Best of our wild blogs: 26 Sep 12

Little Grebe’s Splashing Good Time
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Rice hopper
from The annotated budak

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Malaysia: 10 big questions to ask about Pengerang petrochemical projects

Thomas Fann Malaysian Insider 25 Sep 12;

SEPT 25 — On May 13, 2011, PM Najib announced that Petronas will invest RM60 billion in a major integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Pengerang, Johor. The Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (RAPID) project by Petronas, as it is known, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2016, as part of the national oil company’s efforts to expand its downstream production.

Exactly a year later on May 13, 2012, when the RAPID project was officially launched, the total value is now RM120 billion, with expected investments from Taiwanese and German petrochemical companies, easily making this Pengerang project the biggest-ever in the history of this nation.

In the midst of all the excitement and promises of economic benefits to the state of Johor and the nation, there has been some disquiet amongst the Pengerang community. Local NGOs were formed and had submitted memorandums to various authorities and several protests were organised this year.

It would be wrong to say that these NGOs and the people they represent are against any form of development in Pengerang but what many are concerned about is that it has to be sustainable. These local NGOs have adopted a unifying theme — Kekalkan Pengerang Lestari, or Maintain the Sustainability of Pengerang. Development of such scale must be embarked upon with regards for the people affected by it and be done responsibly to minimise its impact on the environment.

We have to ask honest questions and hear honest answers to these questions so that the concerns of not just the Pengerangites but also Malaysians are allayed.

There are many issues and questions to ask but I want to list down 10 big questions to ask the government about this massive project.

Question 1: The RAPID Project requires 6,424 acres of land but why is the Johor government using the Land Acquisition Act 1960 to acquire 22,500 acres of land? We hope a plausible and detailed explanation for its justification is forthcoming so that the government would not be accused of using Rapid as an excuse to grab land from the ordinary people of Pengerang.

Question 2: What is going to happen to the fishermen and smallholders who would have lost their means of livelihood? There are about 3,100 residents within the seven villages affected, who earned a living as fishermen and smallholders. Though some argued that 40,000 jobs would be created during the construction phase and 4,000 by the time the projects are completed in 2016, the reality are for many of these affected fishermen and farmers, it would be difficult for them to work in these new jobs because their skills are different.

Question 3: It has been reported that licensed fishermen are being offered RM30,000 compensation whilst unlicensed ones are offered half that amount. Smallholders with 1-2 acres land are offered between RM65,000 and RM105,000 for their land. As a “sweetener”, the Johor government is offering “subsidised” alternative housing on 6,000 sq ft of land with built-up area between 750 and 1,600 sq ft. The discounted prices the villagers would have to pay for these houses range from RM35,000 to RM105,000. In short, they would have given up their 1-2 acres of land and houses in exchange for 6,000 sq ft of land with a house on it, some 15-20km away, with little or no money in their pocket and no land to earn a living. I am told many of these lands are shared between several siblings in the first place, thus, after dividing the compensation they won’t even be able to afford the “subsidised” housing. Is this a fair deal?

Question 4: Why is our government so keen to welcome KuoKuang Petrochemical of Taiwan when they have been rejected by their own country? Again, like the Lynas case, is our government telling us that Malaysian lives are worth not only less than the Australian but also now, less than the Taiwanese? We have to understand why the Taiwanese people were so against KuoKuang before we welcome them into our land.

Question 5: Is it true that a petrochemical plant the scale of Rapid would need massive amount of processed water a day to operate, almost 75 per cent of Johor’s current daily consumption? If this is true, wouldn’t it cause acute water shortages in Johor? Have the government foresaw this and made plans to increase the supply of processed water for the state?

Question 6: Apart from consuming large quantity of water, it would also need large quantity of electrical energy? If not, has the government made plans to increase the energy output in Johor? Has this got anything to do with the rumoured nuclear power plants to be setup in Pengerang? What would our neighbour across the straits have to say about this, especially in the light of the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster?

Question 7: In May 2009, during a visit to Singapore, PM Najib proposed to his counterpart PM Lee that a third link be built linking Pengerang to Singapore. When would this proposal be followed-up with another announcement? Would it be after all the land near this third link has been acquired and parceled to third party companies so that they can make a killing?

Question 8: Currently, the Department of Environment (DOE) requires developers to submit the EIA report. This report is paid for by the developers, in this case Petronas. Can we trust the glowing DEIA (Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment) report by Integrated Envirotect Sdn Bhd? Isn’t it a case of “he who pays the piper calls the tune”? Shouldn’t an independent panel of local and international experts be appointed to do the DEIA so that the integrity of the report would not be compromised and the truth of potential environmental impact can be known?

Question 9: It is oppression to the local communities when you unilaterally announce a major development without consultation. That was what happened in Pengerang. When PM Najib made the announcement in May 2011, it was said that even the local state assemblyman was clueless, let alone the villagers. Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is an approach outlined in international human rights law and declarations. It recognises the right of local affected people to be consulted, and to negotiate with, project developers on the impact of a project on their community. Have the voices of the Pengerang people being heard?

Question 10: For all the claims of huge economic benefits these petrochemical projects would bring to this country, we hear that the Taiwanese company, KuoKuang Petrochemical will be given a tax holiday of 10 years! Their government rejected them and ours give them this incentive to move here. While we, the taxpayer pay our government to look after us, hazardous foreign companies are invited into our country to pollute us tax-free, denying us probably billions in taxes which could have bee used to clean up the environment and improve health care here. What is going on here?

In Conclusion...

What do we value in our society? Have we come to a point where everything is valued by ringgit and sen? If a project is valued at RM120 billion, then it is more valuable than the rights of people, our heritage, creatures under our care, our floral and fauna, and the environment? If so, how are we different from the prostitute who offers herself to the highest bidder?

As Malaysians, we are concern with what is happening in Pengerang not because it could directly impact us but because it could be our homes and livelihood that would be taken next. What we are confronting is not an isolated situation but a systemic problem of lack of transparency, disregards for the people’s rights and the environment.

These are honest questions that are in need of answers from the only people who can answer them — the government. We hope that honest answers will be forthcoming in the days to come. We hope that the declaration “Rakyat didahulukan, Pencapaian diutamakan” (People first, Performance now) is more than an empty slogan when it comes to Pengerang.

But for now, myself and thousand others will be attending Himpunan Hijau Lestari Pengerang on September 30 because we are seeking answers and standing in solidarity with our fellow Malaysians in Pengerang. For more information, you can visit www.hijau.info.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Indonesia: Thick Haze Paralyzes Jambi Airport

Jakarta Globe 24 Sep 12;

Jambi. Thick smoke from ground and forest fires have severely curtailed visibility and forced the closure of the Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport in Jambi city on Monday, an airport executive said.

The airport was closed for landing as visibility was down to 500 to 1,000 meters. The day's first scheduled flight at 6:00 a.m. had to be delayed by about 30 minutes.

The first flight scheduled to land at the airport, a Lion Air flight from Jakarta that should have landed at 7:30 a.m., was not able to do so and was diverted to the airport in Palembang.

Alzog Pendra, the operations manager of the Jambi airport, said they have warned aircraft against forcing to land if visibility was not permitting.

The thick haze began to disrupt the flight schedule at the Jambi airport on Sunday, Alzog said.

On Sunday, the same first flight from Jakarta operated by Lion air also failed to land because of the low visibility and was diverted to Palembang in neighboring South Sumatra. But similar low visibility due to haze in Palembang' Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin airport forced the plane to return to Jakarta instead.

A Garuda flight from Jakarta that had been due to arrive on Sunday morning only managed to land in Jambi at 1 p.m. after visibility improved.

An air pollution control index showed that in Jambi city, the air was entering the level of serious pollution, with smoke and ash at 90 particles per million over the past three days.

Bambang Priyanto, the deputy mayor of Jambi, said he has asked the city's health office to begin distributing free masks to the public because of the worsening air quality there.

"We have prepared some 70,000 masks in anticipation of the smoke," he said. The city, Bambang added, was also currently considering whether to temporarily close down schools, especially for kindergarten and primary schools.

Suara Pembaruan

Ongoing Jambi Fires Spark Public Health Fears
Jakarta Globe 26 Sep 12;

Jambi. The thick and chocking haze from ground and forest fires that has blanketed Jambi for the past three months has pushed up the number of sufferers of respiratory tract ailments, health officials said on Tuesday.

Andi Pada, from the Jambi provincial health office, said the number of people suffering from respiratory tract ailments in the Sumatran province has risen to 3,020, with 1,241 of them in the capital.

Batanghari district followed with 943 people, East Tanjung Jabung with 581 and Muarojambi with 455. There were no reports yet from the seven other districts and municipalities in Jambi.

Andi said the standard air pollution index in Jambi city had already reached unhealthy levels at more than 100 particles per million.

The local health office has already distributed some 3,000 masks to the population, especially for motorists.

Zubaidi, the head of the Jambi Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that a team from the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) was attempting to artificially induce rains in the area by spreading salt in the sky over Jambi.

However, he said, the rain-making often failed because of the scarcity of clouds and the very dry nature of the air.

“But this Tuesday morning, rains have begun to fall, although not heavily,” Zubaidi said.

“Hopefully there will be enough clouds over Jambi in the next few days for the rains to overcome the problems of smoke and ground and forest fires in Jambi.”

A thin rain began to fall over Jambi city at around 7:30 a.m. but only lasted for 15 minutes, failing to rid the city of the thick and chocking smoke.

Even after the rain, visibility was well below one kilometer and monitoring from the Jambi Environmental Agency showed the air pollution index at 95 to 97 particles per million.

By 8 a.m., no flights had been able to land at Jambi’s Sultan Taha Syaifuddin Airport because of the low visibility. The first airplanes usually land at the airport at 7 a.m. Alzog Pendra, the operational manager of the airport, said that planes can only land if visibility is at least two kilometers.

Meanwhile, environmental activists in Jambi on Tuesday criticized the local governments for its slow response to the haze problem that began three months ago.

Rakhmat Hidayat, the executive director of the Indonesian Conservation Community and the Jambi Conservation Information Stall, deplored the local government for not acting quickly to deal with the growing haze problems in the region.

He said that the government was not fast enough in preventing the use of fire for land clearing, both by large plantation companies and by individual farmers.

The practice of clearing land with fire is outlawed but enforcement has been hard because of the limited funding and personnel.

Rakhmat said that thousands of plantations and forests in Jambi were now on fire, mostly intentionally, but the local government has not taken any actions against those making the fires.

He also said that the government was late in distributing masks to minimize the number of sufferers of respiratory tract ailments.

Suara Pembaruan

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Malaysia: Terengganu villagers now see the need to save terrapins

Farik Zolkepli The Star 25 Sep 12;

THE struggle to save painted terrapins, an endangered species, is seeing a breakthrough with the release of 80 baby terrapins in Kampung Mangkuk, Setiu, Terrenganu.

The activity, organised by WWF-Malaysia, saw the involvement of more than 60 students from SK Mangkuk and villagers.

WWF Malaysia Terengganu Turtle Conservation team leader Rahayu Zulkifli said the organisation has been making headway in efforts to save the terrapins with the cooperation of local villagers.

“This activity show the support of the locals and their awareness of the importance of saving the terrapins.

“We have been going full force in doing studies to save the terrapins since 2009 but it would not have been possible without the locals,” she said recently.

She added that the event was all the more special with the presence of the students.

“It is important to spread awareness on terrapin conservation from young. The students’ participation means they can be educated on the importance of such conservation,” she said.

Rahayu said WWF’s buy-back scheme was one of the milestones in the effort to save the terrapins as well as turtles.

“The purchase of painted terrapin eggs and turtle eggs purchased from licensed egg collectors has been successful in protecting these eggs from being sold to the markets, and subsequently eaten.

“We managed to collect 10 nests in 2009 from Kuala Baru Utara and Mengabang Sekepeng near here but the number increased to 101 nests last year,” she said, adding that the hatching rate for last year was 78%.

Meanwhile, local fisherman Mat Rahim Mamat, 63, said he fully supported the effort to save the terrapins.

“The awareness on the need to save the terrapins has been growing over the last five years. I, along with other fishermen, now have the mindset to pass any eggs we may find to the WWF,” he said.

He added that the habit of eating turtle eggs was also slowly diminishing.

“We want the future generation to be able to see terrapins, so the fight to save it must begin now,” he said.

SK Mangkuk Year Six pupil Noralia Syafiqah, 12, said she felt fortunate to take part in the release of baby terrapins for the first time.

“The experience has made me want to protect them even more.

“I hope such events are held more in the future,” she said.

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Thailand: Phuket endangered species experts launch turtle preservation project

Phuket Gazette 25 Sep 12;

PHUKET: Islanders living on Koh Ra and Koh Pratong in Phang Nga have been selected by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) to participate in a pilot scheme for a community network to preserve the sea turtle population.

Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the PMBC’s Endangered Species Unit, told the Phuket Gazette that the number of turtles laying eggs on beaches along the Andaman coast has decreased drastically.

Citing discarded fishing nets and other human activities among the main causes of turtles being washed ashore, Dr Kongkiat said that the PMBC needs help from local villagers to preserve sea turtle numbers.

“Preserving sea turtle populations is not the responsibility of just one country. Every country needs to work on it together, especially among Asean members as many of us share the same ocean,” said Dr Kongkiat.

“The PMBC will launch the project around Koh Ra and Koh Pratong. We want to instill awareness of the problem and build up a preservation network in the community.

“We chose Koh Ra and Koh Pratong because these islands have plenty of seagrass and the conditions are suitable for Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Leatherback and Green turtles to lay eggs,” he added.

Referring to the damage to the turtles’ egg-laying sites, Dr Kongkiat pointed the finger at local departments who he said had failed to look after the beaches.

“Now only Green and Leatherback turtles lay eggs on these two beaches,” he added.

According to PMBC statistics, in 2009 officials counted 30 turtle nests on the beach. By 2010 that figure had dropped to only four or five nests and last year only two nests were identified.

“So far this year we have counted only three nests on Koh Ra and Koh Pratong. We need to get into the community and ask for everyone’s cooperation. I believe that if the villagers help us and do not encroach into the egg laying areas, the turtles will return and the number of eggs being laid will increase,” Dr Kongkiet said.

The preservation project comes in the wake of the PMBC recovering at least 24 injured turtles that washed ashore on beaches in Phuket and Phang Nga over the past three months.

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Indonesia has succeeded in reducing deforestation: President

Antara 25 Sep 12;

New York (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stated that Indonesia has succeeded in reducing deforestation and the government is continuing its reforestation efforts by implementing a number of programmes involving the local community.

"The most depressing event relating to deforestation in our country is when we lost 3.5 million hectares of rain forests during the transition-to-democracy period in 2000," he said in New York on Monday night.

"From that point on, Indonesia launched a number of policies to regain its forest cover," he added.

President Yudhoyono admitted that it was not easy to implement such policies, which required cooperation of the local community as well as the international community.

"One of our decisions was to make a breakthrough by implementing the REDD plus program in cooperation with the Norwegian government," he said.

However, the decision was widely criticized across Indonesia. The head of the state had to assure his countrymen that the move was part of the government's efforts to preserve the environment and it would benefit Indonesia in the long term.

"We also issued a moratorium to protect our forests, as part of our reformation efforts," the President said.

"One of the positive outcomes of the policy is that 35 percent of Indonesia`s tropical rain forests are currently protected by the government," he explained.

"Besides, we also aggressively initiated our reforestation efforts. I led the campaign and have managed to plant one billion trees every year. So far, we have planted about three billion trees," President Yudhoyono stated.

He also called on the global community to cooperate with Indonesia in its efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth.
(A050)

Editor: Ella Syafputri

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Global shark conservation plan in the balance at landmark talks

Representatives from 50 nations have met to discuss the draft plan to ban shark finning and manage populations
Stanley Johnson guardian.co.uk 25 Sep 12;

A ban on shark finning and the adoption of a global shark conservation plan is being sought at a meeting of more than 50 countries in Bonn this week.

The UK-backed draft plan to monitor and manage shark populations is under discussion at the first official meeting of signatories to a landmark memorandum of understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). A decision is expected on Thursday.

The market for shark fins, used in shark fin soup, is a major threat to shark populations, with fins among the most expensive fish products in the world at $740 (£456) per kilo. The high value of fins compared to the usually lower value of the rest of the shark meat creates an economic incentive for the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body at sea. Several hotel chains in Asia, including Shangri-La and Peninsula, have banned shark fin soup as a result of campaigning for an end to finning.

Shark finning has been banned by more than 60 fishing nations as well as the European Union. But in the EU and in many countries, permits for processing on board can be obtained in some cases, whereby shark fins can be removed from the carcasses and stored separately. A vote in the European parliament's committee on fisheries voted on the issue on 19 September, but failed to close the loopholes.

Sandrine Polti, shark policy adviser to the Pew Environment Group, said: "Pew strongly supports the European commission's proposal [made in 2011, to end the permits] and urges all parliamentarians to endorse a strict EU policy against removing shark fins at sea, without any more exceptions,"

The plan under discussion at this week's CMS would commit countries to: "Where not already in place, consider enacting legislation or regulations requiring sharks to be landed with each fin naturally attached."

Officials from the UK hope to strengthen the language so as to achieve a global, watertight and exception-free commitment to a ban on shark finning. The fisheries minister, Richard Benyon, plunged into a tank of sharks – behind a net – at the Sealife London Aquarium in August to highlight the UK's opposition to shark finning.

• Stanley Johnson's new book, Where the Wild Things Were: Travels of a Conservationist, is published by Stacey International

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UN recognizes wildlife crime as threat to rule of law

WWF 25 Sep 12;

New York - Poaching and the illicit trafficking of wildlife products were raised on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly for the first time Monday during discussions on strengthening national and international governance. World leaders gathering in New York for the global body’s 67th annual meeting highlighted wildlife trafficking along with other severe threats to the rule of law such as corruption and drug running.

In a written statement, permanent Security Council member United States highlighted “the harm caused by wildlife poaching and trafficking to conservation efforts, rule of law, governance and economic development.” The rapidly-growing illicit international trade in endangered species products, such as rhino horn, elephant ivory and tiger parts, is now estimated to be worth $8-10 billion per year globally.

“Such organized crime is increasingly affecting the environment and biodiversity through poaching and illegal fishing,” Gabon’s President Ali Bongo said during the High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law. “Gabon intends to strengthen its criminal justice system to combat this phenomenon. But such efforts will require a greater international legal cooperation.”

Permanent member France also emphasized the severity and negative impacts of wildlife crime. “There are still entire sectors of activity without any legal safety,” French Minister Delegate for Development Pascal Canfin said. “International law is lacking when it comes to the plundering of natural resources, for example, or the trafficking of fauna.”

President Bongo took the occasion to reaffirm his country’s commitment to “combating violations of the Convention on International Trade [in] Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as well as other conventions to protect the environment and biodiversity.”

In response to record levels of elephant poaching in Africa, President Bongo oversaw the burning of Gabon’s seized ivory stockpile earlier this year after a full audit supported by WWF and TRAFFIC. Organized criminal syndicates, sometimes linked to armed insurgent groups, are believed to be behind many of the tens of thousands of elephant poaching deaths occurring in Africa each year. Ivory tusks are highly valuable on Asian black markets.

“Illicit wildlife trafficking can have severe consequences for people as well as the environment, yet it is not considered a serious crime by many governments. It is often a low risk and high profit criminal activity, which is a dangerous combination,” said Wendy Elliott, WWF Global Species Programme Manager. “Governments have made a significant step forward by introducing the issue into this important forum on the rule of law. We now call on all them to increase their law enforcement responses to wildlife crime on a commensurate basis.”

Roland Melisch, Director of TRAFFIC’s Africa & Europe programmes said: “Good governance is essential to prevent crimes such as illicit wildlife trafficking. Countries need to be held accountable to their commitments under relevant United Nations treaties.”

WWF and its partner TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring network, are campaigning for greater protection of threatened species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants. In order to save endangered animals, source, transit and demand countries must all improve law enforcement, customs controls and judicial systems. WWF and TRAFFIC are also urging governments in consumer countries to undertake demand reduction efforts to curb the use of endangered species products.

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Sep 12

Reflections on Conservation after a year and a bit
from Nature rambles

Blade dancers
from The annotated budak and Fell lady

The Wallace Lectures - Marine Biodiversity: Known and Unknown
from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Featured video: camera traps find rare, mountain animals in Sumatra
from Mongabay.com news

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Biodiversity expert on board Singapore marine expedition

He is helping local researchers to conduct largest and most extensive marine survey here to date

Grace Chua Straits Times 25 Sep 12;

ON A recent trip to the cinema to watch the new sci-fi movie Men In Black 3, Dr Bertrand Richer de Forges, a marine biologist, saw a blob-shaped alien on screen.

"I caught that animal," he exclaimed.

It was a blobfish, a gelatinous creature with a perpetually gloomy expression that lives at ocean depths of more than 600m. Dr Richer de Forges found one during a 2003 expedition in the south-west Pacific Ocean.

The French-born biodiversity expert, known for his work in discovering new ecosystems, is normally based in Nouméa, New Caledonia.

He is in Singapore until early November on a Shell programme. He is helping Singapore researchers conduct the largest, most extensive marine survey expedition here to date, part of the three-year Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey that began in 2010.

Dr Richer de Forges advised on the equipment needed and how to put it together, and where and how to trawl, said Dr Tan Koh Siang - head of the Tropical Marine Science Institute's marine biology lab - who is in charge of the expedition.

The aim of the expedition is to sample a wide range of habitats - rocky, muddy or sandy, sloping or flat - which harbour different forms of life. A few hours of successful trawling can unearth enough creatures for months, if not years, of lab work, Dr Tan added.

Dr Richer de Forges has spent most of his 40-year career studying the "aliens" that live more than 200m below the surface, much deeper than ordinary divers can go.

He was born in Limoges, the landlocked heart of France, better known for its porcelain than its access to the sea, and studied at the Pierre- and-Marie-Curie University and Museum of Natural History.

He then studied crabs in the remote Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean in 1973, before doing the same in Tahiti and Mauritania.

In 1984, he moved to the French territory of New Caledonia, near Australia, to join the French Institute of Research for Development, a public research institute.

There, he embarked on expeditions around the Pacific, dropping small trawl nets overboard, then winching them up to collect and catalogue seabed life.

Last Friday, Dr Richer de Forges gave a talk on deep-sea marine biodiversity at the Botanic Gardens as part of a programme sponsored by Shell Singapore.

He explained that the ocean is 3.8km deep on average, and life below 200m is very different from life on the surface. Because of the low temperature, high pressure and scarcity of light and food, many deep-sea creatures have adapted in a special way to help them survive.

For example, many creatures give off a bioluminescent glow in order to catch food and find mates in the dark. Others, such as some corals and sponges, live for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years, their metabolic rate slowed to a crawl to survive on very little food.

Next year, scientists here plan to trawl the Singapore Deeps, a 200m-deep channel scoured by ancient currents off the Southern Islands, and Dr Richer de Forges will be back to help out.

"Humans live on only 29 per cent of the planet; 71 per cent is ocean," he said.

The marine expert, who retired in 2008, pointed out: "There's no real retirement for a marine biologist, we have so many things to do."

Related links
More about the Singapore Mega Marine Survey and how ordinary people can join

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RWS to open world's largest oceanarium in December

Ng Kai Ling Straits Times 25 Sep 12;

THE world's largest oceanarium will open in Sentosa on Dec 7, completing Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) five-year development. But the dolphins won't be at the opening party.

The 25 wild-caught dolphins, which animal activists have been lobbying to release back to their natural habitat, will be on display only next year to give them enough time to settle into their new enclosure. RWS declined to say when the dolphins will arrive or when visitors will be able to see them next year.

But the 8ha Marine Life Park, the size of 13 football fields, will open with more than 100,000 animals from 800 marine species.

And when it does, it is expected to give other attractions a run for their money, said analysts.

RWS said that with the resort fully operational, it expects more than 16 million visitors a year.

Some 30 million visitors visited it in its first two years of operation.

Since the opening of RWS and Marina Bay Sands in 2010, visitor arrivals to Singapore increased 36 per cent, from 9.7 million in 2009 to 13.2 million last year.

RWS' grand opening celebrations will include a performance by soprano Sarah Brightman and a 12-minute fireworks display.

The marine park will be home to a South-east Asia Aquarium and an Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Visitors get to see what an underwater world is like - with just giant glass panels separating them from the "ocean".

They can also snorkel at the park's Rainbow Reef and ride on South-east Asia's first hydromagnetic roller coaster, the Riptide Rocket.

Ticketing details are not available yet.

The dolphins will face competition from the pandas - Wildlife Reserves Singapore's River Safari will open its panda enclosure in December.

But tourism analysts expect Marine Life Park to take away visitors from Sentosa's other aquarium, Underwater World, as they target the same group of visitors.

They added that tourists, with limited time here, are more likely to gravitate towards RWS as it offers a full package, including hotels, restaurants, Universal Studios Singapore and the casino.

Asked what it intends to do to fend off the competition, an Underwater World spokesman would say only that "competition has certainly intensified, but the increase in Singapore's visitor arrivals should also benefit all stakeholders in the industry".

No dolphins at Marine Life Park opening
Adrian Lim my paper AsiaOne 25 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE - Resorts World Sentosa is set for a grand opening on Dec 7, as it puts the finishing touches on its second anchor attraction - the Marine Life Park.

But don't expect the 25 dolphins - caught in waters off the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea - which have been a point of contention for animal-rights activists, to be there then.

Resorts World said at a media briefing yesterday that the arrival dates of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have not been firmed up yet. The mammals are being held in Subic Bay in the Philippines.

The dolphins are to be part of a series of immersive programmes beginning next year, to be held at the park's Adventure Cove Waterpark.

As part of the programmes, visitors will be able to feed and interact with the dolphins, and learn more about their anatomy.

The programmes are "meant to be rolled out progressively after the opening of the park to ease operations", Mr Robin Goh, assistant director of communications at Resorts World, told my paper.

Still, visitors will have much to look forward to at the Marine Life Park - which comprises the "wet" Adventure Cove Waterpark and a "dry" South-east Asia Aquarium (SEA Aquarium).

Besides thrilling rides, the former will feature Rainbow Reef, where visitors can snorkel alongside some 20,000 fishes.

The SEA Aquarium will boast the world's largest viewing panel, although Resorts World did not provide further details.

It will showcase marine animals like manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

The park is billed as the world's largest oceanarium, with more than 60 million litres of water, and 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species.

Marine Life Park's completion marks another milestone for Resorts World, which opened for business in January 2010. In March that year, it opened its first anchor attraction, the Universal Studios Singapore theme park.

With the upcoming grand opening, Resorts World has its sights set on extending its average guest-stay duration from the current three days to four days next year. It is also targeting to attract more than 16 million visitors next year, up from 30 million visitors recorded in its first two years.

British soprano Sarah Brightman, who will be accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, is set to perform at the grand opening.

Mr Louis Ng, executive director of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, said the Marine Life Park can serve as an educational tool, but it can do without the dolphins. He pointed out that a threat facing the specific dolphin species comes from being captured live for oceanarium display.

Mr Ng said: "It's going to be a contradiction if Resorts World says it is here to educate the public about dolphin protection."

Mr Biswajit Guha, the park's director, said: "There is very little baseline data about Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the wild.

"All the data collected can contribute to managing (the) animals in the wild."

RWS to unveil oceanarium
World's largest such facility to welcome visitors before resort's grand opening on Dec 7
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 25 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE - Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) will be unveiling the world's largest oceanarium ahead of the resort's grand opening on Dec 7, but stopped short of providing an official date.

Housing more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species in more than 60 million litres of water, the Marine Life Park will comprise of two ticketed attractions: The Adventure Cove Waterpark featuring a hydro-magnetic coaster and the South East Asia Aquarium.

In a media preview yesterday, Marine Life Park Director Biswajit Guha also promised that the 25 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins it acquired - which have provoked much controversy - will be part of "interactive programmes" which will be "progressively introduced" next year.

Animal activists were up in arms when some of the wild-caught dolphins died in their holding area in Malaysia in 2010, and animal welfare group Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES) has petitioned for RWS to release and rehabilitate the mammals.

However, Mr Guha said that the dolphins, which are now in the Philippines, "are doing very well" but did not say when they will be arriving at the park.

He reiterated that the dolphins will be "given the best care possible" when they arrive.

"To ensure that, we adhere and even go beyond the guidelines stipulated by the American Zoo and Aquariums Association as well as the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks Aquariums.

"We also have a full team on board comprising veterinarians, marine mammal specialists, a life systems support specialist - all these will holistically ensure that the dolphins are given the best care," he added.

Mr Guha said that the dolphins will be "ambassadors" for the park's three pillars of conservation, research and education.

However, ACRES Executive Director Louis Ng maintained that the park does not need live dolphins to engage in educational outreach.

Citing the example of Switzerland, where its government recently banned any further import of dolphins, Mr Ng questioned why Singapore is "starting something which other countries are stopping".

He said: "How will Resorts World tell the kids, look, these dolphins are here, but the biggest threat they face is because we are capturing them? How can this be education?"

Mr Ng said ACRES will support the park if focuses on ethical acquisition polices.

Questioning how many of the park's animals were captured from the wild or obtained sustainably, he said: "You can't educate people when you don't practice what you preach."

Marine Life Park to open to public ahead of RWS official opening
Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 24 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said it targets to bring in 16 million visitors next year.

The integrated resort also announced that its second anchor attraction - the Marine Life Park - will open days ahead of RWS' official opening on December 7.

The exact date of the park's opening was not given to the media.

The Marine Life Park will be the world's largest oceanarium and will house more than 100,000 marine animals.

These include 25 dolphins, which will be part of the park's interactive programme that starts next year.

The dolphins were the subject of controversy last year, with some animal welfare groups calling for them to be freed.

In response to critics, Mr Biswajit Guha, director of Education and Conservation at the Marine Life Park, said: "The dolphins are doing very well, 25 of them (are) in the Philippines. I don't have any firmed up dates yet to share with you at this stage about when they'll be arriving.

"Essentially, all of the standards meet and in fact exceed the guidelines set by the American Zoos and Aquariums Association, as well as the Alliance for Marine Mammals Parks and Aquariums. In that respect, we're fully confident that the dolphins will receive the best care possible."

Mr Guha added the Marine Life Park is open to continue working with non-government organisations (NGOs) and other agencies that focus on marine education and conservation.

He said they welcome the opportunity to collaborate on such issues.

RWS first opened to the public in 2010 and has attracted some 30 million visitors since then.

It is hoped the new attraction will also encourage more to extend their stay at the resort.

Mr Greg Allan, vice president, Rooms and F&B, Resorts World Sentosa, said: "We hope they'll stay an additional night. We feel that the Marine Life Park will add significantly to the options available to families visiting. We are very much a family resort, and this is an experience that all age groups can come and enjoy together."

Visitors can also expect a weekend of festivities during the grand opening.

The highlights of the grand opening include public performances and a 12-minute public fireworks display at the RWS waterfront promenade.

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Maritime tool to help ships in Singapore, Malacca straits

Straits Times 25 Sep 12;

WITH more than 70,000 ships using the straits of Malacca and Singapore each year, safe passage is a key concern and the focus of a new collaboration between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The initiative called Marine Electronic Highway, to be rolled out next year, will relay real-time data - on winds, weather and currents - to ships from maritime information centres in the three countries.

Ships will also be alerted to the locations of protected natural areas and coral reefs.

The project was launched yesterday by Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, guest of honour at a maritime conference.

A trial had been done between March 28 and May 4 this year to test communication links and realtime display of information.

Mr Lui, speaking at the opening of the forum, said the straits are a crucial link between Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. More than 70,000 vessels carrying about one-third of the world's goods use the waterway each year.

In the coming decades, with the rise of Asia in the global economy, the importance of the straits to the international community will grow exponentially, he added.

"It is therefore essential that the straits remain open, safe and secure," said Mr Lui.

The two-day conference, called 5th Co-operation Forum, has drawn 150 delegates from 32 countries. It is hosted by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

MARIA ALMENOAR

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