Malaysia: Authorities save 1,290 tortoises bound for the pot

SYED AZHAR The Star 23 Jun 14;

KUALA KRAI: The Kelantan Anti-Smuggling Unit intercepted and seized a lorry laden with 1,290 tortoises on Saturday at Kampung Derdap, Tumpat, headed for restaurants in Thailand serving exotic food.

Kelantan National Park and Wildlife Conservation Department director Mohammad Khairi Ahmad said the Unit based in Pengkalan Kubor had tracked the lorry until it reached the border checkpoint in Pengkalan Kubor.

"Based on a public tip-off, the Unit trailed the lorry from Kampung Bunut Susu, Pasir Mas until Kampung Derdap at 6pm. The driver of the lorry abandoned the vehicle after he realised he was being trailed.

"The suspect ran towards Sungai Golok and jumped into the river and escaped into Thailand," he told reporters at a press conference held at the Department's office here on Monday.

Mohammad Khairi added that upon inspection, the tortoises believed to be worth at least RM200,000 were found hidden in 160 plastic containers buried under fish containers.

"This is the biggest haul of a protected species from illegal traffickers so far this year.

"We believed they were destined to restaurants serving exotic food in Thailand, which are highly sought-after.

"The tortoises will be kept by the Department for safekeeping until we decide what to do with it," he said, adding that a well-organised syndicate was believed to be responsible for the cross-border smuggling attempt.

He said the tortoises (Amboina box turtle) were a protected species under the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Rescued - over 1,000 tortoises bound for Thai restaurants
The Star 24 Jun 14;

KUALA KRAI: More than 1,000 tortoises bound for the dinner table in restaurants in Thailand were rescued by the Kelantan Anti-Smuggling Unit officers here.

Kelantan National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department director Moham­mad Khairi Ahmad said officers based in Pengkalan Kubor near the Malaysia-Thai border had received a tip-off and followed a lorry that was heading to the border check-point.

He added that the officers had tailed the lorry from Kampung Bunut Susu, Pasir Mas until Kampung Derdap at 6pm on Saturday.

The driver, who realised that he was being followed, stopped the lorry and jumped into Sungai Golok before escaping to Thailand.

“Our officers found fish containers inside the lorry. But buried under the containers were 160 plastic containers filled with 1,290 Asian Box turtles.

“The tortoises are believed to be worth about RM200,000. This is the largest seizure of a protected species so far this year,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Mohammad Khairi said the tortoises are protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

“We believe that the tortoises are destined to restaurants that serve exotic food that are much sought after in Thailand,” he added.

He added that the tortoises would be kept for investigations until the next course of action.

“We believe that a syndicate with expertise in cross-border illegal trade is behind the smuggling attempt,” he said.

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Australia: Coral bleaching an ongoing trend in the Pilbara

Lucie Bell ABC News 24 Jun 14;

Researchers from the CSIRO have just wrapped up their most recent visit to reef ecosystems along 300 kilometres of Pilbara coastline in Western Australia.

They've been collecting data on the health of corals, as part of a five year joint study with the University of Western Australia.

The Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership is now coming to the end of its second year.

Initially researchers mapped the biodiversity in the region and studied the currents, to track how organisms flowed from place to place.

Senior research scientist Dr Russ Babcock, says the team's latest visits, which stretched from sites in the northern Ningaloo right through to the top of the Dampier Archipelago, have confirmed coral bleaching is ongoing and widespread.

"In our initial surveys we found coral bleaching, which seemed to have occurred over the past few years, and we saw more of that in this most recent survey.

"It's quite extensive and seems to be ongoing, even over the past summer.

"A lot of the coral has died and some of the giant corals, that we noticed at the end of last year, are again bleaching and have little patches of algae starting to grow on them."

The bleaching is believed to be due to a series of marine heatwaves, which affected much of the state.

Some of the corals in question are up to 400 years old and while the prognosis isn't good, Dr Babcock says there is a chance that they'll be able to repair themselves.

"We'll have to hope that they can recover naturally, but it's going to take a long time for other corals to grow to that size and replace them in the context of the whole reef."

The health of larger corals is being assessed using a coring method, according to Dr Babcock.

"These giant varieties are very interesting, in that they record their growth over the centuries, laying down rings similar to the way trees do.

"A team has been going out to bore down with a drill core into some of these corals to collect samples, which they'll analyse back in the lab to look at things like growth rate.

"They can even use ratios of chemicals in the coral core to determine the water temperature at the time the coral was growing."

The team will return to the Pilbara for more site assessments in around 12 months time.

Dr Babcock says the researchers' work will be made available to other government agencies, including the WA Department of Fisheries and the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Ningaloo spared coral damage

Exmouth's major tourism drawcard, the Ningaloo Reef, seems to have been the exception to the widespread coral bleaching trend.

The CSIRO worked with local authorities to assess the reef, following April flooding which was described as a once-in-a-century event.

Dr Russ Babcock says the area was protected mainly due to the narrow continental shelf.

"It [the shelf] makes it easier for deep cool water to come up and mix with shallow warmer waters, keeping the reef at a more even temperature.

"The main part of the Ningaloo seems to have been pretty well protected from the bleaching, so it's a real sanctuary for corals in the region.

"You only have to go across the other side of the cape, to Bundegi at the top of the Exmouth Gulf, and the bleaching is really severe from there right across to the eastern side of the Gulf."

Local authorities from the Department of Parks and Wildlife will continue to monitor the Ningaloo Reef in coming months.

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Plastic Waste Causes Financial Damage of US$13 Billion to Marine Ecosystems Each Year as Concern Grows over Microplastics

UNEP press release 23 Jun 14;

Nairobi, 23 June 2014 - Concern is growing over the threat that widespread plastic waste poses to marine life, with conservative estimates of the overall financial damage of plastics to marine ecosystems standing at US$13 billion each year, according to two reports released on the opening day of the first United Nations Environment Assembly.

The eleventh edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Year Book looks at ten issues flagged as emerging by previous reports over the past decade, including plastic waste in the ocean. The UNEP Year Book 2014 gives an update on each issue and provides options for action. Other areas covered include the environmental impacts of excess nitrogen and marine aquaculture, air pollution's deadly toll, and the potential of citizen science.

Valuing Plastic, a UNEP-supported report produced by the Plastic Disclosure Project (PDP) and Trucost, makes the business case for managing and disclosing plastic use in the consumer goods industry. It finds that the overall natural capital cost of plastic use in the consumer goods sector each year is US$75 billion - financial impacts resulting from issues such as pollution of the marine environment or air pollution caused by incinerating plastic.

The report says that over 30 per cent of the natural capital costs of plastic are due to greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction and processing. However, it notes that marine pollution is the largest downstream cost, and that the figure of US$13 billion is likely a significant underestimate.

"Plastics have come to play a crucial role in modern life, but the environmental impacts of the way we use them cannot be ignored," said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director. "These reports show that reducing, recycling and redesigning products that use plastics can bring multiple green economy benefits - from reducing economic damage to marine ecosystems and the tourism and fisheries industries, vital for many developing countries, to bringing savings and opportunities for innovation to companies while reducing reputational risks."

"Our economies are still largely fossil-fuel based, with the environmental, economic and health costs hidden," he added. "For example, in the polar regions, scientists have recently found tiny pieces of plastic trapped in sea ice. Transported by ocean currents across great distances, these contaminated particles eventually become a source of chemicals in our food. The key course of action is to prevent plastic debris from entering the environment in the first place, which translates into a single powerful objective: reduce, reuse, recycle."

A large and unquantifiable amount of plastic waste enters the ocean from littering, poorly managed landfills, tourist activities and fisheries. Some of this material sinks to the ocean floor, while some floats and can travel over great distances on ocean currents - polluting shorelines and accumulating in massive mid-ocean gyres.

There have been many reliable reports of environmental damage due to plastic waste: mortality or illness when ingested by sea creatures such as turtles, entanglement of animals such as dolphins and whales, and damage to critical habitats such as coral reefs. There are also concerns about chemical contamination, invasive species spread by plastic fragments, and economic damage to the fishing and tourism industries in many countries - by, for example, fouling fishing equipment and polluting beaches.

Since 2011, when the UNEP Year Book process last looked at plastic waste in the ocean, concern has grown over microplastics (particles up to 5 mm in diameter, either manufactured or created when plastic breaks down). Their ingestion has been widely reported in marine organisms, including seabirds, fish, mussels, worms and zooplankton.

One emerging issue is the increasing use of microplastics directly in consumer products, such as microbeads in toothpaste, gels and facial cleansers, the Year Book says. These microplastics tend not to be filtered out during sewage treatment, but are released directly into rivers, lakes and the ocean.

Communities of microbes have been discovered thriving on microplastics at multiple locations in the North Atlantic. This "plastisphere" can facilitate the transport of harmful microbes, pathogens and algal species. Microplastics have also been identified as a threat to larger organisms, such as the endangered northern right whale, which is potentially exposed to ingestion through filter-feeding.

Production trends, use patterns and changing demographics are expected to cause increasing plastic use, and both reports call for companies, institutions and consumers to reduce their waste.

Valuing Plastic finds that consumer goods companies currently save US$4 billion each year through good management of plastic, such as recycling, and that there is potential for greater savings. However, plastic use disclosure is poor: of 100 companies assessed, less than half reported any data relevant to plastic.

"The research unveils the need for companies to consider their plastic footprint, just as they do for carbon, water and forestry," said Andrew Russell, Director of the PDP. "By measuring, managing and reporting plastic use and disposal through the PDP, companies can mitigate the risks, maximize the opportunities, and become more successful and sustainable."

Initiatives such as the PDP and the UNEP-led Global Partnership on Marine Litter have helped raise awareness of, and begun to address, the issue. However, much more needs to be done. Recommendations for further action from the reports include:

Companies should monitor their plastic use and publish the results in annual reports.
Companies should commit to reducing the environmental impact of plastic through clear targets and deadlines, and innovate to increase resource efficiency and recycling.
There should be an increased focus on awareness campaigns to discourage littering and prevent plastic waste from reaching the ocean. An application that allows consumers to check whether a product contains microbeads is already available and is expanding its coverage internationally. It can be downloaded from http://get.beatthemicrobead.org/
Since plastic particles can be ingested by marine organisms and potentially accumulate and deliver toxins through the food web, efforts should be stepped up to fill the knowledge gaps and better understand the capacity of various plastics to absorb and transfer persistent, toxic and bioaccumulating chemicals.
"Natural capital valuation has the power to help organizations understand their environmental impacts, including pollution of the ocean," said Richard Mattison, Trucost Chief Executive. "By putting a financial value on impacts such as plastic waste, companies can further integrate effective environmental management into mainstream businesses. By highlighting the savings from reuse and recycling, it builds a business case for proactive sustainability improvements."

Other issues

"Ten years ago UNEP alerted the world to the development of dead zones in coastal waters resulting from excess nitrogen seeping into the water," said Mr. Steiner. "That was in the first edition of the Year Book series. In the intervening period many more emerging issues have been identified, with some rising to crisis level and others showing encouraging improvement."

"The 2014 Year Book shows how scientific endeavours and policy actions have led to innovative solutions and vital advancements," he added. "It reconfirms the critical role that the environment plays in maintaining and improving the health of people and ecosystems; from well-managed soils and nutrients that underpin food production to the critical role of biodiversity in protecting human health against the spread of infectious diseases. Clean air in our cities prevents the premature death and illness of millions and can save society trillions of dollars."

The UNEP Year Book 2014 lays out the state of play in critical areas, including:

Nitrogen

First looked at in 2003 by the Year Book team, nitrogen continues to be used inefficiently as a plant nutrient in many of the world's agricultural systems. The amount of usable nitrogen produced by humans is now about 190 million tonnes per year, greater than the 112 million tonnes created through natural processes.

As nitrogen moves through the environment, the same nitrogen atom can contribute to multiple negative effects in the air, on land, in freshwater and marine systems, and on human health. This sequence continues over a long period and is referred to as the "nitrogen cascade".

Excess nitrogen in the environment contributes to many problems, including:

Coastal dead zones and fish kills due to severe eutrophication (a high concentration of nutrients, which leads to excessive plant growth and oxygen deprivation). There are currently over 500 known coastal dead zones in well-studied areas of the world, whereas in 2003 only around 150 such oxygen-depleted areas were reported. Once other regions start reporting, it is estimated that 1000 coastal and marine areas will be identified as experiencing the effects of eutrophication.
Nitrogen emissions to the air, notably those of nitrous oxide (N2O), contribute to climate change. Sometimes referred to as the "forgotten greenhouse gas", N2O is over 300 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Human activities such as agriculture, deforestation and fossil fuel combustion are increasing the amount in the atmosphere.
Better management practices are essential for improving nitrogen use efficiency, the Year Book finds. This is the most cost-effective option for reducing nitrogen losses to the environment from agricultural sources.

According to the recent UNEP-commissioned report, Our Nutrient World, a 20 per cent improvement in global nutrient use efficiency by 2020 would reduce annual use of nitrogen by an estimated 20 million tonnes. This could produce savings of between US$50 and US$400 billion per year in terms of improvements in human health, climate and biodiversity.

Marine Aquaculture

Aquaculture production has increased since the 1950s from 650 thousand tonnes to almost 67 million tonnes, and today provides half of all fish for human consumption. Marine aquaculture production by volume grew by 35 per cent during the last decade, while production in fresh and brackish water grew by 70 and 83 per cent, respectively.

While progress has been made towards making marine aquaculture more sustainable, environmental concerns remain. Fish farms can release nutrients, undigested feed and veterinary drugs to the environment. They can also increase risks of diseases and parasites and of harmful algal blooms. In some countries, certain forms of shrimp farming have destroyed large areas of coastal habitats, such as mangrove forests.

Healthy marine ecosystems are fundamental to reaching development goals, with respect to securing food and providing jobs. Marine aquaculture's impacts and predicted growth call for strengthened efforts towards environmentally sound development of the sector to avoid the loss of important ecosystem services.

Technical innovations, the experience and growing skills of aquaculture producers, and improved knowledge of environmental impacts and operational and governance opportunities provide hope for a sustainable marine aquaculture sector supporting a growing world population with food and livelihoods.

Air Quality

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2012, air pollution led to around 7 million premature deaths (one out of eight total global deaths), more than double previous estimates. It is the leading cause of environmentally related deaths.

Air quality is deteriorating in most cities where there are sufficient data to make comparisons with previous years. The WHO guideline for average annual fine particulate matter is 25 microgrammes per cubic metre. Cities in low- and middle-income countries far exceed this level. For example, in Kathmandu, Nepal, particulate matter (PM2.5) levels of over 500 microgrammes per cubic metre have been measured.

The cost of air pollution to the world's most advanced economies, plus India and China, is estimated at US$3.5 trillion per year in lives lost and ill health. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the monetary impact of death and illness due to outdoor air pollution is estimated to have been US$1.7 trillion in 2010. Research suggests that motorized on-road transport accounts for about 50 per cent of that amount.

In light of the high costs related to the health and environmental effects of air pollution, all countries should invest in clean air policies, the report says.

Daily global air quality indices are available on UNEP Live: http://uneplive.unep.org/theme/index/2#

Citizen Science

Citizen science, research conducted in whole or part by the public, can go beyond simple data collection to help shape fundamental questions about our world and provide intriguing answers, the report finds. It has grown in the past decade, due in part to the Internet, social media, and other technologies. Opportunities to volunteer to take part in scientific research have exploded, from analyzing cancer data to theoretical physics.

Indigenous groups can make important contributions through citizen science, including the use of traditional knowledge, to help protect resources and influence environmental policies. Data and other information generated through citizen science projects have been shown to be reliable and accurate. However, there are barriers to realizing the full potential of citizen science, which can be overcome by:

Better coordination among scientists and project developers to make use of and collaborate with established and proven projects, in order to reduce the redundancy of projects.
Stronger recognition of data from citizen science by scientific communities.
Global coordination to aggregate and analyze data generated by citizen science, which would help reveal valuable information that might be useful for policymakers.
Additional information

The UNEP Year Book 2014 is published in the form of an App and can be downloaded here: www.unep.org/yearbook/2014 and uneplive.unep.org/global

Valuing plastic: the business case for measuring, managing and disclosing plastic use in the consumer goods industry can be downloaded here: http://www.unep.org/pdf/ValuingPlastic/ The report will be discussed by Richard Mattison, CEO of Trucost, at the Plasticity Forum conference in New York on 24 June 2014. Information is available here: www.plasticityforum.com

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UN: World's forests fundamental to human well-being

Mark Kinver BBC News 23 Jun 14;

A senior UN official has described the world's forests as "fundamental" to human well-being and survival.

Eva Mueller, director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Forestry Division, said trees provided a direct source of food, fuel and income.

Commenting on the findings of the UN's State of the World's Forest report, she added forests habitats were home to an estimated 80% of global biodiversity.

The report has been published at a UN forestry meeting in Rome, Italy.

She added: "Food from the forests - like fruit, nuts, mushrooms, leaves, roots, insects and wild animals - often contributes a nutritious supplement to rural people and provides a safety net in times of hardship.

"Forests, trees, farms and agroforestry systems contribute to food security, nutrition and livelihoods in several ways including as a direct source of food, fuel, employment and income," Ms Mueller explained.

"They are fundamental to the survival of forest dwellers, including indigenous people.

The report, which was published at the start of the UN's World Forest Week, said that it was time for the sector to shift its focus from "trees to people".

Knowledge gap

It stated: "State of the World's Forests (SOFO) 2014 argues that this will enable the development of the socioeconomic benefits from forests to meet the growing demands of society, while maintaining the integrity of the forest resource base.

"Across the world, forests, trees on farms, and agroforestry systems play a crucial role in the livelihoods of rural people by providing employment, energy, nutritious foods and a wide range of other goods and ecosystem services.

"They have tremendous potential to contribute to sustainable development and to a greener economy. Yet, clear evidence of this has been lacking."

In the findings, the report's authors said income from the formal forestry sector accounted for about 0.9% of the global economy. However, the informal income (from woodfuel, construction materials, food etc) took forests' contributions to about 1.1% of the global economy.

In employment terms, the formal sector provided 13.2 million jobs, while an estimated 41 million livelihoods were dependent on the informal sector.

The report also outlined the importance of forests' contribution to food and nutrition security. In 2011, it observed, about 10.9kg of edible non-wood forest products (NWFP) were consumed per capita globally.

As a fuel, it estimated that one-in-three of the world's population depended on woodfuel for cooking, while 764 million people used woodfuel for boiling drinking water.

Ms Mueller added forests also played an important role indirectly in people's well-being.

"Forests are important providers of ecosystem services," she said. " For example, they help to deliver clean water by protecting water sheds and water courses.

"For most of the year, herders in arid and semi-arid lands depend on trees as a source of fodder for their livestock.

"As habitat for an estimated 80% of the world's biodiversity, forests provide genetic material important for crop and animal improvement, and are home to many pollinator species."

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Environment, economy linked at new UN assembly

Associated Press By JASON STRAZIUSO Yahoo News 23 Jun 14;
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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The first-ever United Nations Environmental Assembly opened in Kenya on Monday, as more than 150 high-level delegations began a weeklong examination of the intersection between global economic progress and the environment.

The environment is no longer a niche topic backed by a passionate minority, Achim Steiner, the head of the U.N. Environmental Program told The Associated Press, but is clearly linked to economic and societal issues.

The changing environment — including climate change, pollution, land degradation and access to water— shows that the world's economy needs to be reinvented or progress will suffer, Steiner said. The U.N. recently upgraded UNEP's standing and the weeklong assembly is the highest-level U.N. body ever convened on the environment.

"Wherever you live on the planet these phenomena are going to change the lives and economies of people, whether it's in Ohio, somewhere in Siberia or western China," Steiner said.

Sanjaasuren Oyun, minister of environment and green development in Mongolia, told the opening session that a shift toward more environmentally sound policies is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Oyun on Monday was elected the president of the newly constituted U.N. Environmental Assembly.

The conference will discuss ways to increase the progress of what is known as the green economy, including alternative energies, smart grids and new transportation options. Delegates will also look at the illegal wildlife trade, including rhino and elephant poaching. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend later in the week.

UNEP, Steiner said, argues that the world is on the verge of a technology revolution that in the coming decades will allow humans to tap into endless sources of energy. That will fundamentally change a continent like Africa, where 70 percent of residents today don't have access to electricity.

Put another way, he said, the globe will see another block of people the size of China demanding access to energy. Already, Steiner said, air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths a year, four times the combined number of deaths from AIDS and diarrhea, a huge killer in Africa.

"A healthy environment is about healthy people," Steiner said. "What we are doing is helping people understand how people will live better and longer and how their children will have a world that is not so polluted that the quality of their lives will be compromised."

World leaders recognize that global environmental cooperation must be achieved, Steiner said.

U.S. President Barack Obama this month proposed new rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants by up to 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The proposal has been well received in Africa, which is seen as being highly vulnerable to changing climate patterns, changes African leaders blame on the West.

Obama's announcement sent a strong signal that the U.S. will undergo a sustained and serious effort to bring down its carbon footprint, Steiner said. Climate change is a dramatic driver of a rethinking of global economies, he said.

"At the beginning of the 21st century the environment and natural resources are perhaps more critical than ever before in allowing our economies to advance," Steiner said.

If economic penalties such as carbon taxes are not adjusted and the world continues to see the environment as an expendable commodity for national development, "we are facing an increasing dramatic set of scenarios where tipping points kick in and we reach a point of no return," Steiner said.

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Highest Global Temps on Record for Month of May

Becky Oskin LiveScience.com Yahoo News 23 Jun 14;

Last month was the warmest May ever measured on Earth in 134 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today (June 23).

The record warmth comes from a combination of global warming and a natural climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean called El Niño, scientists think.

Several regions around the world suffered record heat in May, while a few were colder than average, but NOAA looks at the planet's overall temperature to gauge global trends. The average combined land and ocean surface temperatures in May were 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit (0.74 degrees Celsius) higher than the 20th-century average of 58.6 F (14.8 C), NOAA said in a statement. The last time May temperatures dipped below the 58.6 F average was in 1976, according to NOAA. The last below-average month was in 1985.

May's toasty temperatures were boosted by record-setting surface heat in the tropical Pacific Ocean, NOAA said. The global sea surface temperatures during May jumped 1.06 F (0.59 C) above the 61.3 F (16.3 C) average, also a new May record. [Video: Watch 60 Years of Rising Temperatures]

This Pacific Ocean warmth is a feature of the vast El Niño climate event developing in this region. During an El Niño year, typical Pacific weather patterns reverse, with bathlike warm water replacing cold currents in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

This huge swath of warm water strongly points to an El Niño, a periodic climate swing that can shift global weather patterns, such as rainfall and drought. However, forecasters still haven't officially declared the "child" has arrived, because atmospheric signals still lag behind the ocean temperatures. The chances for an El Niño fully developing are now at 80 percent by fall, NOAA said.

Whether El Niño arrives sooner or later, as the Pacific's oceanic heat wave continues to pump warmth and moisture into the atmosphere, global temperatures will likely continue to rise this year, scientists think. The warmest years in the past decade featured El Niños, and the previous record for warm ocean temperatures in May was set in 1998, another El Niño year.

May's record warmth continues a long-term trend, NOAA said. The last 351 months have been warmer than average, and much of the planet was unusually hot in recent months. Here are some highlights from the NOAA report:

Australia saw its third warmest May on record, with record highs set in South Australia.
South Korea sweltered through its warmest May since record-keeping started.
Alaska had its sixth-warmest May since 1918.
Scotland had its warmest spring on record.
Norway also welcomed its warmest spring since 1900, and one of the wettest.

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Best of our wild blogs: 23 Jun 14

crab-eating snake & dinner @ pasir ris mangrove - June 2014
from sgbeachbum

Any sponge at Changi rocky shore?
from wonderful creation

Lornie Trail in a Late Afternoon
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Common Bluebottle @ Sungei Buloh
from Monday Morgue

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'Federal Govt to deal with Singapore’s concerns' about reclamation in Johor Strait

BEN TAN New Straits Times 23 Jun 14;

JOHOR BARU: THE Johor government is preparing information about the state’s coastal land reclamation projects for property development at the request of the Federal Government.

This follows Singapore’s request to the government for more information on coastal projects in the Straits of Johor. Singapore fears the projects may cause trans-boundary issues.

A source has confirmed that the state government is aware of the request by Putrajaya to furnish details on the projects.

“We have received a formal request from the Federal Government and we are compiling information,” the source told the New Straits Times yesterday.

However, he did not reveal details of the request, only saying that the information was related to several coastal land reclamation projects.

The source said the information would take time to compile as it involved several state agencies, including the Iskandar Regional Development Authority.

Coastal land reclamation falls under the jurisdiction of the state government if a project is not more than 50m from the original shoreline. Beyond that, it will be under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction.

On Saturday, Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement said it was concerned about any possible transboundary impact from the property development projects in Johor that involved reclamation works in the Straits of Johor.

“There are also international obligations for both Malaysia and Singapore authorities to work closely on such matters,” the statement said.

The statement said the Singapore government had asked Malaysian authorities to provide more information so that the former could undertake a study on the impact of the reclamation works.

“They have agreed to do so and we hope to receive the information soon,” the statement said.

It was learnt that the Singapore government had sent several diplomatic notes to Wisma Putra in the last three months regarding the issue.

The latest diplomatic note was sent just after the Johor State Assembly two weeks ago.

However, it was understood that the diplomatic notes were merely formal government-to-government initiatives for information and not diplomatic protest notes.

The source said this was only a formal request through diplomatic channels and that the Singapore government would also follow up via other platforms.

“Among them is the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) which is tasked with cooperating to protect the environment, including the monitoring of water quality to protect the marine and estuarine environment and monitoring ecology in the Straits of Johor to address any adverse impacts.

“Such a request does not indicate a souring of ties between the two countries and we will do our best to protect Malaysia’s interest,” said the source.

However, he said the state government would leave it to the Federal Government, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, to deal with Singapore as it involved bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, Public Accounts Committee chairman and Pulai member of parliament Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said such matters were nothing new as Singapore had also developed their shoreline on a land reclamation project in Punggol near the Tebrau Straits, which saw ties strained back in 2002.

“Johor folks complained about the issue as they claimed it narrowed the straits in front of Pasir Putih and the Tanjung Langsat.

“The matter was then brought up by Malaysia at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, arguing for the project to be stopped as it may harm the environment.

“In the end, Singapore won the case and went ahead with the land reclamation,” said Nur Jazlan, whose constituency also has a major land reclamation project.

Forest City project alarms Singapore
The Star 23 Jun 14;

PETALING JAYA: The Singapore government has confirmed that it is perturbed over Johor’s Forest City project involving massive land reclamation that could affect the island state.

“Given Johor’s close proximity to Singapore, we are naturally concerned about any possible transboundary impact on Singapore from property development projects that involve reclamation work in the Straits of Johor,” a Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said in a statement.

The spokesman said there were international obligations for both Malaysia and Singapore authorities to work closely on such matters.

The Republic was responding to media queries following Saturday’s front-page story in The Star on the republic’s concern over the pro-ject.

The report highlighted that the 2,000ha project – which will be bigger than Pangkor Island and will take three decades to complete – had raised eyebrows across the causeway.

“We have asked the Malaysian authorities to provide more information so that we can undertake a study as soon as possible on the impacts of these reclamation work on Singapore and the Straits.

“They have agreed to do so and we hope to receive the information soon,” he added.

The Star had reported that Singa-pore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had written to his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak about the project.

This is in addition to two diplomatic notes which were sent to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry last month.

The first was a request for Malaysia to provide all relevant information, including an environment impact assessment report and the completion date for the project.

Subsequently, Singapore sought clarification after Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin assured the state assembly that the reclamation work would not affect the environment.

Singapore reportedly started voicing its concern after an article appeared in The Star in March on the project by China’s Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd and Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

Johor reclamation works begin despite concerns
The Straits Times AsiaOne 26 Jun 14;

KUALA LUMPUR - Two massive reclamation projects are under way in the Johor Strait despite the lack of environmental assessment reports and a move by Singapore asking about the impact of the development.

According to a report by news website The Malaysian Insider yesterday, the reclamation has also raised concerns over how it will affect the livelihoods of fishermen, as well as ships using the nearby Port of Tanjung Pelepas.

One of the projects is a 2,000ha man-made island - nearly three times the size of Ang Mo Kio estate - that will feature luxury homes and will be completed in 30 years' time.

The works are being carried out by China property developer Country Garden Holdings and Johor state company Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

According to previous media reports, the project, called Forest City, is backed by Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar.

Previous maps used by the Malaysian media showed a rectangular piece of reclaimed land, part of it lying under the Second Link, the bridge joining Tuas to Gelang Patah in Johor.

But The Malaysian Insider yesterday published a map that showed a much bigger island on the Malaysian side of the border in the strait.

Another massive reclamation, also reported by the Insider, is a 1,410ha island by Kuala Lumpur-listed company Benalec Holdings.

On its website, the company named the project as the Tanjung Piai Maritime Industrial Park, and said the island would be turned into a petroleum and petrochemical hub.

According to the Insider, this project is backed by Johor's Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Idris Sultan Ibrahim.

All reclamation in Malaysia with land areas of 50 acres (20.2ha) or more need to have environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies submitted. Only when the EIA report has been approved by the government can the project go ahead.

But the promoters of Forest City had proposed breaking up the man-made island into smaller parcels so that environmental assessment studies would not have to be submitted, the Edge Review online magazine reported last month.

Johor's director of the Department of Environment, Mr Mokhtar Abdul Majid, said yesterday that the Forest City project does not need an EIA report as the land area measures 49 acres.

Reclamation work began in early March and is expected to be completed within eight months, Mr Mokhtar was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

Singapore had over the weekend expressed concern to Malaysia over the reclamation works in the Johor Strait.

Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that Singapore had asked for more information so it could study the possible impact on the Republic and the strait.

"They have agreed to do so and we hope to receive the information soon," a spokesman said.

"Given Johor's close proximity to Singapore, we are naturally concerned about any possible transboundary impact on Singapore from property development projects that involve reclamation works in the Strait of Johor."

The MFA added: "There are also international obligations for both the Malaysian and Singapore authorities to work closely on such matters."

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6 expensive-breed rabbits found near Bishan Park

Tan Tam Mei The New Paper 23 Jun 14;

Many kinds of wildlife can be found in Bishan Park, but you would not expect to find rabbits roaming there.

Mr Andrew Chua, 27, was crossing an overhead bridge towards Bishan Park to walk his dog at about 11pm last Friday when he spotted what he thought was a cat.

"When I got closer, I realised it was a rabbit. It hopped to the side of the pathway and when I peered over the fence, I saw another three or four rabbits on the grass," recounted the corporate executive.

He contacted his cousin, Mr Roy Wu, 30, a site coordinator, who went to the park to help him catch the rabbits.

Mr Chua recounted: "It was my first time coming across domesticated animals being discarded like this. I was worried for the rabbits."

He suspects that the animals were abandoned that very night as he did not come across any rabbits when he walked his dog on the same route the night before.

Armed with just a torchlight and a pet carrier, Mr Chua and Mr Wu spent about 45 minutes among a large patch of ferns at Bishan Park II near Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 trying to find the rabbits.

They only managed to catch three rabbits because it was too dark to catch the rest, which had wandered inside the vegetation.

MORE RABBITS CAUGHT

They contacted private rabbit rescue group Bunny Wonderland that night. The pair returned to the same area the next day with a few members of the group and caught three more rabbits.

Bunny Wonderland representative Lynne Tan, 31, said: "We usually see about two abandonment cases a month, but the number of rabbits abandoned each time varies. The most we rescued at one go was 40, after a pet shop closed down.

"We have found rabbits in all sorts of places, such as trash bins or in boxes left beside rubbish chutes and in community centres."

The exact number of rabbits abandoned is unknown, but the group suspects that apart from the six found, there might be at least one more.

They speculate that the culprit who abandoned the rabbits could be a breeder trying to get rid of unwanted stock because two of the six found were pregnant.

Those rescued are all pure breed lionhead rabbits, which are quite expensive at up to $900 each at local pet shops, said Ms Tan.

Two out of six of the rabbits have been adopted, and the rest are either recovering or have been put in foster homes for the time being.

Rabbit welfare group House Rabbit Society Singapore said it sees about two to three cases of rabbits being abandoned or given away each week.

"After the school holidays and before Chinese New Year, we can easily see about one to three cases daily. And it's not just one rabbit per case, sometimes you get multiple rabbits," said its president, Ms Betty Tan, 29.

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Malaysia haze: Port Klang records unhealthy API readings

HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM The Star 23 Jun 14;

PETALING JAYA: Unhealthy levels of air pollution were recorded in Port Klang while other areas in the country recorded moderate and good readings.

According to the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index (API) reading, Port Klang recorded a reading of 102 at 9am yesterday and gradually increased to 107 as of 4pm.

Malaysian Meteorological Depart­ment spokesman Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said this was likely due to the weakening wind conditions, which might have caused the haze to remain stagnant.

“The dry weather has caused the dust and smoke to be suspended in the air. Strong wind for the past couple of weeks has dispersed them but the wind flow was probably weak yesterday,” said Hisham when contacted.

Apart from Port Klang, Kampung Air Putih in Taiping and Seri Manjung in Perak recorded moderate readings of 98 and 95 respectively while Shah Alam recorded a reading of 97 as of 4pm.

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.

Hisham said the haze condition is likely due to local pollution from activities such as smoke emitted from factories and vehicles, as well as lesser rainfall.

Hisham said no rainfall is expected until next week, except for local isolated rain in the inland areas.

‘Good’ API readings
New Straits Times 23 Jun 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the haze, most areas nationwide recorded “good” Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with the exception of Port Klang.

In Port Klang, the API as of 11am was an “unhealthy” 104.

Meanwhile, good and moderate readings were seen in other areas in Klang Valley and nationwide.

Meteorological Department commercial and corporate services division director Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the haze was because of local pollution and low rainfall, which contributed to a thin layer of haze occurring in certain areas.

“The haze is likely because of local activities, such as smoke emitted from factories, vehicles and air-borne dust.

“The situation is still under control and is not too serious at present. The wind has been quite strong, greater than 10 knots per hour for the past couple of weeks since the dry spell began early this month,” said Hisham.

He said the strong wind helped disperse the haze, but warned if the wind weakened, the haze became stagnant.

“However, the bad haze we experienced yesterday morning was because of slower wind speeds. The situation gradually improved as the wind speed picked up.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and measures will be taken if API readings continue recording unhealthy conditions after 72 hours.”

He said the nation would not be expecting rainfall until next week, except for isolated showers in inland areas because of the southwest monsoon season.

Meanwhile, the department is monitoring the El Nino phenomenon by getting information from international research centres, such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Centre and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

“Any developments will be announced to the authorities for further action,” said Hisham.

“Malaysia would be experiencing less rainfall during the southwest monsoon.

“During this season, we will experience a low rainfall of between 75mm and 150mm this month in the peninsula, which is 20-40 per cent lower than normal.”

The southwest monsoon season, which began late May, will continue till early September.

Johor water levels stable, except for Mersing
CHUAH BEE KIM New Straits Times 22 Jun 14;

JOHOR BARU: The water levels at all the dams and water intake areas in Johor have been stable despite the El-Nino weather phenomenon.

However, the Congok dam in Mersing is still at critical levels for the past two months.

Johor water utility company SAJ Holdings Bhd (SAJ) corporate communications chief Jamaluddin Jamil said that this was because the Congok dam was located close to the sea and the absence of rain there has contributed to the low water level.

"As a temporary measure, SAJ Holdings is sourcing water from Sungai Mersing for the local residents in teh affected areas," he said when contacted today.

The 5,000-odd residents there have been under the scheduled water supply for the last two months, and the exercise will only be lifted after the water level improves.

Jamaluddin said SAJ would only initiate its Water Emergency Response Plan when it is crucial.

"As for now, there has been no sudden dips in the water levels as most are stable," he said.

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Australia: Ningaloo Reef escapes relatively unscathed from once-in-a-century flooding event, research shows

Ebonnie Spriggs ABC News 23 Jun 14;

Ningaloo Reef, off Western Australia's Pilbara coast, appears to have escaped relatively unscathed from the impacts of recent flooding, described as a once-in-a-century event.

There had been concerns the reef might be hit by coral bleaching after the floods in April reached Exmouth's major tourism drawcard, when tonnes of silt and sediment, and fresh water washed into the sea.

But the Department of Parks and Wildlife's (DPAW) Arvid Hogstrom says initial research - conducted in collaboration with the CSIRO - has revealed little to no short-term damage.

"There was an expectation that due to the freshwater influx from the flooding event that some of that coral may have suffered coral bleaching as a result and died off," he said.

"But we were very pleased to hear the level of impact from that freshwater event was minimal, and the level of coral bleaching was virtually nil immediately following that flood event.

"The other thing they looked at was direct smothering of corals as a result of all that sediment and silt coming out.

"There was some localised impacts where some corals had been covered by sand and silt and branches and other debris but the level of impact was very small, smaller than we expected so, all in all, we were very happy with that initial outcome."

Just days after the floods, Mr Hogstrom described the waters of the Ningaloo Reef as mud-stained.

He said the waters have since returned to their famous turquoise colour.

"It's actually remarkably good, the water is crystal clear again," he said.

"The lagoons are their magnificent turquoise blue that catches everybody's eye as they drive into the World Heritage area, so it really looks as good as it has ever looked.

"Apart from some sort of immediate changes along the coastline where there are some new alluvial fans and silt fans, the park - both the terrestrial and marine side of it - looks as good as it has ever looked."

Checking mangrove sites and coastline changes

Mr Hogstrom said his understanding is the impacts of flooding should be noticeable very soon after the event.

"The fresh water can kill them [coral] off quite quickly and you will see some rapid changes so we are actually quite confident that there shouldn't be any longer term impacts than what we have already seen," he said.

"But because it's such an unusual event, and potentially a one in 50 to 100 year event, we just want to do the long-term monitoring to make sure we're not missing something."

DPAW will continue to monitor the coral, dune system, mangroves and seagrass.

"What we will be doing now is setting up some longer term monitoring of various sites to make sure the initial results we have seen aren't short term only and there's no long-term impacts of the silt that was in the water or the freshwater that was in the saltwater lagoon systems," Mr Hogstrom said.

"At this stage the mangroves and seagrass are all looking quite good.

"There is a bit of sediment and silt that has been deposited amongst the base of the mangroves, but there doesn't appear to be any die-offs of mangroves at this point in time.

"We are quite confident that it will return to its natural state, but we will be keeping an eye on it."

"We will [also] be assessing percentage coral cover and seeing whether there has been any reduction as a result of this flooding event.

"The other thing we are very interested in looking at is actually an assessment of the coastline itself, so the dune systems and the beaches because obviously there was significant erosion as a result of the flooding.

"We will be looking at those erosion areas to see whether they are returning to the way they were pre-floods or whether they are actually a permanent change and basically the whole coastline may have changed."

Mr Hogstrom says the CSIRO has long-term monitoring sites along the Pilbara coastline, which fortunately include Ningaloo.

"What it allows them to do and [to] pass ... onto us is compare the current state of it following the floods to what it was like beforehand," he said.

"Also they will be able to compare it over the next few years as things change."

Reef resilient to extreme events

Mr Hogstrom says Ningaloo Reef has proven it can cope with these extreme events.

"It's not a man-made event and I guess it is used to it albeit it may only happen only once every 100 years or so but the reef is resilient and seems to have bounced back quite quickly," he said.

A number of camp sites at the Cape Range National Park were shut down as a result of flooding, but the park itself is re-opened.

"Apart from four or five camp sites which we have closed down as a result of the flooding, the rest of the park is open," Mr Hogstrom said.

"All the key areas are all back open to the public and we have got about 125 sites out of about 140 camp sites re-opened to the public so there's plenty of camping available.

"The countryside is looking magnificent, some of the best vegetation, spinifex growth and seeding that I have seen for many many years so I think it'll be a fantastic wildflower season as well."

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U.N. enlists legal help to crack down on environmental crime

Alister Doyle Reuters Yahoo News 22 Jun 14;

OSLO (Reuters) - The United Nations will seek ways to toughen environmental laws this week to crack down on everything from illegal trade in wildlife to mercury poisoning and hazardous waste.

The U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA), a new forum of all nations including environment ministers, business leaders and civil society, will meet in Nairobi from June 23-27 to work on ways to promote greener economic growth.

That drive includes giving environmental laws more teeth.

"We often have environmental legislation that is well intentioned but is not effective," Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Programme which will host the talks, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Many countries sign up for environmental treaties but are often slow to ratify and fail to enforce them in domestic laws, on issues ranging from protecting animals and plants from extinction to outlawing dangerous chemicals or regulating hazardous waste.

"Simply signing a commitment is one step, putting the finance, the technology, the laws in place are critical ingredients," he said.

The Nairobi talks will include a meeting of chief justices, attorneys general and other legal experts. They will seek ways to improve cooperation, speed up ratification of treaties and try to find models for domestic legislation.

"Illegal activities harming the environment are fast evolving and growing in sophistication," UNEP said in a statement. There was insufficient international coordination to catch crime gangs, from illegal fishing to loggers.

PITFALLS

Carroll Muffett, president of the Center for International Environmental Law in Washington, said "there are numerous pitfalls" for environmental treaties.

One big drawback is that developed nations often fail to provide promised finance to help poor nations fight everything from toxic waste to illegal logging, he said.

"Our experience has shown again and again that this financial support never comes through," he said.

And treaties face big hurdles even after they are negotiated. Last year, for instance, nations agreed a new convention to limit mercury, a heavy metal that can damage the human nervous system and cause liver damage and memory loss.

So far the United States is the only nation to have ratified the pact, which needs 50 ratifications to enter into force.

About 100 other nations including China and most industrialised states have signed - a declaration of intent to formally ratify the pact. "We anticipate to have the minimum 50 ratifications in two and a half years," Steiner said. "That would be a very fast process."

Successes have included conventions such as the 1987 Montreal Protocol for protecting the ozone layer. Others have struggled, such as the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for curbing greenhouse gas emissions which only entered into force in 2005.

The United Nations will also issue a report on ways to crack down on wildlife crime. Steiner said there was an "enormous increase" in illicit trade, from ivory to timber, with increased links to international crime syndicates and drug cartels.

The UNEA, a forum agreed at an Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, marks a shift from a former system in which only 58 nations met yearly to discuss environmental problems.

"It is a watershed," Steiner said.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Sophie Hares)

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