Cheetah will run again in India

BBC News 30 Jul 10;

The cheetah, eradicated in India by hunting nearly a century ago, will run again in the country, as three sites are earmarked for its reintroduction.

The government has approved wildlife groups' recommendations of two sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and an area in Rajasthan as potential homes.

The government will spend 30m rupees ($0.6m; £0.4m) to restore these sites before the animals are imported.

The plan is to import the cats from Africa, Iran and the Middle East.

Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi wildlife sanctuaries in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh area in Jaisalmer, in the northern state of Rajasthan, have been selected as the sites to house the animals.
Trophy hunters

Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said the reintroduction of the world's fastest land animal would "restore the grasslands" of India.

Wildlife experts say the two sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh had the capacity to accommodate nearly 80 cheetahs, although 23 human settlements will have to be moved from the one in Nauradehi.

Scores of nomadic human settlements would also have to be cleared at the site in Rajasthan on the international border with Pakistan.

"The return of the cheetah would make India the only country in the world to host six of the world's eight large cats and the only one to have all the large cats of Asia," MK Ranjitsinh of Wildlife Trust of India told the Press Trust of India news agency.

Pursued by trophy hunters and herdsmen to the brink of extinction during the Raj, the Asiatic cheetah vanished from India many decades ago.

Conservationists say less than 100 of the critically endangered subspecies remain in Iran, roaming the central deserts.

The vast majority of the 10,000 cheetahs left in the world are in Africa.

Critics of the reintroduction scheme in India say that without restoring habitat and prey base, and reducing the scope for man-animal conflict, viable cheetah populations will not flourish.

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Criminal gangs drive surge in rhino poaching in South Africa

Tabelo Timse Yahoo News 30 Jul 10;

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Nine-month-old rhinoceros Vuma was orphaned after poachers this month hacked out his mother's horn and left her dead in a pool of blood at a reserve just north of Johannesburg.

She was the latest victim in a wave of poaching that has seen the number of slain rhinos escalate sharply this year in South Africa.

Vuma, whose name means "acceptance", only survived because his horn has still to grow. His mother was the last adult at the reserve, so he was moved last weekend to join a new herd.

Rhinos are so social that they can actually die of loneliness if left on their own.

"He was very stressed, dehydrated and extremely hungry when he arrived, but now he is slowly making progress, he is adapting well," said Ed Hern, owner of the private Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve where Vuma now lives with two other orphaned calves.

Poaching has surged this year on growing demand in Asia, where rhino horns are believed to have medicinal powers.

Last year, 122 rhinos were killed, but the number is set to double this year with 139 already slain, said Pelham Jones, chairman of the Private Rhino Owners Association.

Conservationists warned that if poaching continues at the current rate, the number of killings will outstrip the new births.

"South Africa is the remaining bastion of a viable rhino population in Africa and they (poachers) won't stop until there are no rhinos left," said Jones.

"What is of concern now is the level of sophistication they use for these attacks and the brutality," he added.

In the past, poachers used home-made weapons, but now conservation experts say international criminal gangs have entered the trade with specialised veterinary drugs, guns, helicopters, night vision equipment, bullet-proof vests and well-trained mercenaries to track rhinos.

South Africa National Parks spokeswoman Wanda Mkutshulwa said the government has established a Wildlife Reaction Unit to fight and combat rhino poaching.

"The aim of the unit is to coordinate the reporting, investigation and prosecution of these criminals in a systematic and deliberate manner because it has come to light that we are not dealing with your 'normal' poacher but rather with organised crime involving a number of syndicates," said Mkutshulwa.

She said that 5.2 million rands (710,000 dollars, 544,000 euros) was spent last year to hire more field rangers and buy new equipment for Kruger National Park.

Private game reserves, which often have less security, have been more vulnerable but are also stepping up their defences.

The commercial value of the slain rhinos is more than 470 million rands (64 million dollars), said Jones, adding that tourism will be greatly affected if the problem continued as the animal was among the big five which South Africa boasts.

"These guys know there is increased security at Kruger so now they are shifting their focus to us. I have to pay 40,000 rand a month for additional security and equipment," said Hern, who lost two rhinos to poaching two months ago.

"Rhino poaching is not only a problem but a trauma in our lives," he said.

"There is a lot of anger that goes with these things. One of our rhinos that was killed had been here for 25 years. These people just come and kill it just for the horn."

Jones said an awareness campaign in Asia was needed to explain that rhino horns have no scientific medicinal value.

"Scientists have proven that the rhino horn has keratin, which is the same chemical found in your nails. We respect their (Asian) culture and heritage so they must do the same to us," he said.

"Rhinos are part of our heritage. We brought these animals from extinction."

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Chernobyl zone shows decline in biodiversity

Victoria Gill BBC News 30 Jul 10;

The largest wildlife census of its kind conducted in Chernobyl has revealed that mammals are declining in the exclusion zone surrounding the nuclear power plant.

The study aimed to establish the most reliable way to measure the impact on wildlife of contamination in the zone.

It was based on almost four years of counting and studying animals there.

The scientists say that birds provide the best "quantitative measure" of these impacts.

They report their findings in the journal Ecological Indicators.

The research team say that their census of species in the zone - which was carried out for more than three years - provides more evidence that contamination has a "significant impact" on biodiversity.

Professor Timothy Mousseau from the University of South Carolina, US, and Dr Anders Moller from the University of Paris-Sud, France, worked together on the project.

From 2006-2009, they counted and examined wildlife including insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Their previously published work revealed some of the negative impacts on birds and on insects of the low-level radiation that still contaminated the exclusion zone surrounding the power plant.

The new data on mammals and reptiles shows what Professor Moussaeu described as a "strong signal" of reduced biodiversity in these groups too.

The research team compared the abundance of species in the exclusion zone with similar types of habitats in the area, which were not contaminated.

"The truth is that these radiation contamination effects were so large as to be overwhelming," Professor Mousseau told BBC News.

During their census work, he and Dr Moller have also examined the effects of radiation contamination on the animals. They say that these impacts are particularly obvious in birds.

In their studies on barn swallows, the team observed birds with tumours on their feet, necks and around their eyes.

"We think they may be more susceptible, after their long migrations, to additional environmental stress," explained Professor Mousseau.
Poison or haven?

Scientists in the Ukraine criticised the conclusions. Dr Sergii Gashchak, a researcher at the Chornobyl Center in Ukraine was not available for comment on this latest paper.

But he spoke to BBC News last year and dismissed the team's previous findings on insects and birds. He said that he drew "opposite conclusions".

"Wildlife really thrives in Chernobyl area - due to the low level of [human] influence," Dr Gashchak told BBC News.

"All life appeared and developed under the influence of radiation, so mechanisms of resistance and recovery evolved to survive in those conditions," he continued.

But Professor Mousseau said the evidence of an increase in biodiversity in the region is "purely anecdotal".

"This is the first paper that provides quantitative, rigorous data that the mammals really are significantly affected by contamination," he told BBC News.

"That said - it's not a bad idea to set this place up as a wildlife haven - it's a natural laboratory where we can study the long-term consequences of this kind of an accident."

Dr Mousseau also criticised a recently made documentary film called Chernobyl, A Natural History, which has been promoted by a French production company as showing how nature has "recolonised" the exclusion zone in the absence of man.

Professor Mousseau said: "If society is ever to learn more about the long term environmental consequences of large scale accidents - and Chernobyl is just one of several - it is important that we all take our responsibilities seriously."

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 30 Jul 10

Oil-slicked Tanah Merah: Fishy surprises!
from wild shores of singapore

Dredging off Kusu Island until Jan 2011
from wild shores of singapore

BeMUSE features Singapore's biodiversity!
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

Nesting behaviour of the Coppersmith Barbet
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Climate campaigns down the pan
from BBC NEWS blog by Richard Black

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Rapid growth, foreigner influx make it hard to 'green' most Singapore buildings

Growing a green economy is tough
Rapid growth, foreigner influx make it hard to 'green' most buildings, says council head
Amresh Gunasingham Straits Times 30 Jul 10;

EVERY year, Singapore adds about 8.4 million sq m of new building space to cater to a hot economy and the influx of foreigners.

As such, the demands posed by rapid urbanisation mean it is a challenge to grow the economy in a more sustainable way, said Singapore Green Building Council president Lee Chuan Seng.

He was speaking yesterday at the National Sustainability Conference, which brought together policymakers, academics and members of the industry.

All new buildings since 2008 have had to observe minimum energy consumption standards.

Despite this, just 8 per cent of all buildings here have been 'greened' since an energy efficiency rating was introduced in 2005.

This means that achieving the Government's target of greening eight in 10 buildings here over the next 10 years is a real challenge, said Mr Lee.

He added that this was made worse by rapid economic growth of around 6 per cent a year, while as many as a million people have been added to the population in the last five years.

Around 450 buildings in Singapore are part of the Green Mark scheme, a building rating system launched in 2005 by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). The rating is awarded based on factors like efficiency in electricity and water use and the building's indoor environmental quality.

The Government is considering a law to make it mandatory for all buildings, including older ones, to be greened here. But Mr Lee, who chairs the BCA's Green Mark Advisory Committee, said more data on the profile of buildings would be needed.

This would mean collating a database of the energy consumption of all buildings before targets can be set to bring down their consumption, he said.

In her keynote speech at the conference yesterday, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment And Water Resources) Amy Khor gave an update on the take-up rate of government schemes that subsidise the cost of energy audits. The $10 million Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme, which co-funds the cost to building owners in engaging a consultant to help improve energy use, has had 177 approved applicants whose projects stand to reap about $53 million in annual cost savings.

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Energy Conservation Act set for 2013 to regulate industry: MEWR

S Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 29 Jul 10;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government is now looking at energy management practices for companies.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Dr Amy Khor says the ministry is preparing to introduce the Energy Conservation Act which will come into force in 2013.

The legislation will set minimum energy management requirements for large industrial energy users.

Dr Khor says companies that consume more than the equivalent of 15 GWh of energy annually will be required to appoint an energy manager.

They would also have to monitor and report their energy use to the National Environment Agency (NEA) and develop and submit their energy efficiency improvement plans.

NEA is currently consulting with companies on the detailed requirements under the proposed Act.

Dr Khor adds that international experience indicates that implementing energy management programmes in companies is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency.

And companies can expect to reduce their energy consumption by at least 10 to 15 per cent.

Such energy management practices ought to be the norm for the companies says Dr Khor and some countries like Japan have mandated energy management practices for their companies.

Dr Khor said: "Sustainable development is a key priority for Singapore because it paves the way for a cleaner, greener environment.

"With a mere 710 sq km of land size, every part of this island is precious and a resource, we need to safeguard for future generations. We have set goals under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint that will help Singapore continue to grow and prosper but in a responsible manner.

"To achieve these goals, it is imperative that we receive full support from the business community, and indeed from each and everyone in Singapore."

- CNA/jm

Government's energy efficiency drive takes shape
364 applications for NEA's Singapore Certified Energy Manager training grant approved
Joyce Hooi Business Times 30 Jul 10;

THE government's efforts to bridge the gaps between energy efficiency and corporations are gathering momentum.

Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, revealed yesterday that 364 applications for the Singapore Certified Energy Manager (SCEM) training grant have been approved.

A sum of $6.6 million in grants was set aside in late 2008 by the National Environment Agency (NEA), with the aim of training 1,000 energy managers over 2-4 years.

According to Dr Khor, the applicants came mainly from the property and facilities management as well as the consultancy sectors.

'The government is now looking at energy management practices for companies,' said Dr Khor yesterday, during her speech at the National Sustainability Conference 2010.

'International experience indicates that the implementation of energy management programmes in companies is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency, and companies can expect to reduce their energy consumption by at least 10-15 per cent.'

Dr Khor also announced that the Energy Efficiency National Partnership, which was launched in April, has 77 partners to date, hailing from the chemicals, oil, electronics, wafer fabrication, pharmaceutical, and power generation industries.

The partnership was introduced to help energy-intensive corporations comply with the Energy Conservation Act, which will come into force in 2013.

'We are also reviewing the existing incentive schemes as well as exploring energy efficiency financing options to better cater to the needs of companies,' said Dr Khor.

Another scheme geared towards energy efficiency is also picking up pace.

The Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASe) has approved another 16 applications since March, bringing the total to 177.

The $10 million scheme administered by NEA co-funds the engagement of specialist companies for energy efficiency improvement.

'These projects, when implemented, are estimated to reap a total annual energy savings of $53 million and reduce electricity demand by 300 GWh per year,' said Dr Khor.

Read more!

Singapore's food joint venture is safe from China chemical spill

Straits Times 30 Jul 10;

A PLANNED agricultural project being jointly built by Singapore and the Chinese authorities sits at the Songhua River in Jilin province, but it is in no danger from the chemical spill, say its Singapore investors.

All the sites identified for the Jilin-Singapore Agriculture and Food Zone in Yongji County are located on high ground and upstream of the area of the spill, a Singapore Food Industries (SFI) spokesman said yesterday.

The sites are also outside the flood zones, he added.

SFI, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and Temasek Holdings subsidiary Singbridge International Singapore are collaborating with the Jilin city municipal government to build an agricultural food zone that is expected to produce foodstuffs such as pork, beef, dairy products, rice, corn and grapes.

The proposed agricultural food zone is located in Chaluhe town in north-eastern Jilin province, and is to include an integrated pig farm.

The SFI spokesman said that as the chemical spill is downstream of the food zone and no construction work has been done, the project would not be affected.

'As at yesterday afternoon, the rain has stopped and the floodwater has subsided and a massive clean-up has begun. The government of Jilin City is coping well with the situation and things are getting back to normal again,' he said.

He added: 'Water in Songhua Jiang has been tested and potable water has resumed to normal supply and is declared to be safe for use.'

Read more!

Drastic Drop In Haze Hot Spots In Indonesia: Environment Minister

Bernama 29 Jul 10;

KUCHING, July 29 (Bernama) -- There has been a drastic drop in the number of hot spots detected, particularly in Indonesia, since the severe haze in 2006, which led to the forming of the Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on transboundary haze pollution.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah said several innovative actions were taken, including the formulation and implementation of Indonesia's Plan of Action (PoA).

He said Indonesia's collaboration with Malaysia and Singapore in the provinces of Riau and Jambi had also been successfully implemented to put the fire and haze situation under control.

"The (environment) ministers expressed appreciation of Indonesia for its enhanced and new efforts in implementing its PoA to deal with transboundary haze pollution.

"This includes revising targets of hot spot reduction by 20 per cent annually based on the 2006 data beginning this year and directing local governments to stay alert for any escalation of hot spots," he told a news conference after chairing the 10th meeting of the Sub-Regional MSC on Tansboundary Haze Pollution, here Thursday.

Also present were the environment ministers of Indonesia Prof Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Singapore) and Dato' Seri Setia Awang Suyoi Osman (Brunei), Thailand's Environment deputy permanent secretary Siripong Hangsapreuk and Asean deputy secretary-general Datuk Misran Karmain.

Uggah said the cumulative daily hot spot counts for Kalimantan had decreased to 728 as at July 24, this year from 17,045 in 2006, while for Sumatra the figure was reduced to 1,135 from 12,014 during the same period.

During that period, the Indonesian authorities also provided new fire suppression equipment for the Manggala Agni Brigade, especially in eight fire-prone provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan, he said.

For Sabah and Sarawak, he said, there was also a downward trend from a cumulative daily hot spot counts of 1,147 in 2006 to 675 so far this year, although in the peninsula the detection of hot spots had increased from 299 in 2006 to 705 at present.

On the meeting, Uggah said the MSC countries agreed to remain vigilant for any possible occurrence of fire during the dry spell in the coming months, especially as traditional land clearing and replanting normally occurred during this period, which might lead to escalation of fires.

"The ministers noted that based on the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) forecast, the dry weather condition is expected in August and September this year," he said, adding that normal to above normal rainfall was expected because of the high likelihood of La Nina during that period.

Uggah said all relevant agencies in the Asean member countries were also encouraged to collaborate with SMC to adopt the Fire Danger Rating System - which provided assessment of ignition potential, occurrence and spread of fires based on the weather, fuel and soil conditions - to complement the monitoring of weather and hot spots in the region.

Singapore will assume the chairmanship of MSC for the next two years, with the next meeting scheduled to be held in the island republic in February next year.

-- BERNAMA

Regional ministers agree to be vigilant on haze pollution
Channel NewsAsia 30 Jul 10;

KUCHING, Sarawak - Environment ministers from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and representatives from Thailand and the ASEAN Secretariat have agreed to remain vigilant for possible occurrence of fires during the dry spell in the coming months.

They noted that traditional land clearing and replanting normally occur during this period, which may lead to escalation of fires during extended dry periods.

The ministers said there has been a drastic drop in the number of hot spots detected, particularly in Indonesia, since the severe haze in 2006 which led to the formation of the Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

Several innovative actions were taken, including the formulation and implementation of Indonesia's Plan of Action (PoA).

They said Indonesia's collaboration with Malaysia and Singapore in the provinces of Riau and Jambi had also been successfully implemented, putting the fire and haze situation under control.

The ministers expressed appreciation to Indonesia for its enhanced and new efforts in implementing its PoA to deal with haze pollution.

These included revising targets of hot spot reduction by 20 per cent annually based on the 2006 data, beginning this year, and directing local governments to stay alert for any escalation of hot spots.

On Thursday, the ministers agreed to undertake a strategic review of the MSC framework and its activities with a view to further improve the mechanism and to draw out successful lessons that could be shared with other sub-regions and ASEAN in general.

They also noted it is possible to provide early warning of fire danger rating if there is a reliable forecast of the weather and wind conditions.

They agreed to encourage and support the further development and refinement of the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) which provides assessment of ignition potential, occurrence and spread of fires based on the weather, fuel and soil conditions.

Present at the meeting were Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah; Indonesia's Prof Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta, Singapore's Dr Yaacob Ibrahim; Brunei's Awang Suyoi Osman; Thailand's Environment deputy permanent secretary Siripong Hangsapreuk and ASEAN deputy secretary-general Misran Karmain.

Singapore will assume the chairmanship of MSC for the next two years, with the next meeting scheduled to be held in the island state in February next year.

- CNA/al

Government renews effort to ratify ASEAN haze treaty
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 29 Jul 10;

The government will for the second time push the House of Representatives to endorse the ASEAN agreement on haze pollution, an official said on Thursday.

Indonesia is the only country in Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) that had not endorsed the agreement aimed to cut forest fires and combat haze pollution.

“From the government side, there has been agreement to ratify it,” Environmental Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta told The Jakarta Post from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

“But, it might still take time because it depends on the process in the House.”

Gusti was in Kuching, Malaysia, on Thursday to attend a two-day ministerial meeting on haze to converse actions on expected land and forest fires on upcoming dry season

Sarawak happy with action on transboundry haze
Saiful Bahari The Borneo Post 31 Jul 10;

KUCHING: The state government is happy with proactive steps by members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) and Asean Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC), especially Indonesia, on transboundry haze pollution.

Stating this during the dinner for the 10th meeting of the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundry Haze Pollution, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hing Nam said the on-going bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia in the Riau province had yielded positive results.

“Apart from the Riau province, the on-going cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore in Jambi province has also turned in positive results,” said Dr Chan to delegates from Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

He suggested the authorities in Borneo collaborate to help solve the haze problem on the island.

“I would like to suggest that we also initiate bilateral cooperation between Kalimantan, Sarawak and Sabah to address this annual problem,” he said, indicating that collaboration is vital to keep the momentum of regional efforts on-going.

Dr Chan added that the threats brought about by global warming needed to be dealt with seriously as they have the potential to change everyone’s lives and also the environment.

“Huge social, political, and economic issues will arise if we don’t do something to stop the skyrocketing rise of the temperatures and environmental pollution. We need to act,” he said, adding that everybody had to give utmost priority to sustainable development with minimal degradation.

On the state’s development policies, Dr Chan said Sarawak is embarking on prudent and judicious development to uplift and enhance the socioeconomic status of the people.

“One of the main thrusts is the development of its vast underutilised native customary land and state land for oil palm and planted forests, while at the same time (we are) committed to ensure sufficient biosphere such as national parks, nature reserves, water catchment and other totally protected areas.”

Dr Chan said the state also recognises that environmental protection agenda is important to ensure that development will not cause irreversible damage to the environment.

“Among the steps taken by the state government were the enactment of the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance in 1993 and the establishment of the Natural Resources of Environment Board (NREB) in 1994,” he said, describing the effort as testament of the country and state’s initiative to protect the environment.

Among those present during the dinner were Brunei’s Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Datuk Seri Setia Awang Suyoi Osman, Singapore’s Minister of the Environment and Water Resource Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas as well as Minister of Environment and Public Health Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.

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Mass coral bleaching closes dive sites, threatens future of world’s most diverse marine region

WWF 29 Jul 10;

Mass coral bleaching caused by global warming is threatening the health of the Coral Triangle, a vast marine region that is home to 76% of all known corals in the world.

The Malaysian government recently closed portions of world-renowned dive sties on the tropical islands of Tioman and Redang, saying they would be off limits until October to give the fragile coral reef ecosystems time to heal.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, bleaching has been reported in Anilao and Nasugbu, as well as off the cost of the western municipality of Taytay, Palawan. The latter saw corals, which usually exhibit a green and brown hue, temporarily turn unusual shades of pink, orange and yellow—a precursor to complete bleaching.

Numerous other Philippine reefs are likely to have been affected as well, exacerbated by localized outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Seastars.

Widespread bleaching has also been recorded in Indonesia, with areas near Sabang, Aceh, Padang, Thousand Island Jakarta, Bali, and other locations showing telltale signs.

“This widespread bleaching is alarming because it directly affects the health of our oceans and their ability to nurture fish stocks and other marine resources on which millions of people depend for food and income” says Richard Leck, Climate Change Strategy Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon caused by global warming. Increased seawater temperatures, which in some regions have grown as much as 2°C above the long-term average maximum, can push the algae living inside corals beyond the brink, causing reefs to eventually turn white and die.

Aside from increased sea temperatures, other causes of stress include disease, pollution, sedimentation, cyanide fishing, changes in salinity, and storms.

The Coral Triangle region covers the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. This nursery of the seas contains more than 600 species of reef-building coral.

Since March this year, about 50 different organizations and individuals have reported signs of coral bleaching in the Coral Triangle region. Up to 100% bleaching on susceptible coral species have been reported, and in some areas, severe bleaching has also affected the more resistant species.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch stated that the current incident is the worst of it kind since 1997-1998, which decimated 16% of the world’s coral reefs.

With many areas showing signs of mass bleaching, it has become apparent that more weight needs to be put behind long-term conservation strategies, such as marine protected area management, preventing coastal and marine pollution, as well as promoting sustainable fisheries.

“Well-designed and appropriately-managed networks of marine protected areas and locally managed marine areas are essential to enhance resilience against climate change, and prevent further loss of biodiversity, including fisheries collapse” Leck also added.

Through new sustainable finance mechanisms and investments in climate adaptation, WWF plans to support networks of marine sanctuaries and locally managed conservation areas across the Coral Triangle.

Improving fisheries management also an important step

Better fisheries management is also key to alleviating the impacts of coral bleaching, ensuring that only viable sites are given access to fishing and that the more sensitive ones are given time to recuperate via strong regulations, enforcement and awareness.

In Malaysia, for instance, WWF is promoting the conservation of herbivorous reef fish, which plays a critical role of keeping algae populations lower, allowing room for coral recruits to settle on the potentially newly-dead coral skeletons..

Only a year ago, WWF launched The Coral Triangle and Climate Change: Ecosystems, People and Societies at Risk, a report based on a thorough consideration of the climate biology, economics and social characteristics of the region, showing how unchecked climate change will ultimately undermine and destroy ecosystems and livelihoods in the Coral Triangle.

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Wildlife conservation projects do more harm than good, says expert

New book claims western-style schemes to protect animals damage the environment and criminalise local people
Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk 29 Jul 10;

Ecotourism and western-style conservation projects are harming wildlife, damaging the environment, and displacing and criminalising local people, according to a controversial new book.

The pristine beaches and wildlife tours demanded by overseas tourists has led to developments that do not benefit wildlife, such as beaches being built, mangroves stripped out, waterholes drilled and forests cleared, says Rosaleen Duffy, a world expert on the ethical dimensions of wildlife conservation and management.

These picture-perfect images all too often hide a "darker history", she adds. Her new book, Nature Crime: How We're Getting Conservation Wrong, which draws on 15 years of research, 300 interviews with conservation professionals, local communities, tour operators and government officials, is published today.

When wildlife reserves are established, Duffy says, local communities can suddenly find that their everyday subsistence activities, such as hunting and collecting wood, have been outlawed.

At the same time, well-intentioned attempts to protect the habitats of animal species on the edge of extinction lead to the creation of wild, "people-free" areas. This approach has led to the displacement of millions of people across the world.

"Conservation does not constitute neat win-win scenarios. Schemes come with rules and regulations that criminalise communities, dressed up in the language of partnership and participation, coupled with promises of new jobs in the tourism industry," claims Duffy, professor of international politics at Manchester University.

A key failure of the western-style conservation approach is the assumption that people are the enemies of wildlife conservation – that they are the illegal traders, the poachers, the hunters and the habitat destroyers. Equally flawed, she says, is the belief that those engaged in conservation are "wildlife saviours".

Such images, she argues, are oversimplifications. "The inability to negotiate these conflicts and work with people on the ground is where conservation often sows the seeds of its own doom," she adds.

"Why do some attempts to conserve wildlife end up pitting local communities against conservationists?" she asks. "It is because they are regarded as unjust impositions, despite their good intentions. This is vital because failing to tackle such injustices damages wildlife conservation in the long run."

Duffy stresses that her intention is not to persuade people to stop supporting conservation schemes. "Wildlife is under threat and we need to act urgently," she acknowledges. Instead, she says, she wants to encourage environmentalists to examine what the real costs and benefits of conservation are, so that better practices for people and for animals can be developed.

"The assumption that the ends justify the means results in a situation where the international conservation movement and their supporters around the world assume they are making ethical and environmentally sound decisions to save wildlife," she says. "In fact, they are supporting practices that have counterproductive, unethical and highly unjust outcomes."

Duffy focuses on what she says is the fallacious belief that ecotourism is a solution to the problem of delivering economic development in an environmentally sustainable way.

This is, she says, a "bewitchingly simple argument" but the assumption that such tourism necessarily translates into the kinds of development that benefits wildlife is far too simplistic.

"Holiday makers are mostly unaware of how their tourist paradises have been produced," she says. "They assume that the picture-perfect landscape or the silver Caribbean beach is a natural feature. This is very far from the truth. Tourist playgrounds are manufactured environments, usually cleared of people. Similarly, hotel construction in tropical areas can result in clearing ecologically important mangroves or beach building which harms coral reefs."

But the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, one of the four biggest environmental NGOs in the world, maintains that the loss of wildlife is one of the most important challenges facing our planet. As such, a powerful focus on conservation is necessary: "Conservation is essential so let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater," says a WWF-UK spokesman. "There are examples out there where ecotourism is working and has thrown a lifeline to communities in terms of economics and social benefits, as well as added biodiversity benefits.

"Let's have more of those projects that are working for everybody and everything," he adds. "There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to ecotourism and conservation."

Read more!

32 more Malaysian islands to be marine parks

New Straits Times 29 Jul 10;

REDANG ISLAND: The Marine Parks Department plans to gazette 32 more islands as marine parks to raise to 74 the number of islands so categorised to protect marine resources, including corals.

Its director-general Abdul Jamal Maidin said the department was gathering data on the islands to make the recommendation to the government as soon as possible.

"So far, 42 islands in the country have been gazetted as marine parks," he said after launching a coral nursery at the Redang Island Marine Park Centre here yesterday.

The nursery was set up jointly by the Education Ministry with the collaboration of the Marine Parks Department and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

Jamal said some 800 islands in the country could be gazetted as marine parks.

He also said the department had detected 352 cases of trespassing by fishermen into marine parks between 2003 and last year, and 34 cases from January to June.


All these cases had been referred to the Fisheries Department for prosecution, he added. -- Bernama

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EIA for Sabah coal-fired plant: Probe into wrong info on power plant site

Roy Goh New Straits Times 30 Jul 10;

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has ordered an investigation into allegations that an assessment prepared for the RM1.4 billion proposed coal-fired plant in Sinakut was inaccurate.

He said he had directed state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun to look into allegations that the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) on the site was inaccurate.

"The government looks at this allegation seriously. I have asked Datuk Masidi to investigate the matter," he said after launching the Oil and Palm Industry Exhibition and Seminar organised by the Industrial Development Ministry and Palm Oil Industrial Cluster Sdn Bhd.

He said it was vital that the assessment of the site was accurate.

World Wide Fund for Nature's Malaysia policy analyst Lanash Tanda claimed that the report had made a mistake in classifying the indigenous Orang Sungai and Tidong communities as Indonesians.

He had also challenged the report's assertion that the seabed near the site was largely devoid of sea life.

He had also stated that the report had failed to include details of sampling methods and choice of locations studied.

Wildlife conservationist Dr Marc Acrenaz had pointed out that there were at least two species identified in the report that were not found in Borneo.

They are the dusky langur monkey (Semnopithecus obscurus) and the White Rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus).

The report was prepared by consultants hired by Lahad Datu Energy, a TNB-owned company that had proposed to develop the plant.

Sinakut was identified as the site of the project aimed at stabilising power supply in the east coast of Sabah after residents in Darvel Bay, Lahat Datu, and Sandakan protested against proposals to locate the plant there.

No room for error in environs report, says Musa
The Star 30 Jul 10;

KOTA KINABALU: All preparatory work for a proposed 300MW coal-fired plant on Sabah’s east coast must be above board, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said.

He said studies like the detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project must be accurate.

“Such studies should not leave any room for questioning. It must contain correct information,” he said after launching a palm oil industry exhibition here yesterday.

Musa was responding to reports quoting WWF Malaysia and the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA) officials as saying that the detailed EIA for the coal-fired plant was fraught with errors.

The environmental groups said the errors became apparent at a panel review of the document on Monday.

Among the mistakes was the inclusion of non-existent animals species in Borneo such as the Dusky Langur, a type of monkey that was said to have been spotted at the project site in Kampung Sinakut, some 300km from the state capital.

In addition, the communities living in the area including the Orang Sungei and Tidung were wrongly described as of Indonesian origin.

WWF Malaysia policy analyst Lanesh Thanda said the consultants that drew up the detailed EIA also erred as they had compared the coastline at the project site which comprised mud flats to coral reefs in places like Pulau Tioman, Klang and the Straits ofMalacca.

The panel review was held at the Department of Environment (DOE) office here and among those present were state government representatives headed by Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Susanna Liaw.

Lanesh who was also at the meeting, said a new study should be commissioned

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