Tree Felling: The Saddest Sight in CIAG (City In A Garden)
from Flying Fish Friends
Malaysian Plovers
from Life's Indulgences
Olive-Backed Sunbird’s Affinity for Bicycles
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Sand and Singapore
from The Diplomat blogs
Trackers have to be quiet, brave rough terrain and learn to recognise bird calls
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 27 Aug 11;
COLLEGE lecturer Yong Ding Li can recognise at least 1,200 birds by ear.
The 27-year-old trains by listening to an online database of bird calls and by visiting forests around the region.
The skill may seem esoteric but will be useful tomorrow, when the Nature Society conducts its annual census on the autumn migration habits of birds.
Mr Yong Ding Li, on how the more experienced counters rely on their ears because it is faster
The census, one of seven the society conducts each year, helps to track changes in the bird population here.
Last year, volunteers counted 8,666 birds at 28 sites across Singapore during one census.
Mr Yong said more experienced counters rely on their ears because it is faster.
'If you spend all your time looking up at the trees for birds you will miss out on many of them,' he said.
The counters begin their work at 7.30am, when the birds are at their loudest, and stop at 10.30am, when bird activity generally dies down.
Each route of the census is conducted by at least two counters - one to track the birds and the other to take notes.
They follow a fixed route and note every bird they see or hear along the way.
When the tracker spots a new entry, he quietly points it out to the note-taker, who writes the entry in shorthand.
Mr Yong said difficulties include making sure each bird is new and not simply one that has flown further down the counters' path.
To address this, counters have to know if the species like to move around and how quickly they can travel.
He gave the example of babblers, elusive forest birds which like to remain at the same spot. 'So if you hear another one after 100 steps, it's probably not the same one,' he said.
It is a job that requires experience, and the ability to be quiet and careful in rough terrain.
This may be why most of some 200 bird counters here are middle-aged men who have time to spare for the activity, and who do not mind the outdoor nature of the work, counters told The Straits Times.
The Nature Society does not discriminate against novices, and pairs them with more experienced counters.
After each census - a gruelling three-hour test of concentration - the notes are collated by a coordinator at the society and published on its website.
Mr Yong said Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is one of the harder sites because the birds there tend to hide high in the trees and are hard to hear and spot. Experienced counters usually record some 25 to 30 species there.
The lack of experienced manpower is another problem the society faces, a reason for the wide estimates of the migratory birds which pass through or stay in Singapore, which range from 20,000 to 50,000.
Certain areas rich in bird life are also off-limits to the counters, such as the military zones of Pulau Tekong and the stretch of scrub, brushland and secondary forest from Lim Chu Kang to Raffles Country Club, which runs more than 10km.
Mr Yong said he knows there are many bird species in the two areas because he heard them during his national service.
'I mentally took notes when I was marching around,' he said.
Mr Alan Owyong, chairman of the bird group at the Nature Society, said more people have come forward to join the counts in recent year.
'But of course, we always welcome more,' he said.
Birds common to Singapore shores
LONG-TAILED PARAKEET
Common in parks and secondary forests in many parts of Singapore.
Most easily spotted around the Singapore Botanic Gardens and on Pulau Ubin.
COMMON FLAME BACK
A colourful native woodpecker.
Found in parkland and secondary forests throughout Singapore.
WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER
Common in parkland, scrub and marshy areas in most parts of Singapore.
ORIENTAL HONEY BUZZARD
Common migratory bird of prey in Singapore.
Can be easily seen in the Southern Ridges in October and November.
COMMON IORA
Colourful garden bird found in parks, mangroves and even roadside trees in Singapore.
Jerry Harmer Associated Press Yahoo News 26 Aug 11;
VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — One of the world's rarest crocodile species has moved a little bit further from extinction with the hatching of 20 wild eggs plucked from a nest found in southern Laos.
Experts believe there could be as few as 300 Siamese crocodiles remaining in the world's swamps, forests and rivers, so the discovery of the nest — the first found in the mountainous, jungle-clad country since 2008 — is a significant step in the rehabilitation of a species that was declared extinct in the wild in 1992.
Since then, tiny populations have been discovered in remote corners of its range, which used to include most of Southeast Asia. Still, the crocs remain critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, the acknowledged authority on the status of global biodiversity.
Under the soft red light of an incubator, the 20 baby crocodiles tapped and cracked their way into the world last week. Their nest was found in the southern province of Savannakhet in June by a team of villagers trained by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, which is working to save the species in landlocked Laos.
"The feeling was one of elation," Chris Hallam, who coordinates the organization's crocodile project in Laos, told The Associated Press about the hatching.
"When you look at the global population and the population in Laos it represents quite a significant number of individual crocodiles," he said.
The crocs were hatched at the Lao Zoo, just outside Vientiane, where they were moved to protect them from predators such as snakes and monitor lizards.
Hallam said the crocodiles will be raised in captivity for 18 months before being released back into the wild.
And it seems they won't be alone. Villagers recently found another nest in Savannakhet with 20 eggs inside. Because those crocs are so near to hatching, conservationists decided to leave them where they are with village teams keeping an eye on them.
The Siamese crocodile grows up to 10 feet (3 meters) in length but is generally docile. Their passive nature made them all the easier to hunt. In recent decades thousands were captured and sold to crocodile farms that sprung up across Southeast Asia, feeding a vogue for its renowned soft skin and a taste for its meat.
Several thousand of the crocodiles remain in farms and in zoos, though many have been crossbred with bigger species, reducing still further the numbers of pure Siamese crocodiles.
WWF 26 Aug 11;
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – Fresh snares set for tigers have been discovered by WWF-Malaysia’s monitoring team only a short distance from the country’s East-West Highway, a major road that connects Peninsular Malaysia’s northeast to its northwest.
The discovery came just less than a month after the release of ‘On Borrowed Time’, a documentary that highlights the severity of the poaching and illegal wildlife trade in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, a wildlife hotspot that is located in the northern state of Perak and crosses into Southern Thailand.
“Since early August, 12 snares have been detected and deactivated by the team, with even more expected to be found in the area. Based on the sizes and types of snare, it is very clear that poachers are targeting large mammals such as tigers,” said Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, CEO/Executive Director of WWF-Malaysia.
WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia immediately alerted the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) for the swift removal of these threats to wildlife.
Another camera-trap in the area captured a photo of possible poachers, just a day before the team trekked in to retrieve the cameras and detected the snares. The wire snares were camouflaged so well that the foot of one of the team’s field assistants had gotten caught in it.
The photo was shared with DWNP earlier this month to assist in their investigations.
WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia urge enforcement agencies to be vigilant in their monitoring and to conduct rigorous patrols on the ground. Poachers are likely to take advantage of the country’s national holiday period at the end August, which marks the end of Ramadan and Malaysia Independence Day. This is already evident from the snares that have been discovered in the past three weeks alone.
“It’s painfully clear that the poachers ravaging Malaysia’s wildlife are getting more efficient. This begs obvious questions about whether enforcement authorities are managing to keep pace with the criminals. Sadly, it appears that they are not. Even simple actions like regular patrolling and establishment of the planned multi-agency task force at Belum-Temengor are stalled,” said Dr. William Schaedla, Regional Director for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
More alarmingly, a camera-trap placed in the area has also captured the photo of a three-footed Malayan sun bear. The injury seen in the photo is consistent with an animal having lost a limb while trying to free itself from a snare.
Under the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, any person who sets or uses any snare for the purpose of hunting can be subject to fines ranging from RM50,000 to RM100,000 (US$16,700 – US$33,500) and imprisonment for a maximum of two years.
At the launch of ‘On Borrowed Time’ last month in conjunction with World Tiger Day 2011, WWF-Malaysia and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia called for a revitalisation of the Belum-Temengor Joint Enforcement Taskforce, the pursuit of poachers and encroachers to the full extent of the law and for all agencies working in the area to show equal effort and commitment towards enforcement.
From 2008 to 2010, 142 snares have been discovered and de-activated in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. Over 400 wild animals, such as Sambar deer, pangolins, elephants and tigers have been poached inside the protected and numerous poacher camps have also been found.
Concern over rise in illegal wildlife hunting in Belum-Temengor forest reserve
Lee Yen Mun The Star 28 Aug 11;
PETALING JAYA: Poachers are getting more cunning and efficient, and many quarters are questioning whether the enforcement authorities are able to catch up with them.
Animal rights groups and wildlife enforcement agencies have ex-pressed concern that illegal poaching will increase at the Belum-Temengor forest reserve.
Wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic regional director Dr William Schaedla, who said poachers in the country were getting increasingly “efficient”, blames the availability of access roads through protected areas of the forest for facilitating the illegal hunting.
Dr Schaedla said poachers had become more brazen, judging by the latest discovery of 12 fresh snares by the WWF-Malaysia monitoring team near the East West Highway.
The shocking find was made in the first three weeks of this month alone.
“Based on the evidence gathered, poaching activities are becoming more regular because of the absence of patrols.
“We are worried that more wild animals will end up in the cooking pot during the holidays,” Dr Schaedla said when contacted yesterday.
A camera image produced by WWF-Malaysia showed a three-footed Malayan sun bear, which the organisation believes lost a limb while trying to free itself from a trap.
The Malayan sun bear, easily identified by the distinct crescent patch on the animal's chest, is an endangered species.
WWF-Malaysia and Dr Schaedla have raised questions over the ability of enforcement personnel in keeping pace with the criminals.
“Even simple actions like regular patrolling and setting up a multi-agency task force at Belum-Temengor have apparently stalled,” Dr Schaedla claimed.
WWF-Malaysia and Traffic South-East Asia have lodged reports of its findings with the Perak Wildlife and the National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
Perak Perhilitan chief Shabrina Mohd Shariff said there were many entry routes into the forest area, including the Royal Belum and Temengor forest reserves.
She, however, refuted the claims of animal rights groups that her department's officers had slackened in their patrolling efforts.
The department, she said, deployed a team of four to patrol East West Highway entry points every day from 8am to 5pm.
“We know our presence is important in deterring poachers. However, the Royal Belum Forest Reserve is under the jurisdiction of the state government and not the department,” Shabrina said.
“Following the report by the animal rights group, the state Perhilitan sent a nine-man team to survey the location of the snares.
“We found the camping site of a group believed to be that of illegal immigrants from Thailand numbering four to six persons,” she said.
The discovery of the snares came less than a month after Traffic and WWF-Malaysia released a public documentary featuring the severity of illegal wildlife trade in the area.
Under the New Wildlife Conservation Act, any person who sets up or uses any snare for the purpose of hunting is liable to a fine of up to RM100,000 and two years' jail.
Antara 26 Aug 11;
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Timor Sea observer Ferdi Tanoni said the destruction of coral reefs in Sawu waters in East Nusa Tenggara was caused by the 2009 explosion of an oil well in the Montara oil field.
He said here on Friday he disagreed with the view of the ministry of fisheries and marine resources that 90 percent of the coral reef damage was caused by blast fishing.
"I am convinced the damage to coral reefs in Sawu waters was caused by the explosion of the Montara oil well in the West Atlas Block in the Timor Sea on August 21, 2009 and not by blast fishing," he said commenting on the results of a fisheries ministry`s observation.
The chief of the Care West Timor Foundation (YPTB) based in Kupang said it was impossible for blast fishing to cause such damage because traditional fishermen never used explosives to fish in deep seas.
The Sawu waters which have been declared by the ministry of fisheries and marine resources as a national conservation area are the migration lane of various kinds of whales from the north to the south of Australia.
The Sawu waters are also the main crossing lane for passenger and cargo ships from and to Kupang through Tenau port, he said.
Tanoni who is also a former immigration agent of the Australian embassy said he believed the damage suffered by coral reefs in Sawu waters was the result of the Montara disaster that spilled hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil into Indonesian waters in the Timor Sea.
The crude oil spill was also accompanied by black tin and other hazardous materials which had later been submerged to the bottom of the sea by hazardous dispersant by the Australian Maritime Security Authority (AMSA).
He said the dangerous dispersant powder used by AMSA had also been used to overcome the oil spill in Mexico Bay some time ago but had later been stopped because of its potential danger to human health as well as coral reefs and other sea biota.
"Referring to the Mexico Bay case I am convinced the damage on the coral reefs in Sawu waters was the result of hazardous materials coming from the Montara oil well explosion and the dispersant used by AMSA," he said.
Based on that he said the YPTB and its alliances would file a lawsuit against PTTEP Australasia, the company that has polluted the Timor Sea to ask for its social, economic and health accountability for coastal residents in East Nusa Tenggara.
He said seaweed farming on coastal areas in the province has no longer produced harvests due to oil pollution while traditional fishermen`s catch has also dropped following the Montara oil well explosion.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
AFP Yahoo News 27 Aug 11;
The UN wildlife trade regulator said Friday it was lifting its 2005 suspension on wildlife commerce with Nigeria, citing the country's improved efforts to combat illegal trade.
"Nigeria has significantly reduced illegal trade," Juan Vasquez, a spokesman with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, told AFP.
He said that the regulator had called on states to suspend such dealings with Nigeria as it was the "hub" of much illegal wildlife trade in West Africa, notably in ivory but also in reptile skins.
"What has changed is political will, and the authorities have shown a positive engagement to stamp out illegal wildlife trade," Vasquez said.
The agency visited areas for black-market ivory commerce in 2010, but "ivory could no longer be found there", said the spokesman.
While he acknowledged that illegal trade has not disappeared completely, "there are now laws in place and being implemented which ensure that this trade is controlled".
"We will continue to monitor the situation, but we recognize the positive efforts of Nigeria," Vasquez said.
According to the CITES website, some 19 other countries, including Belize, India and Tanzania, among the 175 signatories of the convention are still subject to trade restrictions.
Vasquez added that trade restrictions exist for over 34,000 plant and animal species, some 900 of which are endangered.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marine Life Park
from Resorts World Sentosa Marine Life Park Blog (and comments to the posts)
Coastal Cleanup @ Pandan Mangrove – registration open!
from Toddycats!
The Weevil's Wedding Vows
from Macro Photography in Singapore
Butter … Fly … Fish
from Compressed air junkie
juvenile sunbird @ seletar link mangrove 21Aug2011
from sgbeachbum
How many species - why do we care?
from The Biology Refugia
Tessa Wong Straits Times 26 Aug 11;
ANIMAL rights group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) has sought the views of the presidential candidates on animal rights and the issue of keeping dolphins in captivity.
It is campaigning to free 25 dolphins kept in the Philippines and destined for the Marine Life Park attraction at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).
It sent e-mail messages to the candidates on Aug 15 seeking their views and received answers from Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Kin Lian. Its representatives caught up with Dr Tony Tan and Mr Tan Jee Say to seek their responses.
The candidates' replies were reproduced in a statement it issued yesterday.
Dr Tan Cheng Bock said: 'As an animal lover, I hope that animals born in the wild should not be confined for entertainment. They are born free, let them stay free.'
Mr Tan Kin Lian thought it was a difficult decision, because if the dolphins were released, they might be 'accidentally captured' and killed by fishing fleets. On the other hand, if they were moved to the park, they 'might not be happy in their environment'.
Dr Tony Tan said: 'We should be concerned about animal welfare and biodiversity. I know that Acres is very passionate about the dolphin issue and this is something we should look into.'
And Mr Tan Jee Say said: 'Moral issues don't just extend to humans but also to animals... I think it's part of my values for conscience, empathy. I think (dolphins) are lovely creatures, they give us a lot of joy. We should help, promote and protect them.'
Presidential Candidates Speak Up for Animals and Dolphins
by Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins
ACRES Press Release 25 August 2011
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SPEAK UP FOR ANIMALS AND DOLPHINS
SINGAPORE, 25 August 2011 – ACRES is delighted that all four presidential candidates have spoken up about the need to address and the importance of animal welfare issues.
ACRES wrote to the presidential candidates on 15 August urging them to share their views with regard to Resorts World Sentosa’s (RWS) plan to house wild-caught dolphins at their upcoming attraction.
Between 2008 and 2009, RWS damaged Singapore’s good international reputation by buying 27 wild-caught Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) from the Solomon Islands. In 2010, two of the dolphins died whilst undergoing training, despite the top-class care that RWS had promised.
Replying to ACRES, Dr. Tan Cheng Bock said “As an animal lover, I hope that animals born in the wild should not be confined for entertainment. They are born free, let them stay free.”
Mr. Tan Kin Lian said “The decision on what is the correct thing to do is a difficult one. If the dolphins are released back into the wild, they run the danger of being accidentally captured and killed by the fishing fleets of the world. On the other hand if they are moved into Marine Life Park, they would lose their freedom and be caged in an artificial environment. While the dolphins might be safe from physical harm, they might not be happy in their environment.
To resolve this impasse, I would like to urge both ACRES and RWS to approach the matter with a positive attitude. Both ACRES and RWS have similar goals of marine conservation, research and education. They should work together to come up with a solution where the dolphins are safe from physical harm and at the same time have happy, meaningful lives.”
ACRES has been engaged in a dialogue with RWS for the past five years. However, to date, RWS has yet to respond specifically to our concerns, despite our repeated requests.
“If RWS agrees to release the dolphins back into the wild, these dolphins will regain their freedom and live a life free from exploitation. Marine mammal specialist and star of The Cove, Ric O’Barry, is offering the possibility of setting up a rehabilitation and release project for these dolphins in conjunction with RWS. The dolphins will be released into a protected area.
It is true that wild dolphins may not enjoy a carefree life, but they do enjoy freedom and the choice of where to go, what to eat (live fish) and who to socialise with, and they will not be forced to perform behaviours that they don’t want to do. ACRES is confident that any animal will choose freedom over captivity if given a choice” said Mr. Louis Ng, Biologist and Executive Director of ACRES.
In a meeting with Dr. Tony Tan on 20 August, he said “we should be concerned about animal welfare and biodiversity. I know that ACRES is very passionate about the dolphin issue and this is something we should look into."
“I take good interest in the care of dolphins and call for more volunteers for this good cause of ACRES and would offer my support as part of my message platform of compassion, empathy and conscience” said Mr. Tan Jee Say.
It is very important that we have a President who is mindful of cruelty to and exploitation of animals, and we thank the president candidates for sharing their views.
ACRES will be holding a first-of-its-kind concert to save the world’s saddest dolphins. To be held on 28 August at the Speakers’ Corner, the concert will see the largest-ever gathering of animal lovers at the Speakers’ Corner, to urge Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to release their remaining 25 wild-caught dolphins.
Contact: Louis Ng (Executive Director, ACRES)
Email: louis@acres.org.sg
Tel (O): +65 6892 9821
Water governance and planning are areas where Singapore can make tremendous contributions to the world
Asit K Biswas and Leong Ching Business Times 26 Aug 11;
AS SEPTEMBER creeps up quietly on us, a little-known anniversary will come to pass with no particular fireworks - next month is the 25th anniversary of the cleaned-up Singapore River.
In an age where more people are living in cities, and more rivers flowing through these cities are used as open sewers and convenient rubbish dumps, the story of the Singapore River deserves to be told, and told loudly, especially as only two other rivers in the world had a similar clean-up: the Thames in the UK, and the Cuyahoga in the US.
In Singapore, the idea of a clean-up came in the mid-1970s, when the island had already left its fishing village image far behind. It was shaping up to be a bustling metropolis, with several tall buildings in the financial district and the buds of an industrialisation programme in Jurong.
But the Singapore River, running through the heart of financial and commercial area, was a noxious, polluted and highly visible reminder of how backward the country really was in terms of key infrastructure and environmental management.
Today, 25 years after a decade- long clean-up, the Singapore River is flanked on both sides by retail shops, eating outlets and posh residences. Riverside property prices have skyrocketed.
Economic sense
The gains are not merely social and recreational. As countries with polluted rivers will attest, it is good, hard-headed economic sense to clean up rivers because waste water imposes a tremendous cost in terms of human and environmental health.
For example, the World Bank has estimated that in 2007, the cost of pollution for China was a staggering US$100 billion a year. This figure, from the combined health and non-health costs of outdoor air and water pollution, represents 5.8 per cent of the country's GDP.
Water pollution, meanwhile, is taking the overall cost of water scarcity to about one per cent of GDP.
Cleaning up a river therefore has direct economic benefits in terms of public health and quality of life. At the same time, there are positive externalities such as an increase in property values, improved ecological infrastructure and a greater public awareness and appreciation of a community resource.
The Singapore River serves a powerful demonstration effect, especially for the world where the main water problem at present relates to quality and not quantity.
Accordingly, if a fledgling, developing country such as Singapore, circa 1977, with a per capita GDP of $7,022, was able to clean up Singapore River, so too can other countries. At the time, it spent $300 million and 10 years in the clean-up.
In June, India signed an agreement with the World Bank for a US$1 billion loan to clean up the river Ganges. One third of the country's people live along its banks.
This is not the first time India has attempted to do so. Water specialists have already said that cleaning up the Ganges is an effort that will take decades.
It will need far more than US$1 billion. It will also need strong and sustained political will and improved water governance all over the Ganges Basin.
But India is making a start, which is important since all water bodies in and around urban centres of the developing world are now already seriously contaminated. The water quality situation is steadily deteriorating.
Singapore itself should remember the river clean-up, if only to refocus the water industry here on its expertise and competitive edge in the niche areas of river quality improvement, better water governance and functioning and efficient institutions.
During the Singapore International Water Week last month, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam noted that the National Research Foundation (NRF) has a total of $470 million committed to research and development in the water sector.
This money is meant to help achieve Singapore's goal of growing the value-added contribution from the water-related sector from $0.5 billion in 2003 to $1.7 billion by 2015, and doubling jobs in the sector to 11,000 by then.
Contrary to the widespread belief that urban water management in Singapore has become one of the best in the world primarily because of the use of advanced technology, in our view, this development has been possible because of good governance, functioning institutions and long-term planning.
Within this framework, technology has played a useful role.
Regrettably, in most countries of the world, both developed and developing, water governance and planning continue to be poor.
These are areas where Singapore can make tremendous contributions to the world and simultaneously help the economy of Singapore and significantly increase further its employment potential.
This will truly be a win-win situation for Singapore as well as the rest of the world.
Missing out
By mostly focusing on the 'hard' side (technology) of urban water management and not giving enough attention to the soft side (governance, planning and institutions), we believe that Singapore is missing out in maximising its potential in important areas.
Emphasis on the 'soft' side will also ensure that Singapore has a chance in becoming the knowledge hub of the urban water world.
Singapore's expertise in governance, planning, policy implementation, and functioning institutions are not the stuff of high technology.
Many cities of developed and developing world badly need such expertise.
These are the factors that enabled the country to clean up the Singapore and Kallang rivers successfully and cost-effectively.
The writers are distinguished visiting professor and doctoral candidate respectively at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Prof Biswas is also the founder and chief executive of Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico
Bernama 24 Aug 11;
DUNGUN, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- The turtle conservation efforts taken by Terengganu has started to show positive results with an increase in the population of the species.
Terengganu Fisheries Department director Zakaria Ismail said every year about 80 per cent of the turtle eggs had been hatched at the Turtle Information and Sanctuary Centre in Rantau Abang, here.
Terengganu is the second state attracting the largest number of turtle landings after Sabah, especially four species, namely the Green turtle (Chelonia Mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata), Olive-ridley turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) and a small quantity of Dermochelys Coriacea turtles.
He said last year, 401,761 turtle eggs were collected, comprising 397,789 eggs from the Green turtle, Hawksbill turtle (3,480) and the Leatherbacks (492).
"Of the total, about 70 per cent of the young turtles were hatched and released into the sea. Turtle conservation efforts were also carried out by the private sector which has also indicated encouraging results," he told Bernama here.
According to Zakaria, there are 12 areas that were converted into reserved landing areas in Terengganu, among them are Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Redang, Setiu, Rantau Abang, Dungun, Paka and Kertih in Kemaman.
In a related development, he said efforts were being taken to reduce the traditional habit of eating turtle eggs in Terengganu.
"This is because it has been a tradition here to eat turtle eggs while demand for turtle in increasing in the state compared with other states," he said.
He said the department was carrying out a campaign themed 'Not to Eat Turtle Eggs' among the younger generation.
"We always conduct information sessions and hold exhibitions in schools, encourage the public to visit the Turtle Information and Sanctuary centre and have dialogues with fishermen since many of the turtles die after being caught in fishing nets.
"The level of public awareness on the importance of protecting and conserving turtles has now increased," he said.
Zakaria said most of the turtle eggs being sold in the state were not from the local turtles but believed to have been brought in from several neighbouring countries.
--BERNAMA
The Star 26 Aug 11;
PETALING JAYA: A container of anchovies headed for Malaysia from Africa turned out to be no small fry. Hidden within the strong smelling anchovies were more than 1,000 elephant tusks.
The killing of more than 500 elephants for the tusks has now turned the spotlight on Malaysia as a significant transit point for the illegal elephant ivory trade.
Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic) South-East Asia senior programme officer Kanitha Krishnasamy said Malaysia had been named in the latest Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) report as “a country of concern”.
“Malaysia has progressively gained prominence in successive ETIS analyses as a transit point for African ivory because of a growing number of illegal shipments passing through its ports,” she said in a statement.
Foreign wires reported yesterday that more than 1,000 elephant tusks destined for Malaysia were seized by Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday.
AFP reported that 1,041 elephant tusks were hidden in a container of anchovies, in the hope that the smell would discourage closer inspection by the authorities.
Krishnasamy said the latest seizure “represented the death of at least 500 elephants”.
She said it was doubtful Malaysia was the end destination of these illegal shipments based on previous seizures in Thailand and Vietnam.
She urged the Wildlife and National Parks Department, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the Customs Department to document all ivory stockpiles seized and report the matter to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Krishnasamy urged the Government to work with African nations to put a stop to the trade.
“If we do not act now, we will be contributing to the demise of the wild elephant population,” she added.
Tanzania Police Seize Poached Elephant Tusks
Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala PlanetArk 25 Aug 11;
Tanzanian authorities have seized more than 1,000 elephant tusks hidden in sacks of dried fish at Zanzibar port which were destined for Malaysia, officials said on Wednesday.
Like other countries across sub-Saharan Africa rich with wildlife, Tanzania has suffered from increased poaching in recent years as criminals kill elephants and rhinos for their tusks which are used for ornaments and in some medicines.
A total of 1,041 elephant tusks were stashed in a container with 114 sacks of dried sardines earmarked for export. The tusks nabbed in Zanzibar likely originated from mainland Tanzania.
Two suspects have been arrested and are being questioned, Zanzibar police spokesman Mohammed Mhina said.
"We don't know yet how much the elephant tusks weigh but Interpol officials from Dar es Salaam have arrived to investigate the incident."
Mhina said shipping documents for the container laden with elephant tusks show the consignment was destined for Malaysia.
Rampant poaching in the Serengeti -- a park in north Tanzania famed for its sweeping plains and vistas of Africa's most spectacular wildebeest migration -- in the 1960s and 70s saw the population of black rhinos in the country plummet from over 1,000 to just 70.
Most of the elephant tusks smuggled from the east African nation end up in Asian countries, according to police.
(Editing by Yara Bayoumy)
Matt Sedensky Associated Press Google News 25 Aug 11;
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Andre, a sea turtle who survived catastrophic injuries and underwent a year of rehabilitation and innovative surgeries, has been found dead, three weeks after he was released off the Florida coast.
Loggerhead Marinelife Center, which had cared for the turtle, said he was found Wednesday on Hutchinson Island. David McClymont, the center's president, said staffers were able to identify the turtle from a tag that had been placed on him, but he was in such bad condition they couldn't determine what killed him.
"The staff and the entire volunteer base are deeply saddened," he said Thursday.
Just three weeks ago, a raucous crowd of hundreds gathered to watch Andre crawl into the sea and swim away. Onlookers hugged, wiped away tears and talked of the inspiration the reptile gave them.
Amid the disappointment over the sea turtle's death, his caretakers said the herculean efforts they took to save Andre — including several procedures considered animal firsts — were already helping others.
"The scientific advancements we made while rehabilitating Andre are already being applied in the treatment of other threatened and endangered sea turtles," the center said in a statement.
When Andre was found stranded on a sandbar on June 15, 2010, he had gaping holes in his shell, the result of two apparent boat strikes. More than three pounds of sand were inside him, along with at least a couple of crabs, a raging infection and a collapsed lung. His spinal cord was exposed, pneumonia was plaguing him and death seemed certain.
Any one of those injuries could have killed him, but his flippers were working and his neurological function appeared normal. So after beachgoers pulled him ashore on a boogie board, veterinarians began what became a yearlong effort to save him.
To help remove fluid and other materials and close his wounds, doctors used a vacuum therapy system. To help close gashes in the shell, a local orthodontist installed braces similar to those used on humans. And to fill in the gaping holes, doctors employed a procedure typically used to help regrow breast tissue in mastectomy patients and abdominal tissue in hernia patients.
The turtle's story was followed by many of the 225,000 annual visitors to the center and through a round-the-clock webcam. Children flooded him with mail and checks flowed in from around the world to support his care.
Green sea turtles have persisted since prehistoric times, but are endangered today. Only a small fraction of hatchlings survive and even fewer go on to reach adulthood and reproduce.
At 177 pounds when he was released, Andre was believed to be about 25 years old.
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