E. Kalimantan’s Green Turtle Population Rapidly Dying Off

Tunggadewa Mattangkilang Jakarta Globe 28 Feb 12;

Berau, East Kalimantan. The green turtle population in the Berau marine conservation area off East Kalimantan has declined by about 70 percent in the past decade as a result of human activity, a wildlife activist revealed on Monday.

Rusli Andar, coordinator for World Wildlife Fund Indonesia’s East Kalimantan marine program, said that there were an estimated 100,0000 to 150,000 turtles in the conservation area in 2002 but that by 2010 the numbers had dropped to between 30,000 and 50,000.

“There are a lot of factors for this, including the illegal trade in turtles and turtle eggs, the killing of turtles for their shells and the continued use of trawl nets by fishermen in which the turtles get tangled up and die,” he said.

But the biggest threat, Rusli said, is the development of beach resorts on some of the 12 islands within the conservation zone, including Derawan and Sangalaki islands, whose beaches are important nesting grounds for turtles that lay their eggs there.

Rusli said the Berau administration had allowed a spate of development in recent years in order to cater to the growing number of tourists in the area.

What is ironic, he pointed out, is that the turtles are one of the main reasons tourists come to Berau. So by destroying their nesting grounds, the administration is killing off a key source of income.

“Why would tourists still come here if there were no turtles?” Rusli said .

He also bemoaned the lack of enforcement against the trade in turtles and their eggs.

Under the 1990 Natural Resources Conservation Law, the green turtle is a protected species and anyone caught trading it faces up to five years in prison and Rp 100 million ($11,000) in fines.

“It’s clear that the trade in turtles, whether live or dead, is prohibited by law, yet the fact remains that the practice is thriving,” Rusli said.

“Law enforcement on this issue is still weak.”

Spanning 1.32 million hectares, the Berau marine conservation area, established in 2005, is the largest green turtle refuge in Indonesian waters.

It is also home to the second-highest coral reef biodiversity in Indonesia after West Papua’s Raja Ampat Islands, and the third-highest in the world.

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Nowhere to Hide: Sumatran Tigers Threatened by Human Destruction of Groundcover

ScienceDaily 28 Feb 12;

The elimination of ground-level vegetation is bringing another of the world's tiger subspecies to the brink of extinction, according to Virginia Tech and World Wildlife Fund researchers.

The Sumatran tiger, native to Indonesia, could be the fourth type of tiger to disappear from the wild. This is due, in part, because of deforestation and the loss of thick groundcover, also known as understory cover, said Sunarto, lead scientist on a study that is the first to systematically investigate the use of both forests and plantation areas for tiger habitat.

Although tiger's prefer forest to plantation areas, the study found that the most important factor was that availability of thick ground-level vegetation which apparently serves as an environmental necessity for tiger habitat, regardless of location.

"As ambush hunters, tigers would find it hard to capture their prey without adequate understory cover," said Sunarto, who earned his doctorate at Virginia Tech and now is a tiger expert for the World Wildlife Fund-Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia). "The lack of cover also leaves tigers vulnerable to persecution by humans, who generally perceive them as dangerous."

Within forest areas, tigers also strongly prefer sites that have low levels of human disturbance as indicated by their preference for areas closer to forest centers and farther from human activity centers such as bodies of water and areas bordering plantations and towns.

Tigers occupy only around 7 percent of their historic range. Estimates place the current wild tiger populations at as few as 3,200 tigers, including only about 400 Sumatran tigers, which are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

"These study results indicate that to thrive, tigers depend on the existence of large contiguous forest blocks," said study co-author Marcella Kelly, an associate professor in Virginia Tech's Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Sunarto's graduate advisor.

The Indonesian government has set aside many areas and national parks for the conservation of endangered species but about 70 percent of tiger habitat in Sumatra, an island in western Indonesia, remains outside these protected areas. The preservation of such habitats, which requires support from government, landowners, and concession holders, is critical for conservation of the species, the study authors emphasize.

A recently published Indonesian presidential decree on land use in Sumatra points out the importance of building wildlife corridors between critical areas, where commitments from concession owners are key to successful implementation.

"Even with current legal protection for the species, tigers are not doing well in many places, especially those outside protected areas," Sunarto said. "As long as forest conversion continues, tigers will require active protection or they will quickly disappear from our planet."

The study concludes that in order to protect tigers, it is critical to stop clearing Indonesia's remaining natural forests for plantations. With adjustments in management practices on existing plantations to include more understory and riparian forest corridors, tigers could use a mosaic of forest patches across fragmented landscapes.

"We hope that plantation managers and concession owners can use the recommendations of this report to apply best management practices to further protect Sumatran tigers from extinction," said Anwar Purwoto, director of the Forest, Freshwater, and Species Program at WWF¬Indonesia.

"Ensuring that tigers are able to roam freely in natural forests and restored habitat is crucial to their survival," said co-author Sybille Klenzendorf, head of WWF's species program, who earned her master's and doctorate degrees in wildlife science from Virginia Tech. "This study is a reminder of just how important it is for us to protect the natural forests that tigers and other animals rely on."

The report was published in the Public Library of Science's online journal PLoS ONE on Jan. 23, and was a collaboration between the university and WWF, with support from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry.

Journal Reference:

Sunarto Sunarto, Marcella J. Kelly, Karmila Parakkasi, Sybille Klenzendorf, Eka Septayuda, Harry Kurniawan. Tigers Need Cover: Multi-Scale Occupancy Study of the Big Cat in Sumatran Forest and Plantation Landscapes. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (1): e30859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030859

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Global campaign to take dugong off the menu

Vesela Todorova The National 29 Feb 12;

Saving the dugong from extinction has as much to do with tackling poverty as it does conservation work, scientists say.

A programme to help developing nations to protect and not eat the shy marine mammal, also known as the sea cow, was launched yesterday in the capital.

"The problem for dugongs is that most live offshore from developing tropical countries," said Professor Helene Marsh, the technical adviser for the Dugong, Seagrass and Coastal Communities Initiative.

"In those countries, people are often hungry and dugongs are worth much more dead than alive.

"They are long-lived and slow-breeding, very accessible to people and delicious to eat. If I gave you some dugong meat, which would be highly illegal, you would probably say it was veal."

The programme, organised by the office of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). Their branch in Abu Dhabi services the Dugong Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by 21 of the 40 states where dugongs live.

The Abu Dhabi office is funded and hosted by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (Ead).

It aims to start community projects in Mozambique, Papua New Guinea and the Gulf of Mannar, between India from Sri Lanka. The idea is to help to improve the livelihoods of traditional communities, offering incentives to protect dugongs.

Dr Donna Kwan, the programme officer for the joint effort, said the initiative was looking for funding of about US$5 million (Dh18.3m) in the first three years.

Dr Kwan said that of the three projects, the one in Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago is closest to completion and could be running within a year.

While Abu Dhabi's dugong population is stable, the number of recorded deaths rose last year, said Thabit Al Abdessalaam, the executive director of the Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity Sector at Ead.

The annual average is seven or eight, but last year 13 deaths were recorded, Mr Al Abdessalaam said.

"It is still within the safe limits but it something we need to monitor and watch closely," he said.

Most of the deaths were recorded in the Western Region, and drowning in nets is the most common cause.

Dugongs can live for more than 70 years but if food is scarce they may not start breeding until they are 17.

Their metabolism is so slow it is comparable to that of the three-toed sloth.

That unique biology and dependence of sensitive seagrass beds mean only 13 in a population of 1,000 can be lost in a year if their numbers are to remain healthy.

With almost 3,000 dugongs, Abu Dhabi has the world's second-largest population. Australia has the largest.

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Madagascar Gets 'Roadmap' To Conserving Marine Life

LiveScience.com Yahoo News 29 Feb 12;

A "roadmap" for preserving marine life around the famously biologically rich island of Madagascar has been proposed in a new study released last week.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on Earth yet has proposed to create more than 1 million hectares (3,861 square miles) of protected areas to provide for the long-term conservation of its marine resources, including coral reefs and mangroves.

The new study, conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, the Wildlife Conservation Society and others used what is called (borrowing from the financial world) a "diversified portfolio" approach, to identify what areas need protection and use a variety of strategies to protect them. These options include implementing strict no-take zones (where fishing is completely banned) to areas that would allow fishing.

"It behooves countries, in the face of impending fisheries and climate crises, to plan and implement intelligent management that will increase the resilience of their natural marine resources," said study co-author Tim McClanahan of the WCS. "This paper will provide a roadmap for Madagascar to plan and manage these resources and the methods should prove affordable and useful for the poorest countries where adaptation to climate change will make marine spatial planning a critical part of a successful response."

The method looked at existing information on the country's climate, along with dependence on fisheries and marine resources, and applies three different planning approaches to establish priorities for management along Madagascar's entire west coast.

The study authors said the process provides a more efficient and comprehensive way to plan on a large scale and they found that several marine areas in Madagascar are conservation priorities across all methods.

These conservation priorities included coral reefs in the vicinity of the Barren Islands, the large shallow banks to the northwest and southwest, and the reefs of Juan de Nova.

The study also found endangered regions due to heavy human pressure in the south, and areas of high climate variability intermixed with lower vulnerability but high biodiversity in the northwest. Areas of particularly high biodiversity value include the islands, reefs and bays of the northwest; the fringing reefs of the southwest; and the barrier reefs and islands of the central west coast.

The study was published in the Feb. 16 issue of the journal PLoS One.

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New flu virus is found in bats

AFP Yahoo News 28 Feb 12;

A new strain of influenza A has been found in fruit bats, indicating for the first time that bats, like birds, can be carriers of the virus, though it is not believed risky to humans, according to US health authorities.

"This is the first time an influenza virus has been identified in bats, but in its current form the virus is not a human health issue," said Suxiang Tong, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's pathogen discovery program.

"The study is important because the research has identified a new animal species that may act as a source of flu viruses."

The influenza A virus was detected in a sample of three of 316 live little yellow-shouldered bats captured at two different sites in Guatemala.

That type of bat is not known to bite humans but feeds on fruit, and is native to Central and South America.

Previous flu pandemics, such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, which came to the public's attention as "swine flu," have been known to originate in animals and eventually transform so that they gain the ability to infect people.

"Fortunately, initial laboratory testing suggests the new virus would need to undergo significant changes to become capable of infecting and spreading easily among humans," said Ruben Donis, chief of the Molecular Virology and Vaccines Branch in CDC's Influenza Division.

"A different animal -- such as a pig, horse or dog -- would need to be capable of being infected with both this new bat influenza virus and human influenza viruses for reassortment to occur."

More details about the findings are published in the US journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Malaysians protest against rare earths plant

Melissa Goh Channel NewsAsia 27 Feb 12;

KUALA LUMPUR: Protests over the controversial rare earths processing plant in Malaysia appear to be gaining momentum despite safety assurances from Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He says scientific evidence shows the Pahang plant is "harmless" to residents living in its vicinity.

Anti-Lynas protesters say they are disappointed with Mr Najib's statement, adding that "a clean environment needs a clean government".

They are planning to tie up with Bersih, the electoral reform group for joint protests.

Located in the Gebeng industrial zone, some 20 kilometres north of Pahang's state capital Kuantan, stands what would be the world's largest rare earths refinery.

The Lynas advanced materials processing plant is built over 100 hectares of land, at a whopping US$373 million.

And the Australian miner says the plant is 91 percent ready.

But over the weekend, thousands of Malaysians voiced their opposition against the plant.

And even though security was tightened ahead of Himpunan Hijau 2.0, it was the largest anti-Lynas gathering so far.

More than 10,000 people turned up, some even from far-off areas.

Foo How and his friends were among protesters who drove 260 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur to join the rally.

He says Malaysia has nothing to gain from Lynas.

"It's tax free, with 12 years tax free, we are not earning anything or charging environmental tax," he said.

Local residents urged the authorities not to gamble with their children's future.

"I have two kids, this thing is very dangerous for us, we must stop Lynas and save Malaysia."

"I don't think we need to take this sort of risk."

Others were more realistic - they want Lynas to commit to a long-term waste disposal plan.

"If they take back their waste, they comply with all environmental needs, they can operate here, BASF is here, Amoco is here, that's how they do it, they pick up their waste and do it properly."

There are some 30,000 people living within a three-kilometre radius of the plant, and despite safety assurances from the prime minister, many are not convinced.

"Don't talk about tourists, even our local people are also now planning to move out from the place. After 20 years, our children our great grandchildren, they said nothing is going to happen but we are not sure. There's no point getting angry, it's already done, even if we are angry what else can we do but protest?"

While some local residents are contemplating moving out of the state to avoid the risk of possible radiation, others are worried about tourist arrivals if the plant is allowed to fire up and begin operation.

The concern has even spread to Kuantan's renowned salted fish business.

Villagers worry that the rising fear of contamination and all the negative publicity surrounding Lynas may take a toll on their businesses.

- CNA/de

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Tsunami debris spreads halfway across Pacific

Audrey McAvoy Associated Press Yahoo News 29 Feb 12;

HONOLULU (AP) — Lumber, boats and other debris ripped from Japanese coastal towns by tsunamis last year have spread across some 3,000 miles of the North Pacific, where they could wash ashore on remote islands north of Hawaii this winter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the first bits of tsunami debris will make landfall soon on small atolls northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands.

NOAA's tsunami marine debris coordinator, Ruth Yender, told an online news conference Tuesday that agency workers were boarding Coast Guard flights that patrol the archipelago. NOAA also asked scientists stationed at Midway and other atolls to look for the debris.

Debris initially collected in a thick mass in the ocean after tsunamis dragged homes, boats, cars and other parts of daily life from coastal towns out to sea. Most likely sank not far from Japan's eastern coast.

In September, a Russian training ship spotted a refrigerator, a television set and other appliances west of Hawaii. By now, the debris has likely drifted so far apart that only one object can be seen at a time, said Nikolai Maximenko, a University of Hawaii researcher and ocean currents expert.

One to 2 million tons of debris remain in the ocean, but only one to 5 percent of that could reach Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Washington state and Canada's British Columbia, Maximenko said. The tsunamis generated a total of 20 million to 25 million tons of debris, including what was left on land.

Yender said that so far, no debris confirmed to be from the tsunamis has landed on American shores, including large buoys suspected to be from Japanese oyster farms found in Alaska last year. The buoys would have had to travel faster than currents to get to Alaska at that time if they were set loose by the March 11 tsunamis.

Similar buoys have washed ashore in Alaska and the U.S. West Coast before the tsunami, she said.

Nicholas Mallos, a conservation biologist and marine debris specialist for the Ocean Conservancy, said many of the objects in the debris were expected to be from Japan's fishing industry. That could pose a risk for wildlife, such as endangered Hawaiian monk seals, if fishing gear washes up on coral reefs or beaches.

"The major question is how much of that material has sank since last year, and how much of that remains afloat or still in the water column," Mallos said.

Maximenko said the dispersion of the debris makes it more difficult to track but no less hazardous.

"In many cases it's not density that matters, it's total amount," he said. "For example, if there's a current flowing around Midway island, that island would collect debris like a trawl moving across the ocean. It will collect all the debris on its way."

Ultimately, Maximenko said, tsunami debris will join garbage floating in a gyre north of Hawaii produced by swirling Pacific currents. Much of that trash in a wide area known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is bits of plastic, which slowly breaks down into smaller pieces but doesn't completely disappear.

It was unclear whether large items like refrigerators will make it across the ocean because there has been little precedent for such an event.

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Best of our wild blogs: 28 Feb 12

Send in the Clowns!
from Butterflies of Singapore

Lousey
from The annotated budak and Paradise on earth

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Two road projects to benefit motorists in the north

Faster trips, smoother connection to three expressways by 2015
Royston Sim Straits Times 28 Feb 12;

MOTORISTS driving to and from Yishun or Seletar Aerospace Park will enjoy faster journeys and a smoother connection to three expressways by 2015.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has rolled out two new road projects to improve accessibility and road capacity in the northern part of Singapore, in anticipation of upcoming developments there.

Once these are completed, motorists travelling from Yishun to the Central Expressway (CTE) can expect to save up to 10 minutes on their journeys, it said.

Yesterday, the LTA awarded a $75million contract to civil engineering firm OKP Holdings to expand the interchange connecting the CTE, Seletar Expressway (SLE) and Tampines Expressway (TPE).

The LTA also announced that it would soon call for tenders to construct a new road link between Yishun Avenue 6 and the TPE. This is expected to ease traffic flow along the busy Lentor Avenue and Yishun Avenue 2.

As part of the interchange expansion, OKP will build four new flyovers to connect Seletar West Link with the CTE, the TPE and Yio Chu Kang Road.

It will also widen the Yio Chu Kang flyover and a portion of the SLE and TPE. Work is scheduled to start next month.

OKP was previously involved in the CTE widening project, building two new flyovers between Braddell Road and the Pan-Island Expressway that were completed last year.

Its group managing director, Mr Or Toh Wat, said it aims to minimise disruption to motorists. The construction work will be carried out mostly during off-peak hours or at night, particularly if there are temporary lane closures involved, he said.

Advance notices and signs will also be put up at least a week before a road is closed, he added.

Besides the interchange expansion, the LTA will build a new road link between Yishun Avenue 6 and the TPE.

A new dual two-lane road will be constructed between Yishun Avenue 1 and Avenue 6, while the existing Seletar West Link will be widened from a dual one-lane to a dual three-lane carriageway.

Tenders for this new road link will be called soon, and construction is expected to start in the third quarter of this year.

Like the interchange expansion, this project is expected to be ready by 2015.

By then, motorists can look forward to better connectivity and faster journeys between Yishun, Seletar Aerospace Park and the three expressways, said the LTA.

Two new road projects to improve connectivity in northern S'pore
Channel NewsAsia 28 Feb 12;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority has announced two new road projects to improve overall road connectivity and capacity in the northern part of Singapore.

The first, costing S$75 million, will involve expanding the existing interchange that connects the Central, Tampines and Seletar Expressways.

As part of the expansion project, four new flyovers will be built.

Five new road connections will also be created to improve the connectivity between the expressway and the road network.

The CTE/SLE/TPE interchange expansion project has been awarded to Or Kim Peow Contractors (Private) Limited.

The five new road connections will be from Seletar West Link to CTE; from CTE to Seletar West Link; from Seletar West Link to Yio Chu Kang Road; from Yio Chu Kang Road to Seletar West Link; and from TPE (westbound) to Seletar West Link.

The second project will involve building a new road between the TPE and Yishun Avenue 6.

Tenders for the new road link will be called shortly.

When completed by 2015, motorists can look forward to better connectivity and faster travelling time between the three connecting expressways, Yishun Town and the new Seletar Aerospace Park.

For example, motorists travelling from Yishun Town to CTE can expect time savings of up to 10 minutes.

- CNA/cc

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Malaysia: Nubbins attract fishes and invertebrates to build healthy reefs

Ivan Loh The Star 28 Feb 12;

THE pilot project to conserve corals on Mentangor Island, near Pangkor Island, has proven to be successful.

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) general manager Julian Hyde said a visit to the site in January showed that the survival rate of the coral nubbins is a 100%.

Hyde said a frame measuring three square metres with Acropora corals were transplanted onto the seabed near Mentangor from a nursery last year.

It is starting to build a healthy ecosystem, with a large number of fishes and invertebrates taking up residence.

“We visited the site in November last year and found that the transplanted corals to be in very good condition, with a 100% survival rate and signs of further growth.

“This is an early indication that the site is suitable for rehabilitation,” Hyde told The Star.

“With the success of the project, we will expand by adding more frames with corals on it onto the seabed this year,” he added.

Hyde also pointed out that snorkelling guides too have come to a consensus to limit snorkelling activities by visitors at Mentangor for at least a year to allow the area to rehabilitate without external disturbances.

In October last year, RCM had laid the frame with the corals onto the seabed off Mentangor with the help of local snorkelling guides.

The island, chosen because it is rarely visited, was then established as a safe snorkelling zone for the rehabilitation of corals.

Hyde explained that the snorkelling guides and boat operators, fearing that the bleaching of the corals could affect their livelihood, had sought the expertise and assistance of RCM to revive the dwindling coral reefs on Pangkor and its surrounding islands.

“The snorkelling guides and boat operators understand that without corals, there will be no marine life hence, fewer visitors would want to snorkel there.

“Initial studies by RCM and coral reef ecologist Kee Alfian Abd Aziz from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia show that rehabilitation of the corals can be done,” he said, adding that the project was financed by YTL Corporation Bhd as part of their corporate social responsibility.

However, he declined to disclose the cost of the project.

He said the nursery for the corals that is situated near YTL’s Pangkor Laut Resort, was started in November 2010 to find out if it is viable to cultivate corals at Pangkor and ultimately to increase the number of corals in the sea.

Hyde said they first conducted the coral transplant project in Pulau Tioman with support from the Department of Marine Parks in July 2011 before the starting one at Mentangor.

Hyde said RCM would continue its efforts to educate the public on the coral conservation project.

“We have planned to include a school education programme with students from SK Seri Pangkor under RCM’s Rainforest to Reef programme,” he said.

“We want to educate the children about the importance of corals and its role in the marine ecosystem,” he added.

RCM is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of coral reefs.

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Malaysia: Gaharu wood trade needs to be controlled

Tracking tree thefts
Natalie Heng The Star 28 Feb 12;

The gaharu trade needs to be controlled if it is to be sustained.

THE TRAIL of dead trees littering our forests are traces of an illegal smuggling ring that has spread from southern Thailand down to Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, over the past 30 years or so. Today, these poachers are well-entrenched within the forests for one very lucrative reason: gaharu.

Syndicated gangs, often of Thai, Vietnamese or Myanmarese origins, scour the jungle for months in search of Aquilaria malaccensis and the fragrant resin sometimes infused within the heartwood of this tree species. The presence of the resin is, however, unpredictable as it occurs only as an immune response to injury or pathogenic infection.

There are many names for it – gaharu, agarwood or oudh. Its etymology can be traced back to ancient times when gaharu, thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word agaru, was found in and traded from India. It was one of the most sought-after substances in China during the tenth century, and direct exports to the Middle East began sometime in the ninth century.

Rarity makes the commodity highly valuable today. The fragrant resin is generally found only in one out of 10 A. malaccensis trees or karas, as the tree is known locally. Unfortunately, unlike the indigenous communities who have been collecting the wood for centuries, most syndicate-hires lack the skill to distinguish a karas containing gaharu from one that does not. So the poachers hack down every agarwood tree, leaving a trail of unnecessary devastation in their wake.

Decades of relentless harvesting have caused the tree to become increasingly difficult to find. Perhaps, that is why poachers are more brazen now. Earlier this month, a 30m-high karas tree was felled close to the Penang Botanic Gardens. The pillaging of gaharu raises wide-ranging issues: illegal collectors armed with axes and M16 rifles not only endanger wildlife but put unarmed wildlife enforcement officers at risk. The illegal trade also bleeds profit from our gross domestic product – exactly how much is lost from royalties and export tax remains unknown.

Woody scents

Once upon a time, things were very different. Records from the 17th century described “dense groves” of A. malaccensis growing in the hinterlands of Malacca. Spanish reports described agarwood as one of the primary commodities traded by merchants, alongside diamonds, camphor, and wine in Cerava (Sarawak) way back in the 1530s.

Documents dating from the 1900s recounted that gaharu was burned by locals as incense before prayers, or taken to Mecca. Malays used it as medicine, poured it to the ground as libation at grave sides, and prized attractively-shaped pieces as talismans.

The uses were cross-cultural. Just 50 years ago, Malaysia’s Chinese populace used gaharu dust in joss sticks. Today, it is only found in premium products.

Gaharu must have actually been quite affordable for a period of time, but by the mid-1970s, prices shot up as a Middle Eastern oil boom led to newfound wealth and an insatiable appetite for oudh, driving supply down and prices, up.

Scientists, private companies and government agencies have responded by refining inoculation techniques in commercial gaharu plantations. However, the efforts are not yet capable of producing the same types of high-grade gaharu found in the wild. Generally, the darker, denser and more fragrant the wood, the better. A 1kg bag of A-grade wood chips can fetch up to RM20,000. These high-grade wood chips are often used as incense, whist the distilled oil is used as a body fragrance. It takes about 15kg of wood chips to produce one tola (about 11.6g).

According to The Trade and Use of Agarwood (Oudh) In The United Arab Emirates, a 2010 report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a wealthy Emirati household would not think twice about paying 1,000 Emirati Dirham (RM846) for one tola of good quality oil. That seems to be the going rate for Malaysian gaharu oil, which makes up 50% of the world’s legally-traded gaharu.

Indian gaharu fetches up to RM5,000 a tola as the gaharu trees there are incredibly scarce due to over-harvesting. A. malaccensis is currently classified as “vulnerable to extinction” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, whilst all Aquilaria species (and the related genus Gyrinops) are now listed under CITES Appendix II – which means trade is only permitted with an appropriate export permit and certificate of origin.

No legal mandate

Malaysia is a long way from India’s situation but there is much to be improved in the administration of the gaharu trade. One area of concern is misdeclarations of exports, which might undermine CITES and lead to a loss of taxes due to the under-valuation of the commodity. The first point was raised in a 2010 CITES report Wood For The Trees: A Review Of The Agarwood (Gaharu) Trade In Malaysia. The CITES management authority is the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB). Part of its duty is to ensure all Appendix II CITES export and import permits are in order, but it currently does not have enforcement powers to cover customs-controlled items such as wood chips for perfumery, medicine, oil and perfume – categories under which gaharu products predominantly fall. The result seems to be a lack of any applicable Malaysian law which allows MTIB to enforce the requirements of CITES.

Even after the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 came into force (it lists any customs officer as a CITES enforcement officer), it is still not clear if this jurisdiction covers what was not specified under the Customs Act 1967 as controlled items.

However, efforts are under way to resolve this, with a plan to include an additional schedule specific to CITES species in regulations governing prohibited import and export items. MTIB director of licensing and enforcement, Norchahaya Hashim, says this means that Aquilaria timber, along with various gaharu-derived plant parts and products (including gaharu oil), will be listed as controlled items, hopefully by the end of next year.

The misdeclarations stems partly from the lack of a standard grading system for exporters. Norchahaya says MTIB is addressing this by drafting a set of visual grading guidelines, expected to be ready by mid-2012. To obtain a CITES export or import permit, the gaharu wood products must be graded to determine that the declared value is consistent with the quality and grade of the product.

These developments, though a step forward, are just one piece of the jigsaw. President of the Association of Bumiputra Gaharu Entrepreneurs, Datuk Dahlan Taha, fears such grading efforts might not take into account buyer subjectivity. As tastes vary across markets, he says the perceived value for a product might be inconsistent with the value on which excise duties are based. The grading system being devised also does not work for non-wood products, such as gaharu oil.

Another issue is that legally and illegally sourced gaharu sometimes get mixed up in the supply chain as unlicensed collectors sell their products to licensed ones. A common trader’s gripe is that legal procedures for harvesting gaharu within different Malaysian states have been somewhat obscure over the years. Aside from Kelantan which has issued the highest number of gaharu collection licences, most states have been slow to adopt the Forestry Department’s directive to streamline licensing procedures.

Dawend Jiwan, a former senior researcher with Sarawak Forestry Corporation specialising in habitat management for endangered species, makes an interesting point: gaharu collectors must be licensed but many live and work far away from the offices of the State Forestry Department. With these logistical challenges, how can we ensure collectors abide by harvesting guidelines?

Dahlan has a suggestion to resolve this: make the collectors sit for and pass an examination on harvesting guidelines before they can be issued licences. “Employers (gaharu traders) could be made responsible for ensuring the logistics are in place for the collectors to learn, take, and pass the test.”

Safeguarding the trade
Natalie Heng The Star 28 Feb 12;

GAHARU poachers are not only chopping down agarwood trees from our forests but wiping out the wildlife too. Accounts of poachers carrying tiger claws, bear paws, porcupines and even rhino horns alongside sacks of gaharu hint at the impact of opportunistic hunting. Locals have also been known to participate in illegal harvesting activities but they are no match for the work of international crime rings.

“Foreigners take everything. They specifically go in for gaharu but set up traps for food and high-value species for the wildlife trade,” says Taman Negara Pahang superintendent, Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim.

“Most of the locals harvest the gaharu in small quantities and sell it to middlemen.”

President of the Association of Bumiputra Gaharu Entrepreneurs (Pengharum) Datuk Dahlan Taha sees the poachers as a hindrance to Malaysia’s efforts to establish itself as an international trading centre. “Illegal gaharu collection eats into the share of licensed gaharu traders and deprives the Malaysian public of a large amount of tax on the commodity.”

Tackling the issue is a challenge, however. The Forestry Department has declined to give the number of arrests related to gaharu poaching. In any case, convictions rates might only reveal a small portion of the theft as most arrests result in immigration charges relating to visa overstays or illegal entry into the country or forest reserve. Illegal removal of produce from permanent reserved forests or stateland forests carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and a fine not exceeding RM500,000 under Section 15 of the Forestry Act 1984 but it appears that incentives for the crime outweigh the potential costs.

Two Thai poachers arrested in Kelantan in 2005 revealed to researcher Noorainie Awang Anak (who co-authored the CITES report Wood For The Trees: A Review Of The Agarwood (Gaharu) Trade In Malaysia) that they would consider repeating the offence. The men’s families were supported by syndicates which employed them and they said that if caught, life in prison would be less strenuous than spending months searching for gaharu in the jungle. The men, aged 17 and 28, said they would not dare venture the same thing back home as harsher methods were used in dealing with such crimes.

Gaharu estates

With promises of lucrative profits from the “liquid gold”, many are investing in gaharu plantations. Also, there is a scuffle to come up with the best and most cost-effective inoculation technique to induce karas trees to produce gaharu. Worries that smallholders might fall victim to the empty promises of fly-by-night investment schemes prompted the formation of Pengharum.

Dahlan says commercial gaharu plantations are largely still in their infancy but it is important that Malaysia nurtures this growing industry as relying on wild gaharu collections is unsustainable.

The former Forestry Department deputy director-general says inoculation techniques might not produce the same kind of high-grade gaharu found in the forest but they can be used to cater to certain market demands or specification.

He says some Pengharum members are developing the method called SGT3 (Serapan Gubal Teras 3) which allows the harvesting of different types and grades of wood from live trees, a step forward from most current methods which require the felling of the entire tree.

There are three variations of the SGT3 method. The first produces Kayu C gaharu, currently sold to Taiwan and Dubai for US$7 to US$10 (RM21 to RM31) per kg, where it is distilled into oil or used as incense. This method requires an application of a liquid formula over the bark. An outer layer of bark is then harvested after six months, after which the process can be repeated.

Harvesting wood chips after one to three years produces Kaler Gazi which is sold to Vietnam and India for US$7 to US$100 per kg (RM21 to RM310). A slightly modified technique whereby harvesting occurs after three to six years produces Gubal. Sold locally and to India, this type is mainly used as incense and priced between US$800 and US$1,200 (RM2,480 and RM3,720) per kg.

Dahlan thinks that in the future, there will be a market for even lower grade gaharu as the younger generation prefers perfumes that use the oil as a component; the oil can be distilled from lower grades of gaharu.

“It would also be helpful to see a more streamlined policy for gaharu, which falls under both the purview of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (karas trees) and the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry (gaharu and plantations).”

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19 Paper Giants disclose their ecological footprint

WWF 27 Feb 12;

Gland, Switzerland - WWF is launching the second WWF Environmental Paper Company Index, a rating of paper producers on their global ecological footprint.

In this round of the Index, 19 globally significant producers of fine paper, tissue and packaging have allowed WWF to scrutinize their global paper production on key environmental criteria, such as fibre coming from well-managed forests, clean production and public reporting.

“WWF applauds the transparency of participating producers. By allowing evaluation of their environmental performance these companies are showing that they take environmental and social responsibility seriously,” said Emmanuelle Neyroumande, Manager of WWF International´s global pulp and paper work.

The producers participating in this year´s Index are:
Fine paper category: Arjowiggins Graphic, Burgo, Cascades, Domtar, Fedrigoni, Mondi, M-real, Stora Enso, Suzano, UPM;
Packaging category: Cascades, Korsnäs, Mondi, SCA Containerboard;
Tissue paper category: Arjowiggins Graphic, Metsä Tissue, Renova, SCA Tissue, Sofidel

The best scores on environmental footprint overall were achieved by companies in the packaging sector: SCA Container board with 85.55% and Mondi with 75.45% of achievable scores. In the Fine Paper category, the best scores were achieved by Arjowiggins Graphic with 73.86%, and in the Tissue category by SCA Tissue with 65.13% of achievable scores.

More scores for the best performing producers reaching at least 60% of achievable scores can be found on www.panda.org/PaperCompanyIndex.

“At SCA Containerboard we are extremely proud to be named among the best scoring companies in the Environmental Paper Index of WWF International! For a long time we have devoted relentless energies to offering environmentally-sound products. This achievement will generate additional enthusiasm to fuel our environmental performance,” said Stefano Rossi, Vice President & Managing Director, SCA Containerboard.

"Arjowiggins Graphic class leading score in the WWF Environmental Paper Company Index - Fine paper category, confirms the importance of leadership in the usage of recycled fibre, for graphic papers, as part of an economically successful sustainability strategy,” said Jean Charles Monange, Sales and Marketing Director, Arjowiggins Graphic.

“The willingness of companies to participate in WWF’s Environmental Paper Company Index is a positive reflection on our industry and Mondi is delighted to once again be recognised as one of the top performing paper and packaging companies. Our approach to product responsibility incorporates transparent disclosure of our environmental footprint and allows responsible buyers to choose our products,” said John Lindahl, Group Technical Director, Mondi.

Paper is a renewable, recyclable material, with a potentially lower footprint than substitute materials, if managed responsibly. However, the sector's size and impacts are expanding, leaving an unacceptably large ecological footprint on the planet unless the industry makes significant improvements.

“WWF encourages buyers of paper, shareholders and investors to minimize their environmental risks by responding positively to the transparency and examples of improved performance shown by producers participating in the WWF Environmental Paper Company Index,” said Rod Taylor, Director of WWF’s Global Forest Programme. “We invite more major paper producers from around the world to disclose their ecological footprint in the next Environmental Paper Company Index assessment in two years’ time.”

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