Indonesia: Illegal logging damages Krinci Seblat National Park

Antara 14 Jun 13;

Musi Rawas, South Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Illegal logging is growing rampant damaging the Krinci Seblat National Park in the regency of Musi Rawas of South Sumatra , local people said.

High quality trees are cut everyday transported with dump trucks to a sawmill in that area, a Kota Tanjung villager, Damari, said on Friday.

Damari said he and other villagers are paid to cut the trees, but he did not say who paid them.

"We are only paid just enough for food. We have to accept the offer even if we know it is against the law. Otherwise we would not be able to support our families and repay debts," he said.

He said illegal logging had continued for a long time with no intervention from the law in the interior area 170 kilometers from Lubuklinggau.

Trucks loaded with tree logs are free through the forest away from the public roads to the sawmill, he said.

M Daud , head of the Ulu Rawas sub-district, was not available for comment , but local people said hundreds of cubic meters of logs were taken away by trucks from the forest everyday to a timber processing plant at Rawas Ulu near the Sumatra highway.

Most of the forests in the sub-district of Ulu Rawas in the regency of Musi Rawas are part of the Krinci Seblat National Park, which is protected by law.(*)

Editor: Heru

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Many thriving species at risk from climate change

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 13 Jun 13;

Many species of birds, amphibians and corals not currently under threat will be at risk from climate change and have been wrongly omitted from conservation planning, an international study said on Wednesday.

The Amazon rainforest was among the places where ever more types of birds and amphibians would be threatened as temperatures climbed, it said. Common corals off Indonesia would also be among the most vulnerable.

Overall, up to 41 percent of all bird species, 29 percent of amphibians and 22 percent of corals were "highly climate change vulnerable but are not currently threatened", the team of scientists wrote in the journal PLOS ONE.

"It was a surprise," said Wendy Foden, of the global species program of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) who led the study. Experts had expected far more overlap between species threatened now and those vulnerable to global warming.

Conservation priorities should be revised to take account of the emerging climate risks, for instance to decide where to locate protected areas for wildlife, the scientists wrote.

"Climate change is not the biggest threat, yet," Foden told Reuters in a telephone interview. Loss of habitats driven by a rising human population, over-exploitation and invasive species are now the main causes of extinctions, the study said.

The study drew on the work of more than 100 scientists. The IUCN groups governments, scientists and environmental groups.

EMPEROR PENGUIN

Birds including the Emperor Penguin and the Little Owl and amphibians such as Rose's rain frog or the Imitator Salamander - none of which are now threatened - were among those at risk as temperatures rose.

The study focused on birds, amphibians - which include frogs, newts and salamanders - and corals partly because the IUCN has recently published global assessments of each.

The scientists used a new scale to judge the vulnerability to climate change, based on each creature's likely exposure to climate change, sensitivity to change and the ability to adapt.

Chris Thomas, a professor of biology at York University in England who was not involved in the study, welcomed the attempt to map climate risks, but said there were many uncertainties.

"The tragedy of this is that we need to make a lot of decisions about conservation ... before we know what will happen," he said.

A U.N. panel of scientists has estimated that 20 to 30 percent of the world's species are likely to be at increasing risk of extinction if temperatures rise more than two or three degrees Celsius (3.6-5.4F) above pre-industrial levels.

Almost 200 nations have set a goal of limiting warming to below 2C, a target set to be breached on current trends of rising greenhouse gases.

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; editing by Mike Collett-White)

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Tide of humanity, as well as rising seas, lap at Kiribati's future

David Gray PlanetArk 14 Jun 13;

The ocean laps against a protective seawall outside the maternity ward at Kiribati's Nawerewere Hospital, marshalling itself for another assault with the next king tide.

Inside, a basic clinic is crowded with young mothers and newborn babies, the latest additions to a population boom that has risen as relentlessly as the sea in a deeply Christian outpost where family planning is still viewed with skepticism.

It is a boom that threatens to overwhelm the tiny atoll of South Tarawa as quickly as the rising seas. Some 50,000 people, about half of Kiribati's total population, are already crammed onto a sand and coral strip measuring 16 sq km (6 sq miles).

"Climate change is a definite long-term threat to Kiribati, there's no doubt whatsoever about that," says Simon Donner, a climate scientist at the University of British Columbia who has been visiting South Tarawa since 2005.

"But that doesn't mean it's the biggest problem right now ... Any first-time visitor to Tarawa is not struck by the impacts of sea level rise, they're struck by how crowded it is."

Low-lying South Pacific island nations such as Kiribati (pronounced Kee-ree-bahs) and Tuvalu, about halfway between northeast Australia and Hawaii, have long been the cause célèbre for climate change and rising sea levels.

Straddling the equator and spread over 3.5 million sq km (2 million sq miles) of otherwise empty ocean, Kiribati's 32 atolls and one raised coral island have an average height above sea level of just two meters (6-1/2 feet).

Studies show surrounding sea levels rising at about 2.9 mm a year, well above the global average of 1 - 2 mm a year.

Kiribati President Anote Tong has grimly predicted his country will likely become uninhabitable in 30-60 years because of inundation and contamination of its fresh water supplies.

OVERCROWDING "A MENACE"

While climate change poses a serious longer-term threat, many people, including Tong, recognize that breakneck population growth is a more immediate problem. South Tarawa' population density of more than 3,000 per sq km is comparable to Los Angeles or parts of London - without the high rises.

The government fears South Tarawa's population could double to more than 100,000 by 2030 unless the birth rate and internal migration slows.

Rudimentary huts of little more than timber sleeping platforms and palm thatch roofs line a single dusty road running the length of the atoll. Dotted among them are pig pens, chicken coops, overcrowded grave sites and the blasted relics from one of the bloodiest battles of World War Two.

Bwabwa Oten, Kiribati's director of hospital services, says current annual population growth in Kiribati is close to 6 percent, with overcrowding a major contributor to disease and an infant mortality rate among the highest in the region.

The church plays an integral role in the South Pacific and efforts to limit birth rates have run into resistance. Large families are also traditional in the region, which has one of the world's highest rates of teen pregnancy.

Describing the population surge as "a menace", Tong has called on churches to help curb growth by allowing their members to use birth control.

"Religion is incredibly powerful in the Pacific and there is quite an overt suspicion that, when we are talking about family planning, it in fact means family stopping," said Bronwyn Hale of New Zealand-based Family Planning International, which is working to promote sexual and reproductive health in Kiribati.

Progress is being made, with clinic visitor numbers up and a growing acceptance of the threat of over-population.

"Right now, population is the major issue, the number one issue we should face," said Peter Itibita, a member of the Mormon Church in South Tarawa.

Many health problems also stem from a lack of clean water as rising salinity and pollution affect underground water, with diarrhea outbreaks caused by contamination from human and animal waste and other pollutants.

Nawerewere Hospital also has problems, with new mothers spilling from overcrowded wards onto verandas and into corridors.

"Sometimes with the new babies, we don't have the water to wash them," says Rina Tabi, a maternity ward nurse.

Plans are underway for solar-powered energy and desalination plants but the cost of building and maintaining them is a challenge for cash-strapped Kiribati, which relies on aid and royalties from foreign fishing fleets.

COPING MECHANISMS "OVERWHELMED"

The complexities of sea level change are becoming more apparent and there is little doubt that nations like Kiribati will be among the most affected. But it is equally clear that vulnerable states like Kiribati are responsible for less than 0.1 percent of global emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

According to the United Nations, population growth in the Pacific has consistently exceeded all other regions except Africa for the past 30 years and is likely to remain higher than the global average for the next 40-50 years, even though barely 10 million people are dotted across the world's biggest ocean.

There is also a history of concern about Pacific over-crowding, with dire predictions of population growth outstripping food production dating back to the 1960s.

Barry Coates, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, said populations of fragile atolls had long-developed resilience in dealing with resource shortages, cyclones and other periodic climatic events.

"But what is happening now is that the pressures of population growth and climate change are overwhelming the traditional coping mechanisms," Coates said.

The Kiribati government has also been looking at radical options for feeding and housing its people, including negotiating to buy land on nearby Fiji.

Larger Pacific neighbors New Zealand and Australia are likely to play a big role if large-scale migration is needed, and Western governments are under pressure to create a new refugee category for those fleeing the effects of climate change. A test case from Kiribati was rejected in New Zealand in 2012 and changes to international law will likely be needed.

(Additional reporting and writing by Lincoln Feast in SYDNEY; Editing by Paul Tait)

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Best of our wild blogs: 13 Jun 13

Southern Expedition in the news
from Mega Marine Survey of Singapore

If moonlight could be heard
from Hopping Around

Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini – Spider Galore #5
from My Itchy Fingers

Tigers, orangutans, rhinos: Sumatra's big mammals on the edge of extinction from Mongabay.com news by Jeremy Hance

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AVA and NParks studying feasibility of sterilisation to manage monkey population

Channel NewsAsia 12 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: Monkeys have been making headlines for behaving badly and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) is working with NParks to study the feasibility of sterilisation as a long-term measure to manage the monkey population.

The furry critters have been making their presence felt in some neighbourhoods by helping themselves to food from kitchens and from unsecured dustbins.

Residents in Old Upper Thomson Road, having lived alongside monkeys for years, have become used to them.

Ng Tien Chung, a resident living in the area, said: "I see monkeys every day and I have no problems with them whatsoever. We are just a few metres away from the forest and it is a nature reserve so the monkeys are entitled to be here. Right now, the immediate thing is, we do not have monkey-proofed bins. That will go a great way to solving the problem. Removal of fruit from prayer altars would be another great step."

Another resident, Jacqueline Marshall, said: "Well, I wish something could be done about them because they seem to have multiplied since we have lived here. My first experience was when they came inside my kitchen and took some candy, and quickly shot out and proceeded to open and eat the candy. They have been next door, taken eggs, taken the inhaler, and they have been seen with Tiger beer cans."

Casuarina Curry owner Subramaniam Ramanan has taken an innovative approach to stop the monkeys from disrupting his business.

"Once or twice they come inside my shop and sometimes they sit inside. We have to chase (them away). Other times, they snatch when people buy our takeaways. Sometimes they disturb the dustbins, take out all the rubbish and throw it out. We closed the dustbins and tie it with a string. That is how we make sure we don't leave food for them."

Shops located near the forested areas have taken steps to keep the bolder monkeys out. This means making sure food items like bread, biscuits, and bananas are kept in display cases and away from open windows.

The AVA said that between January and April this year, it received 516 complaints and feedback about monkeys.

In 2012, the total number of complaints and feedback was 922, and in 2011 it was 729.

On June 9, monkey nuisance was highlighted as an issue faced by some residents living within Jurong GRC - in condominiums near the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Animal rights group ACRES was invited to give its input by a taskforce formed to tackle the problem there.

Instead of trapping the monkeys, animal welfare activists say electric-fencing the perimeter of a property could be a way to keep them out.

Currently, AVA conducts trapping operations in response to monkey nuisance complaints and threats to personal safety from residents of condominiums and commercial establishments.

AVA said it works with relevant organisations to relocate monkeys which are rounded up in trapping operations.

"However, as relocation options are limited, most will eventually be humanely euthanised," said a spokesman, adding that AVA works with relevant agencies to educate the public on preventing monkey nuisance.

Louis Ng, executive director of ACRES, SAID: "I think the general consensus is that the residents don't want the monkeys killed. At the same time they don't want this problem as well of monkeys raiding their houses. I think people obviously get a bit alarmed when we say electric fencing, but bear in mind this is a non-lethal option. So when a monkey touches it, the monkey doesn't die. When we as humans touch it, and I've touched it before, you don't get burnt. You get a bit of a shock but you don't die from it. And obviously, you have to put signs up that there's electric fencing there."

Mr Ng added that electric-fencing is already done in countries like South Africa to prevent wildlife from entering the property and suggested that the electric fence approach should be paired with monkey-proofed dustbins and stepped-up enforcement for those who insist on feeding these animals.

"With the human-macaque conflict that we're looking at now, we need to look at the root of the problem. The root of the problem is that now there is a food source for monkeys that is away from the forest. They realise now they can raid our bins to get food from there, it is easy food. Second thing is, people have been feeding them, so we've altered the monkey's behaviour quite significantly," said Mr Ng.

AVA also noted that the public can play an important role in preventing monkey nuisance. It said that residents should deny monkeys of potential food sources by keeping food out of sight and practicing good refuse management, such as the double knotting of garbage bags and disposing of garbage in bins with secured lids.

- CNA/fa

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Searching the coast for marine life

Don Wong Today Online 13 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE — From scooping for living specimens with a simple nylon net in the mudflats off Singapore’s coasts to peering through a high-powered microscope to determine whether a rare species is thriving in our waters once again, international and local scientists, aided by enthusiastic volunteers and students, tirelessly surveyed marine flora and fauna in the Straits of Singapore and the Southern islands over three weeks.

The expedition, which concluded last week, is part of the ongoing five-year Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey by the National Parks Board and the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute, which has identified 30,000 specimens of interest since 2010.

Data on marine fauna are collected through scuba diving, coral brushing, hand-collecting during low tide, using specialised equipment such as dredges and otter trawls. The specimens collected are then sorted and examined, and some are preserved for record.


Full slideshow online.

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Fishermen's catch of the day: A 270kg grouper

Straits Times 13 Jun 13;


It took a forklift and seven men to lift this 2m-long Queensland grouper, which was caught near Pedra Branca. Seafood restaurant owner Johnny Tan forked out more than $6,000 for the fish. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

A 2M-LONG Queensland grouper weighing 270kg has been caught by fishermen off Singapore's eastern-most point.

It took a forklift and seven men to lift the beast into the kitchen, and more than 10 hours of cleaning before Mr Johnny Tan, 52, owner of seafood restaurant Grouper King, could serve the giant to customers yesterday.

Mr Tan told The Straits Times that he received a call from fishermen, who caught the fish near Pedra Branca, at about 1am on Tuesday and went down to the Senoko fishing port personally to witness their catch.

He said it was the biggest grouper he had seen in his 20 years in the business, adding: "I was shocked to hear that such a big fish could be caught so close to Singapore.

"They're usually closer to Indonesia and I wanted to see it for myself."

He said the "good" parts of the fish, such as the head and the throat, were snapped up by customers almost immediately.

He added that the rest of the fish is enough to feed at least 700 customers, and is going for about $90 a kg.

"I won't have problems selling the fish, as almost all its parts are edible and we can even make dessert with it," said Mr Tan, who paid more than $6,000 for the catch.

"Even the groupers that weigh 100kg are rare. How could I not jump at this one?"

STACEY CHIA

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Malaysia: 'Beef up wildlife conservation efforts'

New Straits Times 13 Jun 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: Protection and conservation efforts should be stepped up to prevent wildlife from being killed by illegal traders in the country.

Natural Resources and Environment minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel raised the issue at the ministry's post cabinet meeting following the increase in illegal wildlife trade involving Malaysians.

Palanivel was concerned as Malaysians were playing a big role in the international trafficking trade.

He suggested creating more wildlife conservation parks and wildlife sanctuaries throughout forest areas.

He said currently, there was only one conservation park at Taman Negara and a tiger rescue sanctuary in Sungkai, Perak, which was doing a good job protecting and rehabilitating tigers.

"More wardens should be recruited to supervise the forest with 24-hour patrolling at hot spot forest areas where there high levels of poaching activities have been recorded."

Palanivel said suspected poachers spotted in forest areas should be arrested by game wardens and have their weapons seized.

He said efforts to educate the public on the wildlife conservation, especially of endangered species, should be beefed up.

He added that those who believed parts of wild animals had medicinal value, such as as an aphrodisiac, should be taught that their actions were doing more harm than good.

He said recent reports on illegal wildlife trade involving Malaysians had caught the attention of the ministry and reminded officers to be more proactive in curbing the problem.

"Poaching is a serious issue and I urge for continuous discussion on ways to prevent the problem from becoming more dire."

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Best of our wild blogs: 12 Jun 13

Friday (14th June 2013), 7-9pm: "Do the Math" Movie Screening
from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Sat 15 Jun 2013: 3.00pm, talk at Select Books on “Pulau Ubin: The Last Kampung” – A photoessay by Nurfasihah and Nur Shafiqah from Otterman speaks

Nature Macro Photography Workshop @ Science Centre Singapore from Macro Photography in Singapore

Fri 28 Jun 2013: 1.30pm – 4.00pm: Public Seminar on Pangolin Conservation from Otterman speaks

Two Weekend Tours
from a.t.Bukit Brown. Heritage. Habitat. History.

Sentosa battered by blue drums?
from wild shores of singapore

Seagrasses of Singapore (Part 2)
from Lazy Lizard's Tales and Part 3

Some Critters and Flowers @ Gardens by the Bay
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

#10 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
from My Nature Experiences

Asian Koel – Attempts To Mate?
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Conserving the long-neglected freshwater fish of Borneo from Mongabay.com news by Jeremy Hance

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LTA meets nature groups over Cross Island Line, study to be done on its impact

Royston Sim Straits Times 11 Jun 13;

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) met nature groups on Tuesday evening - the first time it has done so - after concerns were raised over the environmental impact of the proposed Cross Island MRT Line.

Preliminary plans have a portion of the line passing underground through the nature reserve in the central catchment area.

The groups have offered to conduct a study of the line's impact on the flora and fauna of the nature reserve, which is expected to take several months.

LTA chief executive Chew Hock Yong said the authority will decide on its next step and how it should conduct an environmental impact assessment after taking in findings from the study.

He noted that the actual corridor of the line has not been decided upon, as planning is still at a very early stage.

The 50km Cross Island Line, which will run from Changi to Jurong, is slated for completion in 2030.

LTA begins talks with activists on environmental impact of Cross-Island Line
Saifulbahri Ismail Channel NewsAsia 11 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has begun talks with nature groups to understand the environmental impact of the Cross-Island MRT line.

LTA met nine green activists on Tuesday and assured them that no works will start before a good understanding has been achieved.

Chew Hock Yong, chief executive at LTA, said: "We have met them and they say they will do a study to look at some possible options in terms of how the Cross-Island Line can go through the area and then they will share with us the outcome of the study and that to us will be the first step that we take to understand better the environmental impact of the MRT line that we are building."

LTA said the study will be a joint effort by the various interested nature groups and it expects it to be completed within several months. LTA will then take into account results of the study when doing its own Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the largest of four nature reserves in Singapore, is home to a rich variety of plant and animal species.

Nature groups are concerned that tunnelling works for parts of the 1.4-kilometre long Cross-Island Line, which passes through the nature reserve to connect Bukit Timah and Ang Mo Kio, could cause habitat fragmentation and soil erosion.

LTA unveiled the line in January this year, which is slated for completion in 2030.

The Nature Society Singapore has called for a realignment of the line to protect the nature reserve.

The society is asking LTA to divert the line to the south of the nature reserve.

With the diversion, the line could stretch to two kilometres.

LTA said it will study all options and consider whether such a diversion is technically feasible.

Tony O’ Dempsey, council member of the Nature Society of Singapore, said: "Our position is very simple. Nature reserves are for the conservation of native flora and fauna and they are not for the purpose of infrastructure. We want the line to go around the nature reserves to the south. At an average speed of 30 km an hour, that would represent an extra four minutes of travel time. We don't think that's too much to ask to save our natural heritage."

- CNA/xq

Nature groups to study impact of Cross Island Line
Sumita d/o Sreedharan Today Online 12 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE — Six nature groups will be embarking on studies to determine the impact of the Cross Island Line (CRL) on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, said Land Transport Authority (LTA) Chief Executive Chew Hock Yong yesterday.

The groups will study all possible options, which include cutting through the nature reserve and skirting around it, and highlight all implications to the LTA. No timeline has been set for the studies, which could take several months.

“We will not start any work until a time when there is proper understanding on what is the correct way to do it so as to minimise the impact on nature,” Mr Chew said.

Nature groups have been up in arms since the 50km train line was announced in January as construction work may harm rare fauna and flora in the central catchment area, which includes four reservoirs.

To be completed by around 2030, the line will start from Changi and run through areas such as Pasir Ris, Ang Mo Kio and Bukit Timah, and terminate at the Jurong Industrial Estate.

Last night, representatives from the groups met the LTA, which was seeking input on the Environmental Impact Assessment study it will be conducting.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Chew stressed that the alignment of the CRL has not been finalised and all considerations will be factored into the final decision. Other factors that will be examined include the impact on travel time, land use for the area and the effect on homes.

The LTA’s Environmental Impact Assessment study is expected to start in the second half of this year or early next year, and input from the nature groups will be taken into consideration, he said. Sumita Sreedharan

LTA delays environment study
Royston Sim Straits Times 12 Jun 13;

THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) will hold back its study of the environmental impact of the Cross Island MRT Line until after nature groups have completed their investigations.

It made the decision after its officials met nine representatives of several nature groups yesterday. The meeting was the first face-to-face session between the LTA and the groups since they expressed concern about the proposed MRT line passing through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The groups, which include the Nature Society Singapore and Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, offered to conduct a study on how different alignments of the line would impact flora and fauna in the nature reserve.

In accepting it, LTA chief executive Chew Hock Yong said the authority will consider the findings before deciding how to conduct its own environmental impact assessment.

Preliminary plans have an estimated 1.4km of the line passing underground through the reserve. Several groups had expressed concern that even soil investigations for the line would damage the nature reserve's ecosystem, and called for the line to go around the reserve instead of through it.

Mr Chew said the nature groups' study will help the LTA avoid undue impact on the environment. "We will not start any work until such time where there is a proper understanding of what is the correct way to do it, so as to minimise the impact on the nature reserve," he said.

He noted that plans presented in January were a "broad brush stroke", and the LTA will consider several factors before it decides on an alignment.

This includes environmental impact, overall travel time, how the line fits into the land use plan and whether it will affect any existing house.

Engineering studies are also needed to decide if it is technically feasible to have the line skirt around the reserve.

Mr Tony O'Dempsey, the Nature Society's spokesman on the issue, said the meeting was positive and the study should take about six months.

Mr Chew said the LTA had intended to call a tender for environment studies late this year or early next year. Plans for the line remain on track even though the LTA is waiting for the study to be completed, he added. The line will run from Changi to Jurong, and is slated for completion in 2030.

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That uniquely Singaporean crab disappearing fast

Local scientists trying to save a crab that's found nowhere else in the world
David Ee Straits Times 12 Jun 13;

MENTION crab, and Singaporeans will think of it on a plate smothered in chilli sauce.

But local scientists are now fighting to save a crab, barely larger than a 50-cent coin, found nowhere else in the world but here.

Numbers of the Singapore freshwater crab have declined drastically, they have found, though its exact population is unknown.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed it as critically endangered, and considers it one of the 100 most threatened species in the world. It is found only in several isolated forest streams in Bukit Timah, Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak.

A two-year study begun last July to assess its numbers and habitat conditions is under way, spearheaded by the National Parks Board and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Every month, NUS ecologist Darren Yeo tramps into the dense forests to search for the tiny crustaceans.

It is no easy task, he said. The nocturnal crabs tend to find shelter under rocks on the stream bed, feeding on worms.

But he has drawn one important observation from his strenuous work: populations of the crab in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve appear to have plummeted.

Scientists are unsure why. "One possible reason could be changes in water quality, caused perhaps by acid rain. But we haven't drawn a link," he said.

One indicator of water quality is the pH scale, which measures how acidic or alkaline water is. Pure water has a neutral pH of seven and pH falls as water gets more acidic.

The crab is known to prefer fast-flowing streams with a near- neutral pH concentration, as it evolved in relatively pristine conditions.

But the impact of urbanisation and pollutants may have altered the pH of its habitats, said wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai.

While few Singaporeans may know or care about the little crab, they should consider its rarity, said NUS crab expert Peter Ng, who named the species in 1986.

"This animal is uniquely Singaporean, to use the Singapore Tourism Board's words," said the director of the Tropical Marine Science Institute.

"It evolved in Singapore in isolation. There are not many like it. Ninety-nine per cent of species found here are also found elsewhere in the region."

There are several other species unique to Singapore, including the Swamp forest crab found only in Nee Soon swamp forest, and the Johnson's freshwater crab found in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

National Biodiversity Centre director Lena Chan said that NParks may consider starting a breeding programme for it.

Introducing it into new habitats is another option, said Prof Yeo.

Both urged people not to disturb the crabs or their habitats.

Professor Ng acknowledged that it was unlikely for people to get excited over such a small animal. "But by trying to save it, it says a lot to the world about who we are as a people, a nation. We don't have to do it, but we should."

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Changi Motorsports Hub plan off, says SSC

Patwant Singh Channel NewsAsia 12 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) confirmed Wednesday it will not proceed with the re-tender for the Changi Motorsports Hub site, effectively putting an end to the ambitious race-track project.

This follows the conclusion of an extensive international and local market sounding and Request for Information (RFI) exercise.

The council said it was unable to proceed with the re-tender as it could not accede to certain conditions from potential investors.

These include requests for flexibility of lease terms and land use, as well as tax concessions.

SSC CEO Lim Teck Yin said the land take and proposed use under the project "do not justify an operating model that involves significant government subsidies or concessions".

The council had received seven proposals from six consortia, the majority of which were motor-sports related.

Proposed motorsports ideas included a FIA grade 2 or 3 circuit, a CIK graded karting circuit, a racing academy, a dragstrip, and bonded warehousing. Non motorsports-related ideas included a theme park and watersports marina. Common ideas cutting across the majority of the proposals include retail and F&B.

The 41-hectare site in Changi will be reinstated to authorities.

Mr Lim said: "While we work towards handing the site back to the authorities, SSC is also actively working with the relevant agencies on possible interim uses for the site for motorsports-related activities, such as karting, for the community."

The race track project has stalled since 2011 when the Japanese-led consortium that won the bid ran out of money.

- CNA/jc

End of the road for Changi Motorsports Hub
Royston Sim Straits Times 13 Jun 13;

AFTER three tumultuous years, plans to restart the Changi Motorsports Hub project have officially been scrapped.

The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) announced yesterday that it would not be putting the 41ha site up for a second tender, as it could not accept certain conditions that potential investors had asked for.

This effectively spells the end of the Republic's bid to build a permanent motorsports racetrack, which seemed to take off when Japanese-led consortium SG Changi won a $36 million bid to build the facility in 2010.

But the wheels began to fall off the project a year later, when the consortium ran into delays and financial difficulties, amid allegations of corruption.

The SSC terminated its contract with SG Changi last year. It then launched a market-sounding exercise to gather information from potential bidders - and received seven proposals from six consortia during this period.

All of the proposals asked for subsidies or concessions, such as land being given for free or doubling the existing 30-year lease.

At least one proposal asked for the land - next to the grounds for the Singapore Airshow - to be converted to mostly retail use.

"These significant conditions for the project to be commercially viable are things that the SSC cannot accede to," SSC chief executive Lim Teck Yin said at a press briefing yesterday.

Marina tycoon Arthur Tay, together with venture capitalist Tommie Goh, was one of those who submitted proposals. Mr Tay told The Straits Times: "It is not realistic (without subsidies) based on land and cost."

"Worldwide, such facilities are supported by municipalities. We don't have to go too far - look at Johor," he said, referring to plans to build a similar motorsports facility in Iskandar.

But Mr Lim explained that the land size and its proposed use "do not justify an operating model that involves significant government subsidies or concessions".

When SG Changi won the initial tender, its plans included a 3.7km racetrack, a grandstand that could accommodate 20,000 spectators, a racing academy, a hotel and video arcades.

On whether the project was now a wasted effort, Mr Lim said: "That would be too strong a language to use, to say we have wasted our time...I think we have explored it to the extent we can in Singapore."

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