Malaysia should take firm stand on haze, says EPSM

The Star 23 Jul 13;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia should follow Singapore’s no-nonsense attitude in confronting the annual haze menace, says the Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia (EPSM).

According to EPSM president Nithi Nesadurai, the response from the Singapore Government was strong and swift following the choking smog that enveloped the country last month.

“We, on the other hand, seem to have a very accepting and understanding attitude, even during the years when we bore the worst of the haze,” he told The Star.

Nithi said such an attitude did not give Indonesian authorities a sense of urgency to resolve the issue permanently.

“We should take a firm stand. We have a very good relationship with Indonesia, and we should use it to express our frustrations when we need to.

“It’s not about saying nice things to each other all the time,” said Nithi, who also called for a more proactive instead of reactive stance from Asean nations.

Pointing out that the intergovernmental ministerial steering committee meeting should have taken place earlier in the year instead of after another haze episode, he argued that preventive action was possible, noting the “crystal clear skies” over Malaysia when it hosted the 1998 Com­monwealth Games as opposed to the horrific haze the country experienced in 1997.

“This is the time every year when they start clearing forests. But it’s only when the haze appears that everyone starts running up and down,” said Nithi, who also condemned those conducting local open burning, adding that they could not possibly be ignorant that such activities were illegal.

173 Hotspots Detected In Riau, Haze Is Back
Ahmad Fuad Yahya Bernama 22 Jul 13;

JAKARTA, July 22 (Bernama) -- The haze is back to blanket Riau and reduce vision Monday morning, to 70 metres at the Pekanbaru Airport, and 800 metres in Dumai.

This was caused by the increase in the number of hotspots detected in Riau, to hundreds, to indicate simultaneously that there was a recurrence in the burning of forests in a number of places in the province.

The hazy situation also affected arrivals and departures of aircraft to and from the Pekanbaru Airport, in Riau.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) of Indonesia said, to date, satellite monitoring detected 173 hotspots in Riau.

This included 69 hotspots in Rokan Hilir, Bengkalis (41), Rokan Hulu (nine), Siak (20), Dumai (12) and one each in Kampar, Pelalawann and Kepulauan Meranti.

BNPB said smoke from the forest fires had badly affected the quality of air in a number of areas in Riau.

BNPB Information, Data and Public Relations Centre head Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the agency had coordinated aid to the Riau Government by providing two Hercules C-130 aircraft and four Casa aircraft for cloud seeding operations to avoid the haze disaster.

Water bombing operations were ongoing, using three BNPB Bolco helicopters and a Sikorsky helicopter which could carry 4,500 litres of water to be dropped on the hotspots in Riau, he said in a statement on Monday.

Equipment and soldiers were also in readiness to be mobilised if the situation warranted it.

The peak of the forest and peat fires is from August to October, whether in Sumatera or Kalimantan.

According to BNPB, 99 per cent of the forest fires were due to deliberate burning and in this regard, the agency had urged the authorities to be stern in their enforcement to deter and stop the burning of forests in Indonesia.

-- BERNAMA

Haze back after false lull
Isabelle Lai The Star 23 Jul 13;

PETALING JAYA: The haze is back in the Klang Valley, Putrajaya, Pahang and Johor, and is expected to spread further inland over the next few days, said the Meteorological Department.

Its central forecasting office director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said visibility in the Klang Valley had “reduced markedly” in a day, with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang recording visibility of up to 2.5km yesterday afternoon.

“While this later improved, some areas in Petaling Jaya and Subang still had reduced visibility of up to 3km and 4km respectively,” he told The Star.

As of 5pm yesterday, the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index recorded four areas with unhealthy air quality – Bukit Rambai in Malacca (119), Banting in Selangor (110), Muar in Johor (103) and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur (110).

Readings for Malacca city, Nilai and Port Klang hovered dangerously close to the unhealthy mark at 99, 96 and 94 respectively.

No readings were available for Putrajaya, which the DOE attributed to a technical error at the station.

The return of the haze comes just days after Indonesian Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya said his country hoped to ratify the 2002 Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution early next year after last week’s meeting with four of his Asean counterparts.

The treaty aims to stop transboundary haze by requiring parties to prevent burning, monitor prevention efforts, exchange information and provide mutual help.

At the meeting, the ministers had commended Indonesia for its ability to put out the land and forest fires, resulting in a drastic drop in fires.

Its effort had included waterbombing raging fires on plantations in Riau and cloud seeding.

Last month, air quality levels turned hazardous in some parts of peninsular Malaysia as well as Singapore, resulting in the closure of schools and a spike in respiratory illnesses.

Muhammad Helmi said the haze was spreading at a slow rate with the light wind pattern, which was expected to remain steady throughout the week.

He said the haze had also reached parts of Pahang and Johor, and would move northwards to Perak and Penang.

“The main reason for the spread has been the jump in the number of hotspots in Sumatra,” he said, adding that drier weather conditions in the region would contribute to an increase in Indonesian forest fires.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest reading on Sunday, Sumatra has 261 hotspots.

This is yet another sharp spike from 159 on Saturday, 43 on Friday and three on Thursday.

Malaysia also showed a jump in the number of hotspots to 19 on Sunday from five on Saturday.

The Singapore-based Asean Spe­cialised Meteorological Centre’s latest haze map showed moderate haze had spread from central Sumatra, where many hotspots are clustered together, towards peninsular Malay­sia.

Singapore’s The Straits Times Indonesian correspondent in Jakarta meanwhile reported that two Dumai-bound flights were forced to return to Pekanbaru yesterday morning due to poor visibility from the haze.

It said the airport in Dumai was closed for over a week when the haze last month was at its worst.

Muhammad Helmi said light to moderate rainfall was expected over the Klang Valley and Pahang, and slightly heavier rainfall over Johor after Thursday.

“There will be some reduction in the haze after the rain, but exactly how much haze it clears up remains to be seen,” he said.

Air quality worsens
Hashini Kavishtri Kannan New Straits Times 23 Jul 13;

RIAU FIRES: Four areas record unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings

KUALA LUMPUR: THE air quality in several parts of the country deteriorated yesterday as even more fires in Sumatra were detected.

The number of hot spots also increased, adding to the haze.

If there were only two spots considered "unhealthy" on Sunday, yesterday the number rose to four.

The Department of Environment (DoE) said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), based on satellite imagery from the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, detected 261 hot spots in Indonesia on Sunday, up drastically from the previous day's tally of 159.

In Malaysia, there were 19 hot spots, with the most being in Johor (seven), followed by Kelantan and Pahang (four each), Perak (two) and one each in Selangor and Sabah. On Saturday, there were only five hot spots in the country.

The haze hovering over the country was mostly because of forest fires in Indonesia.

"Winds are carrying smoke from the hot spots in central Sumatra, in particular Riau province, to the central region of the west coast of the peninsula," the DoE said.

On Sunday, Bukit Rambai in Malacca and Cheras here were the only two areas deemed unhealthy, with Air Pollutant Index (API) readings of more than 100.

At 3pm yesterday, the two areas had increased to 126 and 117. They were joined by Banting in Selangor and Malacca city in the unhealthy category, with API readings of 111 and 105, respectively.

Muar registered 100 on the API.

Two hours later, however, Malacca city fell back into the moderate level at 99, only to be replaced by Muar, which went up four points.

Bukit Rambai (119), Cheras and Banting (110 each) remained in the unhealthy category.

Nilai and Port Klang recorded readings close to the unhealthy level with 96 and 94, respectively.

Fishing folk land poor catch
New Straits Times 23 Jul

MUAR: The return of the haze in the Straits of Malacca forced many fishermen to stay on land yesterday, with only about seven per cent of the 1,000-odd boats here leaving for the sea.

Fishermen cast their nets within three nautical miles off the Muar coast and hauled up fish worth between RM200 and RM500, barely enough to cover expenses, including fuel, wages, food and drink.

Although the sky was sunny, it was hazy, and the condition worsened at noon with visibility reduced to one nautical mile.

Chia Tee Tee, 61, said when he left Parit Jawa fishing village with three assistants at 5am yesterday, the sea was normal.

"A few hours later, haze enveloped the Straits of Malacca, reducing visibility to one nautical mile. It worsened towards noon."

Another fisherman, Tan Yong Hwee, 53, said he and his two assistants fished at the coastal areas, to avoid collision with vessels travelling along international waters because of the hazy condition.

Tan said some fishermen suffered runny noses, red eyes, coughs and skin irritation after being exposed to the haze.

Muar-Batu Pahat Fishermen's Association president Ser Boon Huat said more fishermen would abandon their outings as the haze was expected to worsen in the next few days, according to reports from the Department of Environment.

Ser also called on fishermen to light up their boats during the day to avoid collision with other vessels plying the international waters.

Read more!

Seletar residents launch book on area's rich heritage

Melody Zaccheus Straits Times 23 Jul 13;

KEEN to share the beauty of their estate, eight Seletar residents have spent the last 18 months putting together a 282-page book detailing the rich history and heritage of their neighbourhood.

Down The Seletar River: Discovering A Hidden Treasure Of Singapore features little-known historical nuggets, anecdotes, 19th-century paintings and archive photos of the area.

It was produced to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Seletar Hills Estate Residents' Association (Shera) whose chairman Percival Jeyapal, 71, was also the project's director.

Particularly fascinating for him was learning about the gravestone of Jane Buyers near the Seletar Country Club. She was the wife of shipbuilder JC Buyers, who worked in Singapore from 1863 to 1885.

"There are few incidents of gravestones that go back so far in time," said Mr Jeyapal. "To find a gravestone in a remote part of the island which used to be a mangrove swamp points toward colonial shipbuilding activity in the area."

The book is divided into five sections. It starts by tracing the area's history from the early 1800s when the Orang Laut, or sea people, made it their home.

It then delves into the lives of immigrants from China and India who settled there and grew pepper, gambier and rubber.

It also details life during the inter-war years, when the British set up a military airbase.

It goes on to chronicle the housing rush at Seletar Hills, the development of Jalan Kayu and memories and stories of Seletar residents today.

"It was important for us to tell the story of Seletar and how it evolved from its roots as a backwater estate, through the eyes of its occupants," said primary author Eugene Wijeysingha, 79, a retired principal.

Seletar, as defined in the book, includes Jalan Kayu, Seletar airbase and parts of Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang and Lorong Buangkok.

Featuring a foreword by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the project was supported by the National Heritage Board, Bukit Sembawang Estates, Fairview Developments and Tuan Sing Holdings.

The book will go on sale from Saturday at its official launch at Seletar Country Club. It is priced at $40, but members of Shera and residents can purchase it for half that. Proceeds will go to the President's Challenge.

"Few people realise the history of this beautiful estate," said project manager Ginger Tiah, 66. "I'm glad we can leave such a legacy behind so that future generations will know the people and stories behind its development."

Read more!

Tokay geckos: No miraculous cure

Natalie Heng The Star 23 Jul 13;

Wild wonders : Tokay geckos were the subject of an elaborate hoax that fooled gullible consumers into parting with thousands of dollars in the belief that the reptile could cure cancer and AIDS.

Yet another wild creature sought after as traditional medicine.

MONEY does not fall from trees, but just a few years ago, the arboreal tokay gecko was as good as gold for opportunists looking to make a quick buck.

It all began with the belief that an enzyme from the reptile’s saliva could cure AIDS, cancer and even the H1N1 influenza.

The web exploded with a mad scramble of posts, chat-threads and forums featuring discussions on the lucrative gains to be made from selling tokay geckos. Internet postings advertised stocks, catering to a surge in demand from gullible consumers based mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

If the banter was to be believed, tokay geckos were going for anything between a few thousand to a few million ringgit. When the trade was investigated by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, it appeared that much of the online hype was hot air: none of the surveyed dealers advertising tokay geckos for sale online appeared to be actually selling them.

Was this a widespread Internet scam? Authors of the report The Trade in Tokay Geckos (Gekko gecko) In South-East Asia: With A Case Study On Novel Medicinal Claims In Peninsular Malaysia think so. They say their findings support claims by private dealers who said this was the case.

Tokay geckos were worth no more than US$25 (RM76) on the international pet trade but in late 2009, authorities all over South-East Asia began seizing illegally-trafficked live specimens. Newspapers abounded with reports that catching or farming the critters had become a new and lucrative side business for villagers.

Traffic’s investigations uncovered pockets of dealers, mainly scattered across the states of Kedah and Kelantan, who attested to transactions worth tens of thousands of ringgit per gecko. One dealer claimed that during the peak of the trade (2009 to 2011), he was selling 100 geckos a week to consumers in Singapore, Malaysia, and even Europe, as a cancer treatment. He charged RM19,000 per gecko. He also highlighted the potentially violent nature of the trade – hold-ups and robberies during deals were a real risk. He said that the syndicate which he used to work for had lost over RM100,000 to dodgy Thai and Laotian dealers.

Greed seems to have given rise to enterprising claims, coupled with ever-more ambitious prices. It was also rumoured that the larger geckos, those weighing 400g or above, produce “an enzyme” that could cure AIDS. These are said to be worth over RM3mil each. One dealer alluded to cheats injecting silicon or force-feeding the geckos with metal pieces, in order to achieve the higher weight. Researchers are doubtful that tokay geckos can naturally reach that size.

Traffic found nothing to support the credibility of the claims. What it did find was a huge inconsistency in prices. Some traders priced their geckos at RM580 and others, at RM50,000. This points to the lack of any real or established market value for the “commodity”, further supporting the theory that there is no such value, and that it all began as a hoax.

Geckos traded for novel medicinal claims appeared to have been collected from the wild in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, and transported overland to Malaysia. One news report detailed how over 1,000 tokay geckos were discovered in the trunk of a car.

Fortunately, the heyday of the gecko miracle cure has died down. “Such trade has been substantial, but it has declined massively,” the Traffic report concluded. The medicinal claims are unfounded – a tokay gecko is just a colourful lizard and, as of 2011, a protected species in Malaysia, requiring a licence for trade and possession, thanks to its inclusion under the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

During the course of the study funded by WWF-Malaysia and Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Traffic uncovered a larger concern: the colossal international trade in tokay geckos for traditional medicine. Although localised population declines (in Bangladesh) are thought to have resulted from the trade in tokay geckos for novel medicinal claims, on a regional scale, the number of animals removed from the wild for this purpose appears to be relatively small. Given the wide range and abundance of the species, the trade for novel medicinal claims is unlikely to pose any serious threat to wild populations.

Tokay geckos have long been traded for traditional medicine. An estimated 15 million dried tokay geckos have been imported into Taiwan since 2004, 71% of which were legally sourced from Thailand, and the rest from Java, Indonesia. In 2011, a shipment of 1.2 million illegally harvested tokay geckos were intercepted from Java en route to Hong Kong. Unlike the novel medicinal claims trade which is mainly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, the trade for traditional medicine in East Asian countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Taiwan, is huge.

Tokay geckos are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat skin ailments, asthma, diabetes and cancer. Recently, clinical tests on mice have shown that derivatives from tokay geckos have anti-tumour properties. However, experts have criticised the study for featuring poorly- designed controls, insufficient sample sizes, transferring results based on one species (Gekko japonicas) to another (the tokay gecko or Gecko gecko).

The World Health Organisation has stated that there is no scientific evidence that geckos can cure AIDS or cancer, and no information on the safety of exposure to geckos.

And yet, the trade seems to be booming. Though widely considered a common species, few population studies have actually been done on the tokay gecko, which has a striking appearance, being blue-grey in colour, with spots ranging from reddish-orange to whitish-yellow. Its conservation status has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Of the few studies that have been done, however, their numbers have generally been found to be declining. This is the case in Java, Indonesia and north-eastern Thailand, and in the past, mainland China. In Nepal, they are considered rare and in Vietnam, they are listed as a threatened species. Their status remains undocumented in other states.

Though breeding facilities are said to exist, it is thought that virtually all trade is supplied from animals harvested from the wild. There are hundreds of such facilities in southern China, and some in Vietnam. However, such farms are unable to meet the demand from the traditional Chinese medicine sector.

In Java, where there are at least two registered breeders and exporters, dealers have voiced their scepticism as to whether the breeding facilities are genuine. Tokay geckos fetch US$1 (RM3) each. Dealers think such a low sale price would make captive breeding financially unfeasible.

Traffic thinks that the current situation warrants the inclusion of tokay gecko in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This listing permits trade as long as it does not harm wild populations and the animals have been legally obtained, and possess appropriate export permits.

Despite the fact that tokay geckos have a large geographical distribution and high reproductive rates, and can thrive in human-dominated environments, populations are still susceptible to over-harvesting, says Traffic.

“This is evidenced by the declines of wild populations in Thailand and Java, as well as the past deterioration in mainland China, as a result of trade for traditional medicines.”

More research is needed to quantify the extent of trade and the volume of tokay geckos harvested from the wild. That way, harvests can be monitored and modified, depending on population trends.

Read more!

Malaysia: Logging and sand mining led to RM60m loss, say farmers

New Straits Times 24 Jul 13;

PADI PRODUCTION: Main water source for fields drying up due to sand mining

KOTA BARU: CONTINUED logging and sand mining have been said to be the main factors for the shallowing and sedimentation of Sungai Kelantan to the extent of hampering work to irrigate padi fields in the state.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that of greatest concern was the reduction in annual padi production, which resulted in padi farmers incurring losses.

"This was not created deliberately to bring down the Kelantan government. If the state doesn't cooperate with the Federal Government to tackle the issue, it will not end and the Kelantan people will continue to be the victims.

"Each year, we dig out mud opposite the pump house using hundreds of lorries.

"I urge the state government to assist the people in the state and not to depend on the Federal Government alone to do it," he said after a briefing and breaking of fast at the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) here yesterday evening.

Present were Kada general manager Ibrahim Mat and Kok Lanas state assemblyman Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad.

Ismail Sabri said total padi production under Kada's supervision had dropped from 205,000 metric tonnes to 192,000 metric tonnes and this had not only affected farmers but also the state and country.

He said his ministry would endeavour to find the best approach to resolve the problem.

Yesterday, more than 3,000 farmers in the Kada area were reported to have lost revenue amounting to about RM60 million when 10,000ha out of 18,900ha of padi fields could not be cultivated due to the drying of the water source from Sungai Kelantan.

They comprised farmers in three districts, namely Pasir Puteh, Bachok and Kota Baru. Bernama

Read more!

Malaysia: 49 pangolins seized from taxi

Najihah Roslan New Straits Times 23 Jul 13;

BOUND FOR CHINA: Thai cabbie hired by syndicate to smuggle out animals

BUKIT KAYU HITAM: POLICE rescued 49 pangolins when they detained a Thai taxi driver at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex border checkpoint on Sunday.

Initial investigations showed that the 57-year-old taxi driver was hired by an international syndicate to deliver the animals.

The scaly anteaters, worth RM50,000, were believed to be destined for the Chinese market. They were found alive in the boot of the taxi when the man was nabbed at 7pm.

General Operations Force officer Assistant Superintendent Rosdi Ghani said the suspect, a full-time taxi driver in Thailand, was hired to smuggle the pangolins out of Malaysia.

"These exotic animals were supposed to be shipped to China via Thailand,"

Pangolin soup is extremely popular in China.

Their scales, which some believe to have healing properties, are widely used as an ingredient in traditional medicine.

"In Thailand, the meat could cost up to RM350 per kilogramme. Just imagine how much money the syndicates from China are willing to pay for this endangered species," Rosdi said.

He added that the case had been handed over to the state Wildlife and National Parks Department for further action.

Read more!

Taiwan aquarium slammed over blotched release of whale shark

Focus Taiwan 22 Jul 13;

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) An animal rights group on Monday accused Taiwan's largest aquarium of endangering the life of a whale shark because standard procedure was not followed during its release earlier this month.

The 6.5-meter-long whale shark, which was released on July 10 by the aquarium in southern Taiwan's Pingtung, was stranded near the shore twice before it was towed out to sea, said the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST).

It is uncertain whether the shark survived since it suffered numerous wounds during the release process and apparently had difficulty adapting to its new environment, according to the staff of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium.

"The aquarium was not freeing the shark, it was killing the shark," said EAST Chief Executive Officer Chu Tseng-hung.

The group said the aquarium should not capture any more whale sharks and should try to improve its wildlife management, including the way it releases marine animals.

In response, museum director-general Wang Wei-hsien said the release of the shark was carefully planned and rehearsed many times.

"We tried our best to protect the shark," he said. "It just didn't occur to us that it would refuse to swim away but rather would linger near the shore."

Wang said further studies will be carried out to learn from the problematic case .

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)

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Indonesia: Mini cities planned on reclaimed land in Jakarta

APLN eyes Rp 50 trillion flagship project in Java Sea
The Jakarta Post 22 Jul 13;

Publicly listed developer PT Agung Podomoro Land (APLN) is planning to develop mini cities worth billions of dollars on reclaimed land in northern Jakarta.

President director Trihatma Kusuma Haliman said the company had obtained the principal permit for the project — Pluit City — and was currently assessing the environmental impact of the project.

“We will apply for a reclamation permit once the assessment is completed,” Trihatma told The Jakarta Post in an interview last Friday.

“We hope to start the project soon.”

APLN intends to create three islands in the Java Sea waters and connect each with bridges and a highway to mainland Jakarta.

Thousands of houses, apartment units and other supporting facilities will be built on the three islands, which will be able to host around 700,000 people, according to Trihatma.

APLN will also develop dikes and brick walls to protect Jakarta’s mainland from the sea as well as preserve the mangrove forests, according to Trihatma.

The revitalization of a fishing kampong in Muara Angke may also be undertaken.

“The total investment for the three islands may reach Rp 50 trillion [US$4.95 billion],” Trihatma said.

“The project may take 10 years for development.”

Given the amount of investment and the project’s length, APLN will need to allocate at least Rp 5 trillion every year.

Trihatma said that as a listed public company, APLN would face no significant problems in raising the funds for the project.

APLN recently sold Rp 1.2 trillion in debt papers — the first part of its Rp 2.5 trillion continuous bonds issuances.

APLN shares were traded at Rp 345 apiece on Friday, unchanged from the previous closing.

The company reaped Rp 272 billion in net profit in the first quarter of the year, a slight 3 percent increase from the same period last year.

Its cash and cash equivalent stood at Rp 2.6 trillion as of the end of March.

“This will be APLN’s flagship project. In Jakarta’s [mainland] we can only develop a complex rather than a complete zone,” Trihatma said.

“On this reclamation area, we can develop what we want perfectly based on our own concept,” he said, adding the company had covered swamps in Sunter, North Jakarta, for the project and would now cover the sea.

Green Lake, another of the company’s projects, is a superblock development on 4 hectares of land in Sunter.

APLN is also now developing a superblock called Green Bay Pluit on a 12-hectare site on the North Jakarta coastline that will be close to the Pluit City project.

APLN’s Pluit City project is part of the Jakarta administration’s plan to develop the northern territory as the mainland area is close to residential saturation.

Jakarta — the country’s 740-square-kilometer capital city — is currently home to more than 10 million people.

The administration is planning to reclaim more land and create 17 new islands.

The creation of the landfill islands was first proposed by former Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo as the first step in building a Rp 280 trillion giant sea wall.

A number of developers are reportedly seeking to take part in the reclamation project.

The reclamation project has drawn criticism from environmental activists and experts who argue it will damage sea resources and hamper the flow of water from rivers running through the capital, which in turn will make the annual Jakarta flooding even worse.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 22 Jul 13

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [15 - 21 Jul 2013]
from Green Business Times

Celebrate our National Day with a mangrove cleanup @ precious Lim Chu Kang on Saturday, 10th August 2013! from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Angry about litter on our shores? Learn more, DO something!
from wild shores of singapore

Predawn at Chek Jawa, after 10 years
from wild shores of singapore

Very long driftnet at Chek Jawa (21 Jul 2013)
from Project Driftnet Singapore

Short-banded Sailor
from Monday Morgue

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Haze may return to Singapore as Sumatra hot spots increase

David Ee Straits Times 22 Jul 13;

KEEP those N95 masks handy. The haze which choked Singapore last month could be making a comeback.

The number of forest-fire hot spots in Sumatra rose sharply at the weekend, the National Environment Agency (NEA) warned in an advisory yesterday.

Satellite readings showed that there were 159 hot spots as of Saturday. Of these, 63 were in Riau province, central Sumatra, about 280km from Singapore.

By yesterday evening, the hot-spot count for the whole of Sumatra reached 261, as hazy skies returned to Dumai - the town in Riau at the epicentre of the recent haze. Visibility on the streets was down to under 200m, and residents expected the haze to worsen today.

Singapore is enjoying clear skies for now, as prevailing southerly and south-easterly winds mean smoke from the fires is not being blown here, the NEA said. But it added that some areas in Peninsular Malaysia had already been affected.

Bukit Rambai in Malacca recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 117 at 10pm yesterday, in the unhealthy range.

Malaysia's API and Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) are closely related, and any reading above 100 is considered unhealthy.

Dry weather conditions in Sumatra are expected to persist over the next day or two, the NEA said. It added: "Should there be a change in the wind direction to blow from the west, Singapore may then experience hazy conditions."

As of 11pm yesterday, the 24-hour PSI was between 22 and 31, in the good range. The NEA said it would provide further alerts if it becomes more likely that hazy conditions will return.

Meanwhile, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Grace Fu told reporters yesterday that Singapore would like to see more being done to educate Indonesian farmers not to start the fires.

Speaking on the sidelines of a community event in Jurong, she said: "I am glad that life can be normal again, but we shouldn't take it for granted."

davidee@sph.com.sg

Additional reporting by Zakir Hussain in Jakarta


Singaporeans should stay vigilant & not take clear skies for granted: Grace Fu
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 21 Jul 13;

SINGAPORE: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Foreign Affairs Grace Fu has urged Singaporeans to stay vigilant and not take the clear skies for granted.

She was commenting Sunday on the 15th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze, which was held in Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2013.

She also described Indonesia's agreement to share digitised concession maps with other governments as a start, and feels more can be done.

Ms Fu said: “It's always about just building trust as well as confidence. We have shown that the system works. The technologies, platforms are already there. We have very good satellite pictures. We have very good ideas where the hotspots are.

"There is some information about concessions on the internet that has actually surfaced through non-government sources. We can put them together and start to piece the pieces together. So this is a good start for us to draw attention to answer to the public about the need for information. This will be a start, and if we can get more comfort from our counterpart, we hope that official data can also be put on the public platform."

- CNA/xq


Hotspots in Sumatra increasing, ASEAN Coordinating Centre alerted
Channel NewsAsia 22 Jul 13;

SINGAPORE: There are now 261 hotspots in Sumatra, with haze affecting mainly Selangor and Malacca on Monday.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said the National Environment Agency (NEA) had contacted the Indonesian authorities to register Singapore's major concerns and alerted the ASEAN Coordinating Centre.

Writing on his Facebook page, Dr Balakrishnan said although Singapore is currently spared because of the wind direction, Singaporeans all need to be vigilant and be prepared for any sudden change in the situation.

"Singapore will also work with NGOs to identify the companies with concession areas affected by fire. We need these companies and the Indonesian authorities to do their part to extinguish these fires," he added.

- CNA/de

Read more!

Malaysia: Haze is back with Riau hot spots

Hashini Kavishtri Kannan New Straits Times 22 Jul 13;

SMOKE AND ASH: Bukit Rambai in Malacca and Cheras in KL record unhealthy air quality

KUALA LUMPUR: A MONTH of respite is all we get. A drastic increase in the number of fires in Sumatra is bringing the haze back to the peninsula.

Already, satellite imagery has shown that smoke and ash from the hot spots in Sumatra are drifting to the west coast of the peninsula.

A statement from the Department of Environment (DoE) said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, using satellite data downloaded from the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, revealed there were 159 hot spots in central Sumatra on Saturday, a huge jump from the 43 recorded the previous day.

"(The winds) are carrying smoke from the hot spots in central Sumatra, in particular Riau province, to the central region of the west coast of the peninsula."

Sources within said Malaysians could expect the bad hazy conditions they suffered at the end of last month to return in the next few days.

This is especially if the number of fires continues to grow.

As it is, two spots in the central west coast region of the peninsula recorded "unhealthy" air quality readings as of 3pm yesterday.

According to the DoE statement, the Air Pollutant Index (API) for Bukit Rambai in Malacca was measured at 111, while Cheras, here, just tipped the scale at 101.

Thirty other measuring stations recorded moderate readings, with several -- Malacca city (88), Port Klang (91) and Putrajaya (87) -- close to unhealthy levels.

An API reading of 301 or more; very unhealthy at 201 to 300 is considered hazardous; unhealthy at 101 to 200; moderate at 51 to 100 and good at zero to 50.

The statement reminded the public that its "no open burning" warning issued last month was still in effect.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said the country was prepared to handle the situation, adding that the dry weather in Southeast Asia was expected to continue at least until September.

"Our advice for the people is to avoid open burning.

"Although the major contribution to the haze is Indonesia, we do not need our people to aggravate the situation."

Palanivel said the country was, as before, prepared to seed clouds if the situation took a turn for the worst, adding that the ministry had proposed that schools in areas with API readings of more than 200 be closed.

"We are also prepared to send our assistance to Indonesia to help them in overcoming the problem."

Last month's situation was the worst ever as API readings in various areas in the country hit hazardous levels.

An Asean forum was organised here last week in which Indonesia promised to ratify the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution brokered in 2002.

The republic is the only Asean member yet to ratify the treaty.

Bernama reported that Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) had issued the same warning asking citizens to brace themselves for the haze.

Over the next two days, said the NEA, dry weather was expected to persist in most parts of Sumatra.

"Should there be a change in the wind direction from the west, Singapore may experience hazy conditions," it said.

Its website reported at 4pm that there were 261 hot spots in Sumatra, 173 in Riau province alone.

Malacca hit by haze - again
Isabelle Lai The Star 22 Jul 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: As forewarned by the authorities, the haze has returned.

Two areas in Malacca were hit with Bukit Rambai recording an unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) reading of 114 as of 4pm yesterday.

The reading for Malacca city rose from 70 as of midnight to 88 by 3pm, reducing visibility to the extent of slowing down traffic.

Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected three hotspots in Sumatra on Thursday, which spiked to 43 on Friday and 159 on Satur­day.

“DOE is monitoring the situation closely and is looking out for any open burning,” she said.

ASMC’s hotspot map stated that four hotspots were detected in Johor as of early Saturday morning.

Meteorological Department central forecasting office director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said haze particles would be carried across to Peninsular Malaysia as the wind was still blowing from a southwesterly direction.

“The number of hotspots is also very important. If it increases, then even a light wind will carry the haze particles across,” he pointed out.

Fortunately, he said the current wind strength was weaker compared to several weeks ago when severe haze shrouded parts of the peninsula and Singapore.

Muhammad Helmi said drier weather was expected in the coming weeks due to changing weather patterns which could lead to the haze affecting the region again.

“If conditions worsen, we will look at the possibility of conducting cloud seeding again,” he said, adding that cloud seeding operations would not be successful if the weather was very dry.

Miserable Sunday sees many donning masks in Malacca
Allison Lai The Star 22 Jul 13;

MALACCA: It was a miserable Sunday as the haze returned to shroud the state, with locals and tourists putting on masks to protect themselves against the unhealthy air.

The impact was apparent in the city as many Ramadan bazaars here saw a poor turnout.

“It was very uncomfortable to do business in the open. Getting hit with less sales and leftovers is even worse,” said a chicken-rice seller who only wanted to be known as Kak Midah when met at the Taman Cheng Perdana Ramadan bazaar.

Murtabak seller Mohd Zamri Razak, 49, hoped the haze would go away for good.

“I cannot take it anymore. It is bad for health and affects our livelihood,” he lamented.

Accounts executive K.K. Lee, 35, who is asthmatic, said that his throat had felt uncomfortable since Saturday night and was worried about the haze coming back.

“It has and the air quality is bad. I was coughing the moment I woke up,” said Lee, who lives in Taman Cheng Perdana which is next to Bu-kit Rambai.

Chief Minister Datuk Idris Haron advised the people to take precautions and reduce outdoor activity.

“Children should not be allowed to play firecrackers and there should be no open burning,” he stressed.

He described the current haze situation as still manageable, adding that schools would remain open.

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Malaysia: Sanctuary for Bornean elephants in Sabah

Ruben Sario The Star 22 Jul 13;

KOTA KINABALU: A safe haven for the threatened Bornean elephants is taking shape in the wildlife-rich Lower Kinabatangan region at Sabah’s east coast – thanks to seven Japanese groups and companies.

The first phase of the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary (BES) project had seen the construction of an elephant handling paddock, staff quarters and a storage building at a cost of RM1.8mil.

Local non-governmental organisation Borneo Conservation Trust’s head of conservation and research Raymond Alfred said that the first phase of the sanctuary was built with funding from Asahiyama Zoo, Suraya, Hunting World, Tokio Marine, NTT Data Kirin, Taiseh and Yusen Logistics.

“The endeavour is what the Japanese describes as an ongaeshi project, which means giving back to nature,” explained Raymond.

Work on the second phase of the BES on a 25ha land, and costing about RM30mil, has already begun. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council has allocated RM5.2mil for this phase of the project.

“The council is also providing financial support in the preparation of the BES master plan at Lot 8 of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Raymond.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said that the BES would be able to accommodate between 12 and 16 elephants at any given time.

He said that the role of the BES would be to nurse injured elephants back to health before they were released back to the connecting forest and wildlife reserves.

“Rescued elephants will also be transported to the BES before they are released back to the wild,” he said.

Aside from elephants, BES will also serve as a transit centre to treat injured sun bears, proboscis monkeys, orang utan, clouded leopards and bantengs.

Borneo Elephant Sanctuary begins second phase
Ruben Sario The Star 21 Jul 13;

KOTA KINABALU: A safe haven for Sabah’s threatened elephants is taking shape in the wildlife-rich Lower Kinabatangan region on Sabah’s east coast, thanks to seven Japanese groups and companies.

The first phase of the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary (BES) project has seen the construction of an elephant handling paddock, staff quarters and a storage building at a cost of some RM1.8mil.

Helping to make BES a reality is local NGO Borneo Conservation Trust whose head of conservation and research, Raymond Alfred, said that first phase of the sanctuary was due to funding from Asahiyama Zoo, Suraya, Hunting World, Tokio Marine, NTT Data Kirin, Taiseh and Yusen Logistics.

“The endeavour is what the Japanese describes as an ‘Ongaeshi project’ which means ‘giving back to nature’,” explained Raymond.

Raymond said that work on the second phase of the BES on 25 hectares of land had already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The second phase of the project is expected to cost between RM25mil and RM30mil.

“The Malaysia Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has already allocated a funding of RM5.2mil for this part of the project,” he said.

The council was also providing financial support in the preparation of the BES master plan at Lot 8 of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary,’’ Raymond added.

He said the master plan was being prepared by BCT together with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD).

Sabah Wildlife director, Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said that BES will be able to accommodate between 12 and 16 elephants at any one time.

He said that the role of BES would be to nurse injured elephants back to health before they were released back to the connecting forest and wildlife reserves. Additionally, elephants that were rescued will also be transported to the BES before being released back into the wild.

Aside from elephants, BES will also serve as a transit centre to treat injured sun bears, proboscis monkeys, orangutans, clouded leopard and the banteng.

“The main role of the sanctuary is to support the implementation of the Elephant Conservation Action Plan in Sabah and provide treatment and care to injured elephants. BES will also function as an education and awareness centre on our elephant conservation programme,” said Laurentius.

He further explained that BES was crucial as the key habitats areas of the Bornean elephants in Sabah were fragmented and the key ecological corridor has been converted for other land use.

“The conversion of their key habitat areas have led to incidences of the human-elephant conflicts, which often leads to the elephants being injured or killed,” he said.

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Malaysia: Dr Chong's devotion to pangolins

George Town New Straits Times 22 Jul 13;

VANISHING ANIMAL: Much has been told about 'Sang Kancil', 'Si Belang' and 'Pak Belalai'. But little is known about 'Mat Tenggiling', the endangered anteater. Kenny Goh talks to Dr Chong Ju Lian, who hopes her work at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu can prevent it from going the way of the dodo

THE pangolin is a solitary, nocturnal mammal found only in Asia and Africa.

Its upper body is uniquely composed of thick, sharp scales to protect it from tigers, pythons and leopards. The scales are made of keratin, the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails.

It has a long, sticky tongue to lick up food, and the powerful front claws on its short, stubby legs are used to break open termite and ant nests, climb trees and burrow deep into the ground.

The animal has evolved into eight species.

The thick-tailed pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (M. culionensis), Malayan or Sunda pangolin (M. javanica), and Chinese pangolin (M. pentadactyla) are found in Asia.

The Malayan (Sunda) and Chinese pangolins are severely endangered because of illegal trade, habitat loss and a low birth rate.

The natives of Africa comprise the African white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantae), Temminck's ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) and black-bellied pangolin (Uromanis tetradactyla).

Pangolins reach sexual maturity after two years and can give birth up to two offspring per season. The babies weigh around 450g and have soft scales that harden as they grow.

They hitch a ride on their mother's tail for three months and after weaning, will be left on their own.

Dr Chong Ju Lian, when watching a video of a young pangolin being released into the wild, said she wasn't too optimistic about its newfound freedom.

"It's probably going to end up stewing in a pot somewhere later," she says with a sense of resignation.

Chong graduated in 2001 with first class honours in zoology. She went on to do her PhD in plant genetics but did not pursue the subject after finishing her doctorate in 2007.

This is because her passion lies in animal research and the opportunity to pursue her interest came after she started working as a lecturer in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) the same year.

In 2008, she was given a RM105,000 grant by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to carry out her pangolin research.

Her team at UMT is acknowledged by the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's largest conservation group.

She also has a licence from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to capture the Malayan pangolin in Peninsular Malaysia for research.

Chong said her interest to study pangolins started between 2006 and 2007, when she was reading about large seizures of the animal from illicit wildlife traders.

She could not find much data about pangolins in the country and the references she came across were compiled during the colonial era.

Current data on pangolins in Southeast Asia is collected by foreign research teams, and Chong realised that this is where she could contribute to conserve an endangered fauna by channelling her interest in biodiversity and genetics into the study of pangolins in Malaysia.

"Besides, they also look so cute," Chong says.

"They tend to roll up into a scaly, armoured ball as a self-defence mechanism. That's why they are easily caught by hunters.

"But they are actually agile and can dart around pretty fast. Their scales are sharp and can cause cuts, if you are not careful."

Chong conducts her research in the forests and oil palm estates of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, with the help of Perhilitan and the Orang Asli.

She has surveyed the different habitats of pangolins, observed how the Orang Asli hunt the animals and even studied the parasitic ticks that are found on them.

Although the ticks are not a serious threat to the species, the results of her team's study were novel enough to be published recently in a high-profile science journal.

Beginning 2010, over 22 months, Chong embarked on expeditions to Pos Pulat, an Orang Asli village in Kelantan, the Sungai Berua forest (linked to Taman Negara in Terengganu) and the Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang.

A total of 122 dens were found. In the forests of Krau and Sungai Berua, the dens were mostly inside dead tree trunks because of the abundance of termites.

In Pos Pulat, where jungles had been cleared to plant oil palm, the animals were found living inside boulder cavities.

This shows that the degradation of forest habitats can significantly influence the pangolins' choice of dens.

Within the same period, 44 Orang Asli hunters in Gua Musang and Hulu Terengganu were also interviewed. The Orang Asli say they usually hunt in groups of two or more. They track the pangolins to their dens by looking for signs such as fresh claw marks or the musky odour secreted by the animals.

Once the presence of a pangolin is detected, the hunters will lay a snare, such as a net or wire mesh, near or inside the den. When the pangolin tries to enter, its legs will become entangled and it is easily retrieved.

The pangolin trade is lucrative, with prices hovering between RM50 and RM300 per kg, depending on the season. A male pangolin can reach 14kg whereas a female is smaller.

With the fieldwork surveys completed, Chong is conducting DNA studies where she plans to compile a genetic profile of pangolin populations nationwide.

The data can be used for conservation work and breeding programmes.

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