 2014 showed coral reefs can be damaged by plastics.
The research was conducted on coral reefs on 159 locations in Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Australia.
In related development, Worapot Lomlim, chief of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park, said on Saturday the authorities would inspect coral reefs around Koh Bida Nok in Krabi today.
The move comes after a complaint from locals that a group of Japanese tourists brought vinyl boards to the water and took photos with corals there, which may have caused damage to the coral life.
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Yuen Sin Straits Times 28 Jan 18;
Ask 62-year-old university lecturer Mohamed Nassir Ismail about his roots and he will proudly declare that he is a "native Singaporean".
Unlike other migrants who settled on these shores after Singapore's growth as a trade hub under colonial rule, Mr Nassir's great-grandfather and his family had already been residing here years before Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival in 1819.
His great-grandfather grew up on the Singapore River in a 31/2m long sampan in the 1800s, and was one of the Orang Selat, or People of the Straits.
They are one of the clans of Orang Laut in Singapore history - a general term referring to sea nomads who are believed to have sailed in Singapore's waters from the 16th century.
By the 19th century, there were more than 1,000 Orang Laut residing in Singapore. Pioneer generation minister Othman Wok, who died at age 92 last year, was a descendant of the Orang Laut.
Other clans include the Orang Seletar, who roamed the mangroves near Seletar River, and the Orang Biduanda Kallang, who lived in swampy areas along Kallang River.
Modernisation and rapid development in Singapore from the 1960s led the groups to find new settlements in the waters of Johor. But a number, such as Mr Nassir's family, intermarried and assimilated into Singapore society, and were resettled into Housing Board flats. Figures on how many later settled in Singapore are not available.
Today, more than 50 of Mr Nassir's relatives still live in the same HDB blocks in Upper Boon Keng Road. The location is a stone's throw away from their old water village of Kampung Kuchai off Lorong 3 Geylang, where Mr Nassir lived till he was 18, before it was demolished in 1976.
He recalls with nostalgia the gotong-royong spirit of the kampung, where close to 300 families lived. "If someone had a problem, the whole village chipped in to help."
Not far from Kampung Kuchai was Kampung Padang Terbakar, a coastal village off Somapah Road near Changi, where history teacher Mohamed Shahrom Mohamed Taha's late paternal grandmother, an Orang Biduanda Kallang, lived in the 1970s. It was acquired for industrial development in the mid-1980s.
Mr Shahrom, 39, was regaled with stories of their sea nomad heritage as a child. He said: "My grandmother was a medicine woman. When we fell sick, she would ask us to go to the sea. There was always this idea of returning to the sea."
Gone are the days of seafaring for his family of five, who live in an HDB flat in Tampines but they still observe practices which have been passed down in his family. He does not eat pomfret, and they are also warned against visiting Kota Tinggi in Johor, particularly the areas with higher altitude.
This arises from the fact that his late paternal grandfather was from the Bintan Penaung tribe of the Orang Laut, led by the Laksamana Bintan, a sea admiral of Sultan Mahmud Shah II, the 10th sultan of Johor.
At the height of the Johor Kingdom's power in the late 17th century, the Laksamana had collaborated in the assassination of the Sultan, whose tomb now lies near the Kota Tinggi town centre. The episode had been documented in historical texts such as the Malay Annals.
According to the oral tradition of the Orang Laut, the Laksamana had been instigated to do so, after a plot by a former palace officer. The Sultan then cast a curse on the descendants of the Laksamana, which said that they would die should they touch the grounds of Kota Tinggi.
It is also believed that a school of pomfret had saved the life of the Laksamana by patching up a hole in his boat when he was escaping from the Sultan, thus the tradition of abstaining from eating the fish.
Such stories prompted Mr Shahrom to find out more about the Orang Laut during his time as a history undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS). His thesis countered British misconceptions of the Orang Laut as pirates. Though there were piracy activities, they had also patrolled and protected the maritime trade routes under the control of the Sultan.
Mr Nassir is also working on a book with Dr Imran Tajudeen from the NUS department of architecture, which will feature a chapter on the Orang Selat settlement.
He said: "(Knowing my history) gives me a sense of belonging to this country. We have witnessed so much change, from the kampung days to the metropolitan city that it is today."
Surveys revealed that a rise of 2-3 degrees Celsius in sea-surface temperatures killed 16% of corals in GoM between March and October 2016.
Snehal Fernandes Hindustan Times 27 Jan 18;
Rising sea temperatures caused by climate change, which killed corals in different parts of the world during the third and longest global coral bleaching event between 2014 and 2017, also destroyed coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) and Konkan coast, new findings revealed.
The results of underwater surveys by the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI), Tuticorn, revealed that a rise of 2-3 degrees Celsius in sea-surface temperatures killed 16% of corals in GoM between March and October 2016. An increase of one degree Celsius killed 8% corals around the Sindhudurg island fort in the Malvan Marine Sanctuary (MMS), in December 2015.
The extent of bleaching was more in MMS, with 70% corals affected in December 2015 — only 29% were found intact.
At GoM, about 23.92% corals bleached in April-June 2016. Another study earlier this month says in Lakshadweep, more than 30% corals were severely bleached between 1998 and 2016.
“The severe heat stress seen in 2014-17 caused widespread bleaching and mortality whether the reefs were locally stressed or highly protected. Reducing local stressers such as over fishing, destructive fishing, from pollutants such as fertilisers, sediments, and plastics, and from habitat destruction, increases the resilience of corals, increasing the odds they can recover from bleaching events,” said Mark Eakin, coordinator, US-based National Oceanic and Atmopheric Administration Coral Reef Watch.
Studies have shown that global temperatures in 2015, 2016 and 2017 were the warmest since instrumental record-keeping began in the 19th century.
Corals are particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Their primary source of food is an algae living in their tissues, which converts sunlight into food, and also gives them their colour.
When sea-water temperatures rise by one or two degrees Celsius, corals expel these algae and as a result get bleached (or turn white) with a chance of recovery since they can survive for three months without food. However, if the temperature stress continues, corals die of starvation. The third global coral bleaching event was driven by climate change and El Nino, which was declared as the longest by US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration because of its occurrence across the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Global coral bleaching was also recorded in 1998 and 2010.
Although they occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor, reefs — they are referred to as the rainforests of the oceans — are home for a million species, which includes one-fourth of the world’s fish. Additionally, they protect coastlines from erosion during storms and act as barriers against sea-level rise.
Globally, around 500 million people benefit from coral reefs, through fishing, recreation and tourism. Because of their importance, the International Coral Reef Initiative has declared 2018 as the third International Year of the Reef.
“In addition to maintaining biodiversity, the mortality of corals directly affects fishing as they serve as breeding grounds and shelter for fishes. Their death will also affect tourism as tourists go scuba diving or snorkeling to see corals,” said JK Patterson Edward, director, SDMRI. The Malvan study was in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Bombay Natural History Society.
Launch of the Year of Climate Action
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Flora and Fauna of Singaporean Seas and Shores
Wild Drawings
Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 18;
SINGAPORE: A hawksbill sea turtle that was rescued from a broken, unhatched egg was released back into the waters of Sisters’ Island this week, the National Parks Board (NParks) and Wildlife Reserves Singapore said.
The healthy baby turtle has been also microchipped so that it can be identified if it returns to Singapore’s shores in the future, the agencies said in a media release on Friday (Jan 26).
The broken egg was part of a clutch of eggs found on one of the Southern Islands by NParks employees last September. The premature hatchling inside it was barely alive and severely dehydrated.
NParks handed the hatchling to Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which started treatment for it immediately, providing it with the necessary fluids. It received critical care overnight, and by morning, the hatchling had completely emerged from its egg. It weighed just 10g when it hatched.
Raised on a diet of mussels, flower crab, shrimp, squid and fish, the hatchling tipped the scales at 500g four months later.
It was also provided with "live rocks", or ocean rock with algae and other micro-organisms, an essential part of a sea turtle’s diet.
A veterinary check on Jan 3 showed that the turtle was healthy and well, and the decision was made to return it to the wild as soon as possible.
The turtle was released on the beach at Sisters' Islands Marine Park, where it scurried into the sea and started swimming immediately.
It paddled around the shallow lagoon waters for a while before making its way slowly towards the mouth of the lagoon, and finally, out to the open sea.
"The knowledge gained from the rescue and rehabilitation of the hatchling will contribute to our understanding of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and help to guide conservation efforts," NParks and WRS said.
MORE SIGHTINGS OF CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HAWKSBILL TURTLE IN 2017
18 sightings of the hawksbill sea turtle were recorded on Singapore’s shores in 2017. The figure is nearly half the 43 sightings reported between 2011 and 2016.
In 2017 alone, there were more than 500 successful hatchlings from seven separate hawksbill turtle nests, NParks and WRS said.
Many sightings were reported by members of the public, NParks and WRS said, noting that the increased number of sightings was not only an encouraging sign for the species, but also reflected heightened public awareness of the turtles.
The agencies said those who encounter a turtle should speak softly and keep their distance from it. Touching the turtle may scare or provoke it, and one should not handle the eggs as it might damage them.
Source: CNA/da
Hawksbill turtle rescued from brink of death released back into the wild
SIAU MING EN Today Online 26 Jan 18;
SINGAPORE – It was barely alive and severely dehydrated when found inside a ruptured egg on one of the Southern Islands last September.
The premature Hawksbill Sea Turtle hatchling was handed by the National Parks Board (NParks) to Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which provided it with critical care overnight and cared for it over four months.
From 10 grams when it hatched, the turtle has grown to 500 grams.
This week, it was released into the waters of Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, NParks and WRS announced on Friday (Jan 26).
The release comes as Singapore’s shores record more sightings of the critically endangered species. There were 18 sightings of Hawksbill Sea Turtles last year alone, compared to 43 sightings reported between 2011 and 2016.
The sightings include arrivals, nests and hatchlings. Last year, more than 500 successful hatchlings from seven separate nests were recorded.
The increased sightings follow the initiation of a systematic monitoring programme and an increase in reports from members of the public arising from heightened awareness, said NParks’ Dr Karenne Tun, director of the National Biodiversity Centre (Coastal & Marine).
The team from the Marine Turtle Working Group, which includes NParks and WRS, is cautiously optimistic about the rescued hatchling’s chances of survival but noted challenges it faces. Sea turtles, especially juveniles, face predation and other natural threats, as well as plastic debris and other impacts of human activity.
When NParks first found the recued hatchling, it was premature and still had its yolk sac attached to the body.
After it was given fluids and critical care by WRS staff, it emerged from the egg the next morning. Over the next few days, it was given fluid supplements until it had fully absorbed its yolk sac.
The turtle was later transferred to bigger tanks as it grew and readily ate a variety of solid foods, including mussel, flower crab, shrimp, squid and fish, said NParks and WRS. Live rocks, which have living organisms on them, were also provided as an essential part of the sea turtle’s diet.
After veterinary checks on Jan 3 indicated it was in the pink of health, the team decided to return it to the wild as soon as possible.
The turtle has also been microchipped, allowing it to be identified if it returns to Singapore’s shores in future.
When it was released on the beach, it scurried into the sea and swam around the shallow lagoon waters before making its way slowly towards the mouth of the lagoon.
After navigating past a ring of Sargassum seaweed fringing the reef outside the lagoon, the turtle descended to the shallow reef slope for a short rest before swimming out to sea, said NParks and WRS on Friday (Jan 26).
The knowledge gained from the rescue and rehabilitation of this hatchling will contribute to the team’s understanding of the species and help guide conservation efforts, added the spokesperson.
Singapore has two recorded species of turtles, the endangered Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, which is the more common species found in local waters.
Marine turtles have been sighted along East and West Coast Parks, Changi Beach and the offshore islands, said Dr Tun.
“We believe that turtles have always been nesting on our shores,” she added.
Members of the public who spot a turtle can contact the NParks helpline at 1800 471 7300.
Humans should keep their distance and speak softly. They should avoid touching the turtle to avoid scaring or provoking it. They should not handle the eggs to avoid damaging them.
More sightings of critically endangered hawksbill turtles in Singapore
Audrey Tan Straits Times 26 Jan 18;
SINGAPORE - Hawksbill turtles are making a comeback on the Republic's urban beaches, a sign that things are looking up for these critically endangered reptiles.
Eighteen sightings of the hawksbill sea turtle native to Singapore were recorded here last year, almost half the total number of sightings for the preceding five-year period.
Between 2011 and 2016, 43 sightings of hawksbill turtles were recorded in Singapore's shores, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Friday (Jan 26).
"The increased number of recorded sightings and hatchlings in 2017 is not only an encouraging sign for the species... but also reflects heightened public awareness as many sightings were reported by members of the public," said Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine branch at NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre.
There were also over 500 successful hatchlings from seven separate nests last year, in places such as Singapore's offshore Southern Islands and on East Coast Park on the mainland.
They join another 106 baby turtles that on Jan 19 nosed their way out of shells and into the waters at Sentosa's Tanjong Beach, in an encouraging start to 2018, which is also the International Year of the Reef that is being celebrated by countries around the world, including Singapore.
NParks said on Friday that it had, together with the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), released a rescued and rehabilitated hawksbill sea turtle hatchling into the waters of Sisters' Islands Marine Park earlier this week.
NParks and WRS representatives both sit on the Marine Turtle Working Group, an expert panel that helps to assess and document turtle arrivals and hatchling success on our beaches, and shape marine turtle conservation and management plans.
The rescued hatchling was from a batch of eggs that NParks found on one of the Southern Islands in September last year. The hatchling was premature, with its yolk sac still visible when it was found.
NParks handed over the turtle, which was barely alive and severely dehydrated, to WRS. It was treated immediately, mainly with fluids. By morning, the hatchling had completely emerged from its egg, said NParks and WRS.
After four months of intensive care, the hatchling grew from its initial weight of 10g to 500g, and was released earlier this week.
Dr Sonja Luz, WRS director for conservation, research and veterinary services, said she was initially cautious about the turtle’s survival chances.
“As he grew in strength, the challenge was in making sure he received proper nutrition and would grow appropriately, especially after the first week... Luckily, the little guy was a curious one, and would try any food readily.”
The hatchling has been microchipped so that it can be identified if it returns to Singapore's shores in the future, said NParks.
The rescued and released hawksbill turtle has been microchipped so that it can be identified if it returns to Singapore's shores in the future. PHOTO: WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE
"The knowledge gained from the rescue and rehabilitation of this hatchling will contribute to our understanding of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and help to guide conservation efforts," it added.
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