Malaysia, Sipadan: Dive permit quota to stay

Muguntan Vanar The Star 30 Dec 10;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will not increase its daily permits for diving at Sipadan island.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the move to maintain a 120 daily dive permit quota is to ensure preservation of Sipadan’s environment.

He said Sipadan, which is part of the Semporna marine area, was only recently endorsed as the richest marine bio-diversity spot on Earth by a team of top scientists, remained a favourite tourist spot with a waiting list that stretches up to seven months.

“If we do not protect and conserve our environment, the tourism industry will not be able to thrive because the environment is the asset for the tourism industry,” he said, in reiterating he state is taking the necessary steps to preserve its natural heritage.

He said similar measures to preserve the environment was also taken for Mount Kinabalu where the number of climbers are limited to 192 a day.

“No matter how many visitors we have, we have to do something to prevent these flora and fauna from being affected,” he added.

He said the Sabah government would not be implementing any physical development at internationally renowned rainforest research center in the Danum Valley and also the bio-diversity rich Maliau Basin which is also known as the ‘Lost World’.

“Even the roads leading to Danum Valley which is not sealed, will not be repaired in order to slow down illegal hunters and poachers,” he said.

A recently-concluded 17-day Semporna Marine Ecological Expedition 2010 by a team scientists from Malaysia, United States and Holland discovered Semporna and its 49 islands had the highest marine bio-diversity in the world.

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Malaysia: More eyes and ears to curb poaching

Roy See Wei Zhi New Straits Times 31 Dec 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has beefed up security at all entry and exit points to the country prone to animal smuggling, by deploying more officers in those areas.

In addition, the department has increased the use of informants to gather information on illegal activities involving wildlife.

"We have increased the number of informants to tip us off on any animal trafficking and poaching syndicates in the country," Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abd Rasid Samsudin told the New Straits Times via email.

"We also share information with non-governmental organisations and members of the public to ensure we have eyes and ears everywhere."

Perhilitan has 500 officers deployed nationwide to nab illegal animal traffickers and poachers. This number excludes officers from other law enforcement agencies such as the Customs Department, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the armed forces and police.

"The (Perhilitan) officers have been placed on patrol across the peninsula, with emphasis on animal smuggling hotspots," said Rasid.


The heightened security measures coincided with a new law to curb illegal trafficking of animals. The new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was enforced in the peninsula and Labuan on Tuesday.

It replaced the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and sees penalties increased to a fine of up to RM500,000 and not more than five years in jail, while the minimum penalty imposed for several offences is not less than RM5,000.

"The new law is more comprehensive, which will serve as a deterrent and dissuade most poachers and traffickers from continuing their trade. The scope also includes Labuan.

"It also covers amphibians, arachnids and gastropods. This scope of protection will help in the conservation of wildlife, in line with the National Biodiversity Policy," he added.

Rasid said the new legislation had granted the department unprecedented powers in enforcing the provisions of the new law.

"Section 90 of the act stipulates that other public officers are now also empowered to enforce the law aimed at conserving wildlife."

Meanwhile, Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network deputy regional director Chris R. Shepherd believed that the heavier sentence will deter some illegal traders from continuing their criminal acts.

He said Malaysia, along with Thailand and Indonesia, was home to many unique species and was conveniently located in the region for such illegal trade activities to occur.

"Air travel seems to be the preferred mode of transport for these traffickers. Enforcement in the airports will be paramount to the success of curbing wildlife trafficking."

Shepherd said seaports, meanwhile, were more popular for large shipments of products derived from exotic animals such as ivory.

Pangolins, certain species of reptiles and turtles from Malaysia are highly sought-after in China as many Asians believe they possess medicinal properties.

"Other unscrupulous individuals want to own exotic pets for vanity reasons, or as a fashion statement, which is cruel to these animals," Shepherd said, adding that the global animal trafficking industry was worth "billions of ringgit".

On people who claimed that they were not aware of buying illegally-sourced animals, Shepherd said if they were serious enough to spend large sums of money on exotic pets, they would know the status of the animals.

"Ignorance is not an excuse," he added.

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Indonesian student discover four new fish species

Antara 30 Dec 10;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - An Indonesian biolgy student at George Washington University in the US has discovered four new fresh water fish species in Southwest Sumatra rivers.

Daniel Natanael Lumbantobing who is studying for a doctoral degree in biology at George Washington University said the four new species belonged to the Cyprinidae family.

In an e-mail to ANTARA here Thursday, he said he had named his four discoveries Rasbora api, Rasbora nodulosa, Rasbora kluetensis, and Rasbora truncata.
All of them were part of the Rasbora trifasciata species, he said.

One of the new found species was named Rasbora api because the dorsal fins and caudal fins or tails were orange-tinged resembling the color of a flame (api), Daniel said.

Rasbora api was distinguished from other species in the R. trifasciata-group by an anteriorly tapering black midlateral stripe extending posteriorly along the flank from the first lateral-line scale system and stout conical cephalic tubercles, whereas Rasbora nodulosa had nodular and smaller cephalic tubercles, Daniel said.

Meanwhile, Rasbora kluetensis was distinguished from its congeners in the species group by the conical cephalic tubercles with a somewhat protruding base bearing microridges.

The fourth new species, Rasbora truncata, differed from its congeners in the species group by a combination of meristic, pigmentary, and tuberculation features, and details of the lateral line system, he said.

The discpvery of the four new fresh water species was published in the December 2010 issue of Copeia, a journal of science issued by The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Daniel described the four new species during an inventory collection of fresh water fish in North Sumatra and Southwestern coast of Aceh in July-August 2006.

"We moslty used `seine` and `gill` nets to catch the fish. The captured fish had been preserved to be kept as museum items," he said.

There were some other members of Rasbora genus in Indonesia such as Saluang in Kalimantan, Paray in Sunda, Wader in Java, badar in Minang, Relo in Gayo, and Burinsak in Tapanuli, he said.

There were around 50 species identified and there might be numerous other species that were still unidentified, he said.

"Therefore, there is a possibility other species in the Rasbora category will be discovered in the future," Daniel said.

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Rhino Mom and Calf Gain New Home in India

LiveScience.com Yahoo News 31 Dec 10;

A rhino mother and calf were released into their new home at Manas National Park in India yesterday (Dec. 29), a move nearly a year in the making.

The female rhino and her calf were greeted with cheers and applause from the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) team of conservationists, local representatives, veterinarians and forest department officials as the rhinos arrived at the park in India's northeastern state of Assam.

The move was the second for IRV 2020 (the first took place in 2008 with two males). The translocations are part of an effort to increase the population of India's rhinos from around 2,000 to 3,000 by the year 2020, distributed over at least seven protected areas in Assam.

"The present rhino translocation is very important to initiate the next round of translocations in Assam, which has strengthened the confidence of all teams involved," said Dipankar Ghose of the conservation group WWF-India. "Given the excellent support received from the state Forest Department and the administration, this is also a landmark achievement for active management of species involving different stakeholders."

The greater one-horned rhinoceros is currently listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List. In the early 20th century, they were hunted close to extinction in the eastern Himalayas but recovered, thanks to strict protection measures. Over 90 percent of India's rhinos are concentrated in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, putting them at risk of an outbreak of disease or natural calamities like flooding and poaching.

Translocation is a conservation tool that can boost the overall numbers of a species by establishing populations that can grow in more than one area. This helps increase genetic diversity and safeguards populations from being wiped out.

But moving several thousand pounds of armor-plated animal is easier said than done. These rhinos have a fearsome temper and a surprisingly delicate constitution. A year of planning went into the translocation.

The rhinos were moved from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, also in Assam, to the Manas site. Their journey began a day earlier when the carefully selected rhinos were darted and tranquilized before being moved into individual crates loaded onto two separate trucks.

Under the careful supervision of veterinarians who monitored their health, and under tight security, the rhinos were driven through the night to the release site.

At dawn the next day, the crate doors were lifted and the rhinos made their first foray into Manas. The adult was fitted with a radio collar, and along with the juvenile, will be monitored through the next year by park staff, with support from the WWF.

Along with the four rhinos released there in the past two years, Manas has also received increased anti-poaching protection from IRV 2020 partners that includes 12 new camps, a new wireless network and two additional vehicles for monitoring and patrolling. More protection staff was hired, with 100 from the local community and members of India's civil defense organization, Home Guards.

Wild Indian rhinos find new ground in Himalayan foothills
WWF 6 Jan 11;

New Delhi, India – Ongoing efforts to increase the population of the vulnerable Indian Rhinoceros received a crucial lift just before New Year’s with the successful translocation of two female rhinos to a national park in India’s northeastern state of Assam.

The year-long process of procuring tranquilizers, radio-collars and other equipment needed to move the two rhinos – one adult and one juvenile – paid off in late December after a specially trained team released the pair in Manas National Park located on the Himalayan foothills.

The rhinos, which are currently listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), were moved to Manas from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in specially designed crates.

The nearby Pobitora sanctuary has accumulated the world’s highest density of rhinos, with over 80 in less than 18 sq. km of habitat.

Translocation proving to be a successful strategy

“The present rhino translocation is very important to initiate the next round of translocations in Assam," said Dr. Dipankar Ghose, head of WWF-India’s Eastern Himalayas Program.

“It has strengthened the confidence of all teams involved. Given the excellent support received from the state Forest Department and the administration, this is also a landmark achievement for active management of species involving different stakeholders.”

Translocation is an important part of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020), a joint program that includes the Department of Environment and Forests of the Government of Assam, WWF and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). The program is also supported by the the Bodoland Territorial Council, US Fish & Wildlife Service and local communities.

IRV 2020’s vision is to increase Assam’s rhino population from the current 2,200 individuals to 3,000 by the year 2020. This will be accomplished through wild-to-wild translocations from Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, the Dibru Saikhowa National Park and the Laokhowa and Burachopari Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas.

A continuing conservation success story

From an estimated low of 20 individuals in 1905, the population of Indian Rhinoceros - also known as Greater One-horned Rhinoceroses – has increased over 100 fold, nearly all in Assam and most (86%) within the confines of Kaziranga National Park.

IRV 2020 also aims aims to secure the long-term survival of wild rhinos in Assam by expanding their distribution to reduce risks like disease, in-breeding and mass mortality.

"This successful translocation is a huge step forward for the survival of this magnificent species," said Sybille Klenzendorf, Director of Species Conservation at WWF US.

"It's amazing to see the hard work of so many people pay off with a safe, successful operation."

More translocations of rhinos planned for future

The first phase of wild-to-wild translocations under IRV 2020 was carried out in April of 2008 when two male rhinos were re-introduced into Manas National Park from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

During the second phase, a total of eighteen rhinos will be translocated from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park to Manas National Park in several batches. As with the earlier translocations, the adult female has been fitted with a radio-collar, and both will be monitored throughout the year by Manas National Park staff with support from WWF-India.

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Sri Lanka: dugongs killed in dynamite fishing to be displayed at museum

Chamikara Weerasinghe Sri Lanka Daily News 31 Dec 10;

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna yesterday said he is determined to put an absolute end to dynamite fishing in the seas off Mannar which killed two rare dugongs, while the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is preparing them for public display at a national museum.

Meanwhile, NARA scientists are to perform autopsies on the two marine mammals. Their carcasses are preserved in deep freezers at the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation in Colombo, before they become museum specimen.

NARA Chairman Dr Hiran Jayewardena said the autopsy results are expected by the end of next week. The fishermen responsible for killing the animals are in remand custody. Fisheries Minister Senaratna has ordered a full scale investigation into the dugong killing and the disposition of fish dynamiting in Mannar, he said.

Minister Senaratna said he has received many reports confirming that blast fishing or dynamite fishing is taking place in Mannar despite it being illegal.

"We have also received information that some fishermen in Mannar are in the practice of killing these mammals," he said.

Dugongs, also known as sea cows are rare species protected under local and international law.

"We will not allow this to happen," he said.

Referring to the dead dugongs, he said looking at the size of their bodies and their weight, one can say they were 20 to 30 years old.

"It takes a long time for them to reach this size and the weight," he said. The two killed were fully grown dugongs, a female and a male. The weight of the female is about 545 kilos and the male 480 kilos," the Minister said.

Senaratna said he will stop the practice of dynamiting fish in Mannar permanently as he stopped it in the Trincomalee district with the support of the Navy. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, Dugongs are vulnerable and endangered globally.

They have been protected by the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance Act No 1, 1970 for several decades in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is also a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild fauna and flora.

Asked why they were going to arrange a display of the mammals, NARA Chairman Dr Jayewardena asked, "who has seen a dugong?"

"I have not seen one since 1980s. They will be kept as museum specimen at NARA museum or some other national museum for future generations," he added.

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Grizzly bear deaths near Yellowstone rise in 2010

Associated Press Google News 31 Dec 10;

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Grizzly bear deaths neared record levels for the region around Yellowstone National Park in 2010, but government biologists said the population remains robust enough to withstand the heavy losses.

An estimated 75 of the protected animals were killed or removed from the wild, according to a government-sponsored grizzly study team. That equates to one grizzly gone for every eight counted this year in the sparsely populated Yellowstone region of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

The deaths were blamed primarily on grizzlies pushing into inhabited areas, where bears get into trouble as they search out food in farmyards and from the big game herds also stalked by hunters. Despite those conflicts, researchers recently reported the population topped 600 animals for the first time since grizzly recovery efforts began in the 1970s.

"The population will continue to grow with the mortalities we're seeing now," said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Trapped and hunted to near-extermination last century, grizzly numbers have slowly rebounded since they were declared a threatened species in 1975.

An estimated 1,500 of the animals now roam woodlands and mountain ranges in the northwestern U.S. and the adjacent Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The Yellowstone-area population is one of the largest concentrations of the species in the lower 48 states.

In 2008, an estimated 79 Yellowstone-area grizzlies died or were removed — the most since they were listed as threatened. Deaths declined in 2009 before spiking again this year.

Most of the bears were killed by wildlife agents or hunters after attacking livestock, acting aggressively toward humans, damaging property or seeking human food.

Only three natural deaths were recorded.

"In general, if you were going to make a bet on whether a bear died because of people versus natural causes, it would be people," said Chuck Schwartz, a U.S. Geological Survey biologist who leads the multi-agency grizzly bear study team. "Eighty-five-plus percent of independent bears that die, die because of people," he added.

Hunting grizzlies remains illegal, but at least 15 were killed this year by hunters who shot them in self-defense or after mistaking them for black bears.

Over the summer, two adult bears were killed by government wildlife agents after the animals attacked and killed humans — the first fatal maulings in decades in the region. Three cubs captured after one of those attacks, near Cooke City, Mont., were later placed in a Billings zoo.

The deaths included an estimated 47 adult male bears — roughly twice the number of deaths the government considers sustainable. Female and cub deaths were within sustainable limits.

The male grizzly mortality threshold must be exceeded three years in a row to trigger an official review of government management practices. Nevertheless, Schwartz said representatives of state and federal agencies will meet in the spring to decide what additional steps could be taken to curb bear deaths.

The estimate of 75 dead or removed bears comes from extrapolations by researchers who assume not all deaths are recorded. Forty-seven deaths and removals were listed as "known and probable," generally meaning there was either a carcass or other evidence of dead bear.

The rise in bear deaths in 2010 coincided with a recent decline in two dietary staples for some Yellowstone bears — cutthroat trout and nuts from whitebark pine cones. The trout are being crowded out by nonnative fish, while whitebark pine has been ravaged by pine beetles that have thrived in recent years with milder winters.

Government scientists contend grizzly bears can adapt by eating more elk and other alternative foods. But wildlife advocates say their future is at risk if food supplies continue to diminish.

"You combine that with the (human) population growth in the region and it seems pretty likely this is going to be more of a recurring theme," said Jeff Welsch with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

The divergent views on the long-term risks faced by bears are at the heart of a legal debate over how much protection should be given to the species.

Confident the population won't crash, government officials plan to continue their push next year to remove Yellowstone-area grizzlies from the threatened species list.

A 2007 attempt to lift protections for the bears was overturned by a judge in Missoula last year. The government appealed that ruling and the case is pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

(This version CORRECTS Minor edits. Corrects name in 18th paragraph to Jeff Welsch, instead of Craig Welsch)

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High temperatures causing death of stony corals in Qatar: expert

Coastline development, including construction in the sea, is one major cause of loss of natural reefs
Bonnie James Gulf Times 31 Dec 10;

High sea temperatures are causing the death of stony corals in Qatar, a noted Qatari environmental and marine researcher has said.

Though the optimum growth temperature for corals is between 20C and 23C, in June this year a sea temperature of 37.8C was recorded, Dr Mohsen Abdulla al-Ansi, the director of Qatar University’s Environmental Studies Centre, said.

The high temperature caused coral bleaching in reefs at Halul Island, Ras Rakan, Khereis, Um Alushran and Sherahou as well as the death of some fish.

Dr al-Ansi, who heads one of the oldest research centres in the Gulf region, presented a study about the status of corals at the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum held earlier this month.

Stony corals are composed of limestone structures formed by the deposits of living organisms. These are tiny animals (polyps) that live in a symbiotic relation with algae.

The algae produce the food energy needed by the polyps by photosynthesis. The coral is as such a colony. Numerous colonies on shallow waters, where sunrays can reach them, form a coral reef.

“Coral reefs can be extensive, such as the Great Barrier Reef, or can form localised reefs as in Qatar,” the researcher said.

Coral reefs support a third of the Gulf’s fish populations and local economies. Qatar has less than 20 species of stony coral and these are localised in only a few areas.

Coral reefs harbour numerous organisms including sponges, crabs, sea urchins, brittle stars and fish, and exist where environmental conditions are optimal for their flourishing, such as Southeast Asia, with Malaysia considered one of the best areas with 350 coral species known to occur.

Given that sea urchins and some fish are ferocious feeders on coral, they may cause the death and bleaching of stony corals through extensive feeding.

Climate change, in particular high sea temperature, can destroy coral reefs, and excessive rains with fresh water seeping to intertidal coral reefs will also cause coral bleaching.

“Coastline development, including construction in the sea, is one major cause of loss of natural reefs,” Dr al-Ansi said.

Aggressive fishing whether by harpoons or metal traps that are later left behind, destroy the reef.

“Bleaching of corals did also happen in Qatar and the rest of the Gulf in 1989 and 2002 when sea temperature rose,” he said.

The oil spills from the second Gulf War was another cause of coral bleaching in the regional waters.

Desalination plants, necessary for supplying fresh water to the countries along the Gulf coast, are also a threat to corals.

These plants spew hot brine and chemicals into the sea, warming their surrounding waters and increasing salinity.

A recent forum on marine conservation held in Abu Dhabi had come to the conclusion that the coral reefs of the Arabian Gulf have in large part been ruined and part of the damage is irreversible.

An international scientific study has revealed that 20% of the world’s reefs are damaged beyond repair.

It was pointed out at the Abu Dhabi forum that the main causes of the deterioration of coral reefs include the sharp drive for development, especially the construction of artificial islands and large ports, as well as the building of desalination plants and sewer dumped into the water.

The most heavily damaged areas are those along the coasts of Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, especially off Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the Abu Dhabi forum warned.

The coral reefs that are the most intact are instead those in front of the Musandam peninsula in Oman, just off the Strait of Hormuz.

Over the past decade, according to a study by the University of Warwick, fish density has gone from 4,000kg per hectare to less than 1,000kg.

Shrimps, crabs, lobsters and other seafood which account for a large part of the fishing industry live in the coral reefs.

The decline of some are inevitably leading to that of the others and, down the chain, marine fauna.

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'250 billion' plastic fragments in Mediterranean

Yahoo News 30 Dec 10;

PARIS (AFP) – Some 250 billion microscopic pieces of plastic are floating in the Mediterranean, creating a biological hazard that reverberates up the food chain, according to research supported by green campaigners.

The estimate comes from French and Belgian marine biologists who analysed water samples taken in July off France, northern Italy and Spain to a depth of 10-15 centimetres (four to six inches).

"The rough estimate is that there are roughly 250 billion pieces of micro-debris in all the Mediterranean," said Francois Galgani, of the French Institute for Exploration of the Sea (Ifremer), said.

The figure derives from 4,371 minute pieces of plastic -- average weight 1.8 milligrams (0.00006 of an ounce) -- found in the samples, "which extrapolates to roughly 500 tonnes for the entire Mediterranean," Galgani said.

Ninety percent of the samples, taken by volunteers from Expedition MED (Mediterranean in Danger) on a 17-metre (55-feet) yacht, had such fragments.

The sampling only covered surface waters and is a preliminary evaluation. Further samples, off Gibraltar, Moroccow, Algeria, Tunisa, Sardinia and southern Italy, will be taken in 2011 to get a wider picture.

Micro-sized plastic is an enduring hazard, as it becomes mixed with plankton, which is then ingurgitated by small fish that are then eaten by larger predators, says Expedition MED.

It says there is an accumulating pile of evidence of the damage that this does to larger forms of marine life, including seals and tortoises.

"The only solution is to stop micro-debris at the sources," said Expedition MED's Bruno Dumontet.

The group is launching an on-line petition to demand tougher European Union (EU) rules on the disposal and biodegrability of consumer goods.

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Indonesia Chooses Climate Pact Pilot Province

Olivia Rondonuwu and David Fogarty PlanetArk 31 Dec 10;

Indonesia has chosen once of its largest and richest provinces to test efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving forest and peatlands, a key part of a $1 billion climate deal with Norway.

Central Kalimantan province on Borneo island is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases among Indonesia's 33 provinces because of deforestation, destruction of carbon-rich peat swamps, and land use change, the government says.

"The assessment showed that Central Kalimantan is a province with large forest cover and peatland and faces a real threat of deforestation," top technocrat Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of a special presidential delivery unit charged with managing the Norway deal, said in a statement on Thursday.

The agreement aims to test efforts that save and restore forests as a way to fight climate change. Forests soak up and lock away large amounts of carbon, while clearing and burning them releases carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas.

Under the climate deal signed this year, Norway will pay Indonesia for proven emissions reductions based on a transparent auditing system and a key part of the pact is selecting a province to test programmes that boost conservation, training and steps to improve livelihoods.

Overhauling the province's land-use plan is also key. The deal imposes a two-year national moratorium on new concessions to clear primary forests and peatlands, a step some palm oil and pulp and paper firms fear could disrupt expansion plans.

Central Kalimantan, with nearly a million hectares of oil palm plantations and a rapidly growing coal-mining sector, has some of the largest areas of threatened peatlands and peat swamp forests in the country.

READYING FOR REDD

The deal with Norway also seeks to ramp up a U.N.-backed scheme called reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) that aims to reward poor countries for saving their forests.

Internationally tradable carbon offsets would be generated by forest preservation projects based on national or regional emissions reductions. Rich countries would buy the credits in a future market that could be worth billions of dollars a year, the United Nations says.

A U.N. climate conference in Mexico this month backed REDD, which has already attracted about $4 billion in pledges from rich nations, including Norway and the United States.

"It is a tough job, but I am sure with good coordination with the central government we can do this," Teras Narang, the Central Kalimantan governor, told Reuters by telephone.

Indonesia already has nearly 40 REDD projects at various stages of development, the government says, with two projects totaling more than 300,000 hectares (750,000 acres) of peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan.

The Australian government is also helping restore 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) of degraded peat land and forest in the province.

Under the deal, the province, which has an area more than twice that of Ireland, and another to be chosen in 2012, would benefit from some of the $120 million under the second phase of the deal.

The bulk of the money would be available in the third phase from 2014, when Norway will pay for measured greenhouse gas cuts based on its 2013 emissions reductions.

"This is a great opportunity," said Dharsono Hartono, developer of a large REDD project in Central Kalimantan.

"With this selection, the province can finalize its spatial plan, implement its green growth policy and drive bureaucratic reform that can boost jobs and environmental protection," he told Reuters in Jakarta. (Editing by Robert Birsel)

Indonesia picks Borneo for forest preservation plan
Yahoo News 30 Dec 10;

JAKARTA (AFP) – Indonesia has chosen its Borneo island to conduct a pilot project aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, as part of a deal with Norway, an official said Thursday.

Norway agreed in May to contribute up to a billion dollars to help preserve Indonesia's forests, in part through a two-year moratorium on the clearing of natural forests and peatlands from 2011.

"Central Kalimantan (Borneo) is a province with large forest cover and peat land and has faced a real threat of deforestation," the country's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) head Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said in a statement.

Mangkusubroto said the provincial authorities are expected to manage the project properly, ensure its transparency, tackle any corruption and enforce the law against illegal loggers.

"We recognise and fully understand this heavy task, and are prepared to take this on," he said.

Greenpeace warned last month that the deal with Norway was in danger of being hijacked by timber and oil palm companies.

It said "notorious industrial rainforest destroyers" want to manipulate the Indonesian government's ambiguous definition of forests to funnel the funds into the conversion of forests to plantation.

The industries' current expansion plans -- which have support within some government ministries -- seek to treble pulp and paper production by 2025 and double palm oil production by 2020, Greenpeace said.

Indonesia is the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, due mainly to rampant deforestation by the palm oil and paper industries, which is fuelled by corruption.

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Agent Orange cleanup to start at former US base in Vietnam

Yahoo News 30 Dec 10;

HANOI (AFP) – Vietnam and the United States aim to start cleaning up contamination from Agent Orange at a former wartime US base in the middle of next year, the US embassy said Thursday.

A memorandum signed between the two sides "confirms the mutual desire of both governments to cooperate in hopes that cleanup can begin in July 2011 and be completed in October 2013," the statement said.

The agreement covers contamination at the Danang airport in central Vietnam.

During the Vietnam War US aircraft flying from bases including Danang sprayed Agent Orange and other herbicides to strip trees of foliage, in a bid to deprive communist forces of cover and food.

The herbicides contained potentially cancer-causing dioxin.

In preparation for the cleanup, the US awarded a contract late last year for building a secure landfill site to hold contaminated soil and sediment at the airport, where the US is focusing its help at Vietnam's request.

US ambassador Michael Michalak told the signing ceremony on Thursday that Washington has set aside almost 17 million dollars this year for the Danang dioxin cleanup, which will cost a total of 34 million dollars.

"The two governments are now jointly preparing for the design, procurement and implementation of the project," he said.

Experts have identified two other former US air bases as "hot spots" of dioxin contamination.

The UN this year announced a five-million-dollar project to reduce contamination at the Bien Hoa airport hot spot near Ho Chi Minh City.

A Vietnamese doctor testified before the US Congress this year that more than three million Vietnamese have suffered the effects of wartime herbicides.

Vietnam and the US normalised relations 15 years ago.

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Best of our wild blogs: 30 Dec 10

22 Jan (Sat): Race Against Time – Science behind a Botanic Garden Tour from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

水獭和泽巨蜥 Otter and Water monitor lizard
from PurpleMangrove

December wild facts updates: hermit crabs!
from wild shores of singapore

101230 Well it's been a year.
from Singapore Nature

101229 Odontomantis released
from Singapore Nature

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SPCA voices concern over animal experimentation and dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa

Straits Times 30 Dec 10;

TWO reports on Dec 20 ('Study on facility to breed large animals for tests'; 'Dolphin exhibit still part of RWS' plan') are cause for grave concern among those involved in animal welfare.

# Animal experimentation: It was high- lighted that Singapore is studying the feasibility of building a facility to breed large animals such as pigs and monkeys for scientists to test advances on. With billions of dollars set aside for biomedical research, the question arises as to how many animals will be put through medical experiments in these laboratories?

As much as animal experimentation has been beneficial in aiding medical researchers in the study of diseases afflicting humans, it cannot be denied that it has been at the expense of the animals involved. Aside from this, there is also no guarantee that what works on animals will work on humans.

Inspections once a year by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is a basic requirement, but is it adequate when the lives of so many sentient and intelligent beings are involved? The industry is largely self-regulated which, over time, could easily result in complacency or loss of sensitivity to the animals being studied. What goes on behind closed doors cannot be imagined, in terms of pain, discomfort or mental distress endured by a laboratory animal.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) agrees with the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Animals in research: Room for greater transparency'; last Friday), that more effort should be made in reducing, refining and replacing animals in the field of scientific research in Singapore. We would also reiterate the urgent need to bring about more transparency in the industry, and ask that independent checks of animal research facilities by animal welfare organisations be permitted.

# Dolphin exhibit: It was announced by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) recently that it would proceed with the importation of wild caught dolphins, despite the death of two of seven dolphins at a holding area in Langkawi Island, Malaysia.

The capturing and confining of any wild creature with the intention of transforming its natural lifestyle and habits for human enjoyment and revenue is immensely cruel. The suffering of these creatures in the build-up to becoming trained performers is also unimaginable with minimal educational value to the public.

The SPCA urges RWS to seriously reconsider its decision to be party to such a cruel trade.

Deirdre Moss (Ms)
Executive Director
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

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