Best of our wild blogs: 11 Jul 11

The long and not so winding trek down a route less travelled
from The Long and Winding Road

Dinosaurs in Singapore!
from wild shores of singapore

Would we have dinosaurs in Singapore?
from Raffles Museum News

Colugo at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
from wonderful creation

Lurkers of the Night
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Brown-throated Sunbird: Male and female vocalisation
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Fun at the "Forest, People, Environment" exhibition and talks
from wild shores of singapore

Equatorial Spitting Cobra
from Monday Morgue

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Taiwan to tighten laws banning shark fin hunting

Sam Yeh AFP Yahoo News 11 Jul 11;

Taiwan, one of the world's major shark catchers, announced plans on Sunday to tighten measures against hunting the ocean predator for its fin, the island's top fisheries official said Sunday.

Taiwan fishermen are already barred from tossing sharks back into the water to die after slicing off the fin -- a delicacy in Chinese cuisine -- and are required instead to ship back the carcass.

But the measures have failed to stifle criticism from conservationists who say loopholes in the law allow finning to continue.

Under new laws to take effect early next year, it will be an offence to remove a shark's fin onboard a fishing vessel.

"Any violators may be fined, barred from leaving ports, have their catches confiscated or even have their fishing boat licences revoked, depending on how seriously they contravene the measures," Fisheries Agency chief James Sha told AFP.

Sha defended local fishermen, insisting that, unlike their counterparts in Africa and Southeast Asia, they are unlikely to toss the bodies of the sharks into the water as feared by some conservationist groups.

"They have no reason to dump the meat of the sharks as local consumers eat them and they can be sold here at good prices here," he said.

The new measure has been welcomed by the Environmental and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), which estimates that up to four million sharks are slaughtered in Taiwan each year.

Environmental groups estimate that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year around the world for fins, leading to declines of up to 90 percent of some species of sharks -- which have plied the oceans since the age of the dinosaurs.

Despite campaigns from activists, demand for shark fins is seen as growing as China becomes increasingly prosperous.

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Is ocean garbage killing whales?

Marlowe Hood AFP Yahoo News 10 Jul 11;

Millions of tonnes of plastic debris dumped each year in the world's oceans could pose a lethal threat to whales, according to a scientific assessment to be presented at a key international whaling forum this week.

A review of research literature from the last two decades reveals hundreds of cases in which cetaceans -- an order including 80-odd species of whales, dolphins and porpoises -- have been sickened or killed by marine litter.

Entanglement in plastic bags and fishing gear have long been identified as a threat to sea birds, turtles and smaller cetaceans.

For large ocean-dwelling mammals, however, ingestion of such refuse is also emerging as a serious cause of disability and death, experts say.

Grisly examples abound.

In 2008, two sperm whales stranded on the California coast were found to have a huge amount -- 205 kilos (450 pounds) in one alone -- of fish nets and other synthetic debris in their guts.

One of the 50-foot (15-metre) animals had a ruptured stomach, and the other, half-starved, had a large plug of wadded plastic blocking its digestive tract.

Seven male sperm whales stranded on the Adriatic coast of southern Italy in 2009 were stuffed with half-digested squids beaks, fishing hooks, ropes and plastic objects.

In 2002, a dead minke whale washed up on the Normandy coast of France had nearly a tonne of plastic in its stomach, including bags from two British supermarkets.

"Cuvier's beaked whales in the northeast Atlantic seem to have particularly high incidences of ingestion and death from plastic bags," notes Mark Simmonds, author of the report and a member of scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which meets this week from July 11-14 on the British island of Jersey.

How widespread the problem is, and whether it could threaten an entire population or species, remains unknown.

"In many areas of the world, stranded whale carcasses are not recorded or examined, and in areas where strandings are recorded, examination of gut contents for swallowed plastics is rare," said Chris Parsons, a marine biologist at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The majority of cetaceans that die from intestinal trauma getting caught up in fishing gear probably sink to the ocean floor, experts say.

"There is, however, evidence that plastic debris in the seas can harm these animals by both ingestion and entanglement, and this needs to be urgently further investigated," said Simmonds, Director of Science for Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

The main threats to cetaceans worldwide are accidental capture in fishing nets and climate change, he noted in an email exchange.

"We don't yet know enough about marine debris to rank it against other theats, but as it continues to sadly grow in the oceans, it will surely play a greater and greater role."

Studies have shown that litter concentrates in so-called convergence zones -- formed by currents and wind -- where whales feed on abundant prey.

Scientists have been slow to measure the impact of ocean refuse on animals living in or by the sea, and international organisations have been even slower in taking action.

In 2003, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Global Initiative on Marine Litter, but it launched a detailed analysis of the scope of the problem only in 2009.

More recently, representatives from 38 countries meeting in Hawaii in March adopted the "Honolulu Commitment" outlining a dozen voluntary measures.

For whales, the level of threat from ocean garbage varies according to species and type of debris, the new report said.

For toothed whales from the suborder Odontoceti, ingestion of plastic pieces appears to pose the greatest danger.

Sperm and beaked whales are thought to be especially vulnerable because they are suction feeders.

Less is known about the impact on filter-feeding or baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti), which consume huge quantities of tiny zooplankton and small, schooling fish.

A single blue whale, for example, eats up to 3,600 kilos (8,000 pounds) of krill each day during feeding season.

Potentially, the greater danger here is from toxins in plastic that breaks down over time into tiny, even microscopic, particles.

Collisions with ships, and tissue-damaging noise pollution from off-shore oil exploration are additional threats, experts note.

The IWC is riven between countries that oppose whale hunting, and those that back the handful of nations -- Japan, Iceland and Norway -- that defy a 1986 whaling ban or use legal loopholes to circumvent it.

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Malaysia: Air quality moderate in most parts of country

The Star 11 Jul 11;

PETALING JAYA: Close to three-quarters of the country recorded moderate air quality yesterday.

A total of 37 areas monitored by the Department of Environment recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) of between 51 and 100 as of 11am. The figure dropped slightly to 33 areas six hours later.

Sixteen areas enjoyed good air quality with an API below 50.

Among the places with the best air quality were Langkawi, Kedah (34); Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (35) and Miri, Sarawak (35).

Areas with the poorest air quality were Bukit Rambai, Malacca (76); Nilai, Negri Sembilan (74); Port Klang, Selangor (73); Tanah Merah, Kelantan (72); Kuala Terengganu (72) and Kemaman, Terengganu (71).

An area’s air quality reaches an unhealthy level when its API hits 101, a very unhealthy level at 201 and hazardous when it exceeds 301.

Last week, the haze affected the air quality, which almost reached an unhealthy level in certain areas in Penang.

The API in Seberang Jaya hit 96 on Thursday, just short of the unhealthy level of 101, compared with 84 on Tuesday.

The Meterological Department said then that visibility levels in the state were between 5km and 7km.

Haze is back
Loh Foon Fong and Florence A Samy The Star 11 Jul 11;

PETALING JAYA: Major parts of the country were enveloped by haze Monday due to fires in Sumatra and Borneo.

The Meteorological Department website said hazy weather was recorded at 35 out of 40 of its stations with visibility dipping in some areas in the country.

Petaling Jaya recorded a poor visibility level of 2.5km as of 4pm Monday while Sepang and Kuantan had a visibility of 1.5km and 4km respectively.

Normal visibility levels should be more than 10km.

Satellite images showed 217 hotpots in Sumatra Sunday and over 300 for Borneo and 13 for peninsula as of 6am Monday.

The Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index recorded moderate air quality readings for 36 areas or 73% while the remaining were still within the healthy API reading of between 0 to 50 as of 11am Monday.

The Department would issue another reading at its website www.doe.gov.my later this evening.

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Malaysia: IKEA becomes first retailer to stop single-use plastic bags

The Star 11 Jul 11;

IKEA Malaysia will become the country’s first retailer to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags in the latest environment initiative by the home furnishing company.

This has been a journey for IKEA Malaysia which began in June 2009, when it introduced the “Kick the plastic bag habit” campaign with the aim of reducing plastic bags consumption. Since the campaign started, IKEA has reduced its plastic bags usage. Now in its second year of the campaign, there’s a positive trend of the IKEA customers stopped buying plastic bags.

Following this supportive action from its customers, IKEA Malaysia is now taking another step forward - from July 1, the retailer will no longer offer plastic bags.

IKEA Malaysia will stop offering plastic bags to its customers as plastic bags are harmful to the environment. This is the initiative that IKEA is doing as part of its commitment to be an environmentally responsible company.

“Eliminating plastic bags is one more way that we can show our commitment to responsible retailing.

“With the implementation of this initiative starting July 1, we are confident that our customers will continue to support our environment efforts as they have done from day one,” says IKEA Damansara sales manager Roszalena Mashurdin.

At IKEA, we firmly believe that our business should have as little impact on the environment as possible,” she added.

The call for action is to go reusable while shopping at IKEA stores with any reusable shopping bags. Or shop with the iconic IKEA blue bag, which is reusable and durable. Currently the IKEA blue bag comes in two sizes, but starting July 1, the mini version of the iconic blue bag will be available, giving its customers three sizes to choose from.

Alternatively, customers can pick up free carton boxes for re-use after the check-out counters.

“IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. With this initiative, we hope to ignite a change in the general attitude towards plastic bags usage and encourage a new habit of carrying a reusable bag wherever we go,” said Ikano Retail Asia sustainability manager Joycelyn Teo-Moser.

From June 5, 2009 to June 30, 2011, customers at the IKEA store are charged 20 cents for each plastic bag.

There is no financial gain for IKEA from the sales of the plastic bags with all proceeds going to IKEA’s environmental partner – the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the largest and leading local environmental non-profit company.

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Asean nations reconsider the nuclear option

Japan's hopes of selling nuclear power packages to SE Asia fast fading
Anthony Rowley Business Times 11 Jul 11;

ASEAN's flirtation with the idea of nuclear power may be coming to an end as a result of Japan's Fukushima disaster, and with it the hopes that Japan harboured until a few months ago of selling multi-billion dollar nuclear power packages in South-east Asia and elsewhere.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are all taking a second and more critical look at the nuclear option while the Philippines may decide against reactivating a nuclear power plant built under former president Ferdinand Marcos, according to experts from across the region.

At what was termed an 'emergency dialogue' organised here at the end of last week, senior officials and academics argued that if countries do choose to take the nuclear route, they must be 'nuclear ready' and better prepare their citizens for possible accidents.

They also stressed the need for generally improved disaster preparedness and collaboration among Asian nations in the wake of the recent Japanese disasters and the earlier Indonesian earthquake and tsunami of 2005.

If Japan, as one of the more disaster-prone but also disaster-prepared Asian nations, could suffer catastrophes such as the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, less technologically advanced countries need to think twice about going down the nuclear road, experts suggested.

Many Asean members were considering the nuclear power option before the Fukushima meltdown, noted Wan Hamzah, senior fellow at Malaysia's Institute of Strategic and International Studies, and 'debate had been ongoing' in Malaysia until the Fukushima incident. But since then, decisions have been deferred, she said.

Indonesia too, since becoming a net importer of oil, had decided to build at least one nuclear power plant, Ms Wan added. But the proposed plant was in a location close to a seismic fault line, and the Indonesian government has deferred the decision in the light of the Fukushima accident.

Vietnam is 'still considering the nuclear option', but the decision on whether or not to go ahead will need to be approved by the country's parliament as a result of increasing democracy there, said To Minh Thu, director at Vietnam's Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies.

The Philippines too 'is looking' at nuclear power as a means to reduce its heavy dependence on imported oil but 'there is a lot of opposition to the idea', Danilo Israel, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute of Development Studies told the Tokyo seminar.

For Japan, this is bad news in view of its earlier plan to sell nuclear power plants to Asean as well as to countries such as Turkey. Japan had earlier announced a provisional agreement supply reactors to Vietnam, although it recently withdrew from bidding on a proposed Malaysian plant.

Proposed stress testing of Japan's 54 nuclear power plants announced by Prime Minister Naoto Kan has generated domestic controversy over its timing, which coincides with plans to restart 35 plants idled after the crisis. But the results could reassure Asean members, depending upon the outcome, some observers suggested.

There were calls at the Tokyo seminar (organised by the Japan Forum on International Relations and others) for greater awareness among Asian governments of the human and economic toll that natural disasters can exact, and for increased regional cooperation in this area.

'East Asian governments should set up or upgrade special agencies to cope with emergencies and natural disasters, particularly since earthquakes, tsunamis and floods in the region seem to be occurring more often these days,' said John Wong, a professorial fellow and academic adviser at Singapore's East Asian Institute.

'All governments need to be on constant alert and to sharpen their crisis-management capacity,' he added.

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Jul 11

HKLS Report of Singapore Field Trip
from Butterflies of Singapore

Kids at Chek Jawa with the Naked Hermit Crabs
from wild shores of singapore

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Museum's $12m race for dino family

Tan Dawn Wei Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

A night at the museum here, with three real dinosaurs? It's a possibility.

Singapore could be home to these dinosaur fossils if the new natural history museum can raise $12 million by the end of this month.

The offer of such a prized acquisition comes from Dinosauria International, a Wyoming-based fossil company that found the three remains between 2007 and last year in Ten Sleep, a small town in the American state.

There are good reasons for the hefty price tag. The two adults and one baby were found together and could well be a family. They are over 80 per cent complete, a rarity as far as dinosaur discoveries are concerned.

If the funding is secured, the trio will get star billing at the 7,500 sq m museum when it is ready in 2014.

'The idea was always to have a central gallery and put something there that would make people go 'Whoa!'' said Professor Peter Ng, director of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

Raffles Museum has one of the largest collections of South-east Asian animals in the region - 500,000 specimens of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, crustaceans, insects, molluscs and other invertebrates.

Since 1988, its priceless collection has been housed in the National University of Singapore's (NUS) biological sciences department, which inherited it from the National Museum.

Last year, Raffles Museum went on an intensive fund-raising drive that garnered $46 million to build a dedicated natural history museum to publicly showcase more of these specimens.

The dinosaurs would be ideal as the new museum's centrepiece crowd-puller, while also attracting researchers worldwide, Prof Ng said.

The idea of getting dinosaurs for the new museum emerged when a German researcher who became Prof Ng's postgraduate student told him that his cousin digs for dinosaur fossils and sells them.

That got scientists at the Raffles Museum excited. But they knew such fossils would be costly.

Then there was the question of whether American dinosaurs had a place in a museum showcasing Asia's natural heritage.

Such issues were put to the museum's scientific advisory committee, which took a few days to deliberate before coming back with a 'yes'.

'They wanted the museum to tell the story of the history of life and evolution. Dinosaurs are the history of life,' said Prof Ng.

Dinosaur spotters will want to know this: The trio are diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, among the biggest animals to have trod the earth.

Two of them - nicknamed Apollo and Prince - measure 24m in length while the baby dinosaur, Twinky, is 12m.

To establish that the finds are real, the museum checked with fellow scientists around the world, looked at the scientific paper that had been written about the discoveries, and sent a team to Wyoming.

Dinosaur exhibitions here have so far showcased replicas, not the real thing.

Thailand is the only South-east Asian country that has dinosaurs, found in the north and featured in two dinosaur museums there.

Mr Raimund Albersdoerfer, a partner at Dinosauria International, said he is reserving the three dinosaurs for Singapore, although there are interested foreign buyers, including private collectors.

'Because of the scientific value, we will sell only to major public institutions or museums in order to secure them for scientific research and public accessibility,' Mr Albersdoerfer told The Sunday Times.

The $12 million figure includes the purchase price as well as mounting an accompanying exhibition.

Raffles Museum has approached donors of its building fund and other potential donors. It will also launch a public donation drive on its website, http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/dino/dino-online.html, today.

Government agencies it approached could not help with funds. But Professor Leo Tan, who heads the fund-raising efforts and is director of special projects at the NUS science faculty, is optimistic about raising the required sum.

'I'm quite confident. It's just a question of when. You never think about what-ifs. You have to believe in what you do.'

Natural history museum to get a natural look
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

It is Singapore's first purpose-built natural history museum, so it has to look natural, naturally.

That is why it will resemble a moss-covered rock - a design by acclaimed Singaporean architect Mok Wei Wei that won its custodians over.

Mr Mok's other projects under his firm, W Architects, have included The Loft Condominium at Nassim Hill, Paterson Edge, and the redevelopment of the National Museum of Singapore.

His proposal was among 20 received in an open tender exercise late last year after the National University of Singapore managed to raise $46 million in building funds through an intensive six-month fund-raising drive.

The new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which will house plant and animal exhibits from the current Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, will form part of a cultural hub that includes the University Cultural Centre and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music when it is completed in 2014.

The current Office of Estate and Development near the Clementi Road end of the campus will make way for the new museum, which was originally slated to be built at the upcoming University Town.

The footprint remains the same: a 7,500 sq m, six-storey green building with 2,500 sq m of gallery space - 10 times the exhibition space now at Raffles Museum in the NUS biological sciences department.

The rest of it goes to housing classrooms, offices, research and storage areas. Construction will start around the middle of next year and take 18 months.

The building fund came largely from the Lee Foundation, which gave $25 million. There were other anonymous multimillion-dollar donations and about $1 million from the public.

Tan Dawn Wei

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Informal group to discuss railway land use

It includes people from nature and heritage groups, architects and university academics, as Govt seeks to take in different views
Amelia Tan Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

An informal workgroup that includes people with varied perspectives has been formed to chart the future of the former KTM railway land. It includes representatives from nature and heritage groups, architects and university dons.

Already, its first meeting is scheduled in one to two weeks' time, said Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, who is leading the railway development project.

Meetings will be held once every one or two months, he told reporters at Bukit Timah Railway Station yesterday.

Brigadier-General (NS) Tan was leading a group of about 30 people from interest groups, such as nature and heritage groups, as well as individuals on a 23km trek along the railway tracks from Silat Estate in Tanjong Pagar to Kranji.

He said he wanted to take on board different views and perspectives, while adding that the reality is that Singapore is land-scarce and development of the land has to be done in a 'way that makes sense'.

He said: 'There are those who are quite concerned about the birds and all that. Could you keep a continuous stretch of vegetation? Those are planning considerations we can always weave into any development areas and it is a very long stretch.'

BG Tan felt it would take one to two years to gather perspectives and flesh out ideas.

An Urban Redevelopment Authority spokesman said the aim is to get the draft development plans for the former railway land up in time to be exhibited together with the authority's Draft Master Plan in 2013 - which guides Singapore's development over the next 10 to 15 years.

The KTM land reverted to Singapore on July 1.

Yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on his blog that he sees a 'green opportunity' in the development of the former railway land.

He said he would have wanted to lead the former railway land development project, but housing issues are taking up most of his time now.

Mr Khaw said: 'Fortunately, I have a green-minded MOS (Minister of State) Tan Chuan-Jin with me. He readily volunteered to work on this project and saw several useful angles - the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation that is so characteristic of our city.'

The Nature Society (Singapore) had proposed that the 173.7ha strip of land on which the railway tracks now run be turned into a 'green corridor' for cycling, gardens and nature walks.

Its vice-president, Mr Leong Kwok Peng, who joined in the trek with BG Tan, said the society was hopeful about the plans for the green corridor.

He added that it had found through research that particular areas in the green corridor, such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Mandai mangroves, are rich in bio-diversity, and the society will share its research findings in the meetings with BG Tan.

A group of residents from Holland-Bukit Timah and Bukit Panjang also enjoyed a brisk walk along the railway track yesterday morning. They were joined by MPs such as Ms Sim Ann and Mr Christopher de Souza, and Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Several people were at the Bukit Timah Railway Station to take pictures.

Logistics executive Joey Wee, 36, said: 'I hope the Government will look at preserving this land. It is a link to the country's history for many of us.'

Old KTM tracks to become "green spine"
Hoe Yeen Nie Channel NewsAsia 9 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE: The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog on Saturday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself, but with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: the green aspect, heritage and history, and innovation land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And on Saturday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society.

The Nature Society is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

Its vice-president, Leong Kwok Peng, is hopeful something good will be in store for nature lovers.

"Ultimately, this can form a nice nature corridor where birds and animals from the north can actually move all the way down to the southern ridge. I have seen pairs of hornbills flying across this railway track and it's beautiful," he said.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

He added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at, how do we develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.


- CNA/cc/ir

Govt studying ways to keep KTM tracks as green spine
Hoe Yeen Nie Today Online 10 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE - The National Development Ministry is studying ways to retain the old KTM railway tracks as a green spine for nature and leisure.

The railway line running through Singapore was closed after the KTM train station at Tanjong Pagar moved to Woodlands on July 1.

Writing in his blog yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he sees a "green opportunity" for urban development that will not compromise the development potential of the lands surrounding the track.

He hopes Singaporeans will come forward with their ideas to "co-develop a workable and practical scheme".

Mr Khaw said he had hoped to take on the project himself but, with housing matters taking up most of his time, he found a ready volunteer in Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

Mr Khaw said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan has identified several angles to work from: The green aspect, heritage and history, and innovative land use marrying development and conservation.

BG Tan has been tasked to consult widely with experts, volunteers, students and residents.

And yesterday morning, he took a trek along the railway line accompanied by several non-governmental organisations such as the Nature Society, which is pushing to keep the railway line as a green corridor, as the tracks link areas rich in biodiversity such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the mangroves in Mandai.

BG Tan appeared to have been won over.

"It's a very pristine, a very unique piece of land. So I totally understand why people say, you should preserve this," he said.

BG Tan added he is open to preserving certain stretches of land and weaving these planning considerations into future urban development.

"The reality is that we are land scarce. So I think we are looking at how to develop these stretches of land in a way that makes sense. But development can come in many different ways," he said.

Read more!

Rethink changes made to cyclists' resting spot in Ubin

Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

I have been a frequent visitor to Pulau Ubin for over four years, and have enjoyed weekly mountain biking there. However, I am confounded by recent changes made to parts of the island by the National Parks Board (NParks).

The track for mountain bikers is on the far west of the island and is thankfully serviced with refreshments over the last three years by an 'auntie' in a truck serving drinks to tired cyclists.

The roadside where she parks her truck has an area sheltered by trees to allow the public to rest out of the sun.

Recently, I noticed two changes to the area which will drastically change the much-needed resting spot.

First, NParks has covered the sheltered area with dirt, covering the gravel that was previously there. This prevents visitors from using the area to escape from the sun, as it will become muddy after a downpour.

Does NParks expect cyclists to sit on the road?

Second, several trees in both the resting area and along the mountain biking track have been earmarked for removal, despite being healthy and without infestation.

As Pulau Ubin is a nature reserve, it seems illogical to remove trees there for no reason.

Several hundred mountain bikers and visitors use this remote 'watering hole' every weekend and the drinks auntie has provided a great service to cyclists where no permanent shelter exists nearby.

I hope NParks can respond to the following requests:

Remove the dirt and again place gravel in the area to allow visitors to rest away from the road and out of the sun.

Save the trees which are in no way detrimental to the area.

Place a permanent shelter there, as the area is frequented by hundreds of visitors every weekend. A shelter from the rain and sun would be a welcome relief.

Don't evict the drinks auntie from this site, as she provides a service to all the cyclists.

Tim Birch
(This letter carries 67 other names)

More trees to be planted at Ubin resting spot
Sunday Times 17 Jul 11;

We thank Mr Tim Birch for his letter ('Rethink changes made to cyclists' resting spot in Ubin'; last Sunday) and are glad that he and his friends enjoy mountain biking at Pulau Ubin.

There are five existing shelters in Ketam Mountain Bike Park in Pulau Ubin. We will explore the feasibility of adding one more near the site mentioned by Mr Birch, which is at the periphery of the Bike Park.

This area is also within a re-forestation site. The trees removed belong to a highly invasive exotic species that is spreading throughout the reforestation site at the expense of native species.

We are replacing them with native tree species that will also provide shade.

We intend to plant more trees in the area and have removed the granite chips and dust in preparation for planting.

The woman who has been selling drinks in the area has been advised on the locations in the vicinity that she can continue selling her drinks at.

Meanwhile, we welcome visitors to our visitor centre for information on suitable resting spots and places where light refreshments are available.

Wong Tuan Wah
Director, Conservation
National Parks Board

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Fishermen angle for more space

Enthusiasts are appealing for bigger fishing areas in reservoirs as more people take up the sport
Melissa Sim Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Singapore's freshwater fishermen are reeling - they say there are not enough official spots for them to cast their lines.

The problem has arisen because more people are becoming hooked on angling.

There are about 800 fly fishermen and 'more than 1,000 fishermen in Singapore', says Mr Chin Chi Khiong, president of the Sports Fishing Association of Singapore.

Fly fishermen use artificial bait and a weighted line, and there are other types of fishing too - with ready-made lures and bottom-fishing using live bait and weights.

A lot of new faces are joining the sport or picking it up as an activity, say fishermen and supply shops.

Madam Elizabeth Lai, director of E-waves Fishbyte, a tackle shop in Clementi West, says: 'We see families walking in and just trying it out.'

Previously, new customers were usually taken there by avid fishermen, who were introducing the sport to their friends.

However, these fishermen are permitted to fish only in spots designated by the PUB, which manages reservoirs in Singapore.

Staying in designated areas and using artificial bait will 'minimise pollution to our drinking water sources and avoid inconveniences to other reservoir users', says PUB.

Fishing is allowed at eight out of Singapore's 17 reservoirs and only within certain areas. These are small sections of about 50m to 100m and anglers complain that they are often within 5m of each other.

These spots are in MacRitchie, Lower Peirce, Upper and Lower Seletar, Kranji, Bedok and Pandan reservoirs and Jurong Lake.

Avid angler Henry Lau, 41, who manages Coho Fishing Tackle shop, says of the situation here and overseas: 'Elsewhere, we have walkie-talkies and are often 10km apart. Here we can talk to each other.'

He says he gets complaints from joggers about the danger of casting off with a hooked line.

But jostling for space with other park users cannot be avoided without the authorities opening up more fishing areas.

'If we have more space to fish, we can move elsewhere if we know that there are a lot of joggers in a particular area,' he adds.

Fishing is not allowed in rivers, canals and storm drains due to safety concerns.

Mr Kelvin Ang, 36, a financial services consultant who is assistant treasurer of the Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society, points to another gripe. The problem with a designated legal spot is that it becomes 'barren' as fish wise up to the fact that they are being hunted.

He adds: 'The authorities like to build platforms and structures for anglers, but we are nature lovers and we want to explore on our own.'

So, to avoid crowds and barren freshwater grounds, anglers either go overseas or head out to sea.

Mr Chin of the Sports Fishing Association says it organises monthly trips to his choice location: Semakau landfill.

Newbies are also crowding commercial fishing ponds in Pasir Ris Town Park and Bottle Tree Park in Yishun.

Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's director of catchment and waterways, acknowledges the growing interest in sports fishing and says the PUB is working with various interest groups to 'explore the feasibility of opening more fishing grounds in our reservoirs'.

He adds that 'in future, fishing will be allowed on significantly bigger areas along reservoirs and waterways, with the exception of designated non-fishing zones.'

But the PUB has been trotting out the same message for more than a year.

Mr Tan Tien Yun, executive committee member of Gamefish & Aquatic Rehabilitation Society, says his organisation and the Sports Fishing Association of Singapore have submitted proposals on how to have sustainable fishery.

Their stand is that users must be educated on how to keep the place clean and not over-fish, and rangers should patrol the reservoirs to keep anglers in check.

But that would, of course, require resources which could come from fishing licences and the Government.

He adds: 'To their credit, PUB has started talking to us, but they are most concerned about water quality, and opening up fishing spots is not an economic or strategic priority for the authorities.'

Catching fish in a kayak
Melody Zaccheus Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Some fishermen have found that there are, indeed, plenty more fish in the sea.

An intrepid group takes kayaks, often equipped with GPS navigation systems and high-tech fish finder devices, out to sea on weekends.

Their haul ranges from eels to large sail fish, which they reel in using a rod and line.

One of these kayak fishermen, Mr Mathew Tan, 32, says: 'Kayak fishing gives us access to new hunting grounds which shoreline fishing does not.

'It's also pretty easy to catch a fish on a kayak as it is a silent vessel which does not spook fish. We often find ourselves in the midst of large schools of fish and all we have to do is drop our lines and they bite.'

He is part of an online community of more than 40 kayak fishermen who met on a fishing forum two years ago. They have an official Facebook page, Kayak Fishing Singapore.

Outings usually comprise groups of two to five members. The kayak is their boat of choice because of its aerodynamic design that glides through the water. It is also collapsible, making it easy to transport.

The kayakers usually leave from Pasir Ris Beach, East Coast Park and Sembawang Beach. Sometimes they also explore mangroves off Pulau Ubin and a 'secret' fishing spot they declined to name.

On average, they cover distances of 6km to and fro, in waters up to 12m deep. They usually plan their trips to return to shore with the tide to conserve energy.

Mr Tan has caught groupers, snappers, eels, catfish, queenfish, grunters, flatheads and giant herrings, which can measure up to 1m long.

He usually releases them after taking photos with them for his blog (mathewtanfishing.wordpress.com). Sometimes he brings the catch home for his wife, 31, to cook. They have a four-year- old daughter and two-year-old son.

Mr Tan, an interface designer for a firm which develops iPhone apps, has been fishing for the past 23 years. He got hooked after a trip out to sea in a two-seater kayak with his uncle in 2009.

His fishing buddy, Mr Mervin Low, 42, got the bug that same year, after having to give up his weekend soccer due to an injury.

Mr Low, who runs an event planning company, has caught a 5.5kg golden pomfret measuring 1m in length and a 7kg barramundi about 1.3m long.

To boost the chances of getting large catches, Mr Tan spent about $300 on two second-hand navigation and fish-finder systems.

The kayak fishermen adhere closely to safety regulations and they make it a point to fish between daylight hours of 7am and 7pm. Newbies are encouraged to take basic kayaking lessons to learn safety rules.

Mr Tan says kayak fishing allows anglers to experience the open sea in all its glory. 'Once, we saw a submarine slowly rising to the surface. On another occasion, I spotted a family of otters having a nice morning swim,' he says.

Mr Low has seen large turtles in the waters off Sentosa and Changi surfacing beside his kayak for a breather.

He recalls: 'It was an amazing sight. Being one with nature can be very therapeutic. Giving up my weekend soccer boots for kayak fishing was certainly a good decision.'

Fisherman at sea
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

Fisherman Raju Ducro, 62, has lived on his fishing boat for the past 11 years and takes people out to sea almost every day in pursuit of a catch.

'I can't sleep on a bed on land, but this rocking motion puts me to sleep,' says the sea lover, who docks his 40ft vessel at Marina Country Club in Punggol for $600 a month.

His wife, whom he visits every month, lives with her sister. Their two adult children often visit him on his boat.

Mr Ducro, who started fishing at the age of eight, says: 'It's just easier sleeping here. I finish cleaning my boat at 7pm and then by 6am, I have to be here to get ready to go out again.'

He says that sometimes, people also call him in the middle of the night to tow their boat when their vessel breaks down.

The former shipyard worker, who later started a machining business which made spare parts, says he saved up $50,000 for his first boat about 20 years ago.

His current boat can take six passengers who pool their money to cover costs.

He and his friends like to go to his favourite spots near Changi, about 20 minutes from the marina, to catch fish including garoupa, golden snapper and mangrove jacks. 'My challenge is reading the current and the tide, and looking for the fish,' he says.

Taking home some fish is only part of the draw.

In words that echo Ernest Hemingway's famous character from his book The Old Man And The Sea, Mr Ducro declares: 'We are anglers, we want the fight. If people just want fish, I tell them to go to the market, there are plenty there.'

It is not just 'the fight', but the danger involved, too.

He has to look out for sharks, even in Singapore waters.

One time he was under his boat trying to cut a rope tangled in the propeller, and was cut by barnacles, causing him to bleed. He had a rope tied to his waist and his friends on deck, who were holding it, started tugging.

When he surfaced, they told him to get out of the water as they feared a shark was near him.

'I wasn't scared, I didn't see it. But luckily, I had cut the rope already and we could move,' he says matter-of-factly.

Fly fisherman
Straits Times 10 Jul 11;

If you spot an elderly man flailing around with a fishing rod in a field in Yishun, it is probably Mr Amin Rahmat, 67, perfecting his casting techniques.

He says that when he is not out fishing, he practises casting for at least 20 minutes every day in the open space near his HDB flat in Yishun.

The avid fly fisherman is one of only five instructors in the sport in Singapore.

He does not only have vast experience, but he has also done a fly fishing instructors' course in Oregon in the United States and taken a test in Brisbane, Australia, to qualify as an instructor.

'To me, it's a form of art when you can throw the line gracefully,' he says.

The artistry is not only in how the fishing line is thrown from the rod and reel, or to use the fishing term 'is cast', but it is also in the making of the 'flies' used to lure the fish which are attached to the regular piece of nylon fishing line called the leader. The hook is also attached to the leader.

The flies act as bait for the unsuspecting fish.

'We make imitation crabs, insects and small fish and we share the ones we have tied with our friends,' he says, showing off his box of handmade flies in colours from pink to neon green.

He enjoys both salt-water and freshwater fishing and has travelled to countries such as Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Australia and the former Yugoslavia.

During his many years of fishing, he has caught coveted game fish known for their speed and strength, including the bonefish, but the Atlantic tarpon - found only in some parts of the Atlantic Ocean - has remained elusive.

'It's a very challenging fish and it's very expensive to travel there to catch it,' he says.

In Singapore, he goes fishing at some reservoirs, including MacRitchie and Lower Peirce, but says there is not enough space.

'We have only 50m or 100m of space to fish and we also have to worry about other people around when we cast. It's quite difficult to fish here,' he says.

Recalling fishing trips overseas with friends, his eyes light up.

'We fish together and the environment is different, so we just relax and admire the place,' he says.

He has made fishing trips to the Maldives every year for 15 years.

The retiree, who gives fishing lessons in his spare time, says he spends about $2,500 on such trips.

He also travels once a month to fish all over Malaysia, including places such as Terengganu and Perak.

When he is not fishing or coaching, he meets other fly fishing enthusiasts at Coho Fishing Tackle shop in Bali Lane.

He teaches students the art of casting on an undeveloped plot of land opposite the shop. It is convenient as it is near the tackle shop which serves as an unofficial clubhouse for fly fishermen.

He charges $50 a lesson a person, as long as there is a group of four or more, and $100 to $200 for individual lessons. He provides the rod and lines and says he will teach until the person can cast a decent distance.

A basic set of rod and line costs about $200 to $300.

Strangely, in spite of Mr Amin's knowledge and fervour for the sport, none of his five children, aged between 23 and 41, has fallen in love with it.

'I'm happy to teach because I like to share my passion,' he says.

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Tourists to experience a day in the life of an Icelandic whaler

Whalers hope hands-on experience will provide new ways to make money and persuade people of their point of view
John Vidal guardian.co.uk 8 Jul 11;

Icelandic whalers, fed up with animal welfare groups telling them to stop killing whales, have found a new way to make money and persuade people of their point of view. From next month they will invite tourists to go out to sea with them to watch minke and other whales close-up. The holidaymakers will then get to "experience" the life of a whaler, see and hear harpoons being fired, touch a whale tail, inspect the internal organs of whales and sit down for a tasty meal of blubber and whale meat with the captain.

"We won't actually kill any whales", said Gunnar Jonsson, the manager and owner of Hrefnuveiðimanna, Iceland's Minke Whalers Association. "The idea is to take people out in the close season to give them an idea of what we do. This is cultural tourism. There has been a lot of interest. We have bookings from groups in England and Germany."

The news comes as more than 100 pro- and anti-whaling countries prepare for the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting in Jersey next week. They will hear that the Japanese tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear accident in March may have impacted heavily on whale populations in the north Pacific.

According to French conservation group Robin des Bois, large numbers of young minke whales were passing close to the Fukushima reactors around the time of the accident. Apart from the massive debris and pollution from destroyed industrial facilities, nuclear company Tepco has admitted dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of highly radioactive water into the sea since the tsunami. Two minke whales caught off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido have shown elevated values of caesium–137.

Japan – which along with Norway and Iceland is one of the few countries to allow commercial whaling – is believed to be reconsidereing its whaling position following the tsunami, which wiped out one of the country's main whaling ports and seriously damaged its ageing fleet.

Jonsson hopes to charge tourists visiting Iceland between $200-$300 and take them out in groups of 15 to 20. "We have seen that people enjoy whale-watching, and many people ask us how whaling is done, but we are not going to push whaling. Now they can learn about the culture."

But the unusual tourist offering was dismissed by Iceland's whale-watching industry as "not welcome".

"We are not happy with this. There is not much profit in whaling these days so we think it is a way to drum up their business which is selling whale meat," said Rannveig Grétarsdóttir, head of IceWhale, the Icelandic whale-watching association.

From only a few tourists 10 years ago, nearly 200,000 foreigners now go whale-watching off Iceland every year, says the government's tourist ministry. But the boom in numbers has also led to an unexpected surge in whale-eating, with more than 100 restaurants and shops now offering tourists whale as an exotic meat.

This is very distressing for conservation groups which this week appealed to tourists to watch whales – but not to touch them. "Iceland's whalers are putting more effort into promoting the sale of whale meat and are now offering smoked and marinated whale meat in addition to whale steaks for grilling. Sadly, we are seeing increasing numbers of tourists walking off whale watching vessels and straight into restaurants that serve whale meat. They are inadvertently helping to keep the cruel whaling industry afloat," says Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society spokeswoman Vanessa Williams-Grey.

"We ask that people resist the temptation to give the meat a try despite whatever they may be told by local whale hunters. The fact is that only a small percentage of Icelandic people eat the meat these days. The whales suffer a long and slow death, they are not suitable as a species for human harvesting and, contrary to myth, they are not responsible for reducing local fish stocks."

There is also increasing evidence that whalers and whale watching companies are now chasing the same whales, giving tourists an unexpected insight into the industry. "On at least one occasion this season, the minke whalers killed and processed a whale in waters designated as a protected area in Faxaflói Bay, near Reykjavik, also a prime whale watch area," said Williams-Grey.

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