One in five of world's plant species at risk of extinction

Global report highlights threat to food security and medicine supplies but also reveals 2,000 new species are discovered each year
Damian Carrington The Guardian 10 May 16;

One in five of the world’s plant species is threatened with extinction, according to the first global assessment of flora, putting supplies of food and medicines at risk.

But the report also found that 2,000 new species of plant are discovered every year, raising hopes of new sources of food that are resilient to disease and climate change. New finds in 2015 included a giant insect-eating plant first spotted on Facebook and a 100-tonne tree hidden in an African forest.

The State of the World’s Plants report, by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, reveals that there are currently 390,000 species of known plants, with more than 30,000 used by people. However, more than 5,000 species have invaded foreign countries and are causing billions of dollars of damage every year.

“Plants are absolutely fundamental to humankind,” said Prof Kathy Willis, director of science at Kew, who led the new report. “Plants provide us with everything - food, fuel, medicines, timber and they are incredibly important for our climate regulation. Without plants we would not be here. We are facing some devastating realities if we do not take stock and re-examine our priorities and efforts.”

The report is the first of what will be an annual benchmark analysis to set out what is known - and not known - about plants and highlight critical issues and how they can be tackled. “I am reasonably optimistic,” said Willis. “Once you know [about a problem], you can do something about it. The biggest problem is not knowing.”

The biggest factors threatening plant species with extinction are the destruction of habitats for farming (31%) - such as palm oil production and cattle ranching, deforestation for timber (21%) and construction of buildings and infrastructure (13%).

Climate change is currently a smaller factor - 4% - but is likely to grow. “I suspect we won’t actually see the full impact until 30 years down the line as it takes so long for plants, especially trees, to produce their offspring,” said Willis. One important crop that is already suffering is coffee, as rising temperatures make the beans impossible to grow and increase diseases in key countries such as Ethiopia.

But the rate of new discoveries is a positive development, Willis said. “I find that really encouraging and exciting. We are still finding new species of trees, new species of food: five new species of onion were found last year, for example.” Scientists at Kew alone identify 200-300 new species a year.

“There are huge areas of the world where we just don’t know what is growing there,” said Willis. “They may hold the key to the future of food. Genetic diversity in our foods is becoming poorer and poorer.”

Many important crops have been bred over thousands of years to produce high yields, but have lost genes that help fight pests and cope with changes in climate. Bananas, sorghum and aubergines are among those with very little genetic diversity, making them highly vulnerable to new threats. Finding wild relatives of such crops means new, more robust varieties can be bred.

“Now, with the global challenges [of] population size, land-use change, plant diseases and pests, there is an increasing urgency to find and conserve crop wild relatives,” said the report. “Having access to this large and diverse genetic pool is essential if we are to furnish crops with the valuable traits that enable resilience to climate change, pests and diseases, and ultimately underpin global food security.”

Among the 2,000 new plants discovered in 2015 was an insect-eating sundew (Drosera magnifica) which grows to 1.5 metres, far bigger than most sundews. It is known to grow only on a mountain in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and was first discovered on Facebook, when a sundew specialist was reviewing photos taken years earlier by an orchid hunter.

Another new discovery was a 45m tree, Gilbertiodendron maximum, weighing more than 100 tonnes, which is known only in the rainforest in Gabon and is critically endangered. Five new custard apples and ylang-ylang relatives were also found along with a new species of sweet potato.

The importance of plants for the development of new medicines was revealed in the report, which found that 57% of the 31,000 species with known uses were those from which drugs were derived. More than 5,500 are human foods, while there are 2,500 poisons and 1,400 with “social uses”, such as tobacco and cannabis.

However, when plants are transplanted into alien environments they can cause great damage and become invasive. “The costs of invasive species have been estimated at nearly 5% of the world economy and their impact on the UK economy alone is approximately £1.7bn every year,” said the report.

The highly invasive Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), introduced as an ornamental plant to Britain in the mid-19th century, costs the nation more than £165m a year to control. Like many invasive species, it is difficult to eradicate because it can survive even when cut back. “They are quite happy to survive underground and then sprout out the moment you turn your back,” said Willis.

The illegal trade in threatened plants is also a problem, the report found. At Heathrow, one of the the world’s busiest airports, officers made at least one seizure every day on average, with 42% of the finds being orchids.

Although plants are the foundation of most life on Earth, Willis said they were easy to take for granted: “They are not cute ... and we teach [children about] plants in a really boring way.”

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MHA to review definition of ‘animals’ in traffic law

ASYRAF KAMIL Today Online 10 May 16;

SINGAPORE — After previously rejecting calls to widen the definition of “animals” under the Road Traffic Act — to make it a crime for motorists who do not stop and help animals such as cats and monkeys after hitting them — Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee said yesterday that the authorities would be reviewing the law.

He revealed this in response to a parliamentary question from Member of Parliament Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC), who had asked whether the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would consider bringing the definition of animals under the Road Traffic Act in line with that of the Animals and Birds Act, to ensure the alignment of legislation.

In response, Mr Lee said the definitions are scoped differently, and the primary intent of the Road Traffic Act is to “ensure the safety of road users, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians”.

He added: “The specific provision in the Road Traffic Act relating to animals has been confined to farm animals of commercial value. The original intent of the legislation was to ensure restitution to their owners should an accident occur.”

Nonetheless, Mr Lee said the MHA “intends to review the definition of “animals” in the Road Traffic Act, and also consider any amendment in the context of road safety, especially the safety of the motorist and other road users.

Right now, it is an offence if a motorist knocks down a dog, horse, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or cattle, and he or she does not stop to help.

This is punishable with a S$3,000 fine or a jail term of up to a year. But the Road Traffic Act does not spell out what happens in cases involving other animals such as cats, monkeys, birds and rabbits.

Two years ago, the police rejected calls to penalise motorists who negligently run over any kind of animals, citing the concern that it was not always safe for a motorist to stop his or her vehicle after hitting an animal, such as on expressways.

In response to queries yesterday, the MHA said details would be announced when the review was complete. “It is premature at this juncture to comment on the animals that may be included,” a spokesperson said.

Animal welfare groups welcomed news of the review.

Action for Singapore Dogs president Ricky Yeo said it was time for such grey areas in statutes to be cleared up, and “finally have inroads into getting more defined boundaries for animal welfare”.

The group regularly receives calls about such cases, and “people get away scot-free”.

“People will be more aware and conscious of their actions and their liabilities and responsibility (if changes are implemented). It’s a good step moving forward,” he said.

Noting that safety remains a top priority, Mr Tan En, director of advocacy at Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), said that “motorists should render assistance … when it is reasonable and safe”.

“Acres has never been an organisation that puts animals first before human (safety),” he said.

“What the Government is going to include in this particular legislation is something we will work (on) closely with Louis (founder of Acres), who will work closely with MHA to see what we can do to increase the welfare of animals in Singapore.”

Dr Jaipal Singh Gill, acting executive director at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), acknowledged that there would be challenges in enforcement even if the definition of animals was expanded, but it was “doable”.

“There are a lot of organisations like the SPCA that provide a lot of assistance to the authorities in cases like these ... by helping to gather evidence, speaking to witnesses and putting forward a case to the authorities.

“If we work together on cases like these, we will reduce the demand on the services of the (authorities),” he said.


What's an animal? Road Traffic Act to be reviewed to dispel doubts
Under current rules, motorists are only required to stop and help when they hit animals listed in the Act — such as a dog, horse, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or cattle - but not others, including cats and wild boars.
Linette Lim Channel NewsAsia 9 May 16;

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) intends to review the definition of animals in the Road Traffic Act, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee in Parliament on Monday (May 9).

This means that it may be mandatory for motorists to stop should they hit any animal. Under current rules, motorists are only required to stop and help when they hit animals listed in the Act — such as a dog, horse, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or cattle. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to S$3,000 or a jail term of up to a year.

The Act is silent on other animals, including cats, monkeys, birds, rabbits, and wild boars.

An accident involving this wild boar caused a massive traffic jam on the Seletar Expressway on Apr 21.

Mr Lee was responding to a question by MP Louis Ng, who had asked if MHA will consider updating and aligning the definition of "animals" in the Road Traffic Act with the definition in the Animals and Birds Act.

The original intent of the provision in the Road Traffic Act was targeted at farm animals of commercial value, to ensure restitution to their owners should an accident occur, Mr Lee explained.

On the other hand, the definition of animals laid out under the Animals and Birds Act was intended to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases through animals; control the movement of animals; prevent cruelty to animals; and safeguard the general welfare of animals in Singapore, he said.

Mr Lee also told Parliament that the review will also “consider any amendment in the context of road safety, especially the safety of the motorists and other road users”.

“The question is whether we should now make it mandatory all motorists to stop should they hit an animal. The primary requirement must be safety,” said Mr Lee.

“They should stop if it is safe to do so. If the motorist requires assistance in relation to attending to the animal, he can contact the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, or AVA, or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or SPCA.”

- CNA/ll

Cheers for move to keep wildlife from becoming roadkill
Jessie Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 May 16;

Wildlife experts and animal welfare groups have applauded proposed changes that will give more creatures in the animal kingdom protection on Singapore's roads.

The proposed changes to the Road Traffic Act, made in Parliament on Monday, will widen a 53-year-old definition of "animals" - from mainly farm creatures to include cats and wildlife.

Currently, the Act requires only motorists who run over "horses, cattle, a**, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dogs" to stop to help them, or risk being jailed for up to a year or fined up to $3,000. With hundreds of animals, including rare species, ending up as roadkill here each year, animal welfare groups have lobbied for the law to be changed.

"Wild animals in Singapore will continue to explore new habitats," said Ms Anbarasi Boopal, deputy chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres). "We should take this into consideration as we embark on new developments and make necessary policy amendments."

She added: "While the habitats of critically endangered species like the Sunda pangolin are protected here, their major threat is becoming roadkill."

The National Environment Agency had 2,258 pieces of feedback last year on dead animals sighted, whether killed on the roads or otherwise. This is up from 2,198 in 2014.

Animals run over by drivers in recent times include the plantain squirrel, long-tailed macaque, wild pig and deer. On May 8, an otter was almost knocked down in East Coast Park Service Road.

"If you hit an animal, it should be common sense to stop and see if it is alive," said Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng, who is also Acres' chief executive. He said animals left to die often face a slow and painful death, while those that are rescued have the potential to recover.

Mr Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, said the amended law can encourage drivers to be more alert, but added: "It is inevitable that some drivers will find it inconvenient to stop."

Motorists interviewed admitted that they were previously unaware of the Road Traffic Act's section on animals, or the proposed changes.

Housewife Alice Loo Lay See, 54, said: "The proposed modifications are good, but I think it should be applied to only some animals. I would probably not stop for a rat."

Engineer Ho Pwee Kim, 59, added: "On the highway it may be dangerous to stop."

Dr Shawn Lum, president of Nature Society (Singapore), said that while it was "a good idea to review aspects of the law", the changes should be practical.

Dr Lum suggested potential measures to complement the Road Traffic Act, including reducing speed limits for vehicles near nature reserves and identifying potential hot spots for collisions with wildlife.

Ms Mary-Ruth Low, a research assistant studying the spatial ecology of reptiles at the National University of Singapore, believes an amended definition of "animal" will have a significant impact on mindsets.

"Some people think of snakes as pests, not wildlife. They forget that these animals are part of the nature reserve."

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Best of our wild blogs: 9 May 16

Marine deaths in the Johor Straits (Mar - May 2016)
wild shores of singapore

30m net removed from Kusu Island (8 May 2016)
Project Driftnet Singapore

Kusu coral bleaching check with net
wild shores of singapore

Spotted Sicklefish (Drepane punctata) @ Chek Jawa
Monday Morgue

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Malaysia: Second dugong found dead in Johor

The Star 9 May 16;

GELANG PATAH: The carcass of a young dugong was found floating in the sea near Kampung Pendas Laut here after getting caught in a fishing net.

Fishermen spotted two dugong, believed to be a mother and its kid, on Thursday.

A few hours later, the carcass of a young dugong emerged and was spotted floating in the sea.

A fisherman from the village, Azman Adan, said the dugong was found floating near a mega development project.

“The dugong, weighing about 60kg, was already dead, so the fishermen brought the carcass back to shore.

“We immediately alerted the Fisheries Department and handed the carcass to them,” he said.

State Fisheries Department director Zamani Omar said that a team of officers went to the location after being informed of the sighting.

“The dugong suffered injuries after it got caught between some fishing nets.

“We will conduct a post-mortem first,” he added.

This is the second dead dugong sighting this year after the first carcass was found washed ashore at Pantai Tanjung Logok, near Kota Tinggi in February.

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Indonesia, Lake Toba: Fish cages blamed for dead fish, environmental damage

Apriadi Gunawan and Syofiardi Bachyul The Jakarta Post 7 May 16;

Tourists expecting to enjoy the beauty of Lake Toba over the long weekend may be disappointed as the lake has been contaminated by thousands tons of dead fish in the Haranggaol waters, Simalungun, North Sumatra.

In response, 1,000 people of Haranggaol sub-district joined together to remove the carcasses of goldfish and tilapia ( ikan nila ) from the lake on Friday.

Hasudungan Siallagan, a cage-culture fish farmer, said the locals were willing to clean Lake Toba because they wanted to prevent the dead animals from polluting the water, which could affect tourism and make the water unsafe for use by residents.

“Up to 820 tons of dead fish have been lifted from the fish cages in Lake Toba in the past two days. And today, 1,000 tons of dead fish will be lifted out,” Hasudungan told The Jakarta Post in Haranggaol on Friday, adding that 1000 tons of dead fish had been found as of Wednesday.

He added that about 116 cage-culture farmers in Haranggaol had reported that their fish were dead.

“We have been managing fish cages in Lake Toba for decades and this is for the first time we have seen the mass death of fish,” he said.

“All of the fish from two zones are reportedly dead, from a total of six zones of fish cages in Haranggaol. So, there are only four zones left and I haven’t got any news about that,” he said.

Hasudungan said the farmers had suffered billions of rupiah in losses because of the mass death of fish. He also said local government research into the incident had concluded that the cause of the mass death was lack of oxygen.

Head of the Simalungun district Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, Jarinsen Saragih, confirmed that the cause of the mass death of fish in Lake Toba was an oxygen shortage triggered by the postponed fish harvest.

“Lack of solar radiation since April 28 has also aggravated the oxygen shortage,” he told the Post on Friday.

Jarinsen dismissed speculations that the mass death of the fish was because of water pollution in Lake Toba, adding that “the dead fish were only found in the fish cages, not in the lake”.

Meanwhile, the local government of Agam district in West Sumatra plans to decrease half of floating net cages in Maninjau Lake in order to improve the ecosystem.

Head of Agam Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Agency, Ermanto, said that his team had recorded the number of floating net cages and instructed their owners to gradually reduce the amount in the lake.

“The lake water is heavily polluted. There is a lot of sediment from residual feed and tons of dead fish found every year. If left unchecked, fish will not be able to live inside the cages,” Ermanto told the Post recently.

According to the fisheries agency’s records, there are 16,964 fish cage swaths containing 4,000 minnows in the lake area of 99.5 kilometers. A total of 10,765 swaths are made of iron and 6,199 are made of bamboo.

Ermanto said he would regulate that all fish cages must be made of fiber and not iron, which can rust, or bamboo, which can decay.

Currently, there are 5,520 fish cages owned by 146 locals. Each of them own up to 250 cages. The local government plans to limit cage ownership to a maximum 20 fish cages per owner.

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Best of our wild blogs: 8 May 16

Chek Jawa check-up with net
wild shores of singapore

200m net removed at Chek Jawa (7 May 2016)
Project Driftnet Singapore

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks - Gardens by the Bay
Butterflies of Singapore

Night Walk At Dairy Farm Nature Park (06 May 2016)
Beetles@SG BLOG

ICCS volunteers spread awareness about marine trash at the Asia Dive Expo 2016!
News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

Discover Pulau Ubin during Pesta Ubin, 14 May – 12 June 2016!
Otterman speaks

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Malaysia: Fishermen baffled by poor daily catch

The Star 8 May 16;

BALIK PULAU: Some 1,000 fishermen from Pulau Betong and Kuala Sungai Pinang are claiming dwindling financial returns due to low catch for the past one month.

They claimed they did not know the cause and hoped the authorities would carry out water quality analysis in the sea to get to the bottom of the matter.

Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad said some of them had stopped going out to sea as the money spent on petrol was more than their income.

“The fishermen claimed that they managed to catch only two to three prawns and very little fish nowadays.

“Their livelihoods have been affected severely,” he said after accompanying the fishermen out to the sea in Pulau Betong yesterday.

Muhammad Farid said that according to several fishermen, the anchors of their boats would be covered with black silt emitting foul smells.

He urged the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia, the Fisheries Department, and the Department of Environment to conduct immediate investigations.

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Malaysia: Bukit Bintang next to be polystyrene-free in KL

The Star 7 May 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Bintang is set to become the second area here to be free of polystyrene food containers as Kuala Lumpur City Hall pursues its green city initiative.

City Hall planning executive director Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd said Satuday that the move would be implemented by the end of this year.

Dataran Merdeka was declared a prohibited area for polystyrene food containers in July last year.

"Polystyrene food containers are non-biodegradable, have an undesirable effect on the environment and complicate the management of solid waste," he told reporters after launching the 'Jom Bersih Bukit Bintang', the 10th in a series of a cleanliness programmes.

About 800 people from various government and private sector agencies participated in the programme to clean up the Bukit Bintang area.

Mohd Najib said City Hall was working with other agencies to organise "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" (3R) programmes to create awareness and educate city dwellers. – Bernama

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Malaysia: Seven caught ferrying 'exotic bushmeat' in Keningau

OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 7 May 16;

KENINGAU: Sabah Wildlife detained seven people after they were caught ferrying different types of dried bushmeat.

They were arrested when the department’s rangers and honorary wildlife wardens mounted a road block along the Keningau-Kalabakan stretch early morning.

The four-wheel drive vehicle the men were in contained a variety of exotic wildlife meat including wild boar, barking deer, monitor lizard, mousedeer and flying squirrel.

The dried bushmeat were found inside a box and three plastic bags in the rear bucket of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, several stalls at the Nabawan weekly market or "tamu" here, notorious for selling bushmeat, were not in operation during checks.

All vehicles coming from the direction of Nabawan were inspected but none were found to carry any bushmeat.

Wildlife director William Baya said the enforcement effort would be ongoing to curb any forms of wildlife offences.

Between Jan 2014 and Sept 2015, more than 20 people were charged with possession of wildlife.

Crackdown on bushmeat trade
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 9 May 16;

KOTA KINABALU: The wildlife department has ratcheted up pressure on illegal hunters in Sabah’s Nabawan and Keningau districts.

Seven people were arrested with about 35kg of dried bushmeat, from wild boar, barking deer, monitor lizard, mousedeer and flying squirrel apparently caught illegally in forest reserves in interior Nabawan.

Sabah Wildlife Department enforcement chief Augustine Tuuga said the seven, who were timber camp workers, were detained at a roadblock along the Keningau-Kalabakan road on Saturday.

“The dried bushmeat was inside a box and three plastic sacks in the bed of their four-wheel-drive vehicle,” he said, adding that an initial investigation found that the men had hunted the animals and smoked the meat.

The arrests come amid calls by conservationists for more enforcement against the trading of bushmeat in the interior of Sabah, particularly at Nabawan tamu (market) where it is sold openly and enforcement officers who try to crack down on the activity are threatened.

The department sent an undercover team to the tamu at around noon on Saturday but found the stalls empty, said Tuuga.

“We believe the customers, particularly those from outside the district, were reluctant to buy bushmeat after they saw our roadblocks while driving into the town.

“They may have been afraid of being stopped by our enforcement team on the way back,” he said, adding that no bushmeat was found despite checks on all vehicles coming out of Nabawan.

Department director William Baya said it was stepping up enforcement and intelligence gathering in different parts of the state.

Recently, the department said it was targeting hunters in efforts to stop the bushmeat trade, having arrested two groups of hunters and seized wild boar, barking deer, pangolin and civet cat meat last month.

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Indonesia: Land and forest fires rarely stop in Riau’s unique climate

Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 7 May 16;

Hot spots are still present in a number of regencies in Riau province despite it being the rainy season.

The province — which is prone to disruptive, haze-producing land and forest fires — hopes to reduce its number of hot spots this year, especially in the fire-prone areas of Bengkalis, Rokan Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, Pelalawan and Meranti Islands.

“This is what the provincial and local administrations have been doing, controlling the growing number of hotspots,” acting Riau Governor Arsyadjuliandi “Andi” Rachman said on Tuesday.

A number of efforts have been made to reach the target, he said, including issuing a gubernatorial decree on land and forest fire prevention. There are 16 action plans that need to be executed by the government and the administrations, especially those related to preparing equipment and personnel at companies with concession areas located on peatland.

“Firms with fires on their concession areas will be evaluated,” Andi said.

The Riau administration will involve not only the military, the National Police and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency ( BNPB ), but also ask locals to be more aware of potential fires in their areas.

The Riau administration has allocated Rp 123 billion ( US$9.4 million ) to preventing and dealing with the fires.

It also coordinates with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency ( BMKG ) to detect fires.

“The experience of dealing with haze disasters since 2014 has left Riau better prepared to face dry seasons,” Andi said.

Riau has been made a pilot project in the prevention of land and forest fires, he said.

Head of Riau BMKG, Sugarin, said the province’s coastal areas of Bengkalis, Rokan Hilir, Pelalawan, Siak, Indragiri Hilir, Meranti Islands and Dumai were prone to fires because they rarely received rain.

He suggested the provincial and local administrations continue to be cautious of the emergence of hotspots in the eastern coastal regions, which are also home to a lot of fire-prone peatland.

Riau’s eastern coast has a unique climate, Sugarin said, as the areas did not follow rainy or dry seasons. He said there was such a difference in climate there that hotspots continued to emerge in Riau even during rainy season.

In many cases, companies have been deemed responsible for land and forest fires. In 2015 alone, from 8,399 hotspots detected by NASA satellites, 3,355 were inside the concession areas of industrial forestry companies and another 458 in oil palm plantation areas.

Many of the companies denied accusations made against them, arguing that lighting fires in their own concession areas would, in the end, cause huge financial losses for them.

They mostly blamed the fires on flames leaping from neighboring lands.

Law enforcement agencies has been frequently mentioned as an effective way to help control land and forest fires in the region.

This year alone, Riau Police have named 65 suspects of causing land fires. All of them were landowners and farm workers.

Riau Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tejo said that some of the suspects were caught red-handed while carrying out slash-and-burn methods. Others were arrested following a series of investigations.

“We have warned people not to clear land by burning it, but such practices still continue,” he said.

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Indonesia: Authorities Begin Water Bombing After Fast-Spreading Fires Detected in Riau

Jakarta Globe 7 May 16;

Jakarta. Authorities have dispatched helicopters to assist efforts to extinguish land and forest fires across Riau province after at least 13 hot spots have been detected, officials said on Friday (06/05).

The spots were detected on Friday in five districts throughout the coastal area of Riau, with five hot spots in Pelawan, four in Siak, two in Indragiri Hilir, as well as one apiece in Meranti and Indragiri Hulu.

Of the 13, four were confirmed to be fire spots — indicating land and forest fires with a level of credibility at over 70 percent — Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) head Sugarin said.

"They were detected in the Siak subdistrict of Sungai Apit," Sugarin said on Friday, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara.

An MI-8 helicopter was dispatched on the same day to begin water bombing fire spots which can't be accessed through land, Riau Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Edward Sanger said.

While the approximate size of the affected areas is not yet known, he said they are peatlands which have faced dry conditions, causing the fire to spread faster.

"We have to take prompt action in response," Edward added.

Land and forest fires are an annual environment disaster in Indonesia for the last decade. Some observers have described last year's fires as the worst on record.

The fires destroyed vegetation on millions of hectares of land, afflicting more than half a million people with health problems and resulted in billions of dollars in economic losses.

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Illegal wildlife trade campaign enlists tourists

Mark Kinver, BBC News 8 May 16;

Conservationists have launched a global campaign asking the public to help tackle the illegal trade in wildlife.

They have developed a smartphone app that allows people to submit images and data of suspicious items on sale, possibly helping enforcement agencies.

The United Nations estimates the illegal trade is worth billions of pounds each year.

Despite efforts to crack down on the slaughter, it continues to grow, say campaigners.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the poaching of threatened species, raising concern about the long-term survival of iconic animals such as tigers and rhinos.

Growing demand for protected animal body parts and products on the Chinese black market is widely viewed as one of the main drivers for the growth in the trade.

A recent report by UK think-tank Chatham House said demand was rising at an "alarming rate".

The authors said that activity in the illegal ivory trade had more than doubled since 2007, with ivory reaching a price of US $2,205 (£1,526) per kilogram in Beijing.

Rhino horn was reaching mind-blowing prices of US $66,000 per kilogram - more than the price of gold or platinum.

Crime prevention agencies recognise the threat posed by criminal targeting wildlife - listing the global trade alongside drugs, arms and human trafficking.

The app - Wildlife Witness - was developed by Taronga Conservation Society Australia in partnership with Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

Its focus was the South East Asia region, which has been identified has a hub in the global illegal wildlife trade.

In this expansion of the scheme, Chester Zoo will look to raise awareness of the project across Europe while San Diego Zoo will do the same in the US.

"The reason why it is important for zoos to get involved is because we have access to really large audiences, and zoos have an important role to try and get these messages out," said Scott Wilson, head of field programmes at Chester Zoo.

"Rather than us just saying 'Look at this, isn't it terrible?' this campaign allows people to download the app and actually be involved and take action."

Mr Wilson told BBC News how people could submit data: "If people are travelling or are on holiday and if they see something as they are walking through the markets and they see something - say a baby sun bear that should not be there, or ivory on sale that they suspect is illegal, they can record it with this app and the data goes straight to Traffic.

"This will really boost the amount of information that is coming through to them, and this helps them to identify trends in wildlife trade and - more importantly - they can use that data to try and influence the enforcement policies and the really big changes that need to take place."

However, Mr Wilson was quick to point out that people should not take unnecessary risks.

He urged: "We do not want people putting themselves at risk and we certainly do not want them confronting people in a marketplace. If they can take a picture, great, if not then just put the data in the app afterwards."

Chris Shepherd, South-East Asia regional director of Traffic, said there had been an "unparalleled spike in illegal wildlife trade".

He observed: "Sadly, animals are being illegally killed or taken from the wild around the world to be sold for traditional medicines, luxury food, horns or other parts, restaurant dishes, fashion items or pets."

Dr Shepherd explained how people could help using the app: "We want people to be the eyes and ears in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade."

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