Singapore population of 4.99m is older, more likely living alone

Channel NewsAsia 28 Sep 09;

Singapore: The population of Singapore at the end of June stood at 4.99 million according to the 2009 Population Trends report.

The Department of Statistics report, issued on Monday, also showed that there were 3.73 million Singapore residents and 1.25 million non-residents.

Singapore Residents and Permanent Residents formed 75% of the population, with the resident population growing 2.55% in 2009, from the 3.1% total growth over the previous year.

The statistics compiled through the register-based approach indicated that the number of Singapore citizens grew to 3.20 million. This is as the number of permanent residents rose to 0.53 million, while non-resident numbers eased to a growth of 4.8% compared to 10% seen in earlier years.

The Population Trends report also found that the Singapore population is now older with a median age of 37 years, as the baby boomers of the 1970s move into the 45-64 years age group.

There are also more women in Singapore as the gap widened in 2009, with females outnumbering males by 44,400.

While the number of marriages went up to 24,596, making it the largest number since 2000, it also turned out that more people were marrying late with many still single despite being in their thirties.

However, while more men did marry, more women were widowed, indicating the longer life-span of women.

The fertility rate continued to decline with 1.28 live births per female in 2008 compared to 1.29 a year earlier.

Women were also giving birth later, delaying till the age of 30-34 years, with fewer families opting for a third or fourth child.

Households were small, the report found, with a 10% rise in the number of people living alone.

The Population Trends report also concluded that a 2008 new-born Singapore resident could expect to live some 80 years.

- CNA/sf

More details of the 2009 Population Trends report: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/popn/population2009.pdf

Population rises but at slower pace
Zakir Hussain, Straits Times 28 Sep 09;

SINGAPORE'S population is set to rise to five million, although the pace of growth this year is the slowest in four years because of the recession.

There are 4,987,600 people living here, and almost two-thirds - or 3.2 million - are Singapore citizens, according to June 2009 figures released by the Department of Statistics yesterday.

The others are permanent residents (PRs) and foreigners. In this foreign pool of 1.8 million, the number of PRs grew faster - by 12 per cent.

It shot up by 55,000 to 533,200, partly because of many foreigners rushing to be PRs to avoid having to pack up and leave Singapore should they lose their jobs during the downturn.

In contrast, the number of foreigners - which includes family members of foreign workers - rose less sharply to 1.25 million.

This is a rise of 5 per cent, which is much smaller than last year's 19 per cent increase amid a booming economy.

More than half of these foreigners are transient workers, many of whom do jobs or take shifts that locals avoid.

The bigger foreign pool is cause for cheer, said National University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan.

'That we managed to grow the population in spite of a downturn and sustained low fertility rate is quite an achievement.

'This means Singapore remains an attractive destination for those seeking work,' said Associate Professor Straughan, who is also a Nominated MP.

'Given that...First World countries are also actively wooing immigrants, we have done well,' she added.

But the rapid influx of foreigners in the last three years is going to slow down, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last month when he was addressing some 1,500 undergraduates at the Nanyang Technological University.

The reason: Mr Lee does not expect the economy in the coming years to grow at the red-hot pace that it did in the past several years.

He said he could not envision Singapore, one day, having two million foreign workers. However, he said a sustained, calibrated inflow of immigrants was necessary to safeguard the long-term interest of Singaporeans.

The soaring numbers of foreign manpower have spawned considerable discontent among Singaporeans in recent years.

Many lamented that the newcomers were taking their jobs, while others felt they were not making the effort to integrate, let alone communicate, with locals.

As the economy began to sour late last year, government leaders noted that the number of non-resident workers could dip.

It did not, even though the economy contracted by 3.5 per cent in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

Yesterday, population analysts interviewed stressed the continuing role foreigners play in growing the economy.

Veteran demographer Saw Swee Hock noted that the population is always expected to grow because it is tied to the need to grow the economy.

From a national point of view, if the population were to fall for several years, it would be a cause for concern, added the professorial fellow at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies.

Demographer Yap Mui Teng, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, noted the continued demand for foreign workers.

For instance, the construction industry is especially hungry for them to work on projects like the integrated resorts. Also, in the service sector, employers complain about the difficulties in recruiting locals, she said.

Added Prof Straughan: 'Given that our fertility rate is not likely to increase significantly in the near future, it is critical that we are able to remain an attractive destination for immigrants.'

Otherwise, there will be fewer workers in future to shoulder the growing burden of supporting Singapore's fast-ageing population, she said.

The importance of keeping the door open to foreigners is accentuated by the slew of sombre figures highlighted in the report: An ageing population, a rising proportion of singles, residents marrying later and living longer, and a declining fertility rate.

But Prof Straughan feels employers can also do more by offering flexible work arrangement so that young Singaporeans will have the time to seek life partners, build families and even look after elderly family members.

The latest figures also show a slight change in the ethnic distribution of Singapore citizens and PRs, as a result of low fertility and immigration.

Chinese form 74.2 per cent of the population, down from 76.8 per cent in 2000 and 77.8 per cent in 1990.

Malays make up 13.4 per cent, down from 13.9 per cent (2000) and 14 per cent (1990), while Indians form 9.2 per cent, up from 7.9 per cent (2000) and 7.1 per cent (1990).

Residents who fall outside these categories make up 3.2 per cent of the population, up from 1.4 per cent (2000) and 1.1 per cent (1990).

Population growth slowest in 3 years
Lynette Khoo, Business Times 29 Sep 09;

FEELING the heat of the economic downturn, Singapore's population growth eased to its slowest in three years to 4.99 million as at end-June.

The 3.1 per cent growth from a year ago was lower than the 4.3 per cent and 5.5 per cent growth seen in 2007 and 2008 respectively, data from the Department of Statistics (DOS) shows.

The number of Singapore citizens increased by 1.1 per cent to 3.2 million in 2009, while the number of permanent residents grew 10.4 per cent to 530,000.

Foreigners make up 25 per cent of the Singapore's population. The pace of growth among this segment eased to 4.8 per cent this year, compared to growth rates of over 10 per cent in 2008 and 2007.

Economists were unsurprised by the data, which they felt was in line with the bleak job market this year.

CIMB-GK economist Song Seng Wun noted that the decline in growth of foreigners here shows the flexibility of Singapore's labour market.

'Going forward, population growth underscoring labour demand growth will be contingent on the recovery profile,' he said.

OCBC economist Selena Ling said that she believes such deceleration of population growth, especially involving foreigners, is a blip and should improve with the recovery in the global economy and the opening of the two integrated resorts here.

The Population Trends 2009 report released yesterday also gave a grim snapshot of Singapore's ageing population trend, falling fertility rates and a delay in marriages.

The median age of Singaporeans rose to 37 years in 2009 from 20 years in 1970. Elderly persons aged 65 years and above make up 8.8 per cent of the resident population in 2009, up from 7 per cent in 1999.

The ratio of working-age residents to elderly residents has also declined. In 2009, there were 8.3 residents aged 15-64 years for every resident aged 65 and above, compared to an old-age support ratio of 10.1 in 1999.

Interestingly, the number of marriages last year hit a record high since 2000, with a total of 24,596 marriages registered here. However, marriage rates fell across the younger age groups below 30 years in 2008, suggesting that people are delaying marriage.

The median age of first marriage across all educational groups also increased. For brides with university qualification, the median age of first marriage has reached 28.2 years in 2008 from 26.8 years a decade ago. For grooms in the same educational group, that has risen to 30.1 years from 29 years.

'There is also a tendency towards delay in child-bearing,' said DOS. 'While the peak in fertility was in the age group 25-29 years in 1990, the peak has moved to the age group 30-34 years from 2002 onwards.'

Fertility rates have fallen across all age groups over the past two decades, with those in the 25-29 years age group registering the largest decline from 110 births per 1,000 women in 2000 to 79 per 1,000 women in 2008.

But there were slightly more babies born last year, which may be attributable to the enhanced baby bonuses doled out by the government. The number stood at 39,826, a 0.9 per cent increase from 2007.

Foreign population growth slows down
Esther Ng, Today Online 29 Sep 09;

IN A sign of things to come, the pace of growth of the foreign population in Singapore has hit the brakes.

After two years of double-digit increase and five years of an acceleration in the influx of non-residents - since the last time the Singapore economy had stalled - their numbers grew by 4.8 per cent from June last year to this June.

Still, it was enough to tip the total population to almost 5 million in a recession-hit Singapore.

The biggest jump - looking at the growth trends in recent years - was among permanent residents (PRs). After averaging an annual increase of 9.9 per cent over the decade leading up to 2000 - and smaller annual growth rates in the new millennium - the number of PRs grew 11.5 per cent, as of this June, from the year before.

The "period of uncertainty" that has clouded the world's economies - and by extension, has curbed the growth momentum in Singapore's non-resident population here of 14.9 per cent in 2007 and 19 per cent last year - is also the reason for the double-digit increase in the number of PRs here, said CIMB-GK economist Song Seng Wun.

"It's not unexpected ... These people could have become PRs to stay in Singapore or Asia to look for jobs. They ... are using Singapore as a launching pad," he told Today.

Singapore's population density is now 6,814 people per square kilometre, compared to 5,900 per sq km in 2000.

Mr Song said: "For the moment, Singapore's infrastructure is adequate. The infrastructure is continually being upgraded."

The Population Trends 2009 report published online yesterday by the Singapore Department of Statistics also showed that other trends in ageing and marriage in Singapore continue to hold steady.

The proportion of persons living alone now stands at 10 per-cent, from 8.2 per cent in 2000 and 5.2 per cent in 1990.

Read more!

Pruning done judiciously

Letter from Ang Chiean Hong Assistant Director (Riverine Parks)
National Parks Board
Today Online 28 Sep 09;

We refer to "Don't prune indiscriminately" (Sept 22) and "Not every branch is a threat" (Sept 24). We share their concern for the health of our flora and fauna.

As part of our regular maintenance at MacRitchie Reservoir Park, we are pruning some overhanging branches that could potentially be hazardous to park users. Some shrubs along the paths were trimmed to enhance visibility of the surroundings. Three trees were also removed as they were not healthy.

We will plant more trees and upgrade the directional signboards in conjunction with PUB's Phase 2 of the redevelopment works at the park, which are scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of this year.

We thank Mr Chin Kee Thou and Mr Thomas Phua for their feedback. If they have further questions, they are welcome to contact Ms Dorothy Lim at dorothy_lim@nparks.gov.sg.

NParks replies: Pruning contractors' details are displayed
Letter from Simon Longman, Director, Streetscape, National Parks Board
Today Online 1 Oct 09;

We refer to "Put pruning contractors' details public" from Prasanna Ogale on Sep 26.

We share the concern for the health and condition of our trees and thank the writer for the feedback.

NParks has a sound tree safety inspection and maintenance programme in place. To support our team of arborists on scheduled pruning routine works, we work with contractors who must have relevant arboriculture work experience in urban streetscape with good track records of works carried out in Singapore. We also ensure that our contractors go through training so that they are able to assess when and how trees need to be pruned. When in doubt, NParks officers will advise them accordingly.

All pruning works along roads are carried out using lorry cranes to access the works. We do make it a contractual requirement for all our contractors to display conspicuous signs on the tailboard and windscreen of the vehicle when carrying out works under each contract. The signs show the contract reference and vehicle numbers as well as NParks' helpline for the public to call where necessary.

In addition, pruning works are also conducted by other government agencies, depending on the location of the trees. We would like the writer to contact us at 1800-4717300 regarding the location of the mentioned pruning so that we can clarify this matter further.

Don't prune indiscriminately
Letter from Chin Kee Thou, Today Online 23 Sep 09;

A REGULAR visitor to MacRitchie Reservoir Park since 2005, I was flabbergasted by the maintenance work done there recently.

Instead of pruning and trimming the trees, contractors engaged to do the job simply sawed off branches. Spreading branches were cut off, depriving visitors of shade. Several large mature trees, which provided sanctuary for birds, squirrels, monkeys and other creatures were also chopped down.

Shrubs and bushes lining paths, walkways and pavements were trimmed to a low height - leaving only bare branches, some with withered leaves.

Also, a signpost at the foot of the hill leading to the Lim Bo Seng grave site was affixed with three signboards (relocated from elsewhere) showing the directions to the MacRitchie Nature Trail and HSBC Treetop Walk, Paddle Lodge and Fishing Ground and MacRitchie Park; canteen, car park, toilets and public telephone booth. The signs, however, all pointed towards Lornie Road and the flyover.

These lapses are an embarrassment and clearly show a lack of supervision.

The National Parks Board needs to engage contractors with some horticultural knowledge and aesthetic sense to trim the trees and shrubs. Close supervision is needed to keep the park in a decent condition.

Not every branch is a threat
Letter from Thomas S K Phua, Today Online 24 Sep 09;

I REFER to the letter "Don't prune indiscriminately" (Sept 22), by Mr Chin Kee Thou.

The reckless destruction of trees seems to be some kind of a "disease" spreading all over Singapore. At Jurong Lake, many trees have been mutilated and much of their cooling shade is gone. In addition, a lot of the undergrowth where birds and other small animals took shelter has been removed.

I understand that arborists are involved in such decisions. I hope they are concerned about the health of the fauna, and do not just see every leaf lying on the floor, every overhanging branch as a possible danger.

And from what I have seen, there are no arborists around when the trees are cropped - only a bunch of workers with chainsaws who really don't know how to cut a tree sensitively.

Put pruning contractors' details public
Letter from Prasanna Ogale, Today Online 26 Sep 09;

I refer to "Don't prune indiscriminately" (Sept 22) and "Not every branch is a threat" (Sept 24).

I have had very similar experiences about the pruning that is carried out on road side trees, in parking areas and around HDB blocks. The pruning is indiscriminate, done by people who have no idea why and what they are doing. These people are rarely supervised.

Once, I asked some workers to call their supervisor and it took almost 20 minutes before we could get the supervisor on the phone. It took him another three hours to come and see me, and that was only when I told him that I was lodging a complaint against him for not being present at the site. I also found there is no hard and fast rule about which trees are being pruned or chopped down.

In the above case when I protested strongly, the contractor decided not to cut the rest of the trees. Three years on, the trees that have been spared the chainsaw are still growing well.

It should be made a requirement by either the Land Transport Authority or NParks that contractors' names, and contact details be put on a board at the site where any pruning is to be done. Then anybody who has a query can get onto those responsible faster.

Read more!

28 artificial reefs placed off Pulau Besar in Malacca to boost fish stocks

Chen Pelf Yeen, The Star 29 Sep 09;

MALACCA: The Malacca Fisheries Department has built and placed 28 artificial reefs off Pulau Besar at a cost of RM360,000 to increase the state’s fish stock.

The department’s director Rosmawati Ghazali said the 28 soft-bed reefs were specifically designed by its engineering division to suit the local seabed conditions.

“The reefs are scattered over a no-fishing zone off Pulau Besar and are part of the department’s programme to increase fish stock,” she said when launching the programme in Klebang Besar recently.

The 28 artificial reefs being prepared for placement at the no fishing zone.

The department initiated the programme last year when 14 similar reefs were placed in waters off the island about 5km from the Umbai coast, she added.

Rosmawati said that each square-shaped perforated concrete reef weighed 18 tonnes and stood 3.6m high on a 3m x 3m base.

Meanwhile, State Rural and Agriculture Development Committee chairman Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasan said the reefs would increase fish spawning by at least 30%.

There are about 143 fishermen who cast their nets off the coast here and they stand get better catches, he said, adding that similar programmes could be found in Terengganu, Perak and Penang.

The move to increase fish stock here was in line with the aim to boost the national annual harvest.

Currently, he said that deep sea fishing contributed 380,000 tonnes, aquaculture 508,000 tonnes and coastal fishermen 938,000 tonnes.

Read more!

For sea turtles: Going the egg-stra mile to get the word out

New Straits Times 28 Sep 09;

KUALA LUMPUR: Three rangers, one "eggmobile" and one mission.

Almost two months ago, three women set out to stop the sale and consumption of turtle eggs. They vowed to collect 100,000 signatures to support the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia Egg - Life Campaign, aimed at protecting and conserving marine turtles.

Now, with less than 10 days before the campaign ends, the "Telur Rangers" have collected fewer than 5,000 signatures and 15,000 online pledges. But they have left behind a trail of awareness.

Clad in turtle T-shirts, Chong Huey Meim, Grace Duraisingham and Nelleisa Omar have visited almost all the states in the peninsula in a classic Volkswagen Beetle to collect signatures and spread the word about turtle conservation.


"We may not have collected 100,000 signatures but we have enlisted apprentice Telur Ranger agents. I believe that in some small way, we have made a difference," said Duraisingham, a biologist.

They persuaded organisations, schools, universities and colleges to collect signatures at their own pace. And aside from setting up their own blog, the Telur Rangers have gathered more than 1,000 fans on the social networking site Facebook, where they have posted, notes, videos and pictures of their journey.

"Some of the things we encountered left us speechless. I was explaining to one man that he should stop eating turtle eggs because the creatures are going extinct. He was shocked but went on to say he needed to buy more before they became more difficult to find," she said, adding that turtle eggs were being sold openly at wet markets at RM10 for three.

Turtles lay more than 100 eggs in a single nesting but only one in 1,000 baby turtles survives into adulthood. It takes 30 years on average for a turtle to mature.

Asked why people favour turtle eggs, Duraisingham said: "People believe they have some aphrodisiac value. There are myths that if a pregnant woman eats them, the baby's skin will be as smooth as an egg.

"But there is no scientific proof they have medicinal value and turtle eggs are not more nutritious than chicken eggs."

On one of her blog entries, Melleisa said the trade in turtle eggs was illegal but the rangers did not see any enforcement.

"One seller told me her stock comes from Sabah by air or sea," said the advertising agency executive.

Public relations executive Chong said turtles faced many challenges, including poaching, coastal development, trapping and getting caught in fishing nets.


"Turtles play an essential role in maintaining the balance of the ocean ecosystem. They feed on jellyfish, preventing overpopulation. Their dwindling numbers mean an increase in jellyfish that in turn affects our fisheries."

By signing up, one pledges to support laws banning the sale and consumption of turtle egg and support the call for comprehensive laws to conserve marine turtles.

Read more!

El Nino causes scorchers in South Sumatra

Khairul Saleh, The Jakarta Post 28 Sep 09;

A local Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) blamed the current scorchers in Palembang on El Nino phenomenon.

Agus Santoso, a Palembang BMKG observation division head, said the daytime temperature had reached 34 degrees Celsius, higher than the normal days’ temperature of below 33 degrees.

"It happened before Ramadhan. We predict that the current weather will last through October," he said.

Meanwhile, South Sumatra forest fire management unit secretary, Ahmad Taufik said these scorchers would trigger forest fires.

"We can only hope more rain will fall to avoid widespread forest fires," he said.

Haze worsening in South Sumatra
Jakarta Post 28 Sep 09;

PALEMBANG: Haze blanketed almost all of Palembang and other regencies in South Sumatra on Sunday.

Strong winds spread the haze to Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Ilir and Banyuasin regencies. The haze also caused respiratory problems and poor visibility for motorists.

"The haze has been covering the city since the first day of Idul Fitri," Umar, a resident of North Indralaya, Ogan Ilir, said Sunday.

The haze mixed also blanketed roofs and windows of houses in several villages in the regency. - JP

Read more!

Sabah to name 500 islands in its waters

Muguntan Vanar, The Star 28 Sep 09;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will undertake a comprehensive programme to give names to some 500 islands, some of them inhabitated, within its territorial waters.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said the programme will be undertaken by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry together with other relevant government departments to ensure that all the islands were a given a name and gazetted.

“We believe that there are about 400 to 500 islands without an official name,” he said after opening the 4th Tourism Promotion Organisation for the Asia-Pacific Cities (TPO) general assembly here on Monday.

Musa said this when asked about fears raised by a University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) study that showed that many islands in Sabah were not named, which could lead to future territorial disputes with neighbouring countries.

UMS International Law Studies lecturer Dr Marja Azlima said the Government needed to be proactive in naming the islands whether big or small so as to avoid overlapping claims like that of Ambalat between Malaysia and Indoensia, and Batu Putih between Malaysia and Singapore.

She cautioned that unnamed islands would be focal points for overlapping claims between neighbours and should be addressed now to overcome future issues.

Musa said that the naming or renaming of islands within Malaysian territory would be tabled to Cabinet for approval before they are gazetted.

500 islands off Sabah to be named
The New Straits Times 1 Oct 09;

KOTA KINABALU: An estimated 500 unknown islands off Sabah will soon be named.

A working committee under the purview of the State Secretary and the Land and Survey Department had been tasked with identifying the islands and coming up with suitable names.

"Cooperation from the Topography Department and the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia had also been sought to identify the exact locations of the islands," said Land and Survey Department director Datuk Osman Jamal.

Once the exact locations of the islands have been determined, a report that would include the proposed names for the islands would be submitted to the Chief Minister and the Cabinet for approval.

"There is a lot of work to be done and our focus is on the physically seen islands," he said.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had on Monday said that steps would be taken by the government to identify and to name the many islands off Sabah to prevent other countries from laying claim over them.

Musa was reacting to a finding by the Universiti Malaysia Sabah that many of the islands off Sabah have yet to be named.

Osman said the local authorities may submit names for consideration by the working committee to be submitted to the cabinet for final approval.

Read more!

The Big Question: Are so-called 'extinct' species really extinct, and will we rediscover any?

Michael McCarthy, The Independent 28 Sep 09;

Why are we asking this now?

Because ornithologists have just launched an international quest to rediscover a large group of "lost" bird species – believing that some may not be lost after all.

Why does that matter?

Because the human pressure on the natural world is increasing to such an extent that more and more creatures face being wiped out. According to the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 12 per cent of the world's birds, 21 per cent of mammals, 30 per cent of amphibians, 31 per cent of reptiles, 37 per cent of fishes and 70 per cent of the world's plant species are now threatened with extinction. Extinction is one of the great blights of our times. Any creatures that are labelled extinct, but which can be rediscovered, offer enormous hope for conservation.

Are there likely to be many?

More than you might think. In the past few years there has been a whole series of rediscoveries of birds, mammals, fish, insects and other creatures that were supposed to have died out.

For example, the mahogany glider, an Australian possum, was rediscovered in 1989 after an absence of more than 100 years, while the New Zealand storm petrel, a seabird, was thought to have vanished a century and a half ago – it was only known from museum specimens – until it was rediscovered in 2003, and India's large-billed reed warbler was thought to have died out a similar time ago, until it was rediscovered in 2006.

Why have we labelled so many things extinct when they are not?

Perhaps because of the old sin of the pride of knowledge (which was Adam's sin, if you remember); we really enjoy saying I know. It is much more tempting for humans to express certainty about a point than to express doubt, and because we are generally anthropocentric – that is, we put ourselves at the centre of the universe – we tend to think that if we can't see something, then it's not there.

We forget that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence – it's harder to prove something isn't, than it is to prove something is. And we also forget that while life in the natural world can be fragile, it can also be astonishingly resilient, and capable of clinging on against all expectations.

There have been so many recent rediscoveries of supposedly vanished birds – five in New Zealand alone – that, last month, BirdLife International, the Cambridge-based global partnership of bird protection organisations, was prompted to launch a campaign to try to confirm the continued existence of no fewer than 47 bird species, which have not been seen for up to 200 years.

Such as the dodo?

No, not the dodo, although that would be the supreme example of what some biologists now call a "lazarus species" – one that comes back from the dead – as the dodo is our most familiar icon of extinction (greatly helped by its appearance in Alice in Wonderland). But the list included birds from every continent, ranging forward from the hooded seedeater of Brazil, not recorded since 1823. Marco Lambertini, BirdLife's chief executive, said that some of these species had not been seen by any living person, but birdwatchers around the world still dream of rediscovering "these long-lost ghosts".

Why not the dodo?

The dodo was a big-beaked, fat, flightless pigeon confined to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It was discovered by Dutch sailors in 1571; by 1700, it had disappeared. The cause of its extinction was probably a combination of hunting and the destruction of its habitat following the introduction of European domestic animals, such as pigs. As its range was so small and restricted, and it could not fly anywhere else, this is one case where we can be certain that extinct really means extinct.

We can also say that for the passenger pigeon, which is the great symbol of extinction in the United States. This bird once flocked in countless millions across the Great Plains but, in the late 19th century, it was hunted with such systematic ferocity that by 1914 there was only one bird left – named Martha – and she died that year in Cincinnati Zoo. No one thinks we'll find the passenger pigeon again.

Then what sorts of supposedly 'extinct' creatures might we rediscover?

Ones that live in places largely inaccessible to humans, such as the open ocean, remote islands or deep forests. In terms of birds, at the top of the list is America's ivory-billed woodpecker, a wonderfully charismatic creature that has not been reliably recorded in the US since 1944, although there have been countless unverified sightings; in 2005, a group of senior US ornithologists sensationally claimed to have rediscovered it in the forests of Arkansas, but their claim has been strongly disputed and not since backed up. However, to find the ivory bill remains the holy grail of birdwatching in the US, and perhaps in the world.

What sort of 'extinct' mammals might we rediscover?

Some of the rhino species, perhaps, in dense south-east Asian forests; perhaps the tiger in regions of central Asia, such as Iran; a range of smaller creatures. The most beguiling possibilities were suggested by a Belgian zoologist, Bernard Heuvelmans, in a riveting book published in 1955 entitled On The Track Of Unknown Animals. This was a calm look at all the legends of mysterious beasts – from the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, down – that did not necessarily offer conclusions, but made interesting suggestions.

The most fascinating of all concerned the woolly mammoth, which died out about 8,000 years ago, although a population is known to have clung on in Wrangel Island, off the coast of Siberia, until about 3,500 years ago (when the pyramids of Egypt were already well established). Quoting accounts from hunters, Heuvelmans suggested that a few mammoths might still survive in the taiga, the vast evergreen forests that stretch, largely unpenetrated, for thousands of miles across Siberia's whole breadth. It has to be said that Heuvelmans's book was the foundation for what is known today as cryptozoology, an interest which at its wackier, New Age end, concerns itself largely with legendary creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster and the Bigfoot of the American north-west. But Heuvelmans himself was a sober investigator.

How great would it be if we could rediscover the mammoth?

It would be even greater if we could not lose the tiger. Although the possibility of "lazarus species" is intriguing, it is not half as important as holding on to the species we already have – some of which are daily ever-more threatened.

And as the human pressure on the natural world grows more and more intense, for the ones that we lose in future, extinction really is likely to mean extinction.

Might an 'extinct' animal like the woolly mammoth still survive somewhere?

Yes

*Even today there are some vast areas, such as the taiga forest in Siberia, which are still unpenetrated by humans

*Experience shows that sometimes small numbers of rare species can cling on unknown for a very long time

*The natural world has a habit of surprising us

No

*It was not just hunting but global climate change that drove the mammoth to extinction

*There would have been clear, recorded human contact had any mammoths still survived

*It is simply too long since the species died out to think that a few individuals might have carried on

Read more!

Birds of prey rid Warsaw metro of urban scourge

Maja Czarnecka Yahoo News 28 Sep 09;

WARSAW (AFP) – Determined to keep its metro free of pigeon droppings, city transport authorities in Poland's capital have tapped the "killer" instinct of birds of prey to deal with this universal urban scourge.

"Just the presence of a bird of prey inside or at the entrance of a station is enough to act as a deterrent," says Piotr Zadworny, a bird breeder whom Warsaw subway authorities hired to solve their pigeon woes.

His two Harris hawks Draka and Mietek, a variety native to Central America, do the trick.

"Hawks are the natural prey of pigeons. They know very well that the appearance of a hawk means their death," Zadworny says.

"Just a few days of the hawks' presence is enough to make the pigeons vanish," he adds.

Before he began making his rounds with Draka and Mietek, the Sluzew metro station in southern Warsaw was plagued by hundreds of pigeons. Within just days, the number dwindled to a handful.

"I couldn't stand it anymore! The pigeons weren't afraid of anything, they would just fly into my kiosk and start eating the pastries," the owner of a small shop inside the metro station told AFP.

With Draka, a female hawk from Mexico perched on his arm clad in a thick leather glove, Piotr chases away the pesky birds.

Most make their nests between cables running along the ceiling and walls. Pigeon droppings mar walls, cover the metro's granite floors and plop onto passengers' heads.

The chirps of baby pigeons coming from a space between two boards draw Draka's attention. As soon as an adult pigeon appears, she takes flight in pursuit. Piotr lets her briefly chase the bird, then calls her back.

They may scare pigeons, but are they allowed to kill them?

"Absolutely not! First, it would be contrary to a law which protects even pigeons. Secondly, it would be too dangerous, my birds could die -- urban pigeons carry many diseases," says Piotr.

"They're worse than rats -- it's a veritable epidemiological bomb," he adds.

His birds eat only chick meat that is frozen immediately upon slaughter to kill any harmful microbes. "Yes, it's brutal," he admits.

But with birds of prey worth between 10,000 to 30,000 euros (14,800 - 44,400 dollars), the risk of disease must be kept to a minimum.

Draka works about five hours a day, before she shows signs of boredom. Her mate Mietek takes over then, Piotr says.

The cost of their services is a confidential matter. "It won't take long to recoup our investment," says Warsaw metro spokesman Krzysztof Malawko.

"The huge costs of cleaning the stations, the maintenance products and above all renovation work on the walls and ceilings will drop dramatically," he adds.

"We battled against the pigeons for years, without any success. We tried everything."

At wits end, metro authorities decided to seek advice from ornithologists.

They now plan to remove all the nests and cover the nooks and crannies with wire mesh to prevent pigeons from returning.

Opened in 1995, the Warsaw metro beat Singapore's to win a prize a few months ago as the world's most environmentally friendly system in a London-based international contest.

According to Malawko, no other metro system in the world uses birds of prey against pigeon, although airports are known to do so to clear birds off runways.

The services of Draka, Mietek and Zadworny, who also works part-time as an IT specialist, are most often sought by farmers who hire him to clear birds from crops. Municipalities also engage him to control crow populations in public parks.

His greatest passion is training the birds -- and he's taught his hawks a few tricks. Mietek, he says, has even learned how to undress a woman. Using only his yellow beak, the hawk can deftly undo the clasp on the bra of a woman who is lying on her stomach, Zadworny boasts.

Read more!

Pacific islands seek "outdated" fish pact change

Giff Johnson Yahoo News 27 Sep 09;

MAJURO (AFP) – The United States and Pacific nations are heading for a showdown over the management of the four-billion dollar tuna industry with the island states saying their current treaty is outdated.

However, the United States says the 25-year-old agreement with the Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), which is to be reviewed next month, is considered valuable by "the vast majority" of Pacific states.

Criticism of the United States is being driven by the upsurge from 12 to 40 US-flagged fishing vessels in the region at a time when the Pacific is changing from the US-treaty formula of licensing boats.

It is being replaced by a "vessel day scheme" where licences are based on the number of days rather than number of boats as part of a move to reduce the tuna catch to 2004 levels.

Washington originally negotiated the fishing treaty with the FFA in 1987 to end a diplomatic crisis in the Pacific when the United States' purse seine fishing fleet was regarded as fishing illegally and flouting the rules.

The treaty gives the US access to the economic zones of the 16 FFA nations for a fee currently set at 21 million dollars a year.

However, the FFA nations say that in the past year tuna conservation and management measures have changed in the region.

There is increasing concern about overfishing of bigeye and yellowfin tuna, and also the island nations are demanding a bigger share of the four billion dollar Pacific tuna industry.

They say they will be pushing for this to be taken into consideration at the US-Pacific fisheries treaty review in the Solomon Islands next month.

"The US treaty is outdated," said Glen Joseph, director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority.

"It needs updating in light of the new Tuna Commission rules and current initiatives of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA)."

The PNA countries -- Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu -- control the waters where most of the annual haul of tuna is caught.

Read more!

US to decide on listing ice seals as threatened

Dan Joling, Associated Press Yahoo News 29 Sep 09;

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal agency must decide within three weeks whether spotted seals, which depend on sea ice off Alaska's coast, should be listed as a threatened or endangered species.

In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agreed to decide by Nov. 1, 2010, whether two other ice-dependent seals, ringed seals and bearded seals, should be listed.

A federal judge Friday approved the settlement between NOAA and the Center for Biological Diversity, which had sued to force a decision.

Center spokeswoman Rebecca Noblin said Monday the group was happy the agency had set the dates, since the summer sea ice minimum this year was the third-lowest since satellite measurements began in 1979.

"The quicker we can get protection for these seals, the better," she said.

NOAA officials in December denied listing ribbon seals as threatened or endangered. They said climate models project annual ice for the seals will continue to form each winter during the critical birthing and molting period. The Center for Biological Diversity has sued to reverse the decision.

John Kurland, acting deputy regional administrator of NOAA, said the agency has been studying spotted, ringed and bearded seals. Spotted seals had a similar distribution and an information overlap with ribbon seals, he said.

Information on the other two types of seals is more complicated, and the extra time will let the agency incorporate information compiled by the state of Alaska, Kurland said.

Ringed, bearded and spotted seals use sea ice in different ways for giving birth, rearing pups and resting. All three live in the Bering, Chukchi or Beaufort seas off Alaska's western and northern coasts.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list the seals in May 2008, the same month former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne declared polar bears threatened because of sea ice loss.

The agency missed the one-year deadline for a decision, and the environmental group sued.

Spotted seals use the edge of sea ice far from predators to give birth and nurse pups. Loss of sea ice and early ice breakup threaten their ability to rear young, according to the listing petition.

Ringed seals are the primary prey of polar bears. They are the only seals that can live in completely ice-covered waters, using stout claws to dig and maintain breathing holes. They excavate snow caves on sea ice to provide insulated shelters for themselves and their pups.

Early breakup of sea ice threatens lairs during critical rearing periods when pups are too young to survive in water, according to the group. Warming also can expose lairs and make pups vulnerable to polar bears and Arctic foxes.

Bearded seals give birth and rear pups on drifting pack ice over shallow waters where prey is abundant. The retreat of sea ice away from shallow shelves decreases food availability, the environmental group said.

Federal agencies are required to consider how their regulatory decisions affect listed and threatened species.

___

On the Net:

Center for Biological Diversity: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

NOAA Fisheries Alaska: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/

Read more!

Dragonflies go thirsty in the Mediterranean

IUCN 29 Sep 09;

One fifth of Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies are threatened with extinction at the regional level as a result of increasing freshwater scarcity, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.

Climate change and habitat degradation, due to the way land is managed, are also affecting the insects, says the report.

The assessment of 163 Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies shows five are Critically Endangered, 13 are Endangered, another 13 are Vulnerable, 27 are Near Threatened, 96 are Least Concern and six are Data Deficient, meaning there is not enough information to classify them, but they might also be threatened.

“It is likely things will only get worse for these unique species as climate change and increased water demand take their toll,” says Jean Pierre Boudot, member of the IUCN Dragonfly Specialist Group and co-author of the report. “Lower levels of precipitation and drought will lead to degradation of the habitats where the majority of dragonflies and damselflies live.”

Four species are already listed as Extinct in the Mediterranean, including the Little Whisp (Agriocnemis exilis), the Common Pond Damsel (Ceriagrion glabrum), the Phantom Flutterer (Rhyothemis semihyalina) and the Darting Cruiser (Phyllomacromia africana).

Dragonflies are generally known for being good indicators of water quality. Major threats for 67 percent of these Mediterranean species are habitat degradation and pollution. The Spotted Darter (Sympetrum depressiusculum), which used to be common in the Mediterranean, is now listed as Vulnerable and is declining due to the intensification of agricultural practices in rice fields.

Fourteen percent of these insect species can be found only in Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems, some of the richest and most threatened habitats, among which nine have been assessed as Endangered or Vulnerable. According to the report, the highest numbers of endemic dragonflies are present in the South and West of the Mediterranean, with the Maghreb and the Levant areas being regional hotspots of endemism.

The majority of the threatened species are concentrated in the Levant, southern Turkey and Balkans, northeast Algeria and northern Tunisia. The Glittering Demoiselle (Calopteryx exul), for example, is listed as Endangered and is in decline. It inhabits the aquatic habitats of the Maghreb, whose ecosystems are under pressure due to water-harnessing for human use, water pollution, irrigation and drought.

Long-term coordinated actions are needed at regional, national and international level, and the results of this report highlight the responsibility that Mediterranean countries have to protect the global populations. Though some species are already receiving some conservation attention thanks to international laws, such as the Ornate Bluet (Coenagrion ornatum) which is included in the European Habitat Directive, others are not protected at all, despite their high risk of extinction.

“The selection and protection of key sites are essential to ensure the survival of these species,” says IUCN’s Annabelle Cuttelod, co-author of the report. “Their ecological requirements need to be taken into account in the planning and management of water use, especially for agriculture purposes or infrastructure development. IUCN Red List data can inform both processes.”

Full report: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/mediterranean_dragonflies_en_web.pdf

Read more!

Better world: Global green heroes

New Scientist 28 Sep 09;

It is no secret that the environment is facing some major challenges. Yet despite all the gloom there are some corners of the world where things are changing for the better. Here are a few examples to prove that when communities, city officials and governments put their minds to it they can move environmental mountains. Now all we need is more of the same, and fast...

Ecotown after the storm
Greensburg, Kansas, US

The small town of Greensburg was flattened by a 3-kilometre-wide tornado in May 2007, leaving 90 per cent of the 1500-strong population homeless. Days after the storm passed, the community voted to rebuild Greensburg as energy-efficiently as possible. More than half of the rebuilt homes contain state-of-the-art insulation and built-in means of generating renewable energy. There are plans to install ten 1.25-megawatt wind turbines to supply the rest.
Fisheries success

North Atlantic

In 2000, north Atlantic albacore tuna stocks were only half of what could be considered sustainable. Then the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas took the advice of its scientific advisers and radically cut quotas in the region. Stocks have since recovered to within 20 per cent of sustainable levels.
Changing places

Totnes, Devon, UK

Totnes is a leading example of the transition movement, a global organisation which now boasts some 600 communities keen to equip themselves with the tools and know-how to survive when oil supplies run dry and climate change bites. Among other things, Totnes has its own currency, its inhabitants are growing and promoting local produce, and they have set up their own sustainable-building company.
Going carbon-neutral

Costa Rica

Costa Rica already generates around two-thirds of its energy from renewable sources, and over a third of its land has been designated as national park. In 2008 the nation took things a step further, making a pledge to go carbon-neutral by 2021. Around 12 million trees have been planted in the past two years, funded in part by a tax on gasoline. The next step is to offset the carbon dioxide produced by the farming and packaging of its main exports, bananas and pineapples.
The good life

Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK

The community in this small town has embarked on a mission to transform every spare bit of green space into a communal larder. Its schools and public parks are bursting with vegetable plots, there's a 200-tree orchard in the town centre and crops are even sprouting in the town's cemetery. Residents can harvest this public produce for free. Todmorden hopes to be fully self-sufficient in fruit, vegetables and eggs by 2018.
No cars, thanks

Vauban, near Freiburg, Germany

Residents of Vauban, a new suburb of Freiburg in Germany built on the site of an old army barracks, have done what many suburbanites regard as impossible: given up their cars in favour of travel by bicycle and tram. The 30 per cent of residents that chose to keep their cars have to park them on the outskirts of the suburb. The rest use public transport or hire cars when they need them from a car club.
Energy sharing

Samsø, Denmark

The small Danish island of Samsø has become the model for community energy generation. Almost every household owns shares in the local wind farm, and the 4300 residents produce their own heat by burning locally grown straw in community heating plants. They also run their vehicles on rapeseed oil. The island's 21 wind turbines generate more electricity than the residents need, allowing them to sell the excess to the mainland.
Recycling improvers

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic could soon be the world recycling champion, overtaking established leaders such as Germany and Belgium, according to the latest figures from the European Union. The country has more than doubled how much packaging it recycles, from 29 per cent in 2002 to 63 per cent in 2006. It is now setting its sights on improving recycling rates for electronic and organic waste.
Rainwater harvesting

Rural India

Water tables across India are falling fast, threatening crops. Some rural areas have bucked the trend by re-embracing the art of rainwater harvesting. Residents of the village of Limbadia in western Gujarat have built small dams on local rivers, allowing monsoon run-off to seep into underground reservoirs. The village's wells now leak at the surface and long-dried streams have reappeared.
No wood required

China / sub-Saharan Africa

China is fast becoming a leader in designing affordable, environmentally friendly technologies for the rural poor of the developing world. Solar ovens, for instance, concentrate the sun's rays to create heat and cook food, reducing wood and charcoal use. Chinese companies have begun exporting solar technology to sub-Saharan Africa, while NGOs based in the US and South Africa are providing cookers in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Sun, not coal

Rizhao, northern China

In Rizhao, 99 per cent of all households use solar power to heat their waterMovie Camera - the result of a decade of government subsidies for solar research and development, financial incentives, education programmes and building regulations. The Worldwatch Institute, a research organisation based in Washington DC, calculates that it saves families 3 to 6 per cent of their income compared with electrical heating. Air quality in the region has also improved.
Bottled-water ban

Bundanoon, New South Wales, Australia

In July, the residents of Bundanoon voted to ban the sale of bottled water. The vote came after a company announced plans to tap the local aquifer, bottle the water in Sydney and sell it back to the town. Locals can now pay to refill their bottles with chilled, filtered tap water in stores, or fill up for free at public water fountains - saving 200 millilitres of oil for every litre of bottled water not produced.

Read more!