WWF, Traffic urge Malaysia to increase anti-wildlife smuggling efforts

The Star 11 Feb 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: The World Wide Fund for Nature - Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) and The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic) have urged the Malaysian Government to act forcefully in combating poaching and wildlife trade in Malaysia.

In a statement issued here Tuesday, both organisations said they made the call in view of Malaysia's participation in the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London on Feb 12 and 13.

Conference participants include source, transit, and destination countries for illegal wildlife goods, and countries with available resources to tackle trafficking.

"The two-day conference is an opportunity for governments to commit to finally ending illegal trade in elephants, rhinos, tigers and wildlife.

"Any measures agreed in London must be backed at home by delivering actions equal to the challenge," said WWF-Malaysia's executive director/CEO, Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.

Traffic's Southeast Asia regional director Dr Chris R Shepherd said Malaysia had already lost much of its wildlife to poachers.

"We call on the Government to make the fight against wildlife poachers and traffickers a priority in the national agenda," he said.

Both organisations urged the Malaysian government to sign the Conference Declaration and prioritise seven key areas including cracking down on illegal wildlife trade networks operating in the country.

The organisations also urged the Malaysian government to set up a National Tiger Task Force to oversee the implementation of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan, as well as anti-poaching efforts to protect tigers and other wildlife.

"Poaching for trade is clearly the most chronic threat to Malaysia's wildlife. Local and foreign poaching syndicates are emptying the forests of tigers, their prey, and other wildlife.

"Most of these poachers are armed and they enter the forests without any fear of getting caught," said Dr Sharma. - Bernama

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Malaysia: Kuala Selangor Nature Park aiming for Ramsar recognition

Zora The Star 12 Feb 14;

KUALA SELANGOR: The popular Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) has been proposed as the country’s eighth Ramsar site.

The park is a wetlands comprising about 600ha of riverine mangrove forest, lake and secondary forest.

The target is to make the wetlands a site of global importance within two years.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Dr Prof Maketab Mohamed, who disclosed this, said the project was important to better protect the site from environmental degradation.

The Ramsar Convention is an inter-governmental treaty that embodies the commitment of member countries to maintain the ecological character and plan sustainable use of all wetlands.

Currently, there are 2,177 Ramsar sites in the world including six in Malaysia.

The seventh, the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands, is in the process of being certified as a Ramsar Site.

“We have been wanting to have KSNP recognised as a Ramsar site for many years and we have good cooperation from all Federal and state agencies and the Kuala Selangor District Council to make it a reality.

“There are nine Ramsar criteria and we fulfilled five of them,’’ he added.

MNS conceptualised and proposed the KSNP in 1987. It is the first nature park to be managed by an NGO.

KSNP, which is part of the north-central Selangor coast, is also an Important Bird Area of Birdlife International.

Prof Maketab said another plan was to get the coastal area of Selangor, stretching over 100km, to be internationally recognised as an important flyway for migratory birds.

The extensive mudflats and coastal mangroves attract tens of thousands of migratory waterbirds annually from the northern hemisphere to feed and rest between September and March.

Some globally threatened species such as the spoon-billed sandpiper and Nordmann’s Greenshank have been sighted at KSNP.

District Council chairman Noraini Roslan said the locals already knew of the importance of wetlands and migratory birds and welcomed the move to have it recognised as a Ramsar site.

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Study shows urbanisation's impact on biodiversity

Mark Kinver BBC News 11 Feb 14;

A dataset, described as the largest of it kind to date, has assessed the impact of urbanisation on biodiversity levels around the globe.

It found that cities supported far fewer species of birds and plants compared with similar areas of undeveloped land.

However, it showed the vast majority of flora and fauna in a city reflected an area's "unique biotic heritage".

The findings appear in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"While we show that urbanisation has caused cities to lose large numbers of plants and animals, the good news is that cities still retain endemic native species, which opens the door for new policies on regional and global biodiversity conservation," explained co-author Myla Aronson, a research scientist from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, US.

"In particular, the study highlights the value of green space in cities, which have become important refuges for native species and migrating wildlife."

The international team of researchers collected lists of plants in 110 cities and lists of birds found in 54 cities around the world.

"We were interested in plants and birds that were found in all parts of the city - from buildings, roads, vacant lots, brownfields, managed greenspaces, and natural greenspaces - to understand how cities support biodiversity as a whole," Dr Aronson told BBC News.

Unique biotic heritage

The team analyses the data and found that cities retained about just 8% of bird species and 25% of plant species of comparable undeveloped land.

But Dr Aronson added: "Contrary to popular belief, we show that the plants and birds of cities are not all the same across the world.

"Owing to the fact that cities around the world share similar structural characteristics - buildings, roads etc - it is thought that cities share a similar biota no matter where they are in the world.

"Few species are shared across cities, such as pigeons and annual meadow grass, but overall, the composition of cities reflects the unique biotic heritage of their geographic location."

She said that the data revealed that, overall, cities supported close to 20% of the world's bird species and 5% of known plant species.

"Conserving green spaces, restoring natural plant species and adding biodiversity friendly habitats within urban landscapes could, in turn, support more bird and plant species," Dr Aronson suggested.

Commenting on the study's findings, Prof Philip James from the University of Salford - who was not involved in the research - said that many cities grew in areas that were diverse and rich in terms of natural resources, and plants and animals.

"So the challenge is to use our knowledge of urban ecology to enrich the lives of the ever increasing number of people living and working in cities," he told BBC News.

"Seeing birds from our windows, hearing their songs and having pleasant, natural places to walk are all beneficial to our health and well-being."

Dr Aronson said that by improving the understanding the ecology found in urban areas, city planners and managers would be better placed to preserve and promote biodiversity, which provides important ecosystem services, such as water quality and flood protection.

She added: "Of course this is a coarse-scale study but we still come up with patterns that are similar in cities around the world."

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Best of our wild blogs: 11 Feb 14

Volunteers survey impact of 10 Feb oil spill
on wild shores of Singapore

lim chu kang jetty mangrove-beach @ 02 Feb 2014
from sgbeachbum

26-27 Feb Symposium: How will Singapore's shores cope with climate change? from wild shores of singapore

Butterflies Galore! : Branded Imperial
from Butterflies of Singapore

The curse of plastics – in beautiful Norway as much as it is everywhere!
from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

International Day of Biodiversity 2014: Showcasing biodiversity research in Singapore (NParks & NUS; 24 May 2014) from Otterman speaks

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MPA Engages Shipping Community to Raise Awareness of Navigational Safety - Additional safety and navigational alerts to vessels

MPA 11 Feb 13;

MPA takes a serious view of any incidents in Singapore waters. Following the recent three collisions resulting in oil spillage, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is conducting investigations to determine the causes of the collisions and if there were systemic issues that need to be addressed. While awaiting the outcome of these investigations, MPA will implement several measures with immediate effect to minimise future marine incidents.

Measures to enhance navigational safety

MPA will conduct briefings to the shipping community to reinforce the importance of the safety of navigation in the Singapore Strait and within our port waters. These briefings, conducted in partnership with the Singapore Shipping Association, will be targeted at shipowners, ship managers, ship charterers and shipping agents, who have direct channels to convey the safety messages to the ship masters and officers. The first of these briefing will be held this week.

MPA will also promulgate Port Marine and Shipping Circulars to the shipping and harbour craft communities, emphasising the importance of navigational safety and to maintain vigilance whilst navigating.-

The Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) will also initiate broadcasts on the importance of safe navigation and vigilance in the Singapore Strait and within our port waters. This is in addition to the traffic information that the Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) provides to the ships' crew. The ship master remains responsible for the safe navigation of his ship.

"MPA is gravely concerned about the recent incidents in Singapore's waters. We are working with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) to take immediate steps to raise the level of awareness of navigational safety in the shipping community. MPA is committed to ensuring the safety of navigation in our waters and will work closely with our partners in the shipping community to reinforce this. MPA is also enhancing its navigational alerts to provide ship masters and pilots to help improve their situational awareness, pending the outcome of the investigations into these incidents," said Mr Andrew Tan, MPA's Chief Executive.

Mr Patrick Phoon, President of SSA said, "The SSA is working closely with MPA on reinforcing the importance of safety of navigation in Singapore waters. I have full confidence that my members will heed this urgent call to do their utmost to emphasise to their ships' masters and crew members to exercise vigilance at all times. We all have an important role to play in protecting our marine environment and to ensure safety at sea," he added.



About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.

MPA investigating causes of three recent marine collisions
Channel NewsAsia 11 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is conducting investigations to determine the causes of three recent marine collisions and if there are systemic issues that need to be addressed.

The three collisions happened in a span of 13 days - on Jan 29, Jan 30 and Feb 10.

MPA said it will implement several measures with immediate effect to minimise future marine incidents while awaiting the outcome of the investigations.

It will also conduct briefings to the shipping community to reinforce the importance of the safety of navigation in the Singapore Strait and within the port waters.

The briefings will be targeted at those who have direct channels to convey the safety messages to the ship masters and officers.

The first of these briefings will be held this week.

MPA said it will also be sending out Port Marine and Shipping Circulars to the shipping and harbour craft communities, emphasising the importance of navigational safety and to maintain vigilance whilst navigating.

MPA's Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) will initiate broadcasts on the importance of safe navigation and vigilance in the Singapore Strait and within the port waters. This is in addition to the traffic information that POCC provides to the ships' crew.

- CNA/de

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Despite weekend rains, dry spell set to continue

Woo Sian Boon Today Online 11 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE — Although widespread rain over the weekend brought some relief after the skies were “shut” for more than 20 days, the National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday said the dry weather is set to continue, as the region is still in the dry phase of the north-east monsoon season.

The dry phase had begun in mid-January, which was earlier than usual, and led to one of the longest dry spells Singapore has experienced in recent years. A dry spell occurs when less than 1mm of rainfall is registered daily over an extended period of at least 15 consecutive days.

Afternoon showers can be expected this week, but “a strengthening of winds over the South China Sea could bring drier conditions to Singapore on a few days during the week”, said the NEA.

Rain fell over western and central parts of Singapore last Sunday and at least 1mm of rainfall was recorded at 17 climate stations, with Bukit Timah recording the highest at 21.8mm. The agency had last week said rainfall for this month was expected to be below average. As of Sunday, 33 climate stations had recorded a daily rainfall total of less than 1mm since Jan 16.

Last month, only 75.4mm of rainfall and five “rain days” — a day with a minimum rainfall of 0.2mm — were recorded at Changi climate station, compared with the long-term average rainfall of 242.4mm usually received in January. The Republic last experienced similar dry spells between Jan 26 and Feb 10 in 2009 and between Feb 3 and 18 in 2011. WOO SIAN BOON

The Star 11 Feb 14;

Malaysia: Respite from the dry spell
PETALING JAYA: Despite earlier forecasts of a long dry spell, Malaysians can expect showers and thunderstorms by mid-week with rain bearing winds heading towards the country.

The Meteorological Department National Weather Centre director, Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, said the dry spell is expected to last till mid-March. However, he added, the easterly winds from the Pacific Ocean will bring rain.

He said Sabah and Sarawak were already experiencing isolated rain and thunderstorms due to the wind and it will soon progress to the peninsula states by mid-week.

Perak, Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor are expected to see more thunderstorms and showers, he said.

“The easterly wind is rather moist and we are starting to see more build-up of clouds compared to mid-January.

“The build-up of clouds indicates there is more moisture, thus, the possibility of thunderstorms and rain,” Muhammad Helmi said yesterday.

However, the northern states will be experiencing the dry spell with temperatures up to 35°C.

This is a normal phenomenon during the tail-end of the monsoon season.

Muhammad Helmi said the nights would be less cool compared to January, when some parts of the country experienced cold spells due to dry winds from China.

Meanwhile, Fomca deputy secretary-general Foon Weng Lian said consumers should be mindful of their use of water and electricity during the hot spell.

He said the hot weather would also affect transmission lines and reduce their efficiency.

“So, to avoid electricity overload or trips, don’t keep your electrical appliances on for too long,” he advised.

Foon said consumers should not be overly dependent on air conditioners and, instead, look for ways to improve natural ventilation at home.

“Open up your windows to let the natural air in for a while before switching on the air-conditioner,” said Foon.

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Malaysia: Johor open burning cases heating up

The Star 11 Feb 14;

KOTA TINGGI: Open burning cases that occurred within the last few weeks damaged more than 859ha of land throughout Johor.

State Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Ab Ghani Daud said that between Jan 1 and Feb 8, the department recorded 1,226 cases of open burning here.

He pointed out that bushfires recorded the highest number of cases at 583, followed closely by forests fires (298), estates (192) and garbage (153).

“The department is very worried with the high number of cases within the period as throughout the previous year, there were only 1,856 open burning cases,” said Ab Ghani after opening the department’s yearly assembly held at Penawar Fire and Rescue station here yesterday.

Ab Ghani also said that Johor Baru had the highest number of open burning cases with 392, followed by Batu Pahat (164) and Kluang (143) during the period.

He reminded the public not to carry out open burning as the damage could be severe, not only in terms of property but lives as well.

“The department noticed that most of these open burning cases occurred due to human error, where people leave behind a fire unattended.

“Such action is quite costly as a small fire could escalate into a major fire within minutes given the current dry season with strong winds,” he said, urging the public to immediately contact the department at 999 if they noticed any open burning.

In an unrelated matter, Ab Ghani also urged the public to buy fire prevention devices for their homes.

He added that a smoke detector only cost about RM70 per piece while a small fire extinguisher is about RM100.

“These devices have proven to be very useful to put out or warn people of fire,” he said.

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Malaysia: Protected birds seized from settler's home

Sylvia Looi New Straits Times 11 Feb 14;

ON THE RUN: Man faces fines of RM1 million for trapping birds

IPOH: A FELDA settler has been earning a lucrative income by trapping and selling protected birds to local collectors for six months.

His venture ended when officers from the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) seized 17 protected birds at his home in Felda Lawin Selatan, Gerik, on Saturday. Its director, Fakhrul Hatta Musa, said his officers had been monitoring the man, in his 40s, following a tip-off.

"We had to camouflage civilian vehicles to monitor his house. When the raid was conducted at 11am, the man was nowhere to be found."

Fakhrul Hatta said of the 17 birds seized, four were totally protected species, while the rest were protected species. Among the species seized were white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus), blue-winged leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis) and lesser green leafbird (Chloropsis Cyanopogon).

"We believe he caught the birds from the Royal Belum or Temenggor area. The seized birds are worth RM50,000. The man faces more than RM1 million in fines for his offences."

Fakhrul Hatta said the man was being investigated for keeping protected species, where he can be fined up to RM50,000 or two years jail, or both.

"He is also being investigated for keeping totally protected species, where he can be fined up to RM700,000 or seven years jail, or both."

He said the department was working with police to track down the man.

17 protected birds seized during raid
The Star 11 Feb 14;

IPOH: Seventeen birds of several protected species were seized from a Felda settler’s house in Grik.

The settler, from Felda Lawin Selatan, had been earning side income for the past six months by trapping the birds and selling them to local collectors, said Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Fakhrul Hatta Musa.

The birds were seized on Saturday.

During the raid at 11am, the man was nowhere to be seen.

Among the bird species captured by the man were murai (shama) and daun kecil (lesser green leafbird).

“We believe that the man, in his 40s, trapped the birds from the Royal Belum or Temenggor rainforest.

“The total value of the birds seized is about RM50,000,” Fakhrul told reporters at his office here yesterday.

He added that the department was working with police to locate the man.

The case has been classified under Section 60 (1) (a) and Section 68 (1) (a) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 for possession of protected or totally protected species without a licence.

If found guilty, the man could face a maximum fine of RM50,000 or two years’ jail or both under Section 60 (1) (a) and a maximum fine of RM700,000 or seven years’ jail or both under Section 68 (1) (a).

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Indonesia: Malang Police Arrest 3 For Raiding Coral Reefs

Dyah Ayu Pitaloka Jakarta Globe 11 Feb 14;

Malang. Police have arrested three men allegedly responsible for the illegal harvesting and sale of coral from the southern coast of Malang, East Java, which environmentalists have blamed for the significant deterioration of the area’s natural underwater ecosystem.

“We caught the suspects based on tip-offs and information from residents,” Aldy Sulaeman, the Malang Police’s chief of detectives, said on Monday.

“Another suspect remains at large after hiding out in Srigonco village.”

The three suspects arrested were identified as Satuin, 33, and Iwan Fauzi, 25, both residents of Srigonco, and Bram Kumbara, 31, from neighboring Sidoarjo district.

Aldy said the alleged thieves had their individual roles in the syndicate: Satuin harvested the coral at low tide, Iwan transported it to the shore, while Bram Kumbara was the buyer.

Bram had been illegally purchasing the coral for as little as Rp 3,000 (25 cents) a chunk. He then sold the coral to buyers in Banyuwangi and Bali for Rp 5,000 a chunk, often for use in construction and interior decorating.

Police confiscated around 300 pieces of coral during the arrest, while an additional 720 pieces were found in the syndicate’s base of operations.

“The suspects admitted they had committed the same crime on three previous occasions,” Aldy said, adding they could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Andi Syaifudin, the chairman of Sahabat Alam (Salam), a conservation group focusing on coral reefs, mangroves and sea turtles, blamed residents’ lack of awareness for the illegal sale and subsequent destruction of coral reefs.

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Indonesia: Riau haze spreads to W. Sumatra, agency says

The Jakarta Post 10 Feb 14;

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Katapiang, Padang, West Sumatra, says the haze from land fires in Riau province had reached West Sumatra but rain had insured its affects were minimal.

“Wind from the northeast spread the haze to areas in West Sumatra, but it is still relatively safe,” BMKG Katapiang head of observation and information, Budi Samiaji, said on Monday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Sumatra currently has 62 hotspots, he said, most had been detected in Riau province (36), followed by Riau Islands (6), North Sumatra (17), Aceh (2) and Jambi (1).

Budi said in one day the BMKG’s monitoring team had found 112 hotspots, but “on average, around 60-80 hotspots are found per day.”

He further said that for West Sumatra, the haze had mostly affected areas bordering with Riau while other areas were still relatively safe.

"Heavy rain reduced the impact the haze had on the cross-border areas," Budi said.

Rainfall has been predicted to intensify in March and April before decreasing in May and June, he added. (idb/ebf)

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Feb 14

10 Feb 2014: Another oil spill near Sisters Islands
from wild shores of singapore

What will AVA do about fish farms dumping dead fishes in the sea?
from wild shores of singapore

Sat Feb 15: A Walk in Remembrance of the War Dead
from a.t.Bukit Brown. Heritage. Habitat. History.

Toddycats launch the second series of MacRitchie forest walks with a 15 Feb 2014 event! from Love our MacRitchie Forest

Darwin Day 2014 ‘Celebrates the Science of Life’ – four talks @ U Town on Thu 13 Feb 2014: 7.00pm from Otterman speaks

Carpenter Bee And Yellow Alder Plant
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Old Pictures of Bukit Brown
from Rojak Librarian

Common Snakehead
from Monday Morgue

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80 tonne oil spill off Sebarok

Collision between Hammonia Thracium and Zoey
MPA 10 Feb 14;

At about 1535hrs on 10 February 2014 (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a collision had occurred between the departing Liberia-flagged containership "Hammonia Thracium" and the Panama-flagged chemical tanker "Zoey" in the Singapore Strait, off Sebarok Island (about 10km south of mainland Singapore). Prior to the incident, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre provided traffic information to the two vessels and alerted Zoey that the vessel Hammonia Thracium was crossing the traffic lane.

Hammonia Thracium reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in spillage of some 80 metric tonnes of bunker fuel. Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched four patrol craft to deal with the spillage. Oil spill response companies have also been activated to support the clean-up efforts.

The two vessels are currently in stable condition outside of Singapore's port limits and are assessing their situations. There is no report of injury, and port operations remain unaffected.

MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.

Two maritime vessels collide in Singapore Strait
Channel NewsAsia 10 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: Two maritime vessels collided in the Singapore Strait, in the third such incident in 13 days.

On Monday, a Liberia-flagged container ship "Hammonia Thracium" and a Panama-flagged chemical tanker "Zoey" collided off Sebarok Island, which is about 10km south of mainland Singapore.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said its Port Operations Control Centre had provided traffic information to the two vessels and alerted the chemical tanker that the container ship was crossing the traffic lane.

The container ship reported that one of its bunker tanks sustained damage, and about 80 metric tonnes of bunker fuel were spilled as a result.

MPA said it immediately dispatched four patrol craft to deal with the spillage and activated oil spill response companies to support the clean-up efforts.

It said the two vessels are in stable condition outside of Singapore's port limits and are assessing their situations.

MPA added that there is no report of injury and that port operations remain unaffected.

It is investigating the cause of the collision.

- CNA/nd

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