Malaysia: Over 1,000 exotic turtles worth RM600,000 seized in sting operation

SIMON KHOO The Star 26 Jul 16;

PETALING JAYA: The Wildlife Crime Unit has seized more than 1,000 exotic turtles and detained four foreigners during a sting operation here and in Kuala Lumpur.

The seizure is worth an estimated RM600,000.

In announcing this, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said four Indian nationals have been detained to assist in investigations.

Dr Wan Junaidi said two suspects were detained in the first raid at a house in Petaling Jaya at about 7pm on Monday.

"A total of 1,011 Star tortoises and 23 Indian Roofed turtles were seized.

"In a follow-up at a budget hotel in Kuala Lumpur, two other suspects were picked up early today (Tuesday)," he said.

Dr Wan Junaidi said the enforcement officers found 36 Black Pond turtles in four bags.

Checks showed all the four suspects did not possess any licence from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to keep the reptiles.

The suspects will be investigated under Section 68 of the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 for keeping wildlife without a special permit.

The offence carries a jail term of up to three years, a maximum fine of RM100,000, or both upon conviction.


Turtles worth RM600,000 rescued
SIMON KHOO The Star 27 Jul 16;

PETALING JAYA: They were destined to be sold to keen buyers. But thanks to the Wildlife Crime Unit, over 1,000 endangered and exotic turtles were rescued from their captors and will be shipped back to their country of origin soon.

The animals are now under the pro­­tection of the Wildlife and Na­­tional Parks Department (Perhilitan) after being smuggled into the country by air in luggage bags.

They were kept in a rented house awaiting orders – made online –before they were supposed to be shipped out by syndicate members with wide international links.

Sources said buyers, both Ma­­lay­­sians and foreigners, were willing to pay between RM300 and RM1,000 each for the reptiles to be kept as pets.

The unit has been monitoring the syndicate and its online transactions for several months before moving in to nab the culprits.

The raid resulted in the ar­rest of four Indian nationals, aged between 32 and 39, and the seizure of the reptiles worth about RM600,000.

In announcing the success, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it was the biggest seizure of exotic turtles and tortoises by Perhilitan in recent years.

“The suspects will be investigated under Section 68 of the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 for keeping wildlife without any proper documentation,” he said, adding that Perhilitan was tracking down other syndicate members.

The offence carries a jail term of up to three years, a maximum fine of RM100,000 or both upon conviction.

During Monday’s 7pm raid at a house in Taman Aman here, two suspects were detained while 1,011 Indian Star tortoises and 23 Indian Roofed turtles were rescued.

Some of the reptiles were ready to be shipped out via air and placed inside luggage bags.

In a follow-up raid at a budget hotel in Jalan Tun Perak, Kuala Lumpur early yesterday, two more suspects were detained.

This time, enforcement officers found 36 Black Pond turtles stuffed inside four bags, awaiting transportation out of the country.

A special permit is required to keep these exotic reptiles.

A Google search showed that the Indian Roofed turtle is a popular victim of illegal wildlife trade because of its oddly-shaped shell and tiger-patterned belly.

The Indian Star tortoise is popular as a pet and a spiritual symbol, largely because of its striking shell that has a star-like radiating pattern of yellow and black.

These tortoises command pre­mium prices in international market and their high sale value in South-East Asian markets also makes them a top-traded species.

According to wildlife monitoring group Traffic, the Black Pond turtle is facing extinction as demand for it as an exotic pet booms.

This relatively rare species can only be found in rivers in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and regarded as one of the most attractive turtles because of its spotted skin and boldly patterned shell.

Both the Indian Star tortoise and Black Pond turtles are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, meaning that international trade in these species is prohibited.

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Malaysia: Johor proposes ferry services to Singapore

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 26 Jul 16;

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pic) said the proposal was to help ease the traffic congestion at the Causeway and the Second Link faced by road users and commuters who travelled between Malaysia and Singapore via Johor Baru.

He said the ferry terminal would offer services from Kong Kong in Pasir Gudang to Singapore’s Changi Ferry Terminal, which offers ferry services to Tanjung Belungkor in Desaru here and Batam, Indonesia.

“The proposed ferry terminal, which includes water taxi services, would enable those staying in the east of Johor Baru like those in Pasir Gudang and working in Singapore to cut down on travel time,” he said on Tuesday.

Mohamed Khaled said this when attending the Johor Baru-Singapore Taxi Services Terminal Management Hari Raya open house.

Johor wants 'water taxi' service between Kong Kong, Pasir Gudang and Changi
AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN New Straits Times 26 Jul 16;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor government is seeking to set up a 'water taxi' service for passengers and vehicles between Kong Kong, Pasir Gudang and Changi, Singapore.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said a feasibility study would be conducted by the Federal government on the service, that will involve the usage of ferries to ply the 20-minute route.

He said the service will connect the eastern part of Johor with Singapore, and would benefit travellers coming to and from Pengerang, which is an upcoming oil and gas hub in southeast Johor.

"There is a proposal to operate a water taxi from Changi to a new terminal in Kong Kong that will connect Singapore to eastern Johor within 20 minutes.

"It is not only a passenger ferry, but one that will transport vehicles.

This has been brought to the Federal government for consideration.

"It is much welcomed and should be promoted because it could overcome and reduce the usage of the Causeway and Second Link," Khaled told reporters after attending an Aidilfitri event organised by Johor Baru-Singapore taxi driver operators.


Johor proposes water taxis from Pasir Gudang to Singapore
Channel NewsAsia 26 Jul 16;

JOHOR: The Johor state government has proposed to introduce water taxi services between the Kong Kong terminal in Pasir Gudang and Singapore's Changi terminal.

This was announced by Johor's Chief Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin at a Hari Raya event on Tuesday (Jul 26), according to local media reports.

A feasibility study will be conducted on the service, which will involve 20 ferries plying the 20-minute route, the New Straits Times quoted the chief minister as saying.

The ferries will not only carry passengers, but will also be able to transport vehicles, he said, adding that the proposal should be welcomed as it would help "overcome and reduce the usage of the Causeway and Second Link".

The Changi ferry terminal currently offers ferry services to Tanjung Belungkor, which is a 15-minute drive from tourist attraction Desaru. There are also boats to take passengers from Changi Point ferry terminal to Pengerang in southeastern Johor.

- CNA/Bernama/hs


Facility in Pasir Gudang will help reduce congestion and boost tourism, says Johor MB
The Star 28 Jul 16;

JOHOR BARU: Johor has proposed for a ferry terminal in Pasir Gudang as a means to help reduce congestion as a large volume of commuters are travelling between Malaysia and Singapore through the Causeway and Second Link.

The new terminal, to be set up in Kong Kong, would include water taxi services besides vehicles to ferry them to Singapore’s Changi Ferry Terminal, said Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

“With this service, we hope to at least reduce the congestion at the two existing routes to and from Singapore.

“I cannot say for sure by how much we can cut down the traffic at the existing routes as that would need to be studied first,” he said when attending the Johor Baru-Singapore Taxi Service Terminal Management Hari Raya open house on Tuesday.

He added that the proposal would be submitted to the Federal Government soon to consider and once given the green light, the project would start next year.

He said the proposed terminal was also an alternative mode of transportation for those staying in the east of Johor Baru such as Pasir Gudang as it would cut down on travelling time to Singapore.

“It takes about 20 minutes from the proposed terminal to Changi and this is convenient as commuters need not go all the way to the city centre (for Causeway) and Gelang Patah (for Second Link),” he said.

He added that the terminal would also create job opportunities, such as businesses and for public transportation like taxi services.

“Once we launch Pengerang and Desaru as the next tourism attraction next year, more Singaporeans would be visiting Johor.

“This increases the need for such a terminal to be set up here,” he said.

The island republic’s ferry terminal currently offers services to Tanjung Belungkor in Desaru here and Batam, Indonesia.

No request from Johor authorities on ferry services to S’pore yet: MPA
Today Online 28 Jul 16;

SINGAPORE — More connections - including ferry services - between Singapore and Malaysia are welcome, but no request has been made by the Johor authorities yet, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in response to media reports that Johor was keen on ferry links to ease traffic congestion at the land checkpoints.

On Tuesday (July 26), The Star reported that the Johor state government had suggested setting up a ferry service as an alternative transport option for commuters travelling to and from Singapore.

Johor Chief Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin had told reporters that a proposed ferry terminal could offer services from Kong Kong in Pasir Gudang to Singapore’s Changi Ferry Terminal.

In response to queries, an MPA spokesperson said: “Singapore welcomes enhanced connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore, including ferry services. MPA has yet to receive any request from Johor Port Authority regarding additional ferry services to new destinations from Changi Ferry Terminal. When we receive such a request, MPA will assess its feasibility.”

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Indonesia: Sampit`s urban forest to feature peat swamp

Antara 26 Jul 16;

Sampit (ANTARA News) - The urban forest in Sampit, Central Kalimantan province will be featuring peat swamp as its defining characteristic, the Head of Forestry and Plantation Office, Sanggul Lumban Gaol, said here on Tuesday.

"Our urban forest is different from those generally developed in high altitude areas. Spread over an area of 296 hectares, ours is the largest such forest developed in the middle of a city," he added.

The development of the urban forest involved an expert team from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) that had drawn up the master plan.

The master plan will be a reference for formulating a forest development policy.

The forest will be a tourist research site and an icon of Sampit, whose peat layers reach at least four meters.

This year, the government will make trenches and construct a dam to prevent any fires from occurring in the urban forest. Last year, most of the urban forest area was burnt.

"We have to preserve the germplasm such as typical swamp timber. We will develop the forest according to the directions of the research team," Sanggul noted, adding that the project will be completed in five years.

"We are expecting the urban forest will be ready and will be available for tourism and study purposes within five years," he stressed.

Sanggul informed that the office is also cooperating with the Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) and the management of Bogor Botanical Garden to build the Sampit Botanical Garden.

The spokesman of the UGM experts, Kaharudin, mentioned that the team has surveyed the lands for urban forest. It will have a 500 meter wide buffer of forest belt surrounding the area.

During the survey, the team found 42 species of plants and abandoned orangutans nests.

"The urban forest can function as peat swamp and germplasm conservation site, a tourist site, and a research and study site. In addition, it is also the citys natural landmark," he concluded.
(Uu.KR-LWA/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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Indonesia: Police need to explain halting investigation on forest fires -- Lawmaker

Antara 26 Jul 16;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputy chairman of Commission III of the House of Representatives Benny K Harman said police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has to give reason for halting investigation of cases of forest fires involving 15 companies in Riau.

"The police chief has to openly give reasons for issuing order to halt investigations (SP3) of the forest fires," Benny here on Tuesday.

He also asked President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)to summon the police chief to explain the decision to issue SP3 as the cases have national and international dimension.

He said the forest fires have destroyed the environment and claimed lives that the public began to raise question as to "why police is that easy to issue SP3."

He said without immediate explanation, the SPT decision could spawn a lot of prejudices in the public.

"There are already rumor that the president has ordered the police chief to issue the SP3 order on pressure from big companies," he said, adding, therefore, explanation is necessary.

He said the Commission III would monitor the process of how the cases would be handled.

Law enforcement must not be firm only when dealing with ordinary members of the community, he said.

The Riau police chief has issued an order to stop investigation of forest and peat land fires in Riau on "lack of evidence."

Police chief spokesman Ins.Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said police would not take side among companies charged with forest fires that devastated wide rain forests in Riau in 2015.

"I see there are a number of cases going to court. Therefore, not all are stopped with SP3," Boy said.

He said the reason could lack of evidence to charge the 15 companies, adding "we will give full explanation of the SP3 cases.

Earlier, a non governmental organization in Pekanbaru, Riau, asked President Jokowi to evaluate the performance of Riau police chief Brig. Gen. Supriyanto for issuing the SP3 order.

The call by the Riau Forest Safety Work Net (Jikalahari) came when Jokowi summoned all regional police chiefs and heads of high prosecution office to Jakarta to hear the presidents evaluation of their performance over the past year.

Jikalahari said the Riau police chief has issued SP3 on 11 of 18 companies accused of setting fires on forest and peat lands in the province last year.

The 11 companies are PT Bumi Daya Laksana, PT Siak Raya Timber, PT Perawang Sukses Perkasa Industri, PT Hutani Sola Lestari, PT Bukit Raya Pelalawan, KUD Bina Jaya Langgam (HTI), PT Pan United, PT Riau Jaya Utama, PT Alam Lestari, PT Parawira and PT Langgam Inti Hibrido, Coordinator of the organization Woro Supartinah said.

So far there were only two cases were brought to court and the suspects were individuals instead of the corporations.
(Uu.H-ASG/A014)

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On first International Day, UNESCO calls for protection of mangrove ecosystems

UN News Centre 26 Jul 16;

26 July 2016 – Mangroves are rare and vital ecosystems that help to protect coastlines and mitigate the effects of climate change, but their survival is being jeopardized, the United Nations cultural agency said today, calling for greater preservation efforts as the international community marks the first ever International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

“Mangroves are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. They ensure food security for local communities. They provide biomass, forest products and sustain fisheries. They contribute to the protection of coastlines. They help mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a message to mark the Day.

“This is why the protection of mangrove ecosystems is essential today. Their survival faces serious challenges – from the alarming rise of the sea level and biodiversity that is increasingly endangered. The earth and humanity simply cannot afford to lose these vital ecosystems,” she added.

Mangroves – ecosystems located on the interface of land and sea in tropical regions – can play an important role in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and increasing resilience to climate change impacts, by acting as a form of natural coastal defense. However, mangroves are disappearing three to five times faster than overall global forest losses, with serious ecological and socio-economic impacts, UNESCO said.

The proclamation of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem – which was adopted in November 2015 by the General Conference of UNESCO – underlined the importance of the mangrove ecosystem as a “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem, providing by virtue of their existence, biomass and productivity substantial benefits to human beings, providing forestry, fishery goods and services as well as contributing to the protection of the coastline and being particularly relevant in terms of mitigation of the effects of climate change and food security for local communities.”

UNESCO noted that it has always been on the frontline of promoting new and harmonious relations between humanity and nature, where the preservation of mangrove ecosystems carries “special importance.” To this end, the agency is working with partners on an open initiative on mangroves and sustainable development.

“On this first International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, UNESCO's message is clear. Taking forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development means forging new sustainable pathways to development in harmony with the earth. This means preserving all mangrove ecosystems,” said Ms. Bokova.

UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves has 86 sites out of 669 that include areas of mangroves. Many are in developing countries and Small Island Developing States – such as La Hotte Biosphere Reserve in Haiti and the island of Principe in Sao Tome and Principe, as well as the Can Gio Mangrove in Viet Nam.

In addition, the UNESCO World Heritage List includes the Sundarbans, the largest unbroken mangrove system in the world, shared between Bangladesh and India and home to the iconic Royal Bengal Tiger.

The UNESCO Global Geoparks Network also has mangrove sites, such as the Langkawi Global Geopark of Malaysia.


Sri Lanka prime minister: Mangroves curb climate threat
Mark Kinver BBC News 26 Jul 16;

Sri Lanka's prime minister has said mangroves' ability to swiftly absorb carbon make the forests vital in the fight against climate change.

His comments come on a day marking the first anniversary of a project to protect all of the nation's mangroves.

As well as storing carbon, the forests provide habitat for fish and protect communities from tsunamis and cyclones.

Also on Tuesday - World Mangrove Day - Sri Lanka's president will open the world's first mangrove museum.

The museum will act as a hub for conservation training for adults, and educating children about the value of mangroves. It is

The Sri Lankan government has also included mangrove forest conservation into its national curriculum.

The museum is a central pillar of a five-year programme to protect all of the island nation's mangroves.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said: "Mangroves swiftly absorb carbon dioxide and inject oxygen into the atmosphere, maintaining an ecological balance vital for the environment.

"It is my belief that the mangrove restoration project will generate much needed awareness among key stakeholders such as the community, leisure sector personnel, tourists, and the general public."

He added: "It is my hope that this will be the beginning of a long-term effort to sustain the mangroves for greater conservation benefit."

In partnership with island conservation organisation Seacology and local NGO Sudeesa, the Sri Lankan government has identified all of the nation's 15,000 hectares of mangrove forests, and has surveyed almost half of them.

Ministers have also introduced legislation to protect the habitats and have assigned forest officers to help guard them.

Green gold

Seacology executive director Duane Silverstein explained that although the project required US $3.4 million of funding, the sum was dwarfed when the ecosystem services provided by Sri Lanka's mangrove forests were taken into account.

"In last year, research has been published looking at the economic value of mangrove in Asia," he said.

"It has concluded that each hectare has a value of US $194,000 - that would put an economic value of our project at US $2.9 billion."

He told BBC News that mangroves were critical in a number of areas, socially as well as environmentally.

"Firstly, they provide nurseries for young fish, which are protected among the mangrove roots," he explained.

"Secondly, and increasingly important, they provide protection from natural disasters such as tsunamis and cyclones. They disperse the energy in the sea and waves, therefore the villages that have intact mangroves suffer significantly less damage.

"Thirdly, and most importantly, mangrove forests sequester far much more carbon than other times of forest. A recent UN report estimated that mangroves store about 1,000 tonnes per hectare in their biomass and underlying soil. There is a minimum of 15,000 hectares of mangrove in Sri Lanka, meaning that the country's mangroves are sequestering 15 million tonnes of carbon."

Global problem

One of the threats facing mangrove forests around the world is the emergence of shrimp farms in order to meet the growing global demand for shrimps/prawns.

In order to build saltwater ponds needed to rear the crustaceans, mangroves - which grown in the intertidal area of shorelines - are felled, either legally or illegally.

This practice has been identified by the United Nations as one of the main drivers for the loss of the valuable and most at-risk habitat, with more than half of mangroves being lost or felled over the past century.

However, the development of shrimp farms in Sri Lanka had resulted in a significant fall in fish catch yields, say local conservationists.

This resulted in local fishing communities losing incomes and livelihoods, making them aware of the importance and value of healthy mangrove forests, and keen to protect them.

Mr Silverstein said that the conservation model adopted in Sri Lanka could be rolled out to other mangrove-rich nations, however he added that "one size would not fit all".

"However, it is very clear that we are demonstrating that a nation can preserve all of its mangroves, and still improve the economic quality of people's lives.

"Although the Sri Lanka project has four more years to run, it does take many years of planning. We are looking at working with another nation to do something similar."

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Best of our wild blogs: 26 Jul 16

Mass coral bleaching at Sentosa, Tanjung Rimau
wild shores of singapore

Butterfly Photography 101 Part 2 - Macro Photography and Magnification Devices
Butterflies of Singapore

Poll on Plastic Bag Charge – Volunteer signup to conduct interview
Zero Waste Singapore

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Nearly 10,000 dengue cases reported in Singapore this year

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jul 16;

SINGAPORE: Nearly 10,000 dengue cases have been reported in Singapore since the start of the year, with more than 200 new cases reported each week for the past five weeks, according to latest figures published on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) dengue website.

There were 266 dengue cases in the week ending Jul 23, up from the 223 cases reported in the previous week. Another 33 cases were reported between Jul 24 and 3pm on Jul 25.

A total of 9,912 cases have been reported this year. Six people have died of the disease so far, with the latest fatality a 72-year-old woman who lived in Simei. There were four dengue fatalities in the whole of 2015.

There are now 43 active dengue clusters in Singapore – down from 44 the previous week – including nine classified as high-risk. The biggest cluster is in the Telok Kurau and Dunbar Walk area, where 83 cases have been reported, including 11 in the past fortnight.

The area around Admiralty Drive and Sembawang Drive is the second-largest cluster, with 54 cases reported so far, including five in the past two weeks.The area around Jalan Ismail and Lorong Marican near Eunos has also been classified as high-risk, with 53 cases reported, including five in the past fortnight.

In an advisory on its dengue website, NEA called for vigilance from homeowners to prevent mosquito breeding amid the traditional peak season for dengue in Singapore. The majority of mosquito breeding habitats are still being found in homes, such as in domestic containers, flower pot plates and trays, it said.

The Ministry of Health and NEA have warned that the number of dengue cases in Singapore may exceed 30,000 this year, higher than the record of 22,170 reported in 2013.

- CNA/cy

Dengue cases this year cross 10,000 mark
Channel NewsAsia 2 Aug 16;

SINGAPORE: The number of dengue cases in Singapore has crossed the five-figure mark, with 10,137 cases reported since the start of the year, according to latest figures published on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) dengue website.

There were 224 dengue cases in the week ending Jul 30, down from the 266 cases reported in the previous week. Another 34 cases were reported between Jul 24 and 3pm on Jul 25.

Six people have died of the disease so far, with the latest fatality a 72-year-old woman who lived in Simei. There were four dengue fatalities in the whole of 2015.

There are now 51 active dengue clusters in Singapore – up from 43 the previous week – including nine classified as high-risk. The biggest cluster is in the Telok Kurau and Dunbar Walk area, where 96 cases have been reported, including 13 in the past fortnight.

The area around Admiralty Drive and Sembawang Drive is the second-largest cluster, with 61 cases reported so far, including seven in the past two weeks. The area around Jalan Ismail and Lorong Marican near Eunos has also been classified as high-risk, with 53 cases reported, including one in the past fortnight.

In an advisory on its dengue website, NEA called for vigilance from homeowners to prevent mosquito breeding amid the traditional peak season for dengue in Singapore. The majority of mosquito breeding habitats are still being found in homes, such as in domestic containers, flower pot plates and trays, it said.

The Ministry of Health and NEA have warned that the number of dengue cases in Singapore may exceed 30,000 this year, higher than the record of 22,170 reported in 2013.

- CNA/cy

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Malaysia: Law to protect sharks in the works

NICHOLAS CHENG The Star 26 Jul 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: Under Malaysian law, sharks can be consumed because they are considered “fish”.

That can soon change with a new legislation that is aimed at listing sharks as a protected animal.

Sharks, which come under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), is listed as “fish” under the Fisheries Act.

What Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar wants to do is to remove sharks from the purview of the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry (MOA) and to recognise it as a protected species under a planned Protected Marine Species Act.

Following the circulation of gory images of alleged shark finning activities in Pulau Mabul, near Sipadan in Sabah, he said: “It’s rather unfortunate that our law defines sharks as fish. It’s not under me, it’s under the MOA.

“They are concerned about food, protein and consumption while at the same time they are also looking after the sharks.

“So, there is a bit of a conflict there,” he told reporters yesterday.

Dr Wan Junaidi said his ministry was drafting a Protected Marine Species Act, so that “anything under CITES will be placed under my ministry”.

“Let the fish for consumption be under the MOA and let the protected species in the sea and rivers be under my ministry,” he said.

Dr Wan Junaidi said negotiations with the MOA were in the initial stages, which may see an amendment to the Fisheries Act in order to make way for the proposed law.

However, he said the drafting of the Act itself was almost done.

“Now it is just the high-level negotiations and getting it to Cabinet and Parliament,” he said.

On the Pulau Mabul shark finning photographs, Dr Wan Junaidi said he could not verify the authenticity of the reports but environmentalists have already expressed outrage over the issue.

Malaysia, according to the World Wildlife Fund, is the ninth largest producer of shark products and the third largest importer of shark fins in the world.

Conservation organisation Traffic reported that more than 231 tonnes of sharks were caught in Malaysia between 2002 and 2011, accounting for 2.9% of the total globally-reported shark catch.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation reported that between 2004 and 2011, the domestic consumption of shark fins by Malaysians jumped an average of 54% each year.

Images of de-finned sharks and shark products being sold openly in Sabah have triggered calls by environmentalists and even Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun to impose a ban on the activity.

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Malaysia: Wild jumbo placed in forest reserve

The Star 26 Jul 16;

GERIK: A wild male elephant, aged more than 30 years, was relocated to the Royal Belum Forest Reserve after it was captured by the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department.

The elephant named Awang Perah was relocated last Wednesday after it was sedated and brought out of Kampung Perah here with the help of two female decoy elephants from the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre in Temerloh.

Under the guidance of decoy elephants Kala and Rambai, the wild elephant was taken out of the village area on a special lorry yesterday.

The operation led by the centre’s Elephant Unit chief Nasharuddin Othman involved 25 personnel from the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department and the centre.

Nasharuddin said villagers reported seeing the wild elephant near the Perah highway stopover area.

“The elephant was responsible for destroying crops such as banana trees in Kampung Perah for several months,” he said. — Bernama

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Malaysia: Close watch on weevil infestations on palm trees

The Star 26 Jul 16;

KOTA TINGGI: The Johor Agriculture Department is currently monitoring red palm weevil (RPW) infestations on palm trees, especially date palm, said its director Ahmad Kamil Mohd Yunus.

He said at the moment the department was controlling the situation with the use of RPW pesticides to ensure the infestations were under control and not threatening crops.

“Together with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), we are also monitoring the red palm weevils in oil palm plantations,” he said after launching an agricultural support services programme at Kampung Temenin Baru, Kota Tinggi here recently.

He said under the Plant Quarantine Act 1976, the date palm trees were not allowed to be imported or brought in as they were linked to the entry of harmful pests, which will not only affect date palms but also coconut and oil palm trees.

“If convicted, the guilty party can be subject to a fine of RM10,000 and will also bear all costs to control and destroy the pests,” he said.

“Right now, if we detect the presence of the pest on any plantations, a notice will be issued to the farmers to destroy the trees,” he said in response to the attacks on date palm plantations in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

On the service programme, he said the practice of going to the ground was a direct and great way to learn about problems faced by farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs and subsequently in resolving them.

A total of 57 Johor agricultural officers took part in the programme to give advice to farmers on growing of durian and duku trees, kelulut honey production as well as on nursery management. – Bernama

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Indonesia: Police drop fire cases in W. Kalimantan

Jakarta Post 25 Jul 16;

West Kalimantan Police will not prosecute a company and three individuals allegedly involved in four cases of land and forest fires in 2015, citing a lack of evidence.

Local police spokesman Sr. Comr. Suhadi SW confirmed recently the legal process involving the four cases had been terminated.

“Following a preliminary investigation we came to the conclusion that there is not sufficient evidence to build those cases,” Suhadi said.

In total, 35 cases of land and forest fires occurred last year, four of which allegedly involved companies and the remaining 31 involved individuals. Suhadi did not reveal the identity of the companies and the individuals.

Meanwhile, West Kalimantan has been free from haze as of July because of a lower number of hotspots compared to last year. In the January to July 2016 period, authorities detected 43 hotspots, which were far fewer than the 378 hotspots found in the same period last year.

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Indonesia: Way Kambas National Park Declared 36th Asean Heritage Park

Ratri M. Siniwi Jakarta Globe 25 Jul 16;

Jakarta. The Way Kambas National Park in Lampung province, southern Sumatra, was officially declared the 36th Asean Heritage Park on Monday (25/07).

The national park – which serves as a home for endangered wildlife such as the Sumatran elephant and Sumatran tiger – was selected as a conservation area during the last previous Asean Heritage Park hearing.

"The inauguration of [Way Kambas National Park] as an Asean Heritage Park is the highest honor for [the park], emphasizing its importance as a conservation area," Lampung acting provincial secretary Sutono told Republika online news outlet on Monday.

According to Sutono, the Way Kambas National Park is the only conservation area in the world where the Sumatran rhino is bred semi-naturally in the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.

"In May, the international conservation world received the good news of the birth of two-horned Sumatran rhinos at the Sumatran rhino sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park," Sutono told state news agency Antara. He added that the birth was evidence of the park's success in managing the breeding of endangered rhinos.

The Way Kambas National Park is the fourth Asean Heritage Park in Indonesia.

Two of the other national parks are also in Sumatra. They are the Mount Leuser National Park and the Kerinci Seblat National Park. The fourth is the Lorentz National Park in Papua.

Sutono believes declaring the conservation area an Asean Heritage Park – a title only given to selected protected areas with high biodiversity and unique ecosystems in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region – is a form of commitment along with the Asean Heritage Park committee to continue preserving the flora and fauna in the area.

The fifth Asean Heritage Park committee hearing is held in Bandar Lampung and all 10 Asean members are invited to discuss biodiversity and conservation matters in the region.

According to Republika, Indonesia has listed Jakarta's Thousand Islands and Southeast Sulawesi's Wakatobi as this year's nominees for the Asean Heritage Park listing.

Launched in 2009, the triennial meeting is organized by the Asean Center for Biodiversity, whose committee members discuss, evaluate and nominate conservation areas in South East Asia.

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