Malaysia's Mangrove Forest Rapidly Depleted And Degraded

Jailani Hasan Bernama 4 Sep 13;

LABUAN (Bernama) -- Mangrove forests in Peninsula, and Sabah and Sarawak are being rapidly cleared due to the pressures from growing populations in coastal areas.

The ever changing population dynamics has led to changes in land use and over-utilization of resources.

The mangrove depletion is further exacerbated by rapid economic development in the coastal areas apart from unsustainable forest practices, land conversion/reclamation for agriculture, aquaculture, mining, industrial, port expansion, urbanisation, tourism, infrastructure development.

"For instance, many mangrove reserves gazetted during the colonial period have since been de-gazetted and made available for other uses," said Cheryl Rita Kaur, a senior researcher at the Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA).

And even those mangrove forests that survived the onslaught are being choked by coastal pollution contributed by domestic and industrial wastes.

"Therefore, we needs to find a balance between meeting increasing present-day needs on the one hand, and conserving the environmental support system provided by mangroves, on the other," she said.

HOW ARE WE TO ACHIEVE THIS?

Of course, there are many options before the government to achieve such a goal.

Given their multiple-use potential, she said it is imperative that the management of mangrove based terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems be undertaken within the context of integrated coastal area management planning.

This would essentially require cooperation and commitment between various agencies and stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of mangrove resources, now and in the future.

"For instance the MIMA International Conference on Mangroves a few years back called for a 'no-net loss' policy, where the goal was to balance the loss caused by economic development through reclamation, mitigation and restoration efforts - so that the total acreage of mangrove areas in the country does not decrease, but remains constant or, preferably, increases.

"One good example that would relate to this approach would be the Matang mangrove forest in Perak. Through an integrated management approach and strong support from the government, this forest is one of the best managed areas under sustainable forest management system in Malaysia and is also recognised as the best managed mangrove forest in the world," she said.

THE STATUS QUO FOR MANGROVE IN MALAYSIA

The total mangrove area in Malaysia is estimated to be approximately 575,000 hectares, of which 60 per cent found in Sabah, 23 per cent in Sarawak and the remaining 17 per cent in Peninsula.

Of the total, 85 per cent have been gazetted as forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, RAMSAR sites, and as state and national parks. For instance, there are five mangrove-based RAMSAR sites in Malaysia which include Kukup Island, Tanjung Piai, Sungai Pulai, Kuching Wetlands, and Kinabatangan.

However, it is said that mangrove cover in Malaysia has declined by 30 per cent over the past five decades from 800,000 hectares in the 1950s to 575,000 hectares at present.

The lost of mangrove areas are highest in Perlis, Selangor, Johor, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan and Penang.

THE PERILS OF A DEPLETED MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM

Mangroves are unique especially in terms of their adaptation abilities in response to harsh environments. Mangroves stabilize shorelines and protect coastal communities by acting as a buffer against storm surges and strong winds.

Their function as effective natural barrier againts tsunamis, weather typhoons, cyclones and storm surges as a result of global warming is crucial.

The critical role of the coastal ecosystems including mangroves in maintaining the climate is also being increasingly acknowledged.

"For instance, the term 'blue carbon' sinks/storage is used to define this further. Out of all the biological carbon (or green carbon) captured globally, over half (55 per cent) is captured by marine living organisms, not on land, hence, it is called blue carbon. Continuously increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to climate change," she said.

Moreover, in many countries, Cheryl said especially those going through periods of rapid economic growth were increasing their carbon emissions but with the depleting of these mangrove forests that is classified as 'blue carbon' sinks/storage, their ability to absorb CO2 is also being reduced.

"And these data, records and various other global initiatives in this regard are largely assisting policy makers to mainstream the mangrove ecosystems into national and international climate change initiatives," she concluded.

-- BERNAMA

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Race on to fight deadly shrimp disease

Virus-triggered toxin hitting farms across South-east Asia; annual losses estimated at $1.3 billion
Nirmal Ghosh Indochina Bureau Chief In Bangkok Straits Times 4 Sep 13;

SCIENTISTS around the world are racing to find a solution to a deadly disease that is spreading through shrimp farms in South-east Asia, killing shrimp en masse.

Earlier this year, the Global Aquaculture Alliance estimated that Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), which emerged in China in 2009 and reached Thailand this year, is causing annual losses of more than US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) across China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

Thailand, the largest shrimp exporter in the world with last year's exports worth 95.3 million baht (S$3.8 million), is being increasingly hit by a virus-triggered toxin which kills the shrimp.

"We are at a very early stage and there are different opinions," said Dr Simon Funge-Smith, an aquaculture expert at the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Bangkok. "It is not clear yet how the virus is arriving in the ponds."

The worst-affected countries are China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, which together account for 70 per cent of global shrimp exports. Losses caused by EMS are ruining some shrimp farmers across the region and driving up prices in importing countries.

Thailand's shrimp production this year is expected to fall to 350,000 to 400,000 tonnes from around 500,000 tonnes last year, estimated Ms Karnda Kraikajornkitti, an executive at the Thai Shrimp Association.

There are around 30,000 to 40,000 shrimp farms in Thailand, most of them small-scale, Ms Karnda said. An average of 25 per cent to 30 per cent of farms in any given area are affected by EMS, she said.

The worst-hit area was eastern Thailand, but EMS recently affected farms in the south as well.

The association was hopeful that the situation would return to normal next year, she said.

The disease is caused by a virus that affects bacteria naturally present in the gut of the shrimp. The bacteria then create a toxin that kills the shrimp.

Outbreaks typically occur within the first 30 days after stocking a newly prepared shrimp pond, and mortality can exceed 70 per cent.

"One laboratory in the US claims to have replicated the effect of the virus," Dr Funge-Smith said. "Right now other labs are trying to do the same. It is only when labs are able to recreate this that you understand the mechanism of the disease and can then take steps to manage it. Until then, it is shooting in the dark."

The vulnerability of shrimp farms is linked to the fact that they are usually open-air systems with water flowing in and out.

Converting them to closed systems using mostly recycled water is expensive. And with profit margins low, few shrimp farmers can afford the systems.

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World Bank targets air pollution in climate battle

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 4 Sep 13;

The World Bank said on Tuesday it was planning "aggressive action" to help developing nations cut emissions of soot and other air pollutants blamed for causing climate change, in a shift also meant to protect human health and aid crop growth.

Of its funding to poor nations, almost 8 percent - $18 billion from 2007-12 - goes to sectors such as energy, farming, waste and transport that have a potential to cut emissions, a bank report said.

The bank said it would shift policy to insist that such projects in future - it did not predict levels of funding - included a component to curb air pollution.

"We will try to turn it (the funding) into aggressive action" to cut the pollutants, Rachel Kyte, vice president of sustainable development at the World Bank, told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting a 38-nation group in Oslo looking at ways to cut short-term air pollution.

"Anything that delays the pace at which global warming is arriving buys time for our clients, the poor countries in the world," Kyte said.

The bank would look for new ways to help, for instance, reduce pollution from public transport, curb methane emissions from rice irrigation, and improve the efficiency of high-polluting cooking stoves and brick kilns.

Soot comes from sources ranging from wood-burning cooking stoves to diesel engines. Methane comes from decomposition of plant and animal matter and from farming, for instance from the digestive tracts of cattle and sheep.

Environment ministers at the meeting in Oslo of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, set up 18 months ago in Washington as a new front in combating climate change, also outlined projects to cut air pollution in areas from forestry to gas flaring.

FIRST AID

The focus on short-lived air pollutants is meant to complement efforts to cut carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from human activities that a U.N. panel of climate scientists says is the main cause of global warming.

In a statement, members of the coalition said that cutting the short-term pollutants could reduce global warming by up to about 0.5 degree Celsius (0.9 Fahrenheit) by 2040-50.

That would help achieve a goal, set by almost 200 nations in 2010, of limiting a rise in global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times to avoid more heatwaves, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.

And cutting short-lived pollutants would also protect human health - six million people worldwide die early every year from air pollution, it said.

"First aid for the climate can also be first aid for people's health," Norwegian Environment Minister Baard Vegar Soljhell said.

Reducing pollutants "can also help rural economies, with current estimates showing the potential to save about 50 million tonnes (45.359 million metric tons) of crops each year", the statement said. Pollution poisons plants and can block sunlight, stunting growth.

The coalition statement did not refer to an academic study last month that suggested the temperature benefits of an assault on the short-lived pollutants might be far less, only 0.16 degree Celsius (0.3F) by 2050.

Drew Shindell of NASA, the head scientific advisor to the coalition, said that report wrongly assumed that air pollution would fall with economic growth. "That doesn't automatically happen," he said.

(Editing by Pravin Char)

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Best of our wild blogs: 3 Sep 13

Our Partnership Continues
from mndsingapore

Save MacRitchie Forest: 18. Night birds
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Butterflies Galore! : Horsfield's Baron
from Butterflies of Singapore

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Get on with it - global warming is real

Straits Times editorial 3 Sep 13;

THE science of predicting global warming has its sceptics, among them vested interests like big industry. An update on rising sea levels by the United Nations climate panel, which forecasts up to a metre's rise by 2100, may not win new converts. But a graphic presentation of how coastal flooding could gut the economic assets of low-lying cities should persuade laggard governments that taking timely preventive measures is not a matter of choice. Climate doubters can challenge the science, but not the visceral evidence of extreme weather phenomena. This is why a new climate study, which places 13 of the 20 most vulnerable cities in Asia alone, should concentrate minds.

Singapore is spared the dubious distinction, but its planners will want to evaluate the impact on the economy of flood damage to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China, and Mumbai and Kolkata in India - besides Jakarta, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Shanghai, Tianjin and Xiamen are also at risk. These are cities Singapore does business with. The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, calculates that flood damage to the 139 coastal cities assessed worldwide could reach US$1 trillion (S$1.27 trillion) annually by mid-century if mitigating steps are not taken.

Building and strengthening defences like levees and storm barriers go beyond preparing for an apocalyptic event by the end of the century, when island chains in the Pacific could vanish. Coastal flooding as a result of storm surges, land subsidence from groundwater depletion and urban growth will wreak havoc on an ascending scale well before sea levels rise.

Flood defences are not a recent invention. Tokyo has had them going back 400 years. But with typical technological acuity, the authorities are building an underground reservoir carved into rock to receive excess runoff. San Francisco is mulling a massive flood wall near the Golden Gate Bridge to save the bay area's multi-billion dollar technology economy from going underwater. New York worries about its logistical operations.

Singapore has had the benefit of advice from the Dutch - reassuring as countless studies credit Holland with having the world's best flood defences. But the frequency of inner-city flooding would have alerted the authorities to the adequacy of its primary defences - stone embankments, the Marina Barrage and a requirement that new reclamations be raised in elevation.

These are periodic infrastructural works which governments plan for and execute as a matter of course. The "scientific" notion of countering the effects of climate change through treaty-mandated reductions in carbon emissions is on the other hand fraught with problems. It is clear what governments should focus on.

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'Tax' slashes use of plastic bags in NUS shops and canteens

Mandatory 10-cent levy per bag sees usage falling by 70% since 2009
David Ee Straits Times 3 Sep 13;

A QUIET campus war against plastic bags is being waged and won in the National University of Singapore, with usage in its canteens and bookstores dropping by 70 per cent since 2009.

A student-inspired "eco-tax" of 10 cents per bag, mandated by the university, has done the trick.

Those who insist on a bag for takeaways or purchases at NUS' seven canteens and four co-op stores must deposit this in coin boxes at the till.

With surveys showing wide backing from students - 87 per cent of them now support charging for plastic bag use, up from 71 per cent in 2009 - larger vendors on campus such as Food Junction and 7-Eleven are considering taking part.

The eco-tax does not add to vendor's profits, but enters a sustainability fund NUS maintains for other student eco-projects. But vendors save costs by supplying fewer bags.

"(Ten cents) might be a small barrier, but it is one that will force people to re-think: Do they really need that bag?" said student Woon Wei Seng, 23, vice-president of NUS Students Against Violation of the Earth (Save), the group behind the effort.

He said that the university's experience could hold lessons for how to curb wider plastic bag use in Singapore, an endeavour that large retailers and supermarkets, apart from furniture giant Ikea, have so far remained resistant to.

Many say that shoppers still expect to be provided free plastic bags.

Ikea ended plastic bag use altogether in March. Supermarket chain FairPrice offers customers who bring their own grocery bag a 10-cent rebate if they spend more than $10.

"You probably need some kind of legislation," he said. "Customers would become more compliant over time as they more or less accept the fact."

NUS' plastic bag eco-tax is understood to be the only scheme of its kind in universities here. A spokesman for Food Junction, which has nine stalls on campus, told The Straits Times it would support the scheme; 7-Eleven, which has one outlet, said it will "certainly consider" taking part.

Director of NUS' Office of Environmental Sustainability Amy Ho said that NUS backed the initiative once surveys revealed wide ground-level support from the student body.

Undergraduate Ng Boon Hong, 24, said that for many NUS students, the 10-cent charge may just be an "added" incentive, as young people readily choose to cut down on plastics as they get more knowledgeable about how they impact the environment.

"It's not just NUS students; it's happening throughout Singapore and the world," he said.

Mr Woon added: "There are definitely concerned youth out there. Now it's about the adults."

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Malaysia: In search of herps

Natalie Heng The Star 3 Sep 13;

World-reknowned herpetologist finds paradise in Malaysia.

FOR SOMEONE whose earliest memory is trying to catch a lizard by the family swimming pool at aged two, it’s no wonder Dr Lee Grismer grew up to be one of the world’s most respected and intrepid herpetologists. He’s as tough as nails, with an insatiable appetite for discovery, and – based on numerous photos on-line – has a penchant for Hawaiian holiday shorts.

A professor of biology from La Sierra University in California, Grismer has spent a quarter century doing fieldwork on the Baja peninsula, studying and describing just about every kind of snake, frog and lizard imaginable over there. However, the year 1996 opened up an entirely new world for him. He remembers picking up the phone, a former student furthering his studies in distant Malaysia was on the other end of the line. The student told Grismer: “You gotta get over here, this place is crazy.”

So he booked his flight, and his trip to Malaysia turned out to be life-changing. “It was like starting over. I had all those exciting feelings, like I was a boy catching lizards again. Except this time, the lizards could fly, and so could the snakes, and even the frogs.”

After just six weeks on his first trip here in 1996, Grismer saw 128 species that he had never encountered before – and that was just at the field station in Gombak, Selangor. At 40, Grismer rediscovered himself as a herpetologist. He says he thought he knew a lot about science and the world, “but then I came here, and realised I didn’t know s**t!”

South-East Asia makes up 14% of the world’s land mass, but is thought to contain about 25% of the world’s biodiversity. Malaysia’s upland regions harbour some of the rarest animals on earth, whilst our diverse landscapes create all kinds of geographically distinct micro-climates, home to a mind-blowing number of species adapted to each and every niche.

Yet, Grismer points out, there is so much more to discover. In a recent expedition to the Merapoh caves in Pahang, his team found three new species of geckos. It was part of a stock-taking exercise to find out what kinds of flora and fauna a planned cement production project, which will involve blasting 300 million years old karst formations, will be putting at stake. It is a perfect example of why people like Grismer, who are constantly on the lookout for new species, are so important.

“There is a real urgency to publish taxonomies and inventories, so that we can better plan for, and understand, the impact of development in certain areas. Whenever someone does look into the areas in Johor that are still intact, they seem to discover something amazing.” Which is why he encourages scientists and naturalists to publish their inventories in a timely fashion. “So we can say, at this point in time, this particular species existed here.”

Home away from home

Malaysia has become Grismer’s second home. He comes here about four times a year – sometimes staying just a week, sometimes as long as three months. He has made friends with local scientists, and together they have formed a “herp coalition” of sorts.

Grismer often joins Dr Norhayati Ahmad and Shahrul Anuar Mohd Sah, associate professors with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia respectively, visiting national parks throughout the country to see what new species they can discover.

“Until the 2000s, we didn’t even know we didn’t know enough,” says Grismer, adding that diversity is tremendously underestimated, especially in the upland regions.

In the last 10 years, more new species of lizards have been discovered in the Malaysian peninsula than in the whole of the previous century.

And despite complaints that the field is underfunded and in trouble, taxonomy – the discipline of classifying new species – has become quite vibrant when it comes to herpetology, according to Grismer.

“More people have been acknowledging its importance to ecology and conservation. Much of this progress is linked to huge advances in the field of molecular biology.”

Lower costs and greater accessibility to genetic sequencing technologies have led to many new developments in the field. For example, what scientists always thought to be the banded juvenile of Asthenodipsas vertebralis, a member of the Asian slug snake family, turns out to be a different species entirely.

After DNA analysis indicated distinct groupings on the phylogenetic tree, the researchers looked back at where the specimens were collected from, which led to an astonishing discovery. Despite a broader geographical overlap, all the banded specimens were collected from the ground and the unbanded specimens, from trees – signifying two separate micro-habitats for two different species.

“Exploring unknown regions of the genome is just as important as exploring unknown regions of the planet, we need a two-pronged approach,” says Grismer.

He strongly believes that the old adage “take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints” should not apply to scientists. “In my opinion, that’s a recipe for extinction. To save a species, you need to collect a few individuals. You can’t lobby for conservation without data, and the real threat, above all else, is habitat destruction.”

Herp-in-habitat

In June, an entire room of nature-lovers got to jump into Grismer’s world, where no leaf stays unturned and possibilities lurk behind every boulder. (Grismer has a knack for making science sounds fun.) At a talk at the Malaysian Nature Society’s headquarters in Jalan Kelantan, he spoke about how he discovered Colubridae gongylosoma when out for a walk on Tioman Island.

With five students in tow, he spotted it being eaten by a ratsnake just along the path. He went to grab it but it scooted during the commotion. The whole team then spent half an hour turning over leaves until they found it again.

“Which is just as well, because it turned out to be a new species,” says Grismer.

Then there’s the business of naming things once you’ve found them.

This time, Grismer and his team were in Langkawi, Kedah, during the month of Ramadan, thinking of a suitable name for a freshly discovered gecko that was new to science.

“The only food we could find on the island at the time was roti canai. Someone said, ‘Hey, roti canai sounds Latin’.”

So, there is a lizard out there now known as Cnemaspis roticanai. And if you Google it, there is a nicely orchestrated picture of it sitting on a piece of, well, roti canai.

Grismer is famous for his stunningly composed herps-in-habitat shots. He has even had photographers from National Geographic inviting him on trips to show them how it is done.

But Grismer always has too much work and too little time.

The level of dedication he puts into each shot is telling of his passion for his job. Take the stunning portrait of a Robinson’s angle-headed lizard taken in Cameron Highlands, Pahang.

“I knew exactly what I wanted … to be able to say (that) this species lives in a cloud forest covered with moss.”

First, Grismer had to catch the lizard. Then, he walked around looking for a good spot to set up the shot. And then he waited there for a day, to figure out when the light was best, and what time clouds come in.

“When I was finally ready to take the shot, it was too sunny. But then suddenly the clouds started rolling in, and I just went Bam Bam Bam! This is like, one of my favourite shots,” he says proudly.

Indeed, it is shots like these that offer a poster picture of the potential that Malaysia has to become a flagship for conservation in the region.

Grismer also works in places like Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, but he is concentrating on Malaysia because he believes this is the best place to set an example to South-East Asian nations on how to safeguard the environment.

For now, he is focusing on gathering data on the upland forests in Malaysia’s north-east because much of that area is a black hole.

By documenting the unique and wonderful array of flora and fauna there, scientists will be better able to set priorities for conservation.

“Malaysia has so much good habitat left,” says Grismer. “And that’s why I’m working so hard here.”

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Climate change 'driving spread of crop pests'

Rebecca Morelle BBC World Service 2 Sep 13;

Climate change is helping pests and diseases that attack crops to spread around the world, a study suggests.

Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Oxford have found crop pests are moving at an average of two miles (3km) a year.

The team said they were heading towards the north and south poles, and were establishing in areas that were once too cold for them to live in.

The research is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Currently, it is estimated that between 10% and 16% of the world's crops are lost to disease outbreaks. The researchers warn that rising global temperatures could make the problem worse.

Dr Dan Bebber, the lead author of the study from the University of Exeter, said: "Global food security is one of the major challenges we are going to face over the next few decades.

"We really don't want to be losing any more of our crops than is absolutely necessary to pests and pathogens."
Trade transport

To investigate the problem, the researchers looked at the records of 612 crop pests and pathogens from around the world that had been collected over the past 50 years.

These included fungi, such as wheat rust, which is devastating harvests in Africa, the Middle East and Asia; insects like the mountain pine beetle that is destroying trees in the US; as well as bacteria, viruses and microscopic nematode worms.

Each organism's distribution was different - some butterflies and insects were shifting quickly, at about 12 miles (20km) a year; other bacterium species had hardly moved. On average, however, the pests had been spreading by two miles each year since 1960.

"We detect a shift in their distribution away form the equator and towards the poles," explained Dr Bebber,

The researchers believe that the global trade in crops is mainly responsible for the movement of pests and pathogens from country to country.

However, the organisms can only take hold in new areas if the conditions are suitable, and the researchers believe that warming temperatures have enabled the creature to survive at higher latitudes.

Dr Bebber said: "The most convincing hypothesis is that global warming has caused this shift.

"One example is the Colorado potato beetle. Warming appears to have allowed it to move northwards through Europe to into Finland and Norway where the cold winters would normally knock the beetle back."

The researchers said that better information about where the pests and pathogens were and where they were moving was needed to fully assess the scale of the problem.

"We also need to protect our borders, we have to quarantine plants to reduce the chances that pests and pathogens are able to get into our agricultural systems," added Dr Bebber.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 Sep 13

Residents from nine precincts express concerns to LTA about CRL alternate route suggested by NSS from Love our MacRitchie Forest

We the MacRitchie Lovers
from The Green Beans

Biodiversity for kids during the September school holidays
from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!

Stage flight
from The annotated budak

Mynas having a cool drink
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat
from Monday Morgue

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NParks says 40 wild boars culled

Evelyn Lam and Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 1 Sep 13;

SINGAPORE: It has been about a year since the National Parks Board began culling wild boars at the Lower Peirce Reservoir area.

While not as many wild boars have been sighted in the area as before, the trail the remaining creatures leave behind is still quite a sight. Thus, residents from Kebun Baru Vista have taken on the mission of "patching up" the area.

Patch-Up at the Park is a ground-up conservation initiative by the neighbourhood committee.

Dr Robert Liew, organising chairperson of Patch-Up at the Park, said: "The old wise ones, they're still around. We've even given one a name, his name is Boris - Boris the pig. But the small ones, we haven't seen them around anymore. So that's the effect of the culling I think.

"We want to be able to co-exist happily with the wild boars and other wild animals. So things they've put out of place, it's our job to put it in place again, so we both can enjoy the park."

Armed with shovels and other equipment, some 50 residents from Kebun Baru Vista took on the mission of patching up a field at Lower Peirce Reservoir on Sunday morning.

The NParks, which supplied tools for the initiative, also gave an update on the situation - it has culled 40 wild boars since last year and will continue doing so as “the population of wild boars is still a concern”.

Asked when the culling will stop, Mr Wong Tuan Wah, Director of Conservation at the NParks, said that “the number of wild boars to be removed is dependent on the assessment of the threat to public safety, the impact on the forest and conservation interests”.

As recent as May this year, the agency was still receiving feedback of wild boars colliding with vehicles at Upper Thomson Road. “Damage to the undergrowth also continues to be observed,” Mr Wong added.

The agency could not give an estimate on the current wild boar population in Singapore or within the Lower Peirce area. In June, it said that there were up to 100 wild boars in the Lower Peirce area, based on their observation of “two herds”, and that the ideal number for the area is seven.

The NParks began culling wild boars in the area in August last year after their numbers grew sharply, drawing the ire of conservation and animal rights groups. The culling is limited to a 0.3-sq-km area in the Lower Peirce forest.

Residents have noted that things are improving in the area - the neighbourhood committee has not received any complaints about wild boars in the past six months, this is compared to about three to five complaints a year ago.

While residents previously notice new potholes every other day, residents said they now only see new potholes emerging once a week.

It is hoped that the patching-up exercise will instil a sense of ownership in residents.

The neighbourhood committee which organised the event hopes to carry out such patch-up exercises once a month.

Besides culling, one resident, Russell Ng, also told Channel NewsAsia they have noticed more palm oil palm trees being cut down -- a move that may help keep the wild boars at bay.

He said: "I think they felt that the palm trees were attracting too many wild boars -- and this palm oil is one of their favourite food -- and replaced them with native species that do not attract the wild boars out... to create a buffer zone between the forest and the park itself."

- CNA/TODAY/ac/de


40 wild boars culled: NParks
Kok Xing Hui Today Online 2 Sep 13;

SINGAPORE — As the National Parks Board (NParks) continues its culling of wild boars living around Lower Peirce Reservoir, residents are taking steps to fix some of the damage caused by the animals, while others spoke about how they have grown accustomed to their presence.

Yesterday, nearly 50 residents from the Kebun Baru area came together for the first time to help restore the grass patches overturned by the pigs as they root for food in the ground.

The NParks, which supplied tools for the initiative, also gave an update on the situation — it has culled 40 wild boars since last year and will continue doing so as “the population of wild boars is still a concern”.

Asked when the culling will stop, Mr Wong Tuan Wah, Director of Conservation at the NParks, said that “the number of wild boars to be removed is dependent on the assessment of the threat to public safety, the impact on the forest and conservation interests”.

As recent as May this year, the agency was still receiving feedback of wild boars colliding with vehicles at Upper Thomson Road. “Damage to the undergrowth also continues to be observed,” Mr Wong added.

The agency could not give an estimate on the current wild boar population in Singapore or within the Lower Peirce area. In June, it said that there were up to 100 wild boars in the Lower Peirce area, based on their observation of “two herds”, and that the ideal number for the area is seven.

The NParks began culling wild boars in the area in August last year after their numbers grew sharply, drawing the ire of conservation and animal rights groups. The culling is limited to a 0.3-sq-km area in the Lower Peirce forest.

Mr Chang Nam Yuen, Chairman of the Kebun Baru Vista Neighbourhood Committee, which organised yesterday’s event, said the wild boar situation has improved, thanks to the NParks’ efforts to manage the population.

Another resident, Mr Robert Liew, agreed, saying that he used to see overturned patches “every other day” but now only sees “a small patch of new holes” each week.

While the residents present noted that the wild boar population has given them some problems, they felt that eliminating the animals completely is not the solution. “We find them quite likeable ... We don’t mind having them around,” said Mr Liew. “We’ve even given one a name. His name is Boris. ”

Retiree Russell Ng, who lives less than 1km from the park, said more research should have been done on what contributed to their upsurge in numbers.

“I haven’t seen any convincing arguments for (the culling) yet ... We can live with animals in our midst,” he said, adding he used to see herds of 20 to 30, but now he only sees one, occasionally.

Retired National University of Singapore professor Lee Seng Luan said he thought it was nice to see the boars and macaques around and that there needs to be a “sustainable number” of them.

The NParks said it has also taken other steps to manage the wild boar population, like removing food sources like oil palm and rubber trees and replacing them with native trees, and working with the community to counter the damage caused by wild boars.

Mr Chang said the organising team hopes to carry out this activity every three months. While residents “can’t do much”, they love the place and want to do something, he added.

Residents repair wild boar damage
Kok Xing Hui Today Online 1 Sep 13;

SINGAPORE — Roughly 50 residents living near the Lower Pierce Reservoir came together this morning (Sept 1) to restore grass patches damaged by wild boars.

The boars overturn grass patches as they search for food in the park, leaving behind an unsightly mess, said the People’s Association.

Mr Chang Nam Yuen, chairman of the Kebun Baru Vista Neighbourhood Committee, which organised the event, said he was aware that the 50 residents “can’t do much” as the task requires professionals, but they wanted to fulfill a desire to help.

Residents TODAY spoke to said they noticed that the wild boar population has fallen since the National Parks Board (NParks) started culling the pigs last year.

Retiree and resident Russell Ng said he used to see herds of 20 to 30 pigs here, but only solitary pigs since the culling started.

Channel NewsAsia reported in June that 20 boars have been culled since last August.

NParks provided the tools for today’s restoration effort.

Residents restore grass patches damaged by boars
Amelia Teng Straits Times 2 Sep 13;

FOR years, wild boars have been trampling the grounds near homes in Kebun Baru, leaving grass patches damaged.

Yesterday, a group of nearly 50 residents decided to roll up their sleeves and repair the damage themselves.

Using shovels and changkols provided by the National Parks Board (NParks), they came together to restore the grass patches in Lower Peirce Park. They worked together in an area about half the size of a football field for about two hours to even out the damaged patches.

The initiative was organised by the Kebun Baru Vista Neighbourhood Committee (NC), which looks into the welfare of residents in private estates and condominiums in the area.

"We are passionate and we have a desire to do our part to improve the park's environment because many of us come here regularly," said Mr Chang Nam Yuen, 62, who is the chairman of the Kebun Baru Vista NC. "It's just like how we would want to sweep our house clean," he said.

Wild boars are a common sight in the Lower Peirce area. NParks estimated last year that there are 100 wild boars in the area, and has since begun culling them.

Said volunteer Lee Seng Luan, 68: "Since we come here, we want to make the park look nice. It's not that we hate the wild boars.

"My view is that we have a sustainable number of them, because maybe this area cannot support so many," said the retired mathematics professor.

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Malaysia: Moderate Air Pollutant Index readings at several locations

The Star 2 Sep 13;

PETALING JAYA: Several locations in Malaysia recorded moderate Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

The Department of Environment recorded moderate API readings at several locations in Selangor, Malacca, Kelantan and Terengganu.

The highest API was recorded in Bukit Rambai in Malacca yesterday, where the reading remained at 60 from morning until 4pm yesterday. It then dropped a notch to 59 at 5pm.

Residents in Port Klang also experienced mild haze, with the API being recorded at 56 until 1pm, 55 until 4pm and 54 at 5pm despite heavy showers in the Klang Valley.

API reading of below 50 is regarded as good, 50-100 (moderate), 100-200 (unhealthy), 200-300 (very unhealthy), and above 300 (hazardous).

It was hazy in the morning in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, but the situation improved after 3pm.

Kuala Terengganu also experienced haze the entire day, with API readings remaining at 52 from morning till 5pm yesterday.

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Shark fin decline linked to China corruption crackdown

AFP 1 Sep 13;

Conservationists have attributed a dwindling demand for shark fins to China's crackdown on corruption which has forced a decline in lavish banquets.

"We are seeing a reduction in demand from China. Hong Kong is also showing a significant decline in consumption," Angelo Villagomez, a shark specialist with US-based conservation group the Pew Charitable Trusts, said Sunday.

Villagomez was in the Marshall Islands to discuss shark sanctuaries with leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum, the annual summit of Pacific heads of state.

However, he said the decline in shark fin demand over the past year was not directly linked to increasing shark protection by Pacific island governments.

Instead, it was related to the Chinese leadership's crackdown on graft and opposition to extravagance.

"It's not to do with conservation. It's related to a Chinese government anti-graft crackdown, which has cut back on dinners where shark fin soup was featured on the menu," Villagomez said.

"The culture is (also) changing in Asia among younger people. They aren't eating shark fin soup as much."

Historically, high demand in the Asian market has fuelled shark-finning by fishermen on commercial tuna vessels in the Pacific.

But finning is slowly being shut down as the number of islands legislating shark sanctuaries grows.

Villagomez will be meeting this week with Pacific leaders to discuss extending the number of shark sanctuaries.

"The Pacific is leading the world in shark conservation," he said.

"Pew is working with islands that have sanctuaries on enforcement, implementing best practices, and conducting research."

The nearly 300 purse seine fishing boats now plying tuna grounds in the Pacific are required to have independent observers on board and with "100 percent observer coverage, enforcement of shark bans is as good as it will get," Villagomez added.

"The islands now have eyes on the water and in the ports."

Since banning shark fishing in its waters in 2011, the Marshall Islands has arrested two foreign vessels for having shark fins on board and fined them more than $100,000.

"During the next two years, our goal is to create a united Pacific front on sharks," Villagomez said.

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