Malaysian Nature Society: Don’t destroy forest reserve to grow oil palm

The Star 28 Dec 10;

THE Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Selangor Branch is dismayed to learn of the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) proposal to convert the remaining peat forest in the Kuala Langat South (KLS) forest reserve to oil palm.

Although PKPS reported that the forest reserve does not have valuable hardwood and consists mostly of trees from the macaranga genus, independent scientific reports note that the forest reserve retains a rich diversity of native species, including important commercial trees and notable timber species such as Kempas (Koompasia malaccensis), Meranti Bakau (Shorea rugosa) and Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus).

MNS notes that scientists from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia doing research in Kuala Langat South found that the forest was extremely rich in species, with a high potential for finding insect and animal species that have never before been recorded in Malaysia and some which were entirely new to science.

Scientific expeditions in recent weeks further produced evidence of the presence of sunbears and panthers in the Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve.

In addition, peat forests such as Kuala Langat South provide valuable ecological services, such as maintaining freshwater quality, hydrological integrity, and carbon storage and sequestration.

The National Conservation Strategy also notes that the KLS forest reserve plays an important role in flood mitigation.

Local and indigenous communities also depend on peatlands for their livelihood. Any human influence on the Kuala Langat South Forest Reserve, therefore, can affect its form and function.

For the above reasons, we urge the Selangor State Government to conserve the KLS forest reserve for present and future generations.

GARY PHONG,
Chairman, MNS (Selangor Branch).

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Malaysia: Trials of a mighty river

Zora Chan The Star 28 Dec 10;

RAJANG River, the country’s longest river, seldom gets the media limelight. In 2010, however, the river made waves - not only in Malaysia but around the world - and for all the wrong reasons.

On Oct 7, a landslide occurred along Melatai River, a tributary on the upper reaches of the Rajang in Ulu Baleh, Kapit Division, and brought down tonnes of soil, sawn timber and wood waste into the river.

The disaster was reported widely including by the London-based BBC. Video clips of the logjam were also available on YouTube.

It was estimated that more than 300,000 cubic metres of logs and debris were washed away in the incident. It was an unprecedented logjam .

The debris, stretching for 50km on the river coupled with swift currents, brought down two bridges and damaged five jetties.

The logjam first shocked folk from Kapit and then a day later, those in Sibu. It halted express boat operations and other riverine activities for two days as the Rajang became dangerous for navigation.

Thousands of fish, including the prized ‘patin’ and ‘lulong’, which cost between RM35 and RM45 per kg, floated lifelessly to the surface of the river as their gills were clogged with mud.

The State Government said the logjam was a natural disaster and blamed the weather for the incident, stressing the prolonged heavy rainfall had caused the landslide which caused the logjam.

However, the people particularly those from Kapit and Sibu, were not convinced that it was merely an act of Mother Nature.

They scoffed at news reports which quoted authorities for saying that logging companies were not to be blamed for the disaster as they believed uncontrolled logging activities along Melatai River was the root cause.

The people were infuriated by the excuses and demanded an explanation.

Some Ibans who lived and depended on the river called for a grand miring ceremony to appease the gods so that the disaster will not recur.

They believed that the gods were angered by the massive destruction of the forests by logging companies.

So, on a cold and rainy Oct 17, the grand offering or ‘Muja Menua’ in Iban was held at the mouth of Melatai in Ulu Baleh at the break of dawn.

Gong Gerai, 75, of Rumah Singkuai, Nanga Selaut along Baleh River, insisted the logging companies were largely to be blamed for the logjam.

“We never experienced such a disaster before these companies arrived,” he said. Gong was one of 200 Iban elders who took part in the grand offering.

There were some 60 ‘piring’ offerings, and a dozen chickens and two pigs were sacrificed. The heads of the pigs were buried near the river mouth while the carcasses were placed on bamboo rafts and floated down the river.

The ‘Muja Menua’ basically served as a double-edged sword - firstly, to appease the gods which the Ibans believed was necessary and secondly, to send out a warning to logging companies to be more careful in their activities.

Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing, who officiated at the offering, said the ceremony should serve as a warning to all those involved, particularly timber companies, to respect mother nature when exploiting the state’s natural resources.

“The Ibans who live along the river have been very tolerant to the extent of asking for the forests’ and rivers gods’ forgiveness on behalf of those who they believed had caused the logjam.

“They are not doing this ceremony out of guilt, but in good faith. This shows how generous the community is. If this disaster happens again, the Ibans might not be so patient,” he warned.

Masing, who flew over the affected area by a helicopter to see for himself the extent of the damage, was still convinced that the cause of the logjam was not only a natural disaster but also excessive human activities.

“It rained for centuries here but why did the landslide and logjam occur all of a sudden?” he asked.

If there is any lesson that can be learnt from the logjam, it is that the words “sustainable development” must not be mere a lip service. There are laws and guidelines when it comes to harvesting natural resources, but are they being complied with or enforced effectively?

It’s high time for Sarawakians to stand up and demand that all natural resources be harvested according to a high standard of environmentally sound practices, and prosecute those who fail to do so.

Only strong public pressure will ensure the wise-use of the environment for posterity.

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Floods bring crocodile warning for Australia's north

Yahoo News 27 Dec 10;

SYDNEY (AFP) – Flooding in Australia's tropical north has prompted a warning about crocodiles, with several of the reptiles spotted in swollen waterways, an official said Monday.

The flood threat near Ingham in the eastern state of Queensland is easing but acting mayor of Hinchinbrook Shire Council Andrew Lancini said several residents had sighted the saltwater predators.

"There's usually reports of crocodiles (during floods)," he told AFP.

"You would be surprised if we didn't (have them)."

Torrential rains have inundated much of Queensland state after Tropical Cyclone Tasha crossed the coast early Saturday, and south of Ingham many towns are cut off by flood waters.

The town of Chinchilla in the state's south was suffering what could be its worst deluge in decades after more than 100 millimetres (4 inches) of rain fell overnight, forcing the evacuation of several homes.

Justin Byrnes, who owns the town's Club Hotel, said rising floodwaters had inundated several businesses and were on track to be the worst in memory.

"What we're hearing is that this will far exceed '83, which is probably the worst one in memory that's documented," he told ABC radio.

The Queensland state government has announced disaster relief for some areas and urged residents not to attempt to drive through flood waters after 20 people were rescued from creeks and rivers in the past two days.

Forecasters said rain was set to continue in southern Queensland for several days while there was a possibility that a low-pressure system in the north of the state could form another cyclone.

Floods have also hit parts of New South Wales state to the south of Queensland while the nation's west has endured soaring temperatures, prompting authorities in Perth and other areas to be on alert for bushfires.

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British wildlife benefits from return to 'traditional' seasonal weather

Conservationists express relief as insects, birds and other wildlife flourish because of cold winter and decent summer
Steven Morris The Guardian 27 Dec 10;

This year's weather may not always have been to everyone's taste but for British wildlife and plant life, at least, a return to four "traditional" seasons has been good news, conservationists said today.

The cold winter, reasonably decent summer and good old-fashioned spring and autumn benefited many kinds of fauna that had suffered through previous mild wet winters and soggy summers.

The National Trust, which produces an annual Christmas round-up of how the weather has affected wildlife, expressed relief.

Matthew Oates, the charity's nature conservation adviser, said: "For the first time in a generation we have experienced a traditional year of weather and our wildlife has mostly responded favourably. A cold winter enabled wildlife to hibernate properly while a warm spring and early summer created ideal conditions for insects and led to bumper autumn berry crops in our orchards, woods and hedgerows."

Two years ago the trust was warning that "unseasonal" weather could start to spell disaster for many species of insects, birds and mammals. It was especially concerned about miserable summers that were making life difficult for creatures from craneflies (or daddy-longlegs) to species of butterflies, members of the tit family and bats.

This year, Oates said there had probably been more winners than losers. He picked out native endangered and beloved species such as the heath fritillary butterfly on Exmoor, the netted carpet moth in Cumbria and puffins on the Farne islands as having done well.

In other positive signs: • There were an unusually large number of queen wasps, perhaps because the colder winter led to successful hibernation.

• It was a good early spring and early summer for many flowers as the dry weather meant they were not overgrown by vigorous grasses.

• Bluebells were still in flower at the end of May in woodlands as far as south-west as Devon, and autumn produced a fantastic colour display and was "great" for grassland fungi.

• The large blue butterfly had its most successful year yet at Collard Hill in Somerset, and attracted a record number of visitors.

• An abundance of the (largely passive) hornet, which has spread well in southern UK recently.

• Hazel catkins, which usually appear in March and April, appeared early in autumn at Washington Old Hall, Tyne and Wear, for the second year running • Mammals generally entered the winter in good condition, especially badgers, wild deer, and the wild sheep and goats in Cheddar Gorge.

• Large flocks of chaffinch with some bramblings in woodland, abundant redwing and fieldfare in hawthorn hedges, and rare waxwings appearing in unusually high numbers.

Insects largely had a good year, until the weather turned in mid-July and the country was hit by an unseasonal gale that killed off many winged creatures. And those poor old daddy longlegs have continued to suffer.

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China mulls GMO food law, grain law ready in 2011

Reuters AlertNet 27 Dec 10;

BEIJING, Dec 27 (Reuters) - China's National People's Congress, or parliament, is proposing legislation on the management of genetically modified (GMO) food, the official Xinhua news agency said in a report seen on Monday.

The legislation will cover the import and export of GMO food and production, development and research of GMO grains.

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection is preparing a law on overall GMO safety, while parliament's agriculture and rural affairs committee is proposing a law specifically about GMO food, Xinhua said, without saying when it might become law.

China is the largest producer of GMO cotton, but it has been much more cautious about accepting GMO food than some other producers, such as the United States.

Last year the Ministry of Agriculture's biosafety committee gave the first safety approval for GMO strains of rice and corn, paving the way for a large scale commercial production of those GMO strains within 2-3 years. [ID:nSP364484]

But the approval has caused controversy in the country about whether the GMO strain of rice, the staple food for 1.3 billion people, is safe.

Greenpeace said it found illegal sales of GMO rice in some markets in the country, sparking concerns that China may have loose management over GMO products, despite a similar regulation put in place by the State Council, or cabinet, in 2001.

Parliament is likely to pass a draft grain security law in 2011, which will strengthen the responsibility of local government officials to boost grain production to ensure ample supplies for the world's most populous country. (Reporting by Niu Shuping and Tom Miles; Editing by Benjamin Kang Lim)

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China to spend $30 bln on water conservation in 2011

Reuters AlertNet 25 Dec 10;

BEIJING, Dec 25 (Reuters) - The Chinese government is expected to spend about 200 billion yuan ($30.10 billion) on water conservation projects in 2011, a tenth more than in 2010, the state-run China Daily reported on Saturday.

Priority will be given to improving irrigation to ensure grain security and projects to combat drought and floods, the newspaper said.

It cited Water Resources Minister Chen Lei as telling a government meeting that some of the investment would come from a 10 percent levy on income earned from the leasing of land. The newspaper did not elaborate.

Other funds would go towards renovating water supply infrastructure for main agriculture regions and ensuring safe drinking water for 60 million rural people, the newspaper added.

"Over the next 10 years, Chen said he hopes the country can double its current average annual investment in water conservation construction," it said.

The government has invested about 700 billion yuan on water conservation over the past five years, the newspaper said.

Chen Xiwen, director of the central government's rural work leading group who advises top leaders on rural policy, said the government would specifically target water conservation next year because of worry about grain production, it said.

While grain production will rise to 546.4 million tonnes this year, up by 15.6 million tonnes on last year, there are worries about next year's harvest because of natural disasters, which could push up food prices, Chen Xiwen added.

The government is paying close attention to the cost of food after prices rose nearly 12 percent in the year to November, leading overall consumer inflation to a 28-month high of 5.1 percent.

"We have to accelerate the construction of water conservation facilities as one of the key infrastructures the country needs to secure increasing grain production. We must address issues arising from the country's rapid urbanisation, which has consumed land that used to be used for farming," he said.

Chen Xiwen said this month water shortages and the encroachment of urban development on rural land posed challenges for China to extend increases in grain output after seven years of growth. ($1=6.645 yuan) (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Best of our wild blogs: 27 Dec 10

Mei Lin, the explorer's last dives of 2010
from Psychedelic Nature

Rare mangroves at Kranji, with special find?
from wild shores of singapore

Search for Glowing Mushrooms
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Milky Stork乳白鹳@Japanese garden星和园
from PurpleMangrove

sentosa
from into the wild

Christmas Eve with Big Sister
from The Gal - Nicole and The annotated budak

Monday Morgue: 27th December 2010
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

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For PR's sake, free the dolphins

Letter from Roger Chow Today Online 27 Dec 10;

I REFER to recent reports that two of the seven dolphins destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) Marine Life Park have died in captivity.

RWS has stated that its decision to exhibit the dolphins is a fulfilment of obligations in its winning bid to build one of Singapore's two integrated resorts. If it is therefore beholden to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), then perhaps STB should instead take the initiative in changing course before a dreadful situation is made worse.

Ho Wai the killer whale died in Hong Kong's Ocean Park in 1997 after she lost too much blood in her intestine. She died aged about 22, compared to a natural lifespan of around 50 for those in the wild.

The nation mourned and many questioned the initial wisdom of placing such an elegant creature in captivity.

When more dolphins die prematurely or unnaturally in Singapore - and they surely will, as studies have shown that such marine creatures almost always fare poorly in captivity - a similar backlash will occur.

This will tarnish the image of STB, RWS and Singapore as an environmentally-enlightened nation. It makes commercial and ecological sense to avert the PR disaster before it happens.

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India: Olive Ridley nesting at peril

Satyasundar Barik The Hindu 27 Dec 10;

BHUBANESWAR: Will the spectacular sight of mass congregation of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles for mating and nesting on the beaches of Gahirmatha become history?

The beaches coming under the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary have shrunk considerably. A 32-km-long beach has shrunk to less than one kilometre in the past 35 years.

Gahirmatha is one of the first rookeries of turtles discovered along the Orissa coast.

A group of researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Orissa Forest Department noticed the trend while studying the offshore distribution and migration pattern of Olive Ridleys along the country's east coast.

While presenting the outcome of the study spanning from 2007 to 2010 here recently, B. C. Choudhury, WII scientist and principal investigator of the study, said: “When as a researcher I worked in 1975, we used to walk a 32-km stretch beach where nesting used to take place. When the fragmentation occurred, at that point of time the nesting beach was six km long. And today it is about 950 metre.”

Fragmented space

In 2004, Islands of Nasi-I and Nasi II in Gahirmatha used to be continuous, but now the space was fragmented, Mr. Choudhury said. “Smaller patches of beach are often submerged. But when these are exposed, there is little space available for nesting by turtles.” The area available for nesting was 1,80,000 square metre in 2004.

Mr. Choudhury said that in 2009, all smaller patches went under water and a very small piece of extended sand bar got attached to the Wheeler Island, which was being used by the Defence Research Development Organisation for missile testing. The nesting took place on the sandbar which was about 78,300 square metre.

“In 2010, the total mass nesting area is about 1,000 metre long by 53 metre width. You can easily calculate what is the total area? And even by wildest stretch of imagination, can you believe that 4.5 lakh turtles will lay their eggs in that area,” the WII scientist asked.

“Nesting by four to five turtles in a square metre area is very high density. Imagine the scenario on one metre square area where the first turtle will lay eggs, the second turtle will probably dig out those eggs. When 1.5 lakh eggs are laid and covered, probably 50,000 eggs are taken out.”

Two other mass nesting beaches are on the mouth of rivers Rushikulya and Devi along the Orissa coast.

The study also said that nesting density (4 to5 turtles per square metre area) was high in Gahirmatha compared to Rushikulya (0.80 to one per square metre area) during the 2009-10 nesting season. Low erosion and sporadic nesting resulted in high hatching success at Devi.

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US shark fin restrictions carry little weight in HK

Joyce Woo Sun Yahoo News 26 Dec 10;

HONG KONG (AFP) – The US Senate's move to toughen laws on shark finning is unlikely to have much impact in Hong Kong, dubbed the "Grand Central Station" of the controversial trade, environmentalists say.

The new legislation passed last week is aimed at protecting the ancient fish which experts fear is on the brink of extinction due to growing demand in Chinese restaurants, which use the fins in a hugely popular soup.

Few places prize the gelatinous delicacy more than Hong Kong, where it is a staple at high-end restaurants and wedding banquets, a mark of affluence in a city that accounts for as much as 80 percent of the world trade in fins.

Hong Kong was the largest importer of shark fin globally in 2007, buying about 277 million US dollars worth of fins, or 10,209 tonnes, according to United Nations figures.

One kilogram (2.2 pounds) from certain species can sell for 120 US dollars or more in Hong Kong.

The appetite for shark fin seems unlikely to wane, despite growing criticism online and among some couples who refuse to serve the soup at their weddings.

Hong Kong-born action star Jackie Chan, NBA superstar Yao Ming and Taiwanese movie director Ang Lee have also campaigned for shark conservation.

But demand remains strong and tens of millions of sharks are killed each year, often by fishermen who slice off their fins before throwing them back in the water to die.

The US banned finning 10 years ago, but the new law closes a loophole that allowed it in the Pacific as long as sharks were not finned onboard a vessel and led to a booming clandestine industry.

The bill does not ban the sale of shark fin, which is readily available in many upscale Chinese restaurants in the US.

Silvy Pun, a spokeswoman for the conservation group WWF Hong Kong, told AFP the US move would have little impact on the trade in the southern Chinese city.

"More than 80 countries actively contribute to Hong Kong's shark fin imports and the US is only one of them," she said.

"A lot more could be done, especially in terms of banning shark-slaughtering or at least imposing a legal limit on how many sharks can be killed each year," she added.

Hong Kong's government said it abides by restrictions on the trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

But even the Hong Kong fisheries and conservation department serves shark's fin soup at official events and has no plans to change the policy, a spokeswoman told AFP.

Pun described Hong Kong's position as "disappointing" and said she wanted other countries to follow the US example.

Shark's fin shops are common in Hong Kong and dealers reacted angrily to the tougher US laws, accusing campaigners of attacking Chinese culinary culture.

"It's because green groups always go around telling people not to eat shark fin... They are brainwashing the public," said Mak Ching-po, chairman of the Hong Kong Dried Seafood and Grocery Merchants' Association.

"Why don't they go after the foods of other cultures like caviar or foie gras? They simply want us and the whole industry to die. It is turning Chinese culture upside down."

The issue made headlines again earlier this month when culinary bible Michelin Guide awarded its highest three-star rating to Sun Tung Lok, a Hong Kong restaurant which -- like many in the city -- serves shark's fin soup.

A restaurant spokesman said they respected the US decision but defended selling the soup.

"We are just doing our own thing -- serving food to our customers. It's important to remember that out of more than 100 dishes that we serve, only four to five dishes are shark fin. There's no need to magnify the issue," he said.

More than 50 local restaurants have signed on to a WWF campaign urging shark-fin free menus.

The WWF's Pun said she believed attitudes were turning against eating shark's fin, but urged the authorities to do more.

"The government should be taking a lead role in this. There's only so much civil groups can do -- we need legislation," she said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 26 Dec 10

First Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip for 2011
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Top Memorable Events
from Psychedelic Nature

Life History of the King Crow
from Butterflies of Singapore

decorator-velcro crab @ Big Sister's Island 24Dec2010
from sgbeachbum

The same old line
from The annotated budak

Why DIDN'T the chicken cross the road?
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

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Environment review of 2010

The year started badly after the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and got worse with the ‘climategate’ scandal and the largest oil spill in US history. But it was a good year for tigers and wildlife.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 21 Dec 10;

• The Copenhagen fall-out: The failure of world leaders to agree a deal on climate change during a fraught United Nations meeting in Copenhagen at the end of 2009 left the environmental movement in a state of confusion. Much of 2010 was spent reassessing better ways to limit carbon emissions if it is not going to be through a global agreement. Non-governmental agencies started targeting businesses and individuals to reduce emissions instead, irrespective of what government is doing.

• Climategate: Emails stolen from the University of East Anglia (UEA) led to accusations scientists had exaggerated the evidence for global warming. Professor Phil Jones, head of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), claimed to have done nothing wrong. But it took three reviews for him to clear his name of any scientific wrong doing. However UEA was criticised for failing to share information correctly.

• Deepwater Horizon: The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was described as one of the worst environmental disasters in history. Eleven workers were killed after an explosion sank the rig in late April and for three months gallons of oil poured in the ocean. BP, the British company in charge of the rig and its chief executive Tony Hayward, became figures of hate in the US. The company has been forced to pay out billions in compensation and no one knows what the lasting damage will be on the ecology of the area.

• The Greenest Government ever? In May the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition was sworn in promising to be the ‘greenest government ever’. However one of the first moves was to cut the budget for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) by a massive 30 per cent. Various quangoes were lost and funding for flooding and wildlife was slashed.

• Year of the Tiger: The world's first tiger summit ended with a pledge for £200 million and the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. A meeting of the UN on biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan managed to be more successful than climate change talks. Governments agreed to at least halve the loss of natural habitats for wildlife by 2020. The Convention on Biological Diversity also agreed to expand nature reserves to 17 per cent of the world's land area by 2020, up from less than 10 per cent today

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