El Nino pushes up prices of M’sian fruit, vegetables and Thai coconuts

Today Online 18 May 16;

KUALA LUMPUR — The extended spell of hot weather due to the El Nino weather phenomenon has taken a toll on crop supply, causing the prices of some fruits and vegetables in the ­region to soar.

Federation of Malaysian Vegeta­ble Farmers’ Association president Tan So Tiok told The Star newspaper that local vegetable output had dropped 20 per cent since last month. The shortage has also affected supply to Singapore by about the same percentage, he said.

“This has affected both leafy vege­tables like mustard leaves, watercress and cabbage, and non-leafy vegetables such as long beans, chilli, cucumber, pumpkin and bitter gourd,” he said.

Mr Tan said the situation had improved because of the recent rains but the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan would create new problems. “Indonesian farm workers will usually head back to their home towns for the fasting month, which leaves us shorthanded,” he said.

“The situation is made worse by the freeze on foreign workers because we can’t take in labourers from other countries to replace those heading home.”

He said countries such as China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, from where Malaysia imports vegetables, are also cautious about their vegetable supply as they are also facing shortages from the ongoing hot weather.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said output from the highlands has dropped between 30 per cent and 40 per cent since the middle of March, causing vegetables prices to soar by 50 per cent. About 80 per cent of the output is consumed locally while the rest is exported to Singapore.

Over in Thailand, the hot weather has affected Thai coconut production and prices have gone up almost 100 per cent in Singapore as a result.

Coconut importer Kelvin Ngian of Siam Coconut said that the prices are the highest he has seen in 15 years.

“Normally, the price would go up about 1.5 times during this period of shortage. Since January, we have been seeing an increase in coconut prices about one fold,” he said. “That’s the highest we have seen in 15 years.”

Apart from the hot weather, prices have gone up because there has been an increase in demand for coconuts as drinking coconut water has become a health fad.

Malaysia has been enveloped in a sweltering heatwave that saw the temporary closure of schools in March and April and slowed vegetable production, leading to price hikes. Paddy fields, durian and rubber plantations have also been affected by the severe temperatures, and water levels at dams and water treatment plants have been decreasing.

The drought has forced some states, such as Perlis and Johor, to impose water rationing measures.

The Malaysian government has warned that the dry and hot spell could stretch to September, resulting in depleting water reserves, more forest fires and worsening haze.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau had told TODAY last month that the hot weather would continue for the next five months due to the changing south-west monsoon winds.

The monsoon season is between May and September.

Various industries have expressed concern over the situation while farmers and fish breeders said they have suffered losses due to the heat. AGENCIES

Import prices of Thai coconuts hit record highs amid dry weather
Local importers say Thai coconut prices have doubled due to the ongoing hot spell in the region and rising global demand for coconut products.
Lim Jia Qi Channel NewsAsia 18 May 16;

SINGAPORE: Siam Coconut has been importing coconuts from Thailand for the past 15 years. Every year during this period, the local company would expect prices to increase as hot and dry weather hits supplies. But this year, the company has been taken by surprise because prices have gone up by more than usual.

"Normally, the price would go up about 1.5 times during this period of shortage. Since January, we have been seeing an increase in coconut prices about one fold," said the company's general manager, Mr Kelvin Ngian. "That's the highest we have seen in 15 years."

He said the extremely hot weather in Thailand is partially to blame, with crops taking a hit. Making the situation even worse, though, is the growing global popularity of coconut products, which means Singapore importers are having to compete harder to source sufficient supplies.

"We are basically fighting with the rest of the world to get the coconuts. There is a lot of education on the benefits of coconut water. So countries like America and China, they are setting up factories in Thailand, collecting the coconuts to produce coconut products," Mr Ngian added.

Coconut water is believed to be a 'heat clearing' food and is seen to have other benefits, such as hydrating the human body more effectively than energy drinks.

Siam Coconut imports about 120,000 coconuts every month. To ensure sufficient supply, Mr Ngian said he now has to visit Thailand once a month to find new sources of supply instead of every three months.

As the supply of coconuts continues to dwindle, Mr Vincent Li, the owner of importer Choong Guan Heng, has also had to visit Thailand twice in the last month to look for new suppliers.

"I managed to find new sources of supply but they didn't have much also. They just gave us a bit, it's still not enough," said Mr Li in Mandarin, adding that he is also restricting sales of coconuts in some cases. "If a customer is buying 10 boxes of coconuts and there is not enough, maybe I'll just sell them 5 boxes."

Mr Yeo Cheng Hong, Chairman of Lai Hong Fruits, said the import price of 30 coconuts would have cost about S$30 in March. But the price has since risen to about S$50. "It's the highest I've ever seen," Mr Yeo added.

With higher import costs, consumers may have to bear the brunt of it. Ms Jessie Leong, 57, used to buy coconuts from supermarkets every week, but she stopped when the price started creeping up.

"They started increasing gradually so I stopped buying when it hit $1.90," said Ms Leong.

When Channel NewsAsia visited a FairPrice outlet in Choa Chu Kang on Tuesday (May 17), the price of one Thai coconut was $2.70.

A spokesperson from FairPrice said the price of Thai coconuts has increased by about five per cent compared to a week ago.

"There has been a gradual increase in the cost of coconuts from Thailand in the past few months due to the extreme weather conditions that have affected supply."

The spokesperson added that the supermarket diversifies its sources to help moderate the cost of products.

"We have brought in coconuts from Vietnam, which are presently about 20 per cent cheaper than Thai coconuts. We continue to monitor this situation closely," said the spokesperson.

The price increase may be short-lived. Importers said the prices should return to normal by end June as weather conditions in Thailand improve.

- CNA/jq

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Malaysia: Marine Parks Dept takes steps to protect coral reefs

The Star 19 May 16;

PETALING JAYA: The Marine Parks Department is moving to protect Malaysia’s valuable coral reefs following warnings that they are in danger due to rising sea surface temperatures.

Malaysia was recently notified of the danger by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which indicated that sea surface temperatures in some of Malaysia’s waters were above average, and the coral reefs might soon be exposed to thermal stress.

Coral bleaching was a possibility, added the US scientific agency.

The “Bleaching Watch” notification for Malaysia was issued on May 2 under NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Programme.

The programme publishes satellite data on sea surface temperatures, providing an indication of current reef environmental conditions to quickly identify areas at risk of coral bleaching.

Natural Resources and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar noted that coral bleaching was a major threat to the health of reefs and deserved serious attention due to its implications for marine biodiversity, fisheries and tourism in Malaysia.

He said following the mass coral reef bleaching in 2010, the Coral Reef Bleaching Response Committee was set up to address future bleaching events.

“The committee is monitoring the situation and consulting with stakeholders to develop appropriate management responses,” Dr Wan Junaidi said in a statement.

The committee will begin surveys of coral reefs and track the onset of any bleaching.

Coral bleaching, according to NOAA, happens when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light or nutrients and they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.


Warmer seas in Malaysia may lead to bleaching, endangering coral reefs in our oceans
HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN New Straits Times 18 May 16;

PUTRAJAYA: Higher sea temperatures in Malaysian oceans may soon cause a phenomenon known as coral bleaching, endangering coral reefs in the oceans of the country.

Action plans are being prepared to protect Malaysia’s coral reefs after an early warning that mass coral bleaching could be a high possibility.

In a statement earlier, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Coral Reef Bleaching Response Committee (CRBRC) under the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (DMPM) was monitoring the situation closely.

"After the mass coral reef bleaching incident in 2010, CRBRC was established to respond effectively to future bleaching events.

"It is also currently consulting with stakeholders to develop appropriate management responses in order to protect Malaysia's valuable coral reefs," he added.

This was following the issuance of a 'bleaching watch' notification for Malaysia on May 2 by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis­tration’s Coral Watch Programme.

Wan Junaidi said the notification indicated that sea surface temperatures in some of Malaysia's waters were above average and Malaysia's coral reefs may have been or soon will be exposed to thermal stress.

"Coral bleaching is a major threat to coral reef health and deserves serious attention due to implications on marine biodiversity, coral reefs fisheries and tourism in the country," he added.

NOAA's Coral Reef Watch Programme publishes satellite data on sea surface temperatures, providing an indication of current reef environmental conditions to quickly identify areas at risk of coral bleaching, he added.

"Continuous monitoring of sea surface temperature at global scale provides researchers and stakeholders with tools to understand and better manage the complex interactions leading to coral bleaching," he said.

Wan Junaidi said when bleaching conditions occurred, these tools can be used to trigger bleaching response plans and support appropriate management decisions, adding that bleaching is a natural response of corals under stress.

"The term 'Mass Bleaching' describes the large scale phenomenon of many species of corals bleaching simultaneously over a significant spatial scale," Wan Junaidi said.

He said CRBRC will begin surveys on coral reefs to monitor the situation in the country and track the onset of any bleaching.

"Actions plans to respond to such an event have already been prepared.

"The committee will provide further information as it becomes available and will work to ensure all stakeholders are kept fully informed of the changing situation, "he added.

DMPM has published the first Malaysian Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan as a guide for monitoring and managing future bleaching events and communicating with stakeholders on per-determined steps that need to be carried out during mass coral reef bleaching.

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Malaysia: Johor seeks best way to protect dugong

KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 19 May 16;

JOHOR BARU: The state government will leave it to the experts to come up with suitable suggestions on the best way to protect and conserve marine life, especially the endangered dugong.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said they were in talks with consultants on the setting up of a marine park near Mersing, which will include a dugong sanctuary.

“We will not rule out suggestions to use a tagging system to monitor the movement of dugong. We will also explore other experts’ advice.

“We want to ensure that the method carried out to protect the sea mammal is the most suitable to avoid any future issues,” he said.

Ayub said currently, their focus was on sourcing for the best spot among the islands off Mersing to build the marine park.

He added that Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was expected to pre-launch the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park in July.

It will just be a soft launch while the operational aspects and mechanisms of creating the park will be discussed in the next six months, he said, adding that RM1mil set aside was just a start-up allocation.

Ayub said the state government would seek more allocations, including from the Federal Government, following discussions with the experts.

For now, the RM1mil would be utilised to identify and measure the exact location, instal buoys to mark the areas as well as to cons­truct a monument for the park, he added.

He also pointed out that it was unfair to solely blame developments as the cause for the dwindling number of dugong along the most southern part of the state.

“We also have to take environmental changes into consideration including water pollution due to the discharge of waste or oil spills as well as the speed of huge vessels passing through the area.

“Our studies show that the islands off Mersing are still rich with the dugong’s staple diet – seagrass. This is likely why the sea mammal has been spotted there more often these past few years,” he said.

The Sunday Star reported on the dwindling number of dugong, also known as sea cow, around southern Johor, which used to be a haven for the shy creatures due to the abundance of seagrass there.

Experts claimed that they have been migrating to the eastern part of the state near Mersing where seagrass is ample.


‘Tagging dugong is costly and may not be feasible’
KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 22 May 16;

JOHOR BARU: A tagging system to monitor the dugong may not be feasible due to high costs and low number of the mammal, said Rantau Abang Endangered Marine Species and Turtle Research Division director Syed Abdullah Syed Abdul Kadir.

“The objective of tagging is to obtain their migration pattern as well as to determine their roaming areas.

“But research showed that this approach may be costly as we have to tag at least 50% of its population.

“We will need a lot of tags and a large number of dugong in order to get solid information. And capturing the creatures to tag them may also scare them away,” he said.

“This will backfire on our cause,” he added.

Last Sunday, The Star reported on the dwindling number of dugong, also known as sea cow, in southern Johor that was previously a haven for them due to the abundance of seagrass there.

But the depleting seagrass had forced the dugong to move to the eastern part of the state.

Concerned groups have suggested tagging the dugong to keep track of them, thus creating a database to monitor their population and movements.

Syed Abdullah said the Fisheries Research Institute had recorded three dugong deaths since the beginning of this year.

There were five such deaths in 2015 and four cases in 2014, mostly due to them being hit by boats, tangled in nets or incidental catches.

He acknowledged that there had been a drastic decline in the number of dugong, citing factors such as fish bombings, hunting, unsupervised tourism, seagrass degradation and habitat loss due to land reclamation and dredging activities.

“With rapid development in Johor some dugong habitats are no longer conducive for them to inhabit,” he said.

He urged Malaysians to play their part by avoiding fishing activities and reducing the speed of their boat at areas known to be populated by dugong, as well as to keep the cleanliness of sea water by not discarding waste into it.

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 May 16

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The Long and Winding Road

Operation No Release 2016 – an annual exercise to prevent the release of the wrong animals in the wrong place!
Toddycats!

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Otterly-cute: Family of otters spotted in Singapore’s CBD

According to an onlooker, the otters later made their way back to the riverside, which suggests that it could have been where they came from.
Xabryna Kek Channel NewsAsia 17 May 16;

SINGAPORE: A family of 10 otters was spotted at the Central Business District in Singapore on Monday evening (May 17).

According to Mr Lionel Mattey, who was walking home from work, the otters were playing at Bayfront Avenue on the grass verge about 50 metres from the river, near The Float@Marina Bay.

“I thought it was a very nice thing to see bearing in mind it’s the CBD, during rush hour,” he said.

Mr Mattey added that curious onlookers also gathered around to take photos of them, including some bystanders at the top of the bridge.

The otters later made their way back to the riverside, which was likely where they came from, he said.

While this is Mr Mattey’s first encounter with the otters, otter spotting in Singapore has been more common in recent years. Most recently, an otter was almost hit by a car when it tried to cross the road at East Coast Park.

- CNA/xk

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Malaysia: Veggie prices up due to heat and dry spell brought on by El Nino

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 18 May 16;

JOHOR BARU: The extended spell of hot weather due to El Nino has taken a toll on the crops, causing the prices of vegetables to rise by between 30% and 50%.

A local supply shortage, brought on by heat and lack of water, has resulted in the price increase.

Federation of Malaysian Vegeta­ble Farmers’ Association president Tan So Tiok estimated a 20% drop in the local vegetable supply since last month.

“This has affected both leafy vege­tables like mustard leaves, watercress and cabbage and non-leafy vegetables such as long beans, chilli, cucumber, pumpkin and bitter gourd,” he said.

Tan said the shortage had also affected supply to Singapore by about 20%. The worst-hit state, he said, was Johor which produces some 60% of the nation’s vegetables.

“Countries like China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, from where Malaysia imports vegetables, are also cautious about their vegetable supply as they are also facing shortages due to climate effects,” he said.

Looking at the bright side, Tan said the situation was improving with more rain these days.

However, it would be difficult for the supply to return to normal as a dip was anticipated in the up­­coming Ramadan month, he said.

“Indonesian farm workers will usually head back to their hometowns for the fasting month, which leaves us shorthanded.

“The situation is made worse by the freeze on foreign workers because we can’t take in labourers from other countries to replace those heading home,” he said.

In Ipoh, round cabbage, Chinese cabbage, spinach and capsicum were among the vegetables found to have almost doubled in price.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said the rest of the greens were also affected, though not as much.

He said production for the vegetables had declined since mid-March, and prices were up by 50%.

“The output at the highlands has been down by between 30% and 40%,” he said.

Chay noted the difference between the current and old prices of four types of vegetable – the round cabbage costs close to RM3 per kg in the market compared to about RM1.50 previously.

Chinese cabbage is now at RM2.50 per kg. It was RM1.50 before.

Spinach is priced between RM3.50 and RM4 while previously, it was RM2.

Capsicum now costs between RM7 and RM8 per kg. It was about RM5 two months ago.

Chay said about 80% of the vegetables were for the local market and the rest were exported to Singapore.

“Vegetable production is getting slightly better with the recent rain, but if it rains excessively, it could also affect the harvest,” he said.

“The weather can’t be too hot, and there should not be too much rain. Both could spoil the crops.”


Seeing red in Malacca over rising cost of greens
The Star 18 May 16;

MALACCA: Consumers in the state are seeing red over the increase in vegetable prices by between 50% and 100%.

A check at the Malacca Central wet market and Batu Berendam wholesale market has shown that, with traders blaming the hike on the hot spell and intermittent rain.

The increase is apparent in red chilli (from RM12 to RM23 per kg), cili padi (RM8 to RM16), green mustard (RM3 to RM6.50), spinach (RM1.50 to RM3) and kangkung sawi bunga (RM4 to RM8).

Vegetable trader S. Karuppiah said the price could return to normal by mid-June “once the weather conditions stabilise”.

“Vegetable prices have been unstable since March due to short supply.

“The middlemen were left with no choice as the farmers couldn’t meet demand because of the dry spell,” he said.

A trader at Central Market, Lye Ming Zhu, said the middlemen were now charging them extra due to the shortage.

He said even the prices of chicken had gone up due to insufficient supply from farms.

“Customers are venting their frustration on us but we are in a bind too due to supply shortage,” he added.

Malacca Coffeeshop and Restau­rant Owners Association chairman Wong Teu Hoon said its members were advised to absorb the cost for now.

“We can’t burden the customers and we will maintain our pricing until the prices of vegetables are back to normal,” he said.


Restaurant owners: Import vegetables to stabilise prices
RAHIMY RAHIM The Star 18 May 16;

PETALING JAYA: As restaurant owners and food operators feel the after effects of El Nino, some of them are calling on the Government to import more vegetables from neighbouring countries to temporarily stabilise prices.

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association president Datuk R. Ramalingam Pillai said the authorities should consider importing greens from Indonesia, Vietnam or Thailand so that the local industry would be spared the adverse effects of the price chan­ges.

“We have received complaints that the prices are too high,” he said yesterday.

According to Ramalingam, the wholesale price of spinach had shot up to RM3.80 per kilo, red chillies to RM18 per kilo, and RM8 per kilo for long beans.

He said the restaurants had no choice but to absorb the cost as there would not be any increase to the food prices.

“If the authorities do not act on this, many may close shop when the operational cost gets too high,” he said.

Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association president Ho Su Mong said they were already hit by a vegetable shortage and other factors such as the Goods and Services Tax and the high cost of living.

“We will wait and see if we need to increase the prices of our food,” he said.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association president Noorul Hassan Saul Hameed said although they were feeling the impact of the vegetable price hike, he felt that it was just temporary due to the weather.

Restaurants operators, he added, would not want to raise their prices and put off their customers.

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Malaysia: Relief for Kerian farmers as water released for agricultural activities

M. HAMZAH JAMALUDIN New Straits Times 17 May 16;

BAGAN SERAI: The Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) has resumed water supply for agricultural activities in the Kerian district after the water level at Bukit Merah dam reached 7.8 metres today.

The department has temporarily stopped releasing water for plantation and padi field irrigation since April 25, when the Bukit Merah lake was seriously affected by the drought brought about by the El Nino phenomenon.

State Public Utilities, Infrastructure, Energy and Water Committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin said the affected farmers can now replant their padi fields with new seedlings.

"Although the water level is still within the precautionary range, DID has already released the water from the Bukit Merah dam to the padi fields," he said after launching a road safety campaign at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mudzaffar Shah Semanggol, near here today.

The programme is part of the state government's four-day "pemukiman" (meet-the-people) programme at Kerian district from today.

Zainol said continuous rainfall over the past weeks had helped increase the water level at Bukit Merah dam between 15cm and 17cm daily.

To overcome the problem in the future, he said the state government had several plans including building a water channel from Sungai Perak to Sungai Kerian, which costs RM300 million.

At the same time, he said the Perak Water Board also planned to implement the river bank filtration system to help derive underground water in the affected area in Kerian.

The recent El Nino phenomenon has adversely affected 22,000ha padi fields and more than 200,000 people in the Kerian district when the water level at Bukit Merah lake, which is the main water source here, dropped to critical level for several months.

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Thailand: Coral reef bleaching in Gulf of Thailand shocking

Thai Visa 18 May 16;

BANGKOK: — Continuous warming of sea water in the Gulf during the past several days has caused widespread coral bleaching with 80 percent of the coral reefs at Maprao island off Chumporn province having bleached, said Mr Tunya Netithammakul, director-general of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation.

Coral bleaching has been reported at Chumporn islands marine park, Khao Laemya-Koh Samet, Petra and Ang Thong marine parks with 50 percent coral reef bleaching at Ngam Noi and Kula islands, 10-25 bleaching at Bulone Don and Rang islands, 40 percent bleaching at Thalu and Kuti islands, 20 percent bleaching at Samsao island.

Ms Suthilak Veeravan, director-general of Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said the department had kept a close watch on coral reef bleaching phenomenon since 2011 and found 33 coral bleaching spots – 17 in the Gulf and 16 in the Andaman sea. The severity of the bleaching ranges from 10-80 percent.

She admitted that bleaching incidence was shocking with 80 percent coral reefs in the sea off Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattani remaining in good conditions out of a total of 16 provinces where the conditions are worse with only 10 percent in good conditions in 11 provinces.

Move to protect coral zones after 33 spots with bleaching found
JANJIRA PONGRAI, PRATCH RUJIVANAROM The Nation 18 May 16;

OFFICIALS are preparing to ban several activities in coral-reef zones after bleaching hit 33 marine sites around the country.

"Of the 33 spots affected by coral bleaching, 25 are inside national parks zones," Suthiluck Raviwan, director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said yesterday.

Phuket's Racha Yai Island is among the hardest hit along with six islands off Chumphon.

The rest are scattered across parts of Chumphon, Rayong, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani and Satun.

The department plans to ban activities harmful to coral reefs in nine spots outside national parks next week.

"Among the nine spots are the Racha Yai and Mai Ton islands off Phuket, Man Nai Island off Rayong and Samaesarn Island off Chon Buri," he said.

Banned activities include dropping anchor, fishing and polluting.

Coral bleaching occurs when coral loses algal pigmentation due to water temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius, pollution or freshwater runoff.

Bleached coral can recover if the cause of bleaching is relieved, but it will die if it is bleached for a long time and the stress on the coral is not resolved.

"Our survey has found that at some spots, the seawater temperature is up to 33 degrees Celsius," he said.

Pinsak Suraswadi, a senior official at the department, said his agency would closely monitor the situation because seawater temperature had continued to rise even though summer was coming to an end.

"We will try to enforce measures to better protect the marine environment," he said.

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean at the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University and a leading marine biologist, said coral reefs in other areas such as Samui and Samet islands and some parts of the Andaman Sea had also started to show bleaching spots.

"What we have to do is to keep people out of the bleaching area to let the coral recover. It is very essential that we should not interfere with the coral during this sensitive period or it will eventually die," he said.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and Marine and Coastal Resources Department will restrict human activities in 40 spots to preserve healthy coral to be breeders.

Tachai Island in Phang Nga's Mu Koh Similan National Park is also closed indefinitely to let the island's environment recover from intensive tourism in recent years, national park head Nut Kongkasorn said.

"I cannot say when we will allow tourists to visit the island, but before we open the island again, the number of tourists must be limited and the tourism activities must not harm the island's environment," he said.

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Thailand to close Koh Tachai island over tourism damage

BBC 17 May 16;

Tourists were causing "irreparable damage", reports said

Thai authorities are set to close the island of Koh Tachai, saying heavy tourism is negatively affecting natural resources and the environment.

The island, off Phang Nga province, is part of the Similan National Park.

Almost all Thai marine national parks close to tourists from mid-May to mid-October for monsoon season but Tachai will not reopen, the Bangkok Post says.

The park is popular with tourists and divers - who will still have access to a few dive sites in the area.

"We have to close it to allow the rehabilitation of the environment both on the island and in the sea without being disturbed by tourism activities before the damage is beyond repair," Tunya Netithammakul, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, told the Post.


Local media cited experts saying a beach on Koh Tachai could hold about 70 people, but sometimes the number of tourists was well over 1,000, along with food stalls and tour boats.

That was far in excess of the island's sustainable capacity and was causing damage that threatened to become irreversible, reports said.

Thailand draws tens of millions of tourists a year, many of them to its beautiful beaches and islands.

Paradise Lost: Other beauty spots adversely affected by tourism:

Phi Phi Islands in Thailand - since becoming the backdrop for the Hollywood film The Beach, this tropical paradise has come under increasing pressure as a result of an uncontrolled tourism boom.

Cozumel island, Mexico - this has become the world's second most popular holiday destination for cruise ships, causing huge damage to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - the unique ecosystem on this isolated island is extremely sensitive not only to growing numbers of tourists, but to the invasive species they are bringing with them.

Steve Downing from the UK snorkelled and dived on the island last year.

"It's a miniature paradise - so long as you can get away from the crowds," he said.

"Unfortunately a lot of inexperienced snorkelers tend to ruin the fragile reef systems by bashing into the corals, poking about, trying to take the best photos of fish by feeding and chasing after fish."

"People aren't interested in preserving the wildlife, they're only interested in taking photographs," he added.


Thailand to close Koh Tachai island for indefinite period over tourism damage
Today Online 17 May 16;

BANGKOK — The shoreline, beaches and coral reefs around Koh Tachai island in the Similan National Park off Phangnga province will be off-limits to all visitors for an indefinite period, starting Oct 15, according to authorities, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

The closure aims to ease negative effects on natural resources and the environment as a result of heavy tourism activities in the Similan National Park, a natural conservation area, said Mr Tunya Netithammakul, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation.

The measure is part of the masterplan for marine resource management in the Andaman Sea, he added.

All marine national parks are closed from Monday to Oct 15 during the monsoon. But after Oct 15, Koh Tachai of the Similan Islands National Park will remain closed indefinitely, he said.

However, two deep dive sites in the Similan Islands remain open to divers and tourists.

“Thanks to its beauty, Koh Tachai has become a popular tourist site for both Thai and foreign tourists. This has resulted in overcrowding and the degradation of natural resources and the environment.

“We have to close it to allow the rehabilitation of the environment both on the island and in the sea without being disturbed by tourism activities before the damage is beyond repair,” said Mr Tunya.

He said since the closure of Koh Tachai was declared more than three months in advance, tourists should watch out for some tour companies which might try to sell trips to the island after Oct 15.

Assistant Professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart University, said when he was a guest speaker at a tourism fair organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand on Sunday he found that 14 tour companies were still selling their tour packages to Koh Tachai.

“In fact, Koh Tachai is preserved as a primitive zone, not a tourist site. A beach on the island can hold up to 70 people. But sometimes the number of tourists was well over 1,000 on the beach, which was already crowded with food stalls and tour boats. This caused the island to quickly deteriorate. If it’s not closed now, we’ll lose Koh Tachai permanently,” he said.

Mr Panapol Cheevaserichol, chief of the Tatutao Islands National Park off Satun province, said like other marine national parks, Tarutao would be closed from May 16 to Oct 15.

As a result, all popular tourist spots including Koh Adang, Koh Rawi and Koh Hinngam, as well as diving spots have been closed.

However, Koh Lipe remains open as usual, Mr Panapol said. BANGKOK POST

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Indonesia: Green pigeon in danger of extinction due to hunting

Markus Makur The Jakarta Post 17 May 16;

The widespread hunting of birds in Flores has left many bird species, some endemic to the area, on the verge of extinction. Local bird species are mostly found in the Ndora-Aegela forest, a vital water catchment area and their main habitat. The forest around Ulupulu village, in Nagekeo regency, East Nusa Tenggara, is a vital habitat and requires protection. Among others, the green pigeon, locally known as punai, has long been considered a favored catch among local residents for the dual purpose of consumption and trade. Locals also poach eagles and crows.

On March 14, Samuel Rabenak, of the Burung Indonesia conservation group, visited the area and reported that several Flores pigeon species were at risk of extinction.

“Burung Indonesia members are conducting a study in the forest for the purpose of environmental protection and public awareness. Residents must not poach birds in the forest,” Rabenak told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Nagekeo regent Elias Djo said the local administration had prohibited citizens from hunting birds. The Ndora-Aegela is a protected forest and residents are prohibited from hunting in the region, he said.

“Bird hunting is prohibited in the forest. I’ve forwarded the information to the Nagekeo Forestry Office to patrol the Ndora-Aegela forested area,” said Elias.

The Natural Resource Conservation Center, located in Flores, said Monday that all wildlife species in conservation areas and protected forests have been listed as protected in order to maintain sustainablilty and balance in the ecosystem. Birds function to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds.

“Ensuring that people are aware that it is important not to hunt is very important, for the sake of sustainability and for the preservation of the forest ecosystem. Birds are vital to human survival. The government continues to inform people to not hunt birds in the forest,” Elias said.

The Burung Indonesia team recently identified two prized endemic bird species in the Ndora-Aegela forest; the Flores crow ( Corvusflorensis ) and Flores serindit/parrot ( Loriculus flosculus ). The Flores serindit is currently listed as critically endangered.

The discovery of the Flores serindit in the Ndora-Aegela forest is good news for bird lovers as well as biodiversity conservationists.

These findings can provide a new alternative for bird watching activities in Flores. The Ndora-Aegela forest is oft dismissed by bird enthusiasts who tend to visit the Mbeliling forest and Ruteng Nature Park in West Flores.

It seems the local community is less aware of the importance of the region both from the standpoint of biodiversity as well as water catchment.

“Flores is an international bird watching destination, a place to explore the jungle and observe birds endemic to Flores. Crowds of international bird watchers visit Flores Island, attracted by some of the rarest endemic birds in the world,” he added.

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More sea turtles survive with less beach debris

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ScienceDaily 16 May 16;

Clearing the beach of flotsam and jetsam increased the number of nests by as much as 200 percent, while leaving the detritus decreased the number by nearly 50 percent, report scientists at the conclusion of their study.

Conventional wisdom says removing beach debris helps sea turtles nest; now, as sea-turtle nesting season gets underway, a new University of Florida study proves it. In the study, clearing the beach of flotsam and jetsam increased the number of nests by as much as 200 percent, while leaving the detritus decreased the number by nearly 50 percent.

Sea turtles in Florida are classified as either endangered or threatened, depending on the species. Restoring their nesting habitats is critical to keeping them alive, said Ikuko Fujisaki, an assistant research professor of wildlife ecology and conservation with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

With humans encroaching on their natural habitat, sea turtles face an uphill climb to stay alive, said Fujisaki, a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the sea, but they rely on sandy beaches to reproduce.

From May 1 to Sept. 1 of each year, from 2011 through 2014, Fujisaki and her colleagues conducted an experiment along the Gulf Coast near Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. They sought to understand the effects of large debris on sea turtle nesting activities. The study area has one of the highest nesting densities of loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The debris in the area were both natural, such as fallen trees and stumps, and human-made, including concrete, pipes and metal fencing that remained on the beach after old military structures were demolished.

During the experiment, researchers recorded locations of nests and false crawls, defined as the number of times that sea turtles emerge from the Gulf waters but do not lay eggs. Researchers also removed large debris. They found sea turtle nests increased where scientists removed debris.

After researchers got rid of debris, sea turtle nest numbers increased 200 percent, and the number of false crawls increased 55 percent, the study showed. In beach sections where debris was not removed, the number of nests declined 46 percent.

"Our results showed that the presence of large debris on a sandy beach could alter the distribution of sea turtle nests by influencing turtle nest site selection," Fujisaki said.

Fujisaki's findings are published online in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey helped Fujisaki with the study

Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont. The effects of large beach debris on nesting sea turtles. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2016; 482: 33 DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2016.04.005

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Desperation grows as drought grips Cambodia

Jack Board Channel NewsAsia 18 May 16;

PHNOM PENH: Under a gloomy, heavy sky, Huot Ka paces slowly clutching her fidgeting young granddaughter.

“I don’t believe there will be any rain,” she says. “I don’t think there will be any rain for months.”

The 48-year-old is a farmer in a small village – Bandey – in Kampong Thom province north of Phnom Penh. Like many around the country, she is in the grip of one of the worst national regional droughts in recent memory.

Communities throughout Cambodia are desperately waiting for rain to end the prolonged dry season, which has resulted in cracked riverbeds, exhausted drinking water supplies and ruined food production.

Many regions have not received significant rain since late last year - in Kampong Thom locals do not recall heavy rain for about a year. About two-thirds of the country now has insufficient drinking water.

Most locals in Kampong Thom now need to buy their water from other villages.

The season’s first monsoon was expected Tuesday evening (May 17) and with it the hope of great relief following the drought caused by the current El Nino cycle of extreme weather.

But those so anxious for a downpour to replenish their fields, river and wells can hardly afford to believe in any imminent relief.

It is expected that badly affected areas will need heavy rainfall for several consecutive months to restore normal drinking water levels.

Huot Ka stares down into a small well in the dusty yard in front of her home. It is nearly completely empty and any water that can be salvaged is undrinkable and is used only to wash her cow.

“It’s so bad this year.” Next to it are pools of slimy stagnant water. It is for the ducks, she says.

Stagnant water sits beside an empty well outside the home of villager Huot Ka.

One of her village neighbours is Yean Oeun, a rice grower who believes this drought is the worst she has ever experienced.

“We haven’t had fresh water for three months,” she says. “Whenever we need water we have to go to another village. I need to buy the plastic bags to put the water in and then I need to get the water filtered.”

“My wells have never had no water in them before. But this year is different.”

A community well outside her home is normally used by 20 families in the village. Now, the water is the colour of rust and no one here knows when they will be able to drink from it again.

Wells in Kampong Thom are running dry and water left inside is dirty and undrinkable.

‘SLOW ONSET DISASTER’

Cambodia is not alone. As temperatures have hovered in the high 30s and low 40s for months, smashing historical records, the whole region from Myanmar to Vietnam has been left praying for rain.

Animals have been badly impacted, with farmers across the country reporting deaths of hundreds of cattle and water buffaloes, while monkeys and fish have also been lost in significant numbers.

Non-government organisations such as CARE Cambodia and People In Need (PIN) are combining efforts to distribute aid including water tanks, fresh water and water filters to households.

They are focusing on coastal areas around Koh Kong, where seawater has contaminated normal drinking sources, in a region that is traditionally not seen as a major drought-risk area.

Much of the land is cracked from months of no rain.

“Cambodia is used to annual flooding and many emergency preparedness plans focus on flood relief and faster onset disasters. This current drought is a slow onset disaster and far from a normal annual event,” said PIN Disaster Management Programme Manager Paul Conrad.

“The severe nature of this year’s water shortages has had such an impact that people are getting into debt to cope,” he said.

Both Huot Ka and Yean Oeun’s families have taken out loans from local banks to stay afloat. In fact, they believe every family in the village has done so.

It helps them in the short term but neither have much optimism about their next crop yields, which will be crucial to paying back the money.

Farmers like Kun Kim are running out of money and many have taken out loans to buy food and water.
“I won’t try to grow rice if there is no rain,” Oeun says. “That means I’ll have to buy rice from other people to eat.”

She said there had been no assistance from NGOs or the government here.

There are also medical concerns. At the Prey Kuy Health Centre more and more sick children and elderly residents are in need of treatment.

“There are many patients coming to the health centre, especially for diarrhea, caused by a lack of food and clean water,” said medical practitioner Lim Nim.

“This is the worst year for the children I have seen.”

UNICEF Cambodia says malnourishment and disease is already a prevailing problem for children in the country. Although there is no data to show the drought has worsened these levels, spokesman Meas Bunly says there are inherent risks for children in extreme conditions.

"Children are amongst the most vulnerable in situations of water shortages as they could be exposed to water-borne diseases and their nutritional status could be jeopardised by disease or reduced water and food intake," he said.

He added that many children have not been attending school in order to support struggling families.

Children are suffering from diarrhea due to a lack of clean drinking water.

WEATHER WARNING

As rain slowly began to drizzle then pour from the sky in Kampong Thom that day, there was hardly a commotion from people on the street.

Indeed, they saw no reason to celebrate.

A few showers, like they had witnessed increasingly over previous days and weeks, would not break this drought and could potentially even cause more problems.

“People should take caution amid the phenomenon of thunderstorms, lightning and heavy winds that will occur from May 17 to 25,” the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said in a statement on Sunday.

As quickly as the rain came, it was gone. It seems that the wet season is just teasing.

Despite some heavy showers, it will take months of persistent rain to break the drought.
Prime Minister Hun Sen last month instructed the country to band together. “Do not leave any people at risk of their lives because of this shortage of water,” he said. “This is my absolute order.”

People are united in their struggle and help each other where they can. But they know that true salvation will only come from Mother Nature, and she is being as unpredictable as ever.

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