As Incomes Rise, So Does Animal Trade

Bettina Wassener The New York Times 19 Dec 10;

HONG KONG — Four suitcases full of ivory, intercepted by customs at Suvarnabhumi International Airport near Bangkok. Rare tortoises, openly for sale at a fair in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. More than 2,000 frozen pangolins — scaly anteaters — seized from a fishing vessel off China.

Oh, and a 2-month-old tiger cub, alive but sedated, found inside a suitcase, also at the Bangkok airport. If you think all of this sounds like old news — didn’t we see this in the 1970s and ’80s? — think again.

Every one of these incidents, documented by Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, took place within the past few months. They provide just a glimpse of the massive trade in endangered animals — and their bones, skins and other organs — that is taking place across Asia.

And they illustrate that half a century’s worth of efforts by governments, international organizations and conservationists have failed to stem wildlife trade and the extinction of numerous animals and plants.

Yes, conservation projects have helped preserve individual species, but over all the trade in rare creatures has grown, not shrunk — thanks largely to rising demand from an increasingly affluent Asia.

“I’ve been doing this job for close to 20 years,” said Chris R. Shepherd, who helps oversee Traffic’s Southeast Asia operations, “and I can say it’s never been anywhere near as bad as it is now.”

In the 1970s, when international conservation efforts began to take off, the issue was one of largely niche demand from wealthy consumers in the West. Now, however, the picture has changed radically.

Rapid growth across developing Asia over the past decade or two has caused wealth to increase quickly across much of the region. Credit Suisse, in a recent study, estimated that parts of Asia, including China, India and Indonesia, have seen the average wealth per adult soar between 100 percent and 400 percent since 2000.

Along with many of its neighbors, China is now a giant consumer of items like machinery, cars, washing powder, clothes and — yes — python-skin handbags and tiger penises, bear bile and other ingredients for traditional medicines or meals that once belonged to the aristocracy.

“Over the past 20 years, the nature of the demand has changed, thanks to a rising middle class in Asia,” said Colman O’Criodain, a wildlife trade policy analyst in Switzerland for the environmental group W.W.F. International.

James Compton, senior program director for Asia at Traffic, said from Beijing, “Whether it’s high-end luxury stores or the man on the street corner selling dried sea horses — you can see animals and animal parts being sold quite openly. Wildlife trade is now quite pervasive in Asia.”

The problem, experts say, is often not a lack of top-level political will. Many Asian countries, like those elsewhere, ban the trade of rare plants and animals. Rather, the problem is enforcement on the ground and growing demand from populations that are often simply not fully aware of just how endangered the creatures they are consuming are.

Wildlife species with high commercial value have declined drastically, and many are now rare, endangered or even locally extinct, Traffic wrote in a report about Southeast Asia in late 2008.

Figures are hard to come by, as only select species can be closely monitored. But here are a couple of examples to illustrate the scale of some the population declines:

•Some species of sharks are thought to have declined 90 percent. Considered a status symbol in Chinese culture, the soup made from pricey shark fins is now within the reach of many, many more people than it once was.

• There are now thought to be as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild globally, down from 100,000 a century ago. Despite their acute rarity and international bans on tiger trade, officials throughout most of the tiger range countries, which span Russia and much of Asia, are intercepting the claws, skins or bones of about 100 tigers every year, a report published by Traffic last month found.

On the upside, attitudes are starting to change. Shark’s fin soup, for example, is becoming a decidedly uncool meal to serve in Hong Kong, the main hub for trade in the fins.

And in mainland China, where there was barely any coverage of animal welfare and related topics a decade ago, the media are now engaged, said Jill Robinson, founder of the Animals Asia Foundation, which campaigns for animal welfare and the conservation of endangered animals.

The sale of bear bile — often harvested from animals kept in tiny cages, and used in traditional medicine to cure ailments as varied as headaches and hemorrhoids — is legal in China, and demand is booming. But many doctors are starting to turn away from its use, not least because of a growing realization that bile from bears farmed in such conditions is often diseased, Ms. Robinson said.

Unfortunately, these efforts, commendable though they are, make only a small dent. Unlike in the West, where generations of children have grown up with nature programs, populations in Asia are not yet sensitized to issues like conservation, said Mr. O’Criodain of the W.W.F.

And while some countries have pretty advanced projects for preserving terrestrial species, “most consider the resources of the high seas — including overfished species of fish — as up for grabs,” he added.

Often, said Mr. Compton of Traffic, it is actually the rarity of the animal that makes it attractive to consumers, driving up its price.

For example, in Vietnam, where it is illegal to sell bear bile, a milliliter, or one-fifth of a teaspoon, of fresh, liquid bear bile can fetch as much as $30 on the black market, Animals Asia said.

Such prices mean fines and other penalties are an insufficient deterrent to often impoverished local populations.

“Wildlife crime is becoming more and more organized and sophisticated, and enforcement capacities are not managing to keep up,” said Mr. Shepherd of Traffic.

“The political will is changing; we’re seeing a lot of high-level commitments. But we need to see that translate into action on the ground. Otherwise, it will just be business as usual.”

For some species, even the welcome change in awareness may already simply be too little, too late.

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Malaysia: Saving turtles with reef balls

Rintos Mail The Star 20 Dec 10;

REEF balls have proven their effectiveness in protecting turtles in Sarawak.

Sarawak Forestry Corporation Kuching regional office project coordinator (conservation and protection) Christopher Kri said in the early 1990s, between 70 and 100 turtle deaths were reported every year.

However, he said the number had reduced significantly since 2006, of which only 15 cases were reported.

“In 2007, only five and in 2008, only 12 turtles were reported dead,” he said when presenting his paper on “Reef Balls for Protecting Turtles in Sarawak” at the 10th Hornbill Workshop organised by Sarawak Foresty Corporation in Miri, which ended last Friday.

He said most of the dead turtles reported were believed to be caught by illegal trawling activities.

He said seeing the need for an alternative method to deter illegal trawling activities permanently, Sarawak had decided to place reef balls in all turtle inter-nesting resting areas.

“To date a total of 2,840 reef balls have been deployed at the selected sites. This has seen a significant drop in turtle death reports per year,” he said.

Kri said the reef balls were deployed at Talang Talang Besar, Talang Talang Kecil, Pulau Satang Besar, Pulau Sempadi and Tanjung Datu National Park.

He said other benefits of reef balls were for protecting traditional fishing areas, creating new habitats for marine life and as a recreational diving site.

He said SFC was looking forward to deploying 100,000 reef balls in all the Totally Protected Areas that are turtle inter-nesting resting areas.

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Brunei: New Fauna Discoveries In Sg Ingei

Fitri Shahminan Brunei Direct 20 Dec 10;

Bandar Seri Begawan - Preliminary results have shown that at least four endangered wildlife species and suspected new ones were recorded during the first phase of a faunal biodiversity survey in Brunei's Sg Ingei Protection Forest, researchers have confirmed.

In July this year, a multinational team of wildlife researchers, led by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), camped for two weeks in the forest to uncover more details on the behaviour and movement patterns of numerous species of endangered animals in the country.

A total of 60 "camera traps" have been set up in various locations in Sg Ingei, which will be left operating over the duration of the study.

"The cameras are going on for two years, so we can say to you, that they are (recording) mind-boggling stuff," said the project leader, Dr Joseph Charles, who explained that the camera traps capture still photos upon detection of movement as well as differences in temperature within the body of an animal and the environment.

The senior lecturer at UBD's Biology Department added that the data of the findings are currently being analysed.

When asked if he could confirm new species among the findings, he said: "Yes, because we have never seen them before and nobody has ever reported about it."

"We suspect there is a new bat, frog and there are also other new forms among fish (but) all that to be confirmed, nothing is confirmed. They are all being suspected as new species," said Dr Charles, who added that a complete DNA analysis would nevertheless be required to justify their claims.

Complete details of the results from the first phase of the study are expected to be disclosed to the public some time in March next year, he said.

Sg Ingei project administrator, Dr Ang Bee Biaw commented the team was overwhelmed with the initial findings.

"Put it this way, when we look at the camera trap pictures, we could not sleep, the whole night none of us slept at all," she said.

Dr Ang added that a team comprising of Dr Charles, local researchers who are involved in the study and herself would be carrying out the DNA analysis.

"Normally we would study the morphology, anatomy and then finally the DNA analysis, to confirm if the species is new or just some sort of variation," she said.

The second expedition is scheduled to be carried out around the same time next year, when the team will be joined by selected scientists from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The results from the faunal biodiversity survey, is hoped to be enough to convince local authorities to fully protect the area and its wildlife by upgrading it into a national park.

The two-year faunal biodiversity survey is backed by the Ministry of Primary Resources and sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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Malaysia plans to build two nuclear power plants

The Star 20 Dec 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia plans to build two nuclear power plants that will generate 1,000 megawatts each with the first plant ready for operation in 2021. The second plant is expected to be ready a year later.

These are part of an overall long-term plan to balance energy supply.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said the Government would engage an international consultant to evaluate the location and requirement for such plants to be built.

“Hopefully, by 2013 or 2014, we will able to finish evaluating this. As for calling of tenders, we hope it will be done by 2016,” he said.

Chin said Malaysia was heavily reliant on gas and coal for its electricity supply as it was the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on fossil fuel.

Gas accounted for 64% of the country’s energy generation while the remainder came from coal.

“We must get away from this. (It is) very much an imbalance. Most countries have a good balance. We want hydro to assume a prominent role as it is clean but this can only be achieved in Sabah and Sarawak where there is much potential but not in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

Furthermore, Chin said other sources of energy such as biomass and wind were too minimal while solar was a good potential but the technology was still very expensive.

Chin also said the Government must have a balanced approach when it came to renewal energy as it would not want tariffs to go up due to higher cost.

Nuclear, he said, had become a more prominent choice in balancing the energy source due to lower maintenance cost and lower tariffs in the long-run.

“For example, in Abu Dhabi, they are building huge solar energy plants but at the same time balancing it up with a nuclear plant. They are not just concentrating on fossil fuel,” he said.

Malaysia began operation of a 1MW Triga research reactor in 1982 and has had an international nuclear safeguards agreement in place since 1972.

Recently, Malaysia also tightened export control laws to thwart the possibility of nuclear technology smuggling. — Bernama

Plans for 2 nuke plants to meet energy demand
New Straits Times 20 Dec 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia plans to build two nuclear power plants that can generate 1,000 megawatts each as part of the overall long-term plan to balance energy supply.

The first plant is projected to be ready for operation in 2021 and the second plant, a year later.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said the government would engage an international consultant to evaluate the location and requirements for such plants.

Meanwhile, awareness and education programmes will be carried out to inform the people on such a need.

"Hopefully, by 2013 or 2014, we will be able to finish evaluating this. As for the calling of tenders, we hope it can be done by 2016."

Chin said Malaysia was heavily reliant on gas and coal for its electricity supply and it was government policy to reduce dependence on fossil fuel.

Gas accounted for 64 per cent of the country's energy generation while the remainder came from coal.

"We must get away from this. It is very much an imbalance. Most countries have a good balance.

"We want hydroelectric power to assume a prominent role as it is clean but this can only be achieved in Sabah and Sarawak, where there is more potential, and not in Peninsular Malaysia."

Chin said other sources of energy such as biomass and wind were too minimal, while solar had good potential, but the technology was still very expensive.

"For biomass and wind energy, there is nothing to shout about.

"Unless and until solar energy becomes practical enough, this type of energy will just complement what you already have as you can't generate much due to high cost."

Chin also said the government must have a balanced approach when it comes to renewable energy if it did not want tariffs to go up.

"Yes, very good, everyone wants to say that we want to use renewable energy but what about cost?

"Can we force the people to accept high tariffs?

"We have to look at a balanced way and that's why we also can't depend on fossil fuel only."

Chin said nuclear power had become a more prominent choice in balancing the energy source because of lower tariffs and maintenance cost in the long-run.

"For example, in Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates), they are building huge solar energy plants but at the same time, balancing it with a nuclear plant.

"They are not just concentrating on fossil fuel," he said.

Malaysia began operating a 1MW Triga research reactor since 1982 and has an international nuclear safeguard agreement in place since 1972.

Recently, Malaysia also tightened its export control laws to thwart the possibility of nuclear technology being smuggled out. -- Bernama

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Best of our wild blogs: 19 Dec 10

The Saga of Singapore's Titan Arum
from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Halophila beccarii @ SungeiMandaiBesar 18Dec2010
from sgbeachbum

Butterfly of the Month - December 2010: Painted Jezebel
from Butterflies of Singapore

Otter at Woodlands Park!
from wild shores of singapore and Special plants at Woodlands mangroves

Feeding Black-naped Oriole from a highrise building
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Number of rat enclaves found in Singapore has risen sharply this year

Rats, they're still here
Amresh Gunasingham Straits Times 19 Dec 10;

Lunch hour in the bustling Central Business District.

The iconic Lau Pa Sat comes alive as hungry foodies swarm around the area to fill their empty stomachs.

But patrons interviewed paint a different picture in recent years of the 24-hour food centre late at night, when they say it was not uncommon to find a furry rodent running along the ground.

Statistics provided by the National Environment Agency (NEA) show that the number of rat enclaves found in Singapore has increased.

No fewer than 1,687 areas were found with rats by the authorities this year, a four-fold jump from the 443 found last year. Rodents typically nest and burrow in the ground, under buildings, and in rubbish and other types of litter.

This year, more building owners were also fined for attracting rodents because of poor maintenance or uncleared rubbish.

NEA issued 1,874 such fines and warnings this year, a three-fold increase from last year. Such fines can go up to $10,000.

Pest control firms said the problem lies with many food establishments here, which cut corners to save costs.

Some operators use the refuse collectors or building contractors they employ to tackle vector problems when they arise, even if they lack the expertise.

But food establishments insist they are making the best of the situation given the pressures to maintain bottom lines.

Singapore's expanding heaps of rubbish, which have grown six-fold since the 1970s, and the 1,000 new food establishments that open here every year, add to the problem, says the NEA.

Pest control firms also pin the blame on more construction activity fuelled by a resurgent economy.

Part of the problem at Lau Pa Sat was that construction projects surrounding it drove rats out of their nests. Given that they hunt in packs, the food centre became a prime target when the rats foraged for food.

Lau Pa Sat's operator, Residential Properties, was not keen on shutting down its food stalls for a day each month to deal with the problem, said Mr G. Surajan, managing director of pest control firm Major's Pest Management which was hired in 2008.

Instead, the operator asked for the job to be done by sections.

In an ideal scenario, pest control contractors say the most effective way is a total shutdown to do a thorough clean-up.

Typically, their work involves eliminating the food sources, breeding and nesting places of rats.

'Treatment has got to be effective and not partial, so I gave up the contract,' the former president of the Singapore Pest Management Association (SPMA) said, adding it was the first time he had taken such a drastic step.

When contacted, a spokesman for Residential Properties did not want to address questions related to Major's Pest Management. But she conceded that closing the building, a tourist landmark, for a day would 'inconvenience customers' greatly.

The rat problem at Lau Pa Sat, she added, has improved since neighbouring construction works ended this year. A contractor was engaged to do clean-ups twice a month in the evenings.

The area still attracted three complaints this year, said NEA, which issued the management a warning and ordered it to intensify rodent control measures and foodstall owners to dispose of rubbish properly.

In the early years, poorly sanitised homes were rat havens. But as society advanced, they gravitated to open fields near large bin centres or mismanaged building sites.

But NEA said the numbers do not tell the whole story.

Mr Tai Ji Choong, operations head of its environmental health department, said since early this year, routine surveys have been conducted in Singapore, after a spate of rat-related incidents made the news.

These include incidents at the Geylang Serai wet market last year and the Somerset Skate Park earlier this year.

'All this while, monitoring had been ad hoc, responding mainly to public complaints or feedback,' he said. Hygiene officers are typically on the lookout for burrows in open fields or cracks on the wall of a building, all tell-tale signs of rodent breeding clusters.

Rats can spread diseases such as typhus and leptospirosis. They can contaminate food with their droppings, urine and fur.

They also tend to be seasonal creatures, with more seen during rainy months as they come out in search of food and shelter.

All this has meant a roaring trade for the more than 250 pest control firms.

Current SPMA president Andrew Chan, whose firm handles five calls to address rodent issues every week, adds that the 'yuck' factor associated with rodents can be costly to businesses such as restaurants, which live or die on their reputation for keeping up hygiene standards.

One problem the authorities grapple with is the spillover of the rodent population from large bin centres in housing estates into other public spaces.

Town councils, which are in charge of these bin centres, say the rat population in their estates is linked to the estate's age, with the older ones generally seeing more rats. In Jurong, for example, about 70 rats were sighted this year, said a town council spokesman.

The issue will only grow in complexity as Singapore's population continues to grow, said NEA's Mr Tai.

The agency is working on a 'rat attack' campaign with the town councils over the next few months by trying to reduce the number of rat burrows in each HDB precinct using traps and poison and by disposing of waste properly.

These have had some success in driving away the rodents in the past, but it has not taken long for them to return.

Pest control contractors say the issue will require everyone to be on board: from the man in the street, who needs to refrain from littering, to more vigilant building owners and town councils that will pay more attention to cleanliness of the area.

There can be no shortcuts, said Mr Surajan. 'When you choose to take the cheapest way out, you get what you pay for.'

Curb rodent population
Straits Times 2 Jan 11;

I was shocked and worried to read that the number of rat enclaves in Singapore has increased by four-fold within just one year ('Rats, they're still here'; Dec 19).

What surprises me is that the National Environment Agency (NEA) has identified some food outlets,

disposal facilities in buildings and construction sites around the island, as the main root causes.

This points to the fact that the affected food outlets and building owners or managers have forgotten, or overlooked, the fundamentals of good hygienic practices, while those excavating at construction sites have not taken sufficient measures to effectively counter the expected release of rats from underground burrows.

I hope the NEA will not only increase checks and impose more stringent penalties, but also highlight to those responsible that it is pointless for Singapore to be crowned the fastest growing economy in the region if we are also given the dubious reputation of being the city with the fastest growing rodent population.

Khoo Kah Liang

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Cypriots kill record 1.4 million migratory birds

Yahoo News 17 Dec 10;

NICOSIA (AFP) – A record 1.4 million migratory birds were killed over the key autumn season to feed an illicit Cypriot taste for the delicacy, a conservationist group said on Friday.

A survey by Birdlife Cyprus carried out between September and October showed more than one million birds were indiscriminately killed after being trapped with mist nets and limesticks.

"The picture emerging from autumn 2010 is one of a bird-trapping disaster on a scale unseen since Birdlife's monitoring work began almost 10 years ago," it said in a statement.

"A 75-percent increase in mist net use and an 89-percent increase in limestick setting compared to autumn 2009 are simply unacceptable," it added.

Autumn trapping levels have been on a general upward trend for four years while mist netting levels are at a nine-year high, according to the group.

Such methods are used to catch blackcaps and song thrushes, much sought after delicacies that fetch five euros (6.65 dollars) each at Cypriot restaurants, making the illegal trade lucrative.

Birdlife said the figures showed a "serious failure" on the part of both Cypriot authorities and British Sovereign Base Areas where illegal trappings are rife.

"As EU member states, both have obligations under the EU Birds Directive to protect birds, and migrant birds in particular," the group said.

It added a clampdown on restaurants was needed to prevent Cyprus revisiting the 1990s when up to 10 million birds were killed.

A huge crackdown on trappers and restaurants was enforced before Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004, but now conservationists say the government lacks the political will to eradicate the trade.

"Trappers are making hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) by selling blackcaps and other birds to be served up as illegal, expensive ambelopoulia (blackcap) delicacies.

"Cyprus has now lost serious ground in the battle against bird-trapping, an illegal and indiscriminate practice that threatens many bird species of conservation concern."

Birdlife has also called for tougher sentencing available to the courts to be enforced while pinpointing a need to change attitudes towards killing and eating migratory birds.

During the winter, millions of birds take refuge in Cyprus from colder northern climates.

An estimated 60 species that are listed as threatened or in need of protection are snared in illegal Cypriot traps.

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Sweden permits new wolf hunt despite criticism

Yahoo News 17 Dec 10;

STOCKHOLM (AFP) – Swedish authorities announced on Friday hunters will be allowed to cull 20 wolves next year, despite harsh criticism of this year's hunt, the first in nearly half a century.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency said that between January 15 and February 15 licensed hunters will be permitted to shoot 20 wolves, down from the quota of 27 animals this year.

The Swedish parliament decided last year to limit the wolf population to 210 animals, spread out in 20 packs, with 20 new pups per year, for a period of five years by issuing hunting permits in regions where wolves have recently reproduced.

That number still stands.

It was important to keep the quota low "to not strain the population more than necessary to reach the parliament's target," agency chief Maria Aagren said in a statement.

This year's hunt, when all 27 wolves were killed in just the first four days of the season, was the first since 1964.

The hunt was blasted by ecologists as rushed, cruel and lacking coordination, as some 12,000 hunters had been granted permits to kill the 27 animals.

Environmental group WWF also strongly criticised Friday's decision, insisting it "lacks a scientific basis," and maintaining that the hunt was "random" and risked killing off "a large number of genetically valuable animals."

"It is surprising that the wolf hunt will be permitted," Tom Arnbom, head of WWF's predator division, wrote in a statement, insisting the hunt would do little to improve the problems posed by inbreeding within the Swedish wolf population.

"Today the government has decided in favour of a widespread hunt, but without providing any suggestions of how the wolf population should be strengthened genetically," he said.

Monica Eriksson of the environmental protection agency however insisted to AFP there was nothing random about the hunt.

She pointed out that in areas known to have "immigrant" wolves or their offspring, and thus with new genes, "no hunting permits have been given."

The Green Party also lashed out at Friday's decision, pointing out that the European Commission had not yet concluded a probe into the legality of the hunt.

"Now the commission might pull Sweden before the EU court at the end of January at the same time as a new group of wolves is being killed in the Swedish forests," Green member of parliament Aasa Romson said in a statement.

Eriksson meanwhile said there was no indication when the commission would reach its decision, adding that until it does, "the hunt will go ahead."

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Dec 10

Punggol shore during low neap tide
from wonderful creation

Stepping out of our comfort zones
from The Straits Times Blogs - Jessica Cheam

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Dolphins bound for Resorts World Sentosa die, activists up in arms

Esther Ng Today Online 18 Dec 10;

SINGAPORE - Two of the seven bottlenose dolphins, which were destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) Marine Life Park, have died in a holding area at Langkawi.

The dolphins were caught from the wild in the Solomon Islands in January. Two females - one aged between four and five years and the other, around 10 - died from an acute bacterial infection of Melioidosis in October, said RWS spokesman Robin Goh on Friday. They were in "perfect health" previously, he noted. The remaining five have no signs of infection.

The virus, Burkholderia pseudomallei, can be transmitted through contact with contaminated soil and surface waters, with infections occurring primarily during the rainy season.

The deaths are set to reignite opposition to RWS' plans to house the animals as entertainers.

Marine conservationist Paul Watson told MediaCorp the "incarceration of dolphins lowers life expectancy of the animals".

"It's a trade based on blood and misery and has no place in the 21st century," said the founder and president of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals executive director Deirdre Moss agreed: "This is a tragedy. The animals were obviously under tremendous stress ... If RWS could change its stand on whale sharks, why couldn't they on dolphins?"

Last year, RWS scrapped its original plan to exhibit whale sharks. Animal Concerns Research and Education Society founder Louis Ng hopes RWS will also "re-think" its decision to keep dolphins in captivity.

Marine Life Park is still under construction. Said RWS' Mr Goh: "We currently do not have a definite date for its opening, and likewise, details like animal configuration are also being finalised."

As for the 18 dolphins being trained at Ocean Adventure Park in the Philippines for the Marine Life Park, RWS said they were in "good health".

"We're continuing with the development and establishment of the medical, behavioural, husbandry and training programmes that include the preventive medicine programme to ensure the well-being and health of the dolphins," said Mr Goh, who added that the Marine Life Park was "part of the bid" when RWS was awarded the integrated resort licence.

"We're committed to delivering the bid and the Marine Life Park that will not only boost tourism but research, conservation and education in marine mammals in this part of the region."

However, Ms Moss reiterated: "It's cruel to capture these animals from the wild with a view to entertain the public. We should promote tourism but not at the expense of these animals."

Bottlenose dolphins are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which entail strict regulations in the trade of these mammals.

RWS has said previously it would comply with CITES.

More links
More background links on the wild shores of singapore blog.

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Singapore public housing goes green

Sharon See Today Online 18 Dec 10;

SINGAPORE - Public housing has gone green. Treelodge@Punggol is the first public housing project in Singapore to attain the Green Mark Platinum Award given to energy and water efficient buildings.

The newly-completed eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol marks a milestone for the Housing & Development Board, with playgrounds built from recycled materials and a green roof that helps to lower temperatures within the flat.

The roof is equipped with solar panels - a first for any HDB block in Singapore.

The energy generated is used to power lights in common areas, like the corridors.

Apart from harnessing solar power, HDB senior executive engineer Ng Bingrong said the roof also has 400 sq m of space to collect rain water.

"Rain falling on the roof is drained into a tank situated on the 16th storey of the block, and is treated using a chemical-free system. The water is then stored in a tank for common area washing and irrigation," he said.

The water tank has a capacity of 7,000 litres, sufficient for a month's washing.

Recycling is also a cinch with two rubbish chutes on every floor - one for regular waste, and one for recycling.

The flats also come with larger windows to allow more natural light in. And in the bathroom, the toilet has an integrated wash basin so that the water can be recycled and used to flush the toilet.

HDB said the added eco-features have raised overall construction costs by about five to eight per cent.

But it says the total estimated energy savings (from the use of solar energy and recycled rainwater) is about two gigawatt hours, enough to power some 400 four-room households for a year. SHARON SEE

HDB's first eco-precinct
Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 17 Dec 10;

SINGAPORE: Singapore's public housing has gone green.

Treelodge@Punggol is the first public housing project to attain the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award given to energy- and water-efficient buildings.

The newly completed eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol marks a milestone for the Housing & Development Board (HDB).

Much of the eco-features are on the rooftop. The 'green' roof has plants that help to lower the temperature in the flats.

The rooftop is also equipped with solar panels - a first for any HDB flat in Singapore.

Solar energy is then used to power lights in common areas, like the corridors.

Apart from harnessing solar power, HDB's senior executive engineer Ng Bingrong said the roof also has 400 square metres of space to collect rain water.

"Rain falling on the roof would actually be drained into a tank situated on the 16th storey of the block, and then this water would actually be treated using a
chemical-free system, and then the water would then be stored in a tank for common-area washing and irrigation."

The water tank can store up to 7,000 litres of water, which is sufficient for a month's washing.

Recycling is also a breeze with two rubbish chutes on every floor - one for regular waste, and one for recycling.

Moving indoors, HDB says, the units are designed with larger windows to allow more natural light.

And in the bathroom, the toilet has an integrated wash basin for water used to wash hands to be recycled for the next flush.

HDB says the added eco-features have raised overall construction costs by about five to eight per cent.

But it says the total estimated energy savings is about 2 gigawatt hours, enough to power some 400 4-room households for a year.

As for whether these features will be implemented in future Build-To-Order flats, HDB says it will first evaluate the level of public acceptance.

The eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol consists of seven 16-storey blocks with 712 units, of which 40 have yet to be sold.

HDB says they were launched in August under the Sale of Balance Flat exercise and selection will be done next month.

- CNA/ir

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Singapore as Sustainable City: Step up on going green

Singapore has done well in being a sustainable city but more can be done, says an architectural design expert
tay suan chiang Straits Times 18 Dec 10;

If Singapore were a trembling student, being graded on how sustainable it is as a city, its report card might well read: room for improvement.

That is how Professor Steffen Lehmann, who specialises in sustainable design and behaviour at the University of South Australia, it.

'Singapore has been very smart in establishing itself as the leader of a 'sustainable city model for Asia',' he says.

But he feels more can be done. He is one of the experts profiled in Living Cities, a new documentary series produced by Discovery Channel.

The six-part series, which started airing on Wednesday, holds Singapore up as an example to explore issues such as sustainability, urban planning and heritage involved in creating dynamic living spaces.

Praising Singapore for practices such as integrating 'greenery in the built environment', in the form of green roofs and facades as well as park connectors, he says it can do better in areas such as using renewable energy.

'There is still too little energy produced, using solar power or biomass, which is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. The Singapore Government could give more incentives for people to buy solar panels,' he suggests in an e-mail interview.

Singaporeans are also too dependent on air- conditioning, he points out. 'We need better use of design principles appropriate for the tropics,' he adds.

Dr Lehmann, 47, heads the Unesco Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific, which advises government and private bodies on sustainable architecture and urban design. Its aim is to inspire and help people live in ways that are more environmentally friendly.

No stranger to Singapore, he has visited it every two months in the last decade.

An adviser with various government and private organisations, he also guides educational institutions on architectural studies.

Much of the Republic's architecture, he feels, is 'styling and superficial - more concerned with branding and marketing'.

However, there are a few projects he approves of: the Building and Construction Authority's zero-energy building in Braddell Road, which has succeeded in achieving zero power consumption, and Henderson Waves bridge, which Dr Lehmann says, 'is a great infrastructure project'.

In future, he predicts, cities will be based on urban blocks that are six- to 10-storeys tall, with more integration of green elements.

'These will be zero-emission buildings that produce more energy than they consume,' he says.

'The opportunities for such blocks have not been fully utilised. We need to focus more on retrofitting and upgrading the existing mature housing estates from the 1960s to 1970s.'

Tall order? Maybe not.

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