Selangor losing half a million ringgit per day to sand thieves

Elan Perumal and Stuart Michael The Star 25 Jun 10;

SELANGOR can be considered the hotbed for illegal sand mining in the country with the state said to be losing about RM500,000 a day from sand stealers.

The issue of sand mining has been a hot issue in Selangor over the last 10 years with certain quarters alleging that millions of ringgit are being raked in by syndicates.

State exco for modern agriculture, natural resources and entrepreneur development Yaakob Sapari had said previously that the state government was losing RM100mil annually from syndicates mining sand illegally.

Among the sand theft hotspots are Serendah in Hulu Selangor, Dengkil in Sepang, Jenderam in Sepang, Kundang, Kuang, Rawang, Kajang, Bestari Jaya in Kuala Selangor, Banting and Bukit Beruntung.

When Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor in March 2008, it pledged to resolve the sand mining theft problem by setting up a consortium — Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) — to look into streamlining all sand mining activity in the state.

Ironically, the setting up of the consortium has also sparked controversy involving the Selangor Government with some quarters claiming that the consortium was not effective in curbing the illegal activity.

A tonne of sand from the illegal quarry costs about RM40.

There were also allegations that government officials including from the state, district land offices and enforcement personnel from various other departments were working with the syndicates.

Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam had last month lodged a police report accusing KSSB of being embroiled in graft. He tendered a statutory declaration made by sand mining contractor Cheong Hoong Wooi alleging that he was asked to pay more than the stipulated price for sand and was also asked to pay a commission.

Cheong also alleged that KSSB marketing manager Wong Swee Leong had told him over drinks one night that he would have to pay RM1 per metric tonne in commission for future purchases.

He added that he was first offered a price of RM12.50 per metric tonne but it was revised to RM14 on KSSB executive director Ramli Abd Majed’s instructions.

However, the Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) found insufficient evidence of corruption in the state government’s sand mining company Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB).

Over the past few months, StarMetro had highlighted sand theft taking place at various loactions in Selangor such as Dengkil and Jenderam in Sepang, Sungai Kuang in Kundang, Kuala Garing in Rawang, Kampung Rinching in Semenyih and Banting in Kuala Langat.

When contacted, state local government commmittee chairman Ronnie Liu said that the state had appointed Selangor State Secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud as the person in charge of monitoring sand thefts.

He said he was responsible to oversee the enforcement operation conducted by the various district land offices.

“Kumpulan Semesta was only responsible for the sale of sand while it is the duty of the land offices to check illegal sand mining activities. The state secretary will be monitoring the the land offices,’’ he said, adding that the state had made more than RM10mil from the sale of sand for the first six months of this year.

Sand mining in Hulu Selangor legal
The Star 25 Jun 10;

HULU Selangor district officer Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan has refuted claims that illegal sand mining is rampant in the Batang Kali and Ulu Yam townships.

He said sand mining activity at Kuala Kali, Batang Kali and SKC Kampung Timah, Ulu Yam were legal and were carried out by Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), the company set up by the state government two years ago.

Nor Hisham dismissed recent media reports claiming illegal sand mining activity was taking place in Batang Kali.

“It is actually the deepening of the riverbed of Sungai Selangor and it is not true that sand was being taken out from the area.

“KSSB has engaged two contractors to carry out the sand mining activity legally,’’ said Nor Hisham.

“To avoid confusion, I hope that KSSB apply for one permit for each site. Currently, it is one permit for three areas,’’ he said.

Nor Hisham added that a three-month permit from June 3 to Aug 31 were given to the KSSB.

He said that the permit allowed KSSB to extract 2,500 square metres of sand, where each metre the contractor pays a royalty of RM3 to the state government.

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World Cities Summit in Singapore to focus on building liveable, sustainable cities

Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE: With half the world's population living in cities, governments face the challenge of balancing growth with environment protection and that's why delegates at next week's World Cities Summit will explore ways to build liveable and sustainable cities.

The summit, the second to be held, takes place from June 28 to July 1. It's held in conjunction with Singapore International Water Week.

As more people live and work in the city, more demand is placed on basic services such as clean air, water and even living space.

The challenge is to maintain a liveable city and ensure that growth does not come at the expense of the environment.

Dalson Chung, deputy chairman, World Cities Summit 2010 Working Committee, said: "A lot of people are going into the cities to live. So to make the cities liveable is the uppermost aspiration for a lot of leaders and to sustain it for the future generations.

“And of course when people go to the cities to live, they will like to live there forever. So although the cities are growing, we must make sure it's sustainable.)"

Singapore is rated as one of the world's most liveable cities, recognised for its strengths in infrastructure and governance.

As the host nation of the summit, it'll share its expertise in areas such as public housing and waste management.

It's also looking forward to learning from other cities.

Mr Chung added: “Melbourne has a lot of galleries and it has a very strong cultural background. Bilbao also has a very strong cultural background. They also balance the software and also the hardware. So these are some of the areas that we can learn from other countries and cities."

More than a 1,000 policymakers and industry leaders will gather in Singapore for the four-day summit, attending discussions and learning journeys.

Participants of the World Cities Summit who sign up for the Public Housing Learning Journey will be brought to the gallery at the top of the Pinnacle@Duxton, Singapore's tallest public housing project.

The gallery offers a panoramic view of Singapore's skyline. Panel boards are also available to introduce the history and purpose behind the various districts. - CNA/vm

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Flooding in Singapore: Stamford Canal gets new debris traps

5 gratings placed at key spots to prevent Orchard Road area from flooding again
Grace Chua Straits Times 25 Jun 10;

THE PUB is spending $25,000 to install five debris- trap gratings at the Stamford Canal to prevent the Orchard Road area from flooding again.

All five will be in place by today.

The gratings were lowered just days after massive floods hit the Orchard Road shopping belt last week, costing many shops and restaurants there millions in damage. Some of the shops are still closed.

The cause of the floods was later traced to a clogged drain at the canal, which is meant to clear rainwater away from Orchard Road.

The national water agency said in the aftermath that it would install more of these gratings along Stamford Canal and step up maintenance checks at the canal to once a month, from once every three to six months.

The PUB is spending $150 million a year for the next five years to upgrade drainage infrastructure, it said last week.

Gratings are placed in strategic areas picked by PUB engineers who model the water flow in canals.

The five new zig-zag gratings, which catch debris without stopping water flow, are in open drains for easy maintenance in Camp Road, Napier Road near Minden Road, Nassim Road, Grange Road and Tanglin Road.

They add to the Marina Reservoir catchment's 100 existing gratings and 26 float booms - to catch flotsam - at the mouths of canals.

In addition, the PUB has been talking to the owners of Lucky Plaza on ways to upgrade the building to deal with flooding. As the shopping mall was built before 1984, it does not conform to PUB guidelines that entrances be 1m above the highest known flood level.

Building experts have also suggested adding raised platforms to places such as Liat Towers and Lucky Plaza, where water spilled into the lower levels and flooded shops.

Last week, Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said that all major canals would come under review. The review includes how often they are inspected and cleaned.

The PUB is also adding one new sensor to the current four in the Stamford Canal. There are 32 of these sensors in canals islandwide.

These sensors do not prevent floods, but they help alert the water agency to potential floods and it can then send contractors and officers to a potential flood site to manage the damage.

Over the years, such measures have cut the number of flood-prone hot spots from 90 in 2008 to 58 last year and 54 this year, including Orchard Road, the PUB said.

To handle more frequent maintenance checks and cleaning work, cleaning contractor Lian Shing Construction will be hiring 20 more workers on top of its 120 existing cleaning staff, said director Seah Siew Seng yesterday at a press briefing.

The additional workers will not change the cost of its cleaning contract with the PUB because the hiring of more workers is written into the 'performance-based' contract, which specifies a minimum cleaning frequency but allows contractors to decide how many workers and what tools are needed.

The PUB's three cleaning contracts began in January.

The agency said the five-year contract with Lian Shing, which handles cleaning for the central watershed's drains and canals - spanning Bukit Timah, Little India, the Singapore River, Geylang and Orchard Road - is worth $4.3 million a year.

Besides Lian Shing, the PUB's other contractors are Neo Lian Poh Construction, which cleans drains in the eastern watershed, and Kim Bock Contractor for the western catchment.

In total, maintaining PUB's 7,000km of drains and canals around the country costs $23 million a year, a figure that has doubled over the past three years.

Asked whether the new maintenance requirements would raise the cost of the firm's operations, Mr Seah said the company had no choice. 'We need to do the job well, and we need enough manpower to do that,' he said.

During its over two decades in the industry, the family business has also mechanised. Where workers used to simply dig out silt and debris, they now use machines like the Bobcat mini excavator to clear canals.

Debris-trapping gratings for Stamford Canal
Evelyn Lam/Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 10;

SINGAPORE: The PUB has stepped up efforts to prevent flooding, following the massive flooding on Orchard Road. It is installing gratings in the drains linked to the Stamford Canal drainage system.

PUB is paying special attention to the drains after it surfaced that trapped debris at a culvert had caused floodwater to overflow onto Orchard Road last week.

It is installing zig zag gratings to trap debris while allowing water to flow smoothly.

PUB is spending S$25,000 on the gratings in five drains along Grange Road, Holland Road, Camp Road, Nassim Road and behind Tanglin Shopping Centre.

Maintenance of the drains in the central catchment areas will also be stepped up - from once every three months to once a month.

To do this, the contractor will increase the number of people for the job - from 120 to 140.

Mini dredgers, which can do the job of 20 workers, will be increasingly used to remove debris quickly. And to be alerted faster if water reaches alarming levels, a water sensor will be installed in a drain near Grange and Orchard roads by this week.

- CNA/i

Flood prevention measures
Lynda Hong Ee Lyn Today Online 25 Jun 10;

Work is in progress to prevent the Stamford Canal drainage system from being blocked again. 'Z'-shaped gratings were installed in drains along Holland Road yesterday. The gratings will trap debris while allowing water to flow.

PUB's assistant director of Catchment and Waterways, Mr Choy Yai Kwong, said more will be installed in drains along Grange Road, Camp Road, Nassim Road and behind Tanglin Shopping Centre. A blocked culvert was the cause of the recent floods in Orchard Road.

PUB is also installing a sensor in the drain near Grange and Orchard Roads to monitor water levels. SIM YI JIN

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The value of quiet in the city

Alan HJ Chan Today Online 25 Jun 10;

Cities are often assessed on economic indicators, environmental conditions, transport facilities and connectivity, cultural activities, crime rates and the cost of living. People speak of the hum and buzz of the city as reflecting its life. A silent city, by contrast, is taken to mean a sleepy or dead city.

I have lived in the city for some years now, just off Orchard Road. From my high rise windows, I take a different view. There is one characteristic of a city that is too seldom valued - quiet.

Noise seems unavoidable, permeating every scene, every space. There are heavy lorries and pile drivers on construction sites, traffic with pseudo race cars, loudspeakers blaring out from the shopping centres, buskers on the corner and too many mobile phones in the hands of loud mouths.

Such noise leads to stress. Quiet, in contrast, allows the human being to think. Thinking drives human advancement. Quiet therefore has a function and an economic value.

Generally speaking, I judge that the more developed cultures prefer softer background music and public announcements. The less developed, the louder.

By this measure, for all its other advancements, Singapore seems to be lagging. Especially along Orchard Road, the noise level is so high, so harsh, it spoils the ambience.

I am now a noise pollution refugee. For years, I enjoyed my apartment and tolerated the street noise, until a black bird appeared at the window. Its shriek called out at any hour, but particularly at dawn. I called a Ministry, which referred me to an Agency, which sent me to an Authority, that finally told me to turn to the Yellow Pages for a private pest controller.

I found out, in the process, several kinds of birds are classified as pests but not this one, even if it makes the most noise. Frustrated, I briefly imagined taking flight like the bird, and migrating.

Eventually, I decided not to leave the country. Instead I had to forsake my apartment in a well-wooded area for another, on a much higher floor and in an even denser part of the city's concrete jungle so neither birds nor the street noise far below can disturb me.

I like the life and activity of the city, being in the centre of things. But there are things that can be done to make the city quieter. These are practical things that will not stop city life but, rather, also allow quiet and thinking.

The first thing would be to measure noise more closely in different places and times and set appropriate limits. Then we have to sort out what noise is inevitable to city life and what can be toned down, without affecting the actual activity.

But a pre-requisite is that we must learn to value the quiet.

The writer was the founder and owner of Petroships and is an active supporter and benefactor of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, which collaborated on this commentary.

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Tiger killing in Malaysia: Review RELA’s Firearm Possession and Use - WWF Malaysia

WWF Malaysia 25 Jun 10;

Kuala Lumpur, 24 June 2010 - We refer to the killing of a three-year old male tiger by a People’s Volunteer Corp (RELA) because it was spotted in a village and suspected of attacking poultry in Sungai Bayor, Perak.

We understand the villagers’ fear but the matter should not have been handled in this manner. There is a clear and simple procedure for dealing with these human-tiger conflict situations that should be well-known to agencies like RELA and its members. That procedure is to alert the Department of Wildlife and National Parks first.

This incident is just one of many that raise our concern about RELA members abusing their firearms:

• In 2004, a RELA member was charged for killing a tiger in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan. The tiger was discovered with its internal organs missing and was believed to have been shot by the man after villagers sighted it in the forest.
• Last October, two RELA members were arrested by the Pahang Wildlife Department for using their shotguns to kill two mousedeer in Rompin, Pahang.
• Earlier this year nine Orang Asli; two of whom were RELA members, were detained for snaring and torturing a tiger in Sungkai, Perak.

Such incidents illustrate the reality of how RELA members are not always in tune with the national laws and policies relating to wildlife and the proper use of the firearms awarded to them.

In view of this, the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), which comprises the Malaysian Nature Society, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society – Malaysia Programme and WWF-Malaysia, calls for a review of RELA members’ firearm possession policy, standard operating procedures involving firearm use as well as policies with regards to dealing with wildlife. Adding to this concern is the recent news of the issuance of 48,823 shotgun licenses by the Government.

There must also be closer and more effective communication among government agencies, especially in circumstances where the job of protecting wildlife and people overlap.

We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that human-tiger conflict arises as a result of loss of prey, loss of habitats through land clearance for industrial plantations such as oil palm and rubber, and poaching. So it is imperative to ensure these problems are tackled to keep both animals and people safe.

The government has been clear at policy level about its commitment to doubling the number of wild tigers by 2020 – stated unequivocally both in the National Tiger Action Plan and the 10th Malaysia Plan. Making these a reality is not solely the responsibility of the Wildlife Department and conservation organisations – the tiger graces our Coat of Arms, it is a national symbol and belongs to all of us, RELA members included.


For further information, contact:
Sara Sukor, Species Senior Communications Officer, WWF-Malaysia
Tel: 03-7803 3772 ext 6421, Email: ssara@wwf.org.my

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Lack of food, so crocs turn on man in Malaysia

Julia Chan New Straits Times 25 Jun 10;

KOTA KINABALU: Diminishing food sources is among the reasons why there have been 38 recorded crocodile attacks on human beings, including 23 fatal ones, here in the last decade.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the attacks on humans were also linked to human dependency on waterways and lack of precautionary steps taken by victims.

"However, attacks might also be a signal to a deeper crisis in the food chain where the crocodiles reside. Change and reduction of prey like fish and small mammals which could be caused by an increase of water pollution should be investigated."


Masidi also said the clearing of land, rivers and estuaries for development would also disrupt the natural food chain and habitats, and cause the crocodile-human conflict.

"If the crocodile is hungry, and a human is within its turf, then it's going to grab whatever moves," he said after opening the "Crocodile conservation through sustainable use" workshop on Wednesday.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said the number of attacks has increased, including in Kinabatangan, Silabukan, Kalumpang and Paitan rivers.


"There have also been a number of incidences that have not been reported. Apparently, there have been 15 crocodile attacks in Lahad Datu and Kunak districts over the past 11 years.

"The department has a policy of investigating all reports of sightings and has taken prompt action at locations where fatal attacks have taken place, usually capturing and removing large crocodiles from these areas," said Laurentius.

Sabah has an estimated 16,000 saltwater crocodiles, mostly in the western regions of Segama, Labuk, Paitan and Pitas.


The workshop is jointly organised by the department with the International Union for Conservation of Nature -- Crocodile Specialist Group, with support from Danau Girang Field Centre and Cardiff University, Sandakan and Tawau Crocodile Farms, Borneo Crocodile Centre, and Toyo Leather Corporation and Seisa University in Japan.

IUCN-Crocodile Specialist Group's Professor Grahame Webb delivered the keynote address.

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Illegal orangutan trade in Indonesia: three arrested

Wildlife Extra 24 Jun 10;

Cracking down on the smugglers

June 2010: Three people have been arrested and charged with attempting to sell a baby orangutan after a raid by Indonesian authorities. This is one of the first cases in many years against suspected illegal orangutan dealers in Indonesia, and possibly the first case ever in Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo. It represents a continuing rise in action against the illegal trade in wildlife in Indonesia. In the last two years there have been more than 20 arrests for illegally possessing or trading protected wildlife, including endangered Sumatra tigers, and pangolins.

The raid in Pontianak took place on June 21 and recovered a live baby orangutan that was about six months old. Young orangutans are favoured by dealers, and their mothers are often killed in the process of capturing them. The baby orangutan confiscated during this raid is now being cared for at the International Animal Rescue facility in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.

The raid was conducted by the Indonesian Department of Forestry, Directorate-General for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHKA), working in conjunction with the Anti-Wildlife Crime Forum, made up of WCS's Wildlife Crime Unit and local partners. The Wildlife Crime Unit, created by WCS in 2003, provides data and technical advice to law enforcement agencies to support the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crimes.

'I hope this will send a warning to others involved'

Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation for the Indonesian Department of Forestry, Mr Ir Darori M.M, expressed appreciation to the officers that took part in the raid: ‘This is an important case and an impressive result. I hope this will send a warning to others involved in the illegal trade in protected wildlife in Indonesia that it will not be tolerated,' said Mr Darori. ‘I urge state prosecutors to focus now on the prosecution of this case.'

The Wildlife Conservation Society is actively trying to reduce the damaging impact of illegal wildlife trade.
‘The illegal wildlife trade is a massive threat in Indonesia, but one that can be addressed with a strong government commitment,' said Dr Noviar Andayani, director of the WCS Indonesia programme. ‘This case, and those over recent years, demonstrates what is possible. Orangutans remain under threat in Indonesia, and stopping the illegal trade in them must be part of a plan to ensure their survival.'

Live orangutans sold in Indonesia, or exported illegally to neighbouring countries, are kept as pets or in private zoo collections. Other wildlife traded from Indonesia includes rhino, elephant, tiger, birds, bears, orchids, marine and freshwater fish, turtles, fragrant timber, pangolins, coral, snakes, bats, sharks, and rodents, being traded for food, medicines, skins, biomedical research, souvenirs and pets.

‘The illegal trade in wildlife is a global problem that is effecting wildlife around the world,' said Colin Poole, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia programmes. ‘Enforcement actions like these are extremely important in helping the conservation community turn the tide of this global issue.'

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Olive Ridely turtle mortality in Orissa declines sharply

The Times of India 24 Jun 10;

There is some good news for wildlife enthusiasts. The mortality rate of Olive Ridley sea turtles, the most endangered species, along the Devi river mouth in Orissa had drastically come down in the just concluded nesting and breeding season, according to Global environment watchdog Greenpeace.

An evaluation of the turtle season from November 2009-May 2010 by Greenpeace revealed a sharp reduction of 60% in turtle mortality in the Devi region, signifying “better management” of Orissa’s coastal fisheries by the state government.

“The turtle mortality count supported by Greenpeace India provides a reference to evaluate the state government’s enforcement of the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (OFRA) and Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) directives, with emphasis on the Devi region.

Greenpeace said turtle mortalities have notably dropped by 60 per cent when compared to 2008-2009 in the Devi region. There have also been a record 3500 plus turtle nests in the Devi region, the highest in the last decade.

“The forest and fisheries departments have taken a positive step forward with effective marine patrolling near Devi in the 2009-2010 season, proving that reducing the annual turtle mortality is not an impossible task. These efforts need to be sustained every year, and the government simultaneously needs to expedite the process of a comprehensive alternative livelihood programme, particularly for the Gahirmatha region, for impacted traditional fishermen”, said Sanjiv Gopal, campaign manager, Oceans, Greenpeace.

Increased patrolling in the Devi region, and an evolving understanding from fisher communities, has resulted in reduced illegal mechanised fishing, and thus a lower turtle death toll.

“If Orissa’s fishery dependent livelihoods and fragile marine environment need to be conserved and sustained, the effective enforcement of existing laws is required. This is necessary to restore fish stocks, especially in Orissa’s territorial waters, which are currently under severe stress due to the large number of mechanised fishing vessels operating within 10 km. of the shore” Mr Gopal remarked.

Greenpeace’s campaigning efforts in Orissa are focussed on enabling the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district to become a model for better biodiversity conservation and a tool for fisheries management; one that successfully addresses potential conflicts between conservation and livelihoods. A successful model in Orissa can serve as a guiding reference for marine conservation in rest of the country.

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Indonesia census turns up Papua tribe living in trees

Reuters 24 Jun 10;

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A tribe of hunter gatherers living in trees in the remote forests of Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua has been discovered officially for the first time by the country's census, an official said on Thursday.

The nomadic tribe, called Koroway, numbers about 3,000 people speaking their own language and living off forest animals and plants, census officials found during the country's 2010 census survey.

"Their houses are in trees, their life is stone age," said Suntono, head of Indonesia's statistics agency for Papua.

After receiving reports from missionaries, census officials needed to walk for up to two weeks to find the tribe, after travelling by boat from the nearest permanent villages, but still only reached the fringes of their territory.

The nearest city to the swampy southeastern corner of Papua is Merauke, the site of a planned giant food estate attracting interest from investors such as Singapore's Wilmar to grow sugar.

Scientists said last month they had found new species in Papua, including the world's smallest wallaby. The discoveries come as scientists warn of the threat of species loss as the planet warms and forests are destroyed to feed humans.

Suntono said tribe members, who wear nothing but banana leaves, protected their area from outsiders as they depended on it for food such as deer, wild boar, sago and bananas.

A secessionist movement has smouldered for decades in politically sensitive and resource-rich Papua, with attacks in the past year on workers at Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc's Grasberg mine that has the world's largest gold reserves.

There are more than 2,500 tribes in Papua and all have different languages, Suntono added.

Papua makes up most of the western half of the island of New Guinea. Papua New Guinea, a separate country, occupies the eastern half.

(Reporting by Telly Nathalia; Writing by Neil Chatterjee; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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Rare Coral Sanctuary Discovered in Virgin Islands

Amanda DeMatto LiveScience.com Yahoo News 24 Jun 10;

A snorkeling scientist has made a surprising discovery of 30 different species of coral tucked away and thriving among the red mangrove roots of Hurricane Hole in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"I was just amazed at what I found," said Caroline Rogers, a coral reef ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). "As far as I know right now, the abundance and diversity of corals, the sheer number of different species I found in here, is unique in the Caribbean."
Corals that typically build the structural framework of coral reefs grow in the mangroves in Hurricane Hole. Credit: Caroline Rogers/USGS

The corals appear in a rainbow of colors along with the animals that use them as a habitat, with vibrant magentas, turquoises and neon yellows in profusion throughout the ecosystem.

The discovery of a hidden stash of apparently healthy corals, made in March 2009, is particularly surprising because in 2005, seawater temperatures in the Virgin Islands skyrocketed to the highest on record, and a bout of coral bleaching whitened and weakened many of the coral colonies in the area.

Coral bleaching is spurred by a number of stressors, including temperature fluctuation, ocean acidification, heavy light exposure and other human disturbances, such as overfishing.

This particular event left many of the colonies around the Virgin Islands prone to a disease that eventually destroyed 60 percent of the coral cover in the area. But curiously the corals found in Hurricane Hole were spared from these threats. It's not likely that the corals are simply newer to the neighborhood and arrived after the bleaching episode though.

"Some of these corals are so big that they had to have been growing before 2005," Rogers told OurAmazingPlanet.

Among the more typical coral species in the newfound cache are newer settlers that migrated to the area on the tides as larvae. One of these is rare and a particularly strange find in these 3-foot (1-meter) shallows: The Knobby Cactus Coral, which sports brain-like grooves, is normally found at depths of 40 feet (12 m) or more.

There are several possible reasons why the corals of Hurricane Hole are thriving amid others' devastation. The mangrove canopy shields the corals from excessive light, which Rogers said might help them survive bleaching events. This area also benefits from bans on fishing and waterskiing, which upset the balance of marine ecosystems.

Figuring out what kept these corals intact could help scientists preserve other coral systems under threat. Coral reefs around the world, from elsewhere in the Caribbean to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, are being threatened by rising ocean temperatures from global warming as well as other impacts.

The USGS is funding more research so Rogers can explore the peculiarities of Hurricane Hole's mangrove ecosystem and hopefully unearth the secrets to coral survival.

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China to send pregnant pandas into semi-wild areas

Yahoo News 24 Jun 10;

BEIJING (AFP) – Researchers in China plan to send pregnant pandas bred in captivity into the semi-wilderness in an effort to introduce their cubs to a natural environment, state media said Thursday.

Zhang Hemin, head of the Wolong panda reserve in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, said one or two pregnant pandas would be released into a semi-wild area by the end of the year, Xinhua news agency said.

The release area would be fenced but similar to the wilderness, allowing Zhang and his colleagues to monitor the animals, the report said.

"The pandas will give birth in this semi-wild environment and teach their cubs how to forage for food and survive in the wild," he was quoted as saying.

This transitional period would last about two years, and the panda cubs would then be released into wild mountain forests outside the enclosed zone, it said.

Six pregnant pandas have been short-listed for the task, and one or two of them will soon be chosen based on their health, temperament and survival skills, Zhang said.

Veterinarians and other workers who enter the initial enclosed zone will have to meld into the environment to help keep it as wild an experience for the pandas as possible, he added.

"Zoo workers and vets who enter the zone will disguise themselves as pandas by donning a black-and-white fur coat and crawling on the ground."

There are only about 1,590 pandas living in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan, Shaanxi province in the north and Gansu in the northwest.

At least 180 have been bred in captivity, but their notoriously low libidos have frustrated efforts to boost their numbers.

China has started construction on a research centre in Sichuan that aims to help captive pandas adapt to the wild, but it will not be completed for another three to five years.

China's plan to save the endangered species by releasing captive-bred pandas into the wild began in 2003 with Xiang Xiang, a male cub who was trained to adapt and released into nature in 2006, Xinhua said.

But he was found dead 10 months later, apparently killed by wild pandas native to the area.

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Whales face new threats deadlier than whaling

Tom Pfeiffer Reuters 24 Jun 10;

AGADIR Morocco (Reuters) - More whales are being killed by chemical and noise pollution, entanglement in nets, climate change or collisions with ships than by whaling itself, delegates to the world's main whaling body said this week.

Harpooning whales for their meat and oil pushed many species close to extinction in the last century. Stocks have begun to recover under a moratorium on whaling agreed in 1986, although Japan, Norway and Iceland still hunt the giant mammals.

But climate change now means it is harder for whales to find food, ship collisions are growing, pollution is disrupting their reproduction, and fishing nets can kill or wound them, according to delegates at the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) annual meeting in the Moroccan Atlantic city of Agadir.

"If you put all these threats together, whaling pales in comparison," U.S. IWC Commissioner Monica Medina told Reuters. "These issues are so much more problematic and we really need to change the focus of the Commission onto these things."

A proposal to replace the whaling moratorium with a limited cull failed at the IWC meeting because it was opposed by many anti-whaling nations as well as by Japan, which refused to stop hunting for whales in the southern ocean.

It was seen as the best chance in years for the 88-member IWC to resolve a deadlock that some experts say has diverted energy from other threats to whale conservation.

DANGEROUS SEAS

Marine wildlife experts say growing numbers of whales succumb to "by-catch" -- getting entangled in nets or hooked to fishing lines stretching up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) and known by green campaigners as "curtains of death."

Many of the whales which escape succumb to their injuries months or years later.

Their ability to breed and navigate over huge distances is being disrupted as sonar used for secret military purposes or oil and gas exploration drowns out their calls or deafens them.

Whaling countries say the IWC could be doing a lot more to stop whales being scooped up accidentally by ensuring nets have big holes at their top and can reflect whale navigation sonar. Hooked lines can carry devices to emit warning sounds.

"I think that ... the IWC could at least be more interested in the problem of entanglement and by-catch and be more serious in discussing it," said Lars Walloe, scientific adviser to the government of Norway, one of three remaining whaling nations.

For some observers, the failure of the talks exposed growing contradictions in the IWC, which has no power of enforcement.

Critics say it has failed to stop Japan in particular getting around the moratorium by saying it hunts for research -- even though much of the meat ends up on dinner plates -- and that it has also not tackled the other threats to whales.

"Accidental catches and scientific permits have killed more than 10,000 whales since the moratorium was put in place. What kind of a moratorium is that?" said Monaco IWC Commissioner Frederic Briand.

Nick Gales, who heads Australia's delegation at meetings of the IWC's Scientific Committee, said the organization was already changing, with or without reform.

"A few years ago we were talking about the importance of by-catch and climate change but were entirely embroiled in should you whale or not whale," Gales told Reuters.

"The whaling thing carries on, but there is now huge momentum behind these other things."

(Editing by Alex Lawler)

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