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Best of our wild blogs: 11 Mar 18
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Malaysia: Elephant calf takes casual stroll down Sabah road, surprising motorists
POLIANA RONNIE SIDOM New Straits Times 10 Mar 18;
TELUPID: Motorists along Jalan Telupid-Tongod here yesterday were pleasantly surprised to see an elephant calf wandering along the middle of the road.
It is believed that the baby elephant was somehow separated from its herd near the forested area between Kampung Gambaron and the Tawai forest reserve at 10am.
Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Augustine Tuuga said the calf was lost for about two hours, before being rescued by SWD staff who were present in the area to monitor wildlife.
The team eventually reunited the young elephant with its group nearby, Augustine said when contacted today.
Pictures and a video of the calf aimlessly strolling along the road have emerged on social media.
The video shows some motorists slowing down their cars while near the calf, as it playfully nudged several passing vehicles.
It was previously reported that at least 20 elephants from two herds have been regularly trespassing various human-inhabited areas here since early this year, including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Telupid and the local police station.
As of two days ago, the SWD has translocated seven elephants from the area to the Deramakot and Imbak forest reserves.
On elephants still roaming near human settlements, Augustine said that the SWD field team will assess whether or not more of the pachyderms need to be captured and translocated.
“The (elephants) still seem to be trying to enter the villages, but have been stopped by our staff members in the area.
“The group of elephants is in and around the Tawai forest reserve at the moment,” he added.
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India lost 40% of its mangroves in the last century. And it’s putting communities at risk
Soumya Sarkar The Hindu 10 Mar 18;
The first line of defence against cyclones and rising seas, mangroves also succour coastal communities
The sight of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, straddling India and Bangladesh, is humbling. This biodiversity hotspot is home to 180 species of trees and plants growing within its marshy boundaries, the Gangetic dolphin, estuarine crocodiles, river terrapins, hawksbill turtles, horseshoe crabs and of course the iconic Bengal tiger.
The tides in this 10,000 sq.km. swamp are so dramatic that about a third of the land disappears and reappears every day. It has been happening for centuries, but the changes have become more extreme in the past few decades.
In this delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, the sea is rising more dramatically than in other parts of the world, research shows. Known as the biggest carbon sink in South Asia, these mangrove forests are recognised as a world heritage site.
Environmental services
However, the story of the Sundarbans, which means ‘beautiful forest’ in Bengali, is not limited to its incredible variety of flora and fauna. There are as many as 4.5 million people in two countries — India and Bangladesh — who depend on this tidal forest for their survival.
The same holds true for the other mangrove forests along India’s 7,500 km coastline. Mangroves have long been taken for granted, and it’s time we changed that. They provide ecosystem services that were valued at $194,000 per hectare a year in a research 2014 paper published in Global Environmental Change.
Mangroves provide excellent nesting and breeding habitats for fish and shellfish, migratory birds and sea turtles, underlining their importance to coastal fishing communities. An estimated 80% of the global fish catch relies on mangrove forests either directly or indirectly, a 2008 paper in the Journal of Sea Research claims.
It is also often forgotten that mangroves form the first line of defence for coastal communities. After the December 2004 tsunami, there was a slew of global research on methods to devise some protection from such natural disasters.
Several scientists and economists concluded that mangrove forests would be the best biological barriers to soften the blow caused by tsunamis and cyclones. They found that mangroves stabilise shorelines by slowing erosion and provide natural barriers protecting coastal communities from increased storm surges, flooding and hurricanes.
We must remember that over a fifth of India’s population lives on the coast, and there are more than 20 big cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Puducherry, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi, that are on the sea shore. These populations are clustered within 10 km of the coast. Robust mangrove forests can protect these areas, which are vulnerable both to sea level rise and to the more intense and frequent weather events caused by climate change.
Only in breach
Mangroves are also great carbon sinks. They isolate carbon at two to four times the rate of tropical forests like the Amazon and store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests.
One of the major obstacles to the growth of mangroves is rapid and largely unregulated coastal development. Although India has framed laws to protect its coastline, they are honoured mostly in the breach. For instance, Mumbai has less than 45 sq.km. of mangrove forests left. This is all that remains after almost 70% was lost to land reclamation and other developmental projects. India has lost 40% of its mangrove area in the last century, mainly due to agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, urban development and overexploitation, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science have found.
The State of Forest Report 2017, released last month by the Forest Survey of India, says that the mangrove cover in the country is increasing only marginally in the past two decades and now covers some 4,921 sq.km. It is clear that much more needs to be done.
We must ensure that we are not found lacking in providing more effective governance and better ways to rehabilitate degraded mangroves. We must also build awareness among local communities if we are to conserve, protect and restore these invaluable ecosystems.
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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Mar 18
17-18 Mar: FREE screening of 'Ubin Sayang' at Sentosa
Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative
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Malaysia: Rare plant rediscovered in Sarawak
The Star 10 Mar 18;
KUCHING: Not only is it tiny and peculiar looking, this plant is so rare that it has only been spotted twice in 151 years.
The thismia neptunis, or better known as fairy lantern, was discovered by Czech researchers in Sarawak’s western region alongside a river at the Matang Massif last year.
The last time it was seen was in 1866 by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, whose drawings of the plant helped modern researchers identify specimens found at the same area.
Wildlife Conservation Society director Dr Melvin Gumal, on his Twitter account, described the discovery as “so super cool” and “an X-Files and Alien moment”.
Thismia neptunis is a myco-heterotroph that needs no sunlight and feeds off fungi for nutrients.
In the Phytotaxa journal published on Feb 21, Czech researchers said they believed the discovery was only the second time the species had been seen.
Based on two flowering individuals and one bud, they provided amended descriptions and drawings of the species in their paper, as well as the “very first available photographs” of the species.
Thismia neptunis, which measures 9cm tall when flowering, grows no functional leaves. It has a small flower that protrudes out from the ground.
The researchers also found flies and a wasp inside the flower.
“Although the braconid (wasp) was probably only a coincidental victim, the flies may represent potential pollinators,” the researchers wrote.
They also said the preferred habitats of the fairy lantern genus – primary tropical rainforests – are facing worldwide decline.
“Many species may therefore already be extinct,” they said.
Sarawak Assistant Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the discovery was made possible through the state’s Research for Intensified Management of Bio-rich Areas in Sarawak (Rimba) programme.
“This is an exciting discovery. Further research will definitely be carried out as part of the ongoing initiative by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and Sarawak Forestry Department.
“They will continue to carry out expeditions to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to discover new flora and fauna,” Len said.
Launched in 2015, the Rimba programme provides a platform for collaborative research between SFC and international institutions such as Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Kew Gardens and other researchers towards practical conservation.
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UK defies EU over Indonesian palm oil trade, leaked papers show
UK is pushing for a deal that would boost imports linked to deforestation despite EU moves to ban unsustainable palm oil, diplomatic papers reveal
Arthur Neslen The Guardian 9 Mar 18;
The UK is defying EU institutions to push for a hike in nominally “sustainable” Indonesian palm oil imports which have nonetheless been linked to deforestation, leaked documents show.
The European parliament is currently trying to force a ban on EU biofuels using palm oil, which have driven deforestation and contributed to the loss of 150,000 orangutans in Indonesia since 2002.
A binding “due diligence” regulation for high-risk forest products would be the “most effective” way of curbing this forest destruction, according to a draft EU study due to be released later this month.
But a leaked British diplomatic paper seen by the Guardian calls for a planned EU-Indonesia trade deal known as CEPA to “boost” palm oil production.
It advocates an “ambitious chapter” on sustainable trade, covering “primarily the production of palm oil”, arguing that global demand for sustainable palm would allow a doubling of the current supply.
“To avoid burdensome discussions about the different certification schemes that exist, we should focus discussions between the EU and Indonesia on our common goals and perspective,” the paper says.
The government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In practice, the UK’s new approach, which is supported by Denmark, France and the Netherlands, would increase Indonesian palm exports, according to Paul de Clerck of Friends of the Earth Europe.
“The British government is blatantly putting profits above people and the environment,” he said. “Indonesia wants full market access for palm oil that complies only with weak and ineffective certification schemes. Allowing this unsustainable palm into Europe will increase deforestation, conflicts with local communities and human rights violations. Palm oil should be taken out of the negotiations.”
The Green MEP Heidi Hautala called for CEPA to be made a “test case” for environmental chapters in EU trade deals. “The deforestation of Indonesia is likely to be increased with this free trade agreement unless there are safeguards,” she told the Guardian.
UK officials have previously described Indonesia’s sustainable palm oil standard as having “a credibility issue” due to its lack of transparency or adherence to best environmental practices.
“It is not a sustainability standard,” Andy Roby, an advisor to the Jakarta embassy’s climate change unit, said last year. “It is actually just the law and that is fine, but don’t try and sell it as a sustainability standard.”
Greenpeace researchers found the issue to be laced with post-Brexit trade intrigue, after Malaysia reportedly threatened to cancel defence contracts worth £5bn if the UK backed a palm oil ban in Brussels.
Britain’s high commissioner in Malaysia has described the ban as “unfair” and against international trade practices, while Malaysian ministers have suggested that Brexit could free the two countries from EU vested interests which had “a more protectionist approach in dealing with palm oil”.
Indonesia and Malaysia were among the 10 worst countries for dense tree cover loss last year, much of it due to their oil palm, pulp and paper industries.
After Europe imported around €6bn of palm, soy, beef and other agri-commodities from illegally deforested land in 2012, the European commission began an outline study to pave the way for a deforestation action plan.
The report, which the Guardian has seen, considers various approaches but concludes that “legislative action may deliver the most on effectiveness”, albeit at a higher cost.
The due diligence regulation it suggests would involve mandatory disclosure of information on deforestation-proofing of financial investments, and lower import duties for approved commodities.
Nicole Polsterer, a campaigner with the Forest and EU resource network (Fern) said that the conflicting signals from the UK and EU “show policy incoherence of the highest degree and underline the urgency for EU action on deforestation. Regulatory measures are the best way to tackle deforestation.”
Greenpeace forest campaigner, Daniela Montalto, said: “If the UK government wants to be an environmental leader, it should clearly state that there’ll be no place in Britain for palm oil that’s tainted with deforestation. Michael Gove has an opportunity to show he’s serious about not allowing post-Brexit trade deals to lower our environmental standards – he should seize it.”
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Best of our wild blogs: 9 Mar 18
Chek Jawa - Easy Family Adventure!
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
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Celebrating Singapore Shores!
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Singapore authorities seize 1,800 ivory pieces worth S$3.3 million
Today Online 8 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE — A shipment brought into Singapore from Nigeria was declared to have contained groundnuts. But upon closer inspection, the authorities instead found 61 bags containing close to 1,800 ivory pieces worth about US$2.5 million (S$3.3 million).
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said on Thursday (March 8) that the ivory pieces — which weigh about 3,500kg — were discovered after the shipment was detained at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station for further checks by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on Monday.
It had originated from Apapa in Nigeria, and was to be re-exported to Vietnam.
“AVA seized the ivory and the importer is currently assisting with our investigations,” said the AVA in a statement. “The illegal shipment was detected as a result of inter-agency risk assessment and collaboration”.
Since elephants are labelled as protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), AVA said that it is an offence in Singapore to illegally import or export, possess, sell, offer and advertise for sale or display to the public any illegal wildlife species protected under Cites.
Those convicted of such an offence face a fine of up to S$500,000 and/or two years imprisonment, and forfeiture of the animals or items.
The same penalties apply to transit or transshipment of illegal wildlife species, including their parts and derivatives, said AVA.
Stressing that the Government takes a “zero-tolerance stance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts”, the AVA said that it will take stern enforcement action against illegal wildlife smugglers.
This is not the first time that shipments containing ivory pieces have entered Singapore. Between 2014 and 2015, the authorities seized a total of 7.9 tonnes of illegal elephant ivory shipments worth about S$13 million.
The ivory pieces were destroyed in June 2016, when they were pulverised by an industrial rock crusher and compact roller. They were then incinerated at an eco-waste incineration plant and the ashes were used as landfill at Pulau Semakau.
Singapore has been labelled as a country of “primary concern” by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic in its 2016 report for its role as a transit point for ivory trafficking. The report had stated that illegal ivory consignments that went through the country grew far more prominent between 2012 and 2014.
Singapore has rejected the ignominious title, and raised doubts over how the conclusion was made.
S$2.5 million worth of elephant ivory seized in Pasir Panjang
Channel NewsAsia 8 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE: About S$2.5 million worth of elephant ivory was seized at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station on Monday (Mar 5), Singapore authorities said on Thursday.
The shipment from Apapa, Nigeria, was declared to have contained groundnuts, but an inspection by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) uncovered 61 bags with a total of 1,787 pieces of ivory, weighing about 3,500kg.
The ivory, which was to be re-exported to Vietnam, was seized and the importer is assisting with investigations, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and AVA said in a news release.
It is against the law in Singapore to import or export any illegal wildlife species, including their parts and derivatives under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Elephants are protected under CITES and international trade in elephant ivory is prohibited.
The same penalties apply to transits and transhipments, ICA and AVA said.
Offenders face a fine of up to S$500,000 and two years' imprisonment, and the forfeiture of the items or animals.
Source: CNA/aa
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Malaysia: 69 complaints on wild boar activity in Sungai Buloh between 2012 and 2017
Awaina Arbee New Straits Times 8 Mar 18;
KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has received 69 complaints on wild boar activity in Sungai Buloh from 2012 to 2017.
Responding to the latest wild boar incident in Kampung Sg Plong, Sungai Buloh, Perhilitan said in a statement that five operations were held from January to February this year to eradicate wild boars.
"In the operations, eight were shot dead by Perhilitan. A total of 451 complaints involving wild boars were received from 2012 to 2017 of which, 69 were from Sungai Buloh.
"Based on the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), a threatening animal posing danger to humans can be killed and then, reported to Perhilitan.
"With that, we thank the villagers there for shooting the wild boar to avoid any untoward incident," he said.
Perhilitan said it will continue to conduct operations in the area as a precautionary measure.
In the 8pm incident on March 6, a man, who was getting ready to perform Isyak prayers was injured when a wild boar attacked him inside a mosque in Kampung Sg Plong.
"Any complaint regarding human-wildlife crisis can be lodged with Perhilitan Hotline at 1800-88-5151 or by e-aduan at www.wildlife.gov.my
Perhilitan to take measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts
The Star 8 Mar 18;
PETALING JAYA: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Selangor (Perhilitan Selangor) will take precautionary measures to mitigate the number of human-wildlife conflicts in Sungai Buloh, said its director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim.
This came after a wild boar attack at a mosque there.
"Following this incident, Perhilitan Selangor went to the scene to conduct an investigation and to take follow-up action on the human-wildlife conflicts in the area," he said in a statement on Thursday (March 8).
Abdul Kadir said that the Sungai Buloh area is a hotspot for human-wildlife conflicts involving wild boars.
Of that figure, 69 of the complaints had occurred in Sungai Buloh.
Abdul Kadir said Perhilitan Selangor had carried out five operations to eradicate wild boars in the area in January and February this year.
"During the operations, eight wild boars were shot and disposed of by Perhilitan," said Abdul Kadir.
A lost wild boar entered a mosque at Kampung Sungai Plong on Tuesday (March 6) at around 8pm as worshippers were performing additional prayers (solat sunat) after Maghrib prayers, and a mosque-goer was injured by the wild boar amid the ruckus.
The wild boar was later shot dead by villagers.
According to the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, wildlife that is a danger to human life can be killed and reported to Perhilitan.
"In this regard, Perhilitan thanks the villagers for taking quick action to shoot the wild boar that posed as a danger to human life," said Abdul Kadir.
Any complaints regarding human-wildlife conflicts can be reported to the Perhilitan Hotline 1-800-88-5151 (Monday-Sunday, 8am to 6pm), or lodge an e-complaint through the website www.wildlife.gov.my.
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Malaysia: Sun bears Damai and Debbie released back to the wild
muguntan vanar The Star 8 Mar 18;
KOTA KINABALU: Two rescued Malayan sun bears were released back into the wild at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve near Lahad Datu.
The two adult females, named Damai and Debbie, adapted quickly to their new surroundings, said Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) founder and chief executive director Dr Wong Siew Te on Thursday (March 8).
They were once kept as pets by private owners. Damai and Debbie were rehabilitated to life in the forest at BSBCC where they learned important skills like climbing, digging and finding food over the past few years.
"They have learnt so well that they were chosen out of the 44 bears at the centre, as the first releases in 2018," Dr Wong said.
He added that both bears were fitted with GPS satellite collars to help BSBCC monitor their movements.
After a final medical check on Tuesday (March 6), the two bears were transported from BSBCC in Sepilok at about 3am the next day in four vehicles.
They were then taken to a helipad at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve headquarters some 150km away.
A helicopter airlifted the bears to be transported to the chosen release site in the middle of the reserve.
The project was a joint effort between the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Sabah Forestry Department.
"Damai and Debbie may face many challenges to survive but this is the best life we can offer them in the hope they can propagate and maintain a healthy sun bear population in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve," Dr Wong said.
"I am sad to say goodbye, because we have raised them, but they are now where they belong and that makes the team very happy," he added.
Sun bears, which continue to face threat from poachers, is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
BSBCC hopes to release two more bears later this year in Sabah.
BSBCC raises money from tourism to care for the bears at Sepilok, but the additional costs of release are very high.
A fundraising campaign opens today. To help sun bears to freedom go to bsbcc.org.my/donate.
Two protected Malayan sun bears released into their natural habitat
AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 8 Mar 18;
SANDAKAN: Two Malayan sun bears have been released into the wild after undergoing about six years of rehabilitation at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) near Sepilok here.
The adult female sun bears nicknamed Debbie and Damai were released into the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Lahad Datu, yesterday.
The protected species were among 44 sun bears currently cared for by BSBCC.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre founder Dr Wong Siew Te (front right) with his team moving the translocation cage into the forest to release two sun bears.
They were placed at the BSBCC in January and November in 2012 respectively, shortly after being rescued.
Debbie was purchased by a man from Tuaran and was surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department while Damai was found wandering in a car park near Kota Kinabalu.
Penang-born wildlife biologist Dr Wong Siew Te, who is also founder of BSBCC, said the bears were fitted with Global Positioning System satellite collars, enabling the centre to monitor their movements on a regular basis.
“On March 6, a final medical check-up was conducted by Dr Nabila Sarkawi. Then the following day at 3am, we left Sepilok in four vehicles and drove to the helipad at Tabin Wildlife Reserve Headquarters.
“The cages (with the bears inside) were transported by cargo net hanging below a helicopter. They travelled high above the treetops to the identified release site at the mud volcano in the middle of the reserve,” he said.
At the release site, the bear cages were moved under the forest canopy where they were opened, giving the two bears their much-awaited freedom, Wong added.
The release was a joint effort between the BSBCC, Sabah Wildlife Department, and Sabah Forestry Department.
“We were very lucky the weather was very favourable and the sun bears were delivered to the release site by helicopter with ease.
“Damai and Debbie may face many challenges to survive but this is the best life we can offer them in the hope that they can propagate and maintain a healthy sun bear population in Tabin Wildlife Reserve,” said Wong.
The sun bear is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. Offenders are liable to a fine of not less than RM50,000 but not exceeding RM250,000 and a jail term of not less than one year but not exceeding five years or to both for the possession of a sun bear or any of its parts.
Since 2008, BSBCC has cared for 56 sun bears, nine of which died from various causes, while two others were released into the wild after rehabilitation.
Another wild adult sun bear escaped after 16 hours at BSBCC.
Wong said the centre is expected to release another two sun bears this year, adding that BSBCC raised money from tourism to care for the bears.
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Indonesia: Government committed to reducing plastic waste
Antara 8 Mar 18;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has committed to reducing plastic waste in its maritime areas, Expert Staff for Marine Ecology and Marine Resources of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries minister, Aryo Hanggono stated.
"The government will reduce plastic waste up to 70 percent by 2025," he remarked here on Thursday.
Currently, he noted that a draft of the presidential regulation on the management of plastic waste at sea was being formulated to ensure coordination between the central and local governments.
He noted that banana peels took two weeks to decompose, while plastic bags took 10-20 years to decompose, and plastic bottles took hundreds of years to decompose.
In addition, he remarked that several studies also indicated that if no significant changes are brought about, the ratio of plastic to fish in the oceans is expected to reach three is to one by 2025, and the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Kehati Foundation M. S. Sembiring pointed out that Indonesia has the largest biodiversity in the world.
Earlier, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti stated that the volume of marine biomass in the nation`s maritime areas had risen significantly after the implementation of the government`s policy to ban the entry of foreign ships into Indonesian waters.
"The volume of biomass in the sea has risen up to 300 percent. The production of capture fisheries has increased, as foreign ships have been barred from entering Indonesian waters," she remarked here on Wednesday (Feb 28).
According to Pudjiastuti, following a moratorium on the issuance of licenses to former foreign fishing vessels, more than seven thousand ships have left the Indonesian state waters.
The minister expressed belief that the issuance of licenses to foreign vessels to buy fishing concessions in the territorial waters of Indonesia was a wrong decision.
Pudjiastuti noted that the eradication of illegal fishing practices held significance, as a form of law enforcement and state sovereignty, since it benefits the country economically.
Reported by Muhammad Razi Rahman
M052/INE
(T.M052/A/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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Best of our wild blogs: 8 Mar 18
10 Mar (Sat): Free talk on kids well-being and natural curiosity
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
Ten ways to be more eco conscious this year
Green Drinks Singapore
#BeSmart – An insight to the seafood industry
The Dorsal Effect
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