Malaysia: Act on water security issue now -- Expert

JOASH EE DE SILVA The Star 6 Oct 16;

PETALING JAYA: A water specialist has called on the authorities to immediately address the issue of water security in the country.

Water quality and modelling specialist Dr Zaki Zainudin said that the frequency of water disruption was worrying, especially since it also af­fects Putrajaya, the administrative capital of the nation.

“There seems to be the same pro­blem every year and steps must be taken to prevent the contamination.

“If our water sources are susceptible to contamination, who is to say they are not susceptible to sabotage?” asked Dr Zaki.

On the recurring problems of contamination at Sungai Semenyih dam, he said the dam was around 50km away from the treatment plant and the river, which passes through the town, was susceptible to contamination from various sources along the way.

He proposed three options, firstly to build protective canals or pipes for the water to stream directly to the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant from the dam.

The second is to build a treatment plant near the dam and supply the water directly to existing water supply networks which are already protected and the third is to upgrade the treatment plant with advance water treatment technology.

“The first option is very costly as that would require the building of 40-50km of pipes, and the third is not recommendable because this would mean the river is allowed to be more polluted and the culprits will go scot-free, so the authorities have to weigh the pros and cons of all the options,” he said.

Regarding the water contamination at the treatment plant, Dr Zaki advised those at the plant to test and look be­­yond conventional contaminants such as ammonia and manganese which have been the usual cause of water disruption.

“My advice is that if the odour of the contaminant is a solvent and has a pungent smell, then maybe they should test for hydrocarbons as they give off a pungent smell,” he said.

He added that plant maintenance must also be in tip-top condition and all probable loose ends must be addressed until the source of contamination was identified.

“It may also be worthwhile for the treatment plant to assess and review its own treatment system and processes just to be sure it’s not compounding the problem,” Dr Zaki said.

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Indonesia: NASA satellites detect 48 hotspots across Sumatra

Antara 5 Oct 16;

Pekanbaru (ANTARA News) - The Terra and Aqua satellites of NASA detected 48 hotspots across Sumatra Island on Wednesday morning.

Of the total number, nearly 71 per cent, that is 34 hotspots, were found in North Sumatra Province, Slamet Riyadi, spokesman of the data section of the Pekanbaru meteorology station said here.

In North Sumatra, 16 hotspots were detected in Padang Lawas district, 15 in north Lawas and three from other regions.

Riau Province had nine hotspots comprising four in Bengkalis District, two each in Kampar and Rokan Hulu Districts, and one in Indragiri.

Wildfires in Riau gutted a total of 3,734 hectares of forest, peatland and plantations.

The Riau provincial police have detained 93 suspects for allegedly intentionally setting fires, presumably to clear land for farming.

Meanwhile, West Sumatra Province had five hotspots.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)

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Indonesia: Philippine birds make stopover in Ketapang

Severianus Endi The Jakarta Post 5 Oct 16;

Conservationists in Ketapang, West Kalimantan have spotted several birds perching on shady trees in city parks and along streets, recently.

However, they are not the usual birds found in the area. They are migrating birds from the Philippines stopping over in Tanjongpura Park in downtown Ketapang. The 50 to 70 birds have been identified as Philippine starlings.

Ketapang Biodiversity Keeping (KBK) director Abdurahman Alqadrie said migratory birds from various parts of the world stopped over in Ketapang regency between September and April each year as part of their migratory cycle.

“Philippine starlings are forest birds. During migration, they transit in the city center,” Abdurrahman said Monday.

He added that birds stopping over in the city park indicated that the city provided adequate open green spaces for them to rest and find food.

Philippine starlings measure about 18 centimeters and are long and dark.

Males can be identified by their light gray or dark yellow head, with a whitish lower body, shiny dark purple back, black wings with white shoulder line and black tail. Meanwhile, the upper body of the female bird is grayish-brown, with a whitish lower body, black wings and tail.

The birds feed on small fruits and seeds of shady trees generally found in the city. Abdurahman said the presence of the birds serve was representative of the city’s conditions.

“They will stay for around a month before continuing their migration to other places. They are safe here,” said Abdurahman.

Ketapang and North Kayong regencies are located along the coast and every year serve as temporary destinations for migratory birds. KBK, mainly comprising wild nature photographers, conducts observation, documentation and data collection on the migratory birds.

Abdurahman said around 24 species of shorebirds stopped over along the coast in both regencies. Besides the shorebirds, several types forest birds, including the chesnut-cheeked starling, are also observed there.

The migratory chain of the shorebird species begins from the Siberian coast in northern Asia, then to Southeast Asia, including Ketapang and North Kayong regencies in Indonesia. They then continue their journey to the shores in Australia and New Zealand.

Three preying bird species, or raptors from Japan have also been observed in Ketapang. From Japan, these birds migrate to Peninsular Malaysia, then enter Indonesia in Ketapang and later return home to Japan. The three raptor species are identified as the oriental honey buzzard, nippon eagle and perigrin falcon.

Authorities in West Kalimantan have not carried out specific activities related to the migration of the birds, unlike in Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, where the migration of various types of birds from Alaska to Europe, Africa and Asia, has raised people’s awareness on the importance of maintaining the ecosystem and wildlife habitat. At Lake Limboto in Gorontalo this year, the Migratory Bird Festival was organized by a group of biodiversity observers.

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Has hope become the most endangered species in conservation?

As wildlife continues to decline around the world, conservation has become a bleak calling. Can a new Optimism Summit help reframe the mission to save life on Earth?
Jeremy Hance The Guardian 5 Oct 16;

Want to hear a sad story? You could read this article of mine about the first mammal lost to climate change. Or this one about how there are only 60 vaquita left on the planet. Or here’s my piece on how forest elephants are being decimated even as scientists debate if they are worthy of being called a distinct species. As an environmental journalist, I sometimes feel it’s my job to simply document the decline of life on planet Earth. The word ‘depressing’ doesn’t even begin to describe it.

For many of us – myself included some days – the desperate state of our environment leaves us numb with sadness and, frankly, lost in hopelessness. We don’t act, because we don’t know what to do; we don’t act, because there’s only so much negativity we can swallow before we throw up our hands and go back to playing Pokemon Go. Without any dose of hope, we feel ourselves succumbing to despair.

Optimism summit

There may be a cure coming, however. As I write this, there is a small but growing movement within conservation to bring back a little optimism, a little hope, a little wonder into what has become a decidedly bleak calling. This week, the Zoological Society of London and Oxford University announced a Conservation Optimism Summit for 2017 in Oxford, culminating in a big Earth Day public celebration focused on the world’s youth.

For the first time, the summit will see conservationists from around the world gather to discuss how to change the culture of despair in conservation and share upbeat stories about what’s working from the Philippines to Belize to the hedgeros of the UK.

The concern that conservation, and environmentalism for that matter, has become drowned in a culture of negativity has been simmering for awhile now. A paper in 2010 identified a “culture of hopelessness” in conservation biology, which the authors feared would make it harder for conservation to succeed. They argued eloquently that a glass-half-empty outlook would make it difficult to attract young peopleto conservation careers. They also warned that the constant drip-drip-drip of despair would only succeed in bringing in people who already have a negative view of the world, creating a feedback loop of despairism.

The call for more optimism in conservation is underpinned by psychology: it turns out if something sounds hopeless, or too big to turn around, most people will just shrug their shoulders and go on with their lives. Apathy is often the result of gloomy messaging. This has been extensively studied in regards to climate change, but next year’s summit will be the first time it’s addressed for conservation in such a formal and public setting. If conservationists aren’t able to turn around the narrative, they fear they will continue to lose public interest, support, and, in the long run, the battle to preserve life on Earth.

Understandable gloom-and-doom

But it will be a delicate dance to inject optimism without undercutting the fact that biodiversity and bioabundance around the world are in deep trouble.

It’s not an exaggeration to say we’ve mucked up our world. The climate is rapidly warming while our oceans are being emptied and acidified. We are still cutting down forests as if they have no value beyond chopsticks and office paper, while many of the world’s habitats have simply been silenced by over-hunting, indiscriminate trapping, and relentless killing. Meanwhile, there are 7-plus billion Homo sapiens – and we all require food, clothing and shelter, not to mention cars, air conditioners and smart phones. All this means we are facing the prospect of a mass extinction not seen since the comet that took out the dinosaurs.

But there are other stories in conservation. Without the passion of generations of conservationists, we would very likely live in a world today without bison, rhinos, big cats or whales. There would be few, if any, bald eagles left. There would be zero California condors. Elephants might only be in zoos. There would never have been any Prezwalski’s horses or Kihansi spray toads to re-release back into the wild.

Without hard-working conservationists, we would live in a world lacking national parks and other protected areas. Imagine that: how many more species would be extinct? How many more wildernesses would have been razed? The fact that around 15% of our land has been set aside as protected or indigenous areas is something worthy of unbridled celebration.

The long game

Part of what makes optimism in conservation so challenging is the global trend of decline in wildlife, but it’s also that success stories are often decades, if not generations, in the making.

The people who first started caring for the last dozen European Bison could only have faith that their efforts could one day lead to a population of some 3,000 free-roaming individuals in nine countries. The Greenpeace activists who passionately fought for the end of whaling could only dream of humpback whales rebounding to a population 80,000-strong.

Species can bounce back, even sometimes from stunningly small populations. But it has to be given a chance and it takes time. Lots of time. Something human beings, so focused on the short-term, have a hard time grasping.

We already know that conservation works. In fact it works really well. We just need a lot more of it – and we need faith in the long term instead of listening only to naysayers who say ‘we’re all screwed.’

And what about my role in this?
Journalists like myself are hardly blameless for the largely negative portrayal of conservation today. On the one hand, we know that bad news often gets more attention – i.e., eyeballs – than happy stories. And journalism today is measured by clicks.

But even more so, journalists are trained to point out what’s wrong in world. That’s our job: to uncover things that aren’t working and put them in front of the public. Journalists are not trained to fix problems – believe me – but to communicate them to those who could do something about them.

But covering environmental stories, especially those with global impact, only exacerbates our journalistic penchant for focusing on the dire. The stakes of issues like climate change and ocean acidification are so high that it’s almost impossible to write about them without sounding apocalyptic. Moreover, let’s be honest, environmental issues rarely show up on your Facebook or Twitter trending feeds, which means environmental journalists struggle to find ways to get people to notice. If I could drop celebrity names into every headline, I would: Vaquita almost extinct, proclaim Beyonce, Brad Pitt and Darth Vader.

In lieu of such desperation, I have to constantly ask myself: okay how do I get the public to notice this issue? And believe me I’ve tried many strategies: from oh-my-god-this-is-bad, to look-how-cute-this-animal-is, to isn’t-nature-freaking-awesome?, to seriously-wake-up-people!

But here’s my pledge to you: over the next 12 months I promise to amp up my coverage of what’s working in conservation, to find some little-reported stories of comeback species. This doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the bad stories by any means, but I’ll try to achieve a better balance on this blog.

After all, conservation is ultimately an act of hope. It’s a belief that actions taken today will bear fruit long in the future and that people, one day, will grow a little wiser. It’s the faith that billions of humans could, one day, cohabitate a planet with multitudes of wild tigers, flocks of orange-bellied parrots and herds of forest elephants. But we won’t get there without hope.

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Warm Ocean 'Blob' Triggered Worst-Ever Toxic Algae Blooms

Mindy Weisberger LiveScience Yahoo News 4 Oct 16;

Blooms of algae along the West Coast of the U.S. in 2015 were bigger and more toxic than ever before, contaminating food webs and closing fisheries from southern California to as far north as British Columbia, in Canada. Now, a new study links them to elevated ocean temperatures, with algae growth spurred by a mysterious patch of warmer-than-average ocean that scientists first noted years earlier and had dubbed "the warm blob."

The warm blob, which first appeared in 2013 and hung around into 2014, helped one species of toxic algae — Pseudo-nitzschia australis — increase in unprecedented numbers and expand farther north than was previously possible, with devastating effects on a wide range of marine life. [Yuck! Photos of 'Rock Snot' Algae Infestations]

Toxic algae events that are serious enough to merit fishery closures occur off the coasts of Washington and Oregon every three to five years, but the 2015 bloom was the largest by far, according to Ryan McCabe, the study's lead author and a researcher at the University of Washington's Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Seattle.

"And our results show that it was connected to the unusual ocean conditions,” McCabe said in a statement.

The warm blob began as a large, circular zone in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) long; 1,000 miles wide and more than 300 feet (90 meters) deep, spreading out along the coast and moving closer to shore in 2015. This infusion of warm water accompanied currents carrying nutrients from the deep sea, enabling P. australis to reproduce faster, the researchers discovered.

P. australis produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which can cause seizures and gastrointestinal distress, and is sometimes lethal. When shellfish and small fish like anchovies eat the algae, they can transmit the toxin to animals that feed on them — including people.

And because P. australis blooms were more widespread in 2015, more marine mammals were vulnerable to the impacts of the toxic algae, the researchers said.

Scientists have long studied the cyclical growth of algae populations in coastal waters, building a 25-year record that tracks the ebb and flow of the algae and the toxins they impart to local marine wildlife. By establishing a link between warmer oceans and increased toxic algal growth, the new study hints that rising global temperatures could make deadly blooms a more common occurrence.

"Species like Pseudo-nitzschia are extremely well poised to take advantage of background warming," McCabe said. "Pseudo-nitzschia are always out there along our coast. The fact that they are almost engineered to take advantage of situations like this — warm temperatures and low nutrients — that is concerning."

The study was published online Sept. 20 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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Best of our wild blogs: 5 Oct 16

Two container ships collide while anchored off East Coast Park
wild shores of singapore

139 scientists shoot down ‘misleading’ reports from Malaysia peat congress
mongabay.com

Making its way down the Peninsula: Discovery of the non-native snail Crptozona siamensis in Singapore
News from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Surveying Ubin's mangroves with R.U.M. volunteers
wild shores of singapore

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A floating nuclear power plant - off Singapore?

Lim Soon Heng For The Straits Times 4 Oct 16;

The Republic could be a world leader in building small reactors deployed at sea, including in nearby waters
The Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011 left the world with a deep aversion to nuclear power.

However, the approval last month by Britain for the construction of a nuclear plant at Hinkley Point is a symbolic turning point.

Britain will pay £92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity produced (S$0.165/kwhr), rising with inflation, for 35 years, according to the Financial Times.

The price is substantially higher than the prevailing market rate for fossil fuels. The British government must have decided that the premium for the clean energy was worth paying. It is also a tacit acknowledgement that the harvesting of wind, solar and tidal current energies will not meet foreseeable demand.

Nuclear fission emits no pollutants or gases. A gas-, oil- or coal-fired power plant insidiously emits toxins and carbon dioxide, threatening life and destabilising the environment.

According to the Nuclear Energy Institute: "As of May 2016, 30 countries worldwide are operating 444 nuclear reactors for electricity generation, and 63 new nuclear plants are under construction in 15 countries."

In Asia, by 2030, China expects to have 150 gigawatts (GWe) of electricity - Malaysia, 1 GWe; Vietnam, 10 GWe; and Indonesia, 35 GWe. In France, 75 per cent of the energy is from nuclear sources.

Is the nuclear option important for Singapore? Certainly. Ninety- five per cent of Singapore's energy needs are piped from Indonesia and Malaysia in the form of natural gas. The economy's heavy dependence on a single fuel type, and its mode of delivery, makes it vulnerable.

To diversify its procurement strategy, Singapore has built liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and regasification facilities so that LNG can be shipped in addition to being piped. Storage facilities, including deep caverns and floating tank farms, have been developed.

However, LNG reserves are finite. Nobody is sure how much is left.

Renewable energy, such as solar power, is the only sustainable energy source for this century but the technologies to harness renewables economically still face challenges. Even if they are overcome elsewhere, in Singapore, the challenges will remain.

Solar energy is very costly because it is land-intensive. And renewable energy from hydro, wind and tidal current sources are not that available in Singapore.

THE ONLY VIABLE ANSWER

The nuclear option is the only viable one. However, with an area of 713 sq km, Singapore does not have the space for a nuclear power plant. (For Fukushima, an area within a 20km radius from the plant was declared unsafe, an area 75 per cent larger than Singapore).

Retired Cambridge University don Andrew Palmer, formerly Keppel Chair professor in the department of civil engineering at the National University of Singapore, advocates building a nuclear plant underground. He argues that, in this way, "any leak is contained, it is easier to defend the site against terrorism, and land is used more efficiently".

Leak or no leak, I wonder if anyone living or working above the plant will feel safe. Instead, I would like to propose that a nuclear plant, if needed, should be built at sea, as a floating platform. After all, in the event of a dangerous situation, we should move the plant - not the people around the plant. There is only one way to do this: The plant has to be afloat at sea.

The advent of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) provides a viable solution. SMRs are serially manufactured fission reactors with capacities ranging from about 50 to 500 megawatts. A number of countries, notably Russia and France, produce SMRs.

Each reactor module is transportable by sea. SMRs produce heat by fission of a nuclear material, emitting no gas. The heat may be used to produce steam to drive turbines or for desalination or other industrial processes.

The systems downstream of the heat source are the same as those found in any conventional steam-turbine power plant.

A floating SMR power plant (or fSMR) consists of a nuclear fission reactor below the water line. The boiler drum, turbine, condenser, alternator and transformers are, for ease of operation and maintenance, installed above the water line. An air-gap between both improves stability.

The suite of offshore oil rigs - semi-submersibles, jack-ups, tension leg platforms, spars and drill ships - provides many possible solutions to the hull form.

Circulating water for the condenser comes from the sea beneath, eliminating space for cooling towers. The footprint of each fSMR is less than 100m in any direction. Its design is not site-specific. It can be installed anywhere with sufficient water depth, regardless of the geology of the seabed. It is deployable, and is easily replaced with a new one when it gets old.

These floating plants do not require refuelling for months or even years. Refuelling is done at a dedicated place to which they may be towed. Maintenance and decommissioning are carried out at an accredited shipyard. A spare fSMR can stand in during the time it is taken out of commission.

BUILDING SUCH PLANTS IS DO-ABLE

Singapore is a world leader in offshore rig solutions. Although it would be a quantum leap, it is an incremental step to move from the construction of oil rigs to fSMRs.

We need only to develop the expertise to install and commission the nuclear reactor. The skill set for the rest of the system downstream of the reactor is not new.

The existing infrastructure - mooring specialists, heavy-lift cranes, classification societies and dry tow transporters - will support an fSMR construction industry. From being a world leader in offshore rigs, Singapore has what it takes to be a world leader in building fSMRs. However, its yards need a strategic partner that can deliver the SMR, with a good brand like France's Areva. A matchmaker is needed to bring the two parties together. The Economic Development Board can fulfil that role.

Can an fSMR be defended against terrorism? Sure.

The sea surrounding Singapore is among the safest in the world due to the high level of vigilance and port protocol. Nevertheless, a concrete floating barrier/breakwater of 200m in diameter should be built around the fSMR.

The mooring system for the barrier would be designed to allow the barrier to move a couple of metres. The compression of the fenders, the motion of the barrier and the friction of the water will absorb the kinetic energy of the impact when any collision occurs.

Radar, underwater ultrasonic, weapon-bearing drones and high- voltage fencing would provide additional surveillance and protection.

Can the fSMR's off-peak output be used? Of course.

I have encouraged the national water agency PUB to consider the use of floating, steel-framed reservoirs with fabric linings.

A desalination plant with a floating reservoir can be located close to an fSMR to tap energy during the night off-peak hours. This would smooth the load and optimise efficiency. The reservoir may be used to grow vegetables or rear fish.

Has it been done before? Yes. Since the first nuclear submarine USS Nautilus in 1954, many naval and icebreaking ships are nuclear-powered.

Shipyards in Russia and China are, or will be, increasingly used to build floating nuclear plants.

In the United States, even though wind, tidal current, solar and shale gas are abundant, fSMR interest is emerging. Professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Wisconsin have gone public with plans to design fSMRs, inspired by advances in offshore rig-building technology.

While the capital cost of an fSMR is high, the levelised cost is not prohibitive. This is a measure of the cost of producing renewable energy over its expected lifetime energy output. This unit cost is derived by dividing the lifecycle cost, including land, capital expenditure, construction, fuel, operation and maintenance on a present-value basis by all the energy produced over the life of the plant.

In Singapore, due to the very high cost of land, the difference between the levelised costs of an fSMR and a conventional gas-fired plant would be attractive.

To be sure, the notion of a floating nuclear plant in Singapore may seem startling to some. But my point is that this is a sensible solution that builds on Singapore's expertise in offshore rig building, and which can be cost-effective. It is no sci-fi solution, but a distinct possibility.

•The writer is managing director of Floating Solutions LLP.

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Two anchored cargo ships collide in Singapore waters

Two cargo vessels crash in rare accident off Singapore
CYNTHIA CHOO The New Paper 5 Oct 16;

In a rare accident, two anchored cargo ships collided in Singapore waters, sending 10 containers toppling from one ship to another.

Another container fell into the sea in the crash on Friday.

The accident involving cargo ship Hanjin New York added to the woes of collapsed South Korean maritime company Hanjin Shipping.

But no oil pollution or injuries were reported.

A spokesman for the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) told The New Paper: "The Hanjin New York dragged anchor and contacted the bow of a Liberia-registered container ship, MSC Claudia.

"Ten 40-foot empty containers fell from Hanjin New York onto MSC Claudia's bow and one 40-foot empty container fell into the sea."

TNP understands that there were strong currents when the collision occurred.

It is believed to be the first case of an anchor drag collision off Singapore. TNP understands that the MPA has not come across previous anchor drag accidents.

The two cargo container vessels were anchored at Eastern Bunkering "A" near the Singapore Anchorage off Changi Naval Base when the accident happened at about 6pm.

The container that fell into the sea has been retrieved and arrangements are being made to remove the 10 containers from MSC Claudia.

The MPA spokesman said that both vessels sustained minor indentations and were later safely re-anchored.

MPA is investigating the incident.

Mr Eugene Cheng, 29, a lawyer specialising in shipping litigation from Gurbani and Co LLC, said: "One of the most common reasons why vessels collide is because of the failure of the crew to maintain a proper lookout."

Hanjin Shipping, the seventh-largest shipping carrier in the world, first made news in late August when creditors Rickmers sued the company for owing some $7.3 billion.

This led to an arrest of Hanjin's vessels, leaving more than 80 Hanjin vessels and crew onboard stranded around the globe.

INTERIM STAY ORDER

One such vessel, the Hanjin Rome, was in Singapore waters when it was arrested at 9.20pm on Aug 29 and the cargo was stuck aboard along with 24 crew members - 11 South Koreans and 13 Indonesians.

TNP reported on Oct 1 that five crew members had been repatriated on Sept 27 including the vessel's former captain Moon Kwon Do, but the Hanjin Rome is still stuck in Singapore waters. An interim stay order granted by the Singapore Supreme Court on Sept 16 meant that Hanjin's vessels were allowed to berth in Singapore's ports to offload cargo.

Hanjin's vessels from the region have since made a beeline for the port of Singapore.

Hanjin Shipping's website reported that at least seven Hanjin vessels have berthed at the Tanjong Pagar Terminal since the collision happened on Friday, including the Hanjin New York.

The MPA said yesterday that there are three Hanjin vessels in Singapore.

At least two other vessels, Hanjin Netherlands and Hanjin China, are expected to berth in the next three days.


Minor ship collision involving Hanjin vessel off Singapore
Channel NewsAsia 5 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: An anchored container ship belonging to beleaguered Hanjin Shipping made contact with another container ship in the eastern waters of Singapore last week, displacing 10 containers on board, the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) confirmed on Wednesday (Oct 5).

The incident involving Hanjin New York and Liberia-registered container ship MSC Claudia occurred at around 6pm last Friday. The Hanjin ship “dragged anchor" and contacted the bow of MSC Claudia, the MPA said in a statement in response to queries.

As a result, ten 40-foot length containers fell from Hanjin New York onto MSC Claudia’s bow and one 40-foot container fell into the sea, MPA said. The containers involved were all empty.

MPA said that the container that fell into the sea has been retrieved and arrangements are being made to remove the 10 containers from MSC Claudia.

Following the incident, both vessels, which were anchored at Eastern Bunkering “A” waiting for their respective berths, sustained minor indentations and were re-anchored safely after the incident.

No injuries or oil pollution were reported, and investigations by MPA are ongoing, it said.

A string of vessels operated by Hanjin Shipping have made their way to Singapore, following a High Court ruling which declared the Singapore port as one of the "safe havens" for the world’s seventh-biggest container line that went into court receivership last month.

According to a notice dated Oct 5 on PSA's website, at least 11 vessels belonging to the shipping giant have called and departed from local ports. Two others including Hanjin New York berthed at the terminal on Tuesday and are estimated to leave by Thursday.

At least two other vessels are expected to call at Singapore's ports this week, according to the notice.


Hanjin Group CEO apologises for shipping chaos
Today Online 5 Oct 16;

SEOUL — The chairman of South Korea’s Hanjin Group has apologised for the “cargo chaos” caused by the collapse of its shipping unit, but insisted the company could, and should, be salvaged.

Hanjin Shipping, the world’s seventh largest shipping company, is seeking bankruptcy protection at home and in the US after creditors rejected its latest plan to deal with a US$5.37 billion (S$7.36 billion) debt.

Its bankruptcy would be by far the largest in the history of container shipping, which is suffering its worst downturn in six decades because of slumping global trade and a slowdown in China.

“I apologise to the public for causing concern over the cargo chaos,” Mr Cho Yang-Ho, chairman and CEO of Hanjin Group, was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying on Tuesday (Oct 4). “But I want to say that we have done everything we can do to save the shipper,” Mr Cho told a parliamentary hearing.

Hanjin Group, which also owns Korean Air, is providing 100 billion won (S$123 million) in emergency funds to the troubled shipping unit, which includes a personal donation of 40 billion won from Mr Cho.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, online shopping services provider Ezbuy said eight of its containers were affected by the Hanjin incident, affecting about 8,000 shoppers.

Ezbuy (formerly known as 65Daigou) helps shoppers buy and ship their goods from, among others, Chinese e-commerce giant Taobao. It offers a Prime membership that allows shoppers to ship an unlimited number of items to Singapore for a rate of S$2.99.

Ezbuy said it received news that eight of its containers were affected early last month, with delays ranging between a few days and two weeks

Most of the containers contained bulky items such as furniture, light fittings, home and gardening items ordered by its Prime members.

“The impact was quite intensive. Eight containers could (mean) 8,000 customers were affected by the delay,” Ezbuy co-founder Liu Wenyu told TODAY. “We engaged help from other freight forwarders to get our containers and re-shipped them to Singapore, that’s why the longest delay was two weeks,” she added.

“Upon receiving the news, we contacted the relevant parties immediately to find the status of the affected containers and the scale of the impact. We tried our best to get those containers re-shipped to Singapore and in the meantime also sent emails to affected customers to update them of the situation and let them know when they could expect their items. By Sept 23, all affected items had been resolved.”

In addition to causing delays to its customers, the Hanjin incident has also made a dent on Ezbuy’s finances.

“For some severely delayed items, we compensated customers according to our on-time shipment guarantee policy, even though this was something out of our control (and) we could be exempted from the policy,” Ms Liu said.

But because of the sheer size of Hanjin in the industry and its capacity, its collapse could have wider ramifications, Ms Liu said.

“Not only did we have to pay a premium to get other freight forwarder to help us quickly fulfill those eight affected containers, we foresee in the upcoming peak shopping season, freight costs will rise due to demand and supply imbalance,” she added.

However, she added, Ezbuy does not have plans to revise its shipping charges because it “wish to minimise the impact on our customers”. WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEE YEN NEE

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Can peatland turn into oil palm fields and not cause haze?

Global group of scientists disputes Malaysian institute's claims of method that can do that
Audrey Tan Straits Times 4 Oct 16;

A dispute has erupted - politely - between scientists in the region over whether peatland can be converted into oil palm plantations in a manner that will not produce the seasonal haze.

On one side, there are the scientists from the Sarawak government-linked Tropical Peat Research Laboratory.

On the other, there are 139 scientists from international institutions led by National University of Singapore tropical peatland scientist Lahiru Wijedasa.

At the heart of the disagreement is whether the current method of converting peatland into oil palm plantations using mechanical soil compaction is sustainable and viable in the long run.

The Sarawak scientists had argued during the International Peat Congress held in Kuching, Sarawak, in August that this method could eradicate the negative impacts of peatland development - such as fires.

They also said that the compaction also reduces carbon dioxide emissions from peatland up to half from what was believed previously by many scientists, according to reports from The Jakarta Post.

This method involves flattening the peat so the soil remains wet even when water is drained for oil palm plantations.

But Mr Lahiru and the other scientists took issue with this.

"They are holding on to the scientifically unfounded belief that drained peatland agriculture can be made 'sustainable', and peat loss halted, via unproven methods such as peat compaction," Mr Lahiru, 33, told The Straits Times.

"Their insistence undermines the efforts taken by Indonesia, and other Indonesian and Malaysian agri-businesses, in working with independent scientists towards a sustainable solution."

He and the other 138 scientists signed a letter refuting the Malaysians' claims. It was published in science journal Global Change Biology online last Tuesday.

"Of great concern is that none of the agricultural management methods applied to date have been shown to prevent the loss of peat and the associated subsidence of the peatland surface following drainage," said the authors from institutions such as Oxford University and the Indonesia-based Centre for International Forestry Research. Also included are scientists from six Singapore institutions.

A study cited by these scientists found that physical compaction in peatland development could lead about 82 per cent of the Rajang river delta in Sarawak, East Malaysia to become irreversibly flooded within 100 years. Substantial areas are already having drainage problems, said the study commissioned last year by the non-profit Wetlands International and done by research institute Deltares.

Mr Pek Shi Bao, policy research analyst for sustainability at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said there was a difference between independent scientists and those from government-linked institutes. "For the latter, their objective may be to improve sustainability practices of cultivating on peat, whereas the stance of many in the scientific community is that we shouldn't be planting on peat at all, and looking at restoration instead."

Any firm that wants to be seen as credible has to engage both independent and "more pro-cultivation scientists", he added.

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Remove Pokestops from off-limit areas of Singapore's nature reserves: NParks

Appeal made to Pokemon Go developer; aim is to stop players from damaging environment
Audrey Tan, The Straits Times AsiaOne 5 Oct 16;

Please leave the sensitive areas in Singapore's nature reserves alone, the authorities here have urged the developers of the popular Pokemon Go mobile game.

The National Parks Board (NParks) has asked that Pokestops - the game's virtual pit stops found in real-world locations - be removed from off-limit areas of three nature reserves.

"This is to avoid situations of Pokemon Go players walking off trails while playing the game, inadvertently trampling the vegetation, disturbing wildlife and causing damage to the environment, and endangering themselves," said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, NParks' group director for conservation.

The affected Pokestops are found within the sensitive forest and wetland habitats of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. They are located in off-limit areas where people should not be entering in the first place. Under the Parks and Trees Act, it is an offence to enter any part of a nature reserve except through designated trails.

NParks had appealed to game developer Niantic to have the Pokestops removed in August, when the game was launched here. But a quick check by The Straits Times yesterday showed they were still there.

Mr Wong said NParks is aware that more people are visiting Singapore's nature reserves where Pokestops are located. Players of the game visit such stops, usually located at places of interest or landmarks, to obtain items such as Poke Balls, which can be used to catch virtual monsters called Pokemon.

A Niantic spokesman said: "We cannot confirm the status of removal requests for specific Pokestop and gym locations in Pokemon Go, but are moving quickly to review and address all such requests."

There are four nature reserves in Singapore, but wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai noted that the sensitive areas of Labrador Nature Reserve are already inaccessible.

He said NParks made an "excellent decision", adding that people have been spotted venturing off- trail to catch Pokemon. "It is important to balance recreation with biodiversity in the nature reserves. Even before Pokemon Go, people used to wander off-trail into these sensitive areas," he said. "Many rare animals roost and breed in these special core areas, and disturbance may disrupt their natural behaviour and even drive them onto the roads, where they end up as roadkill."

Pokemon Go players said it was a good idea to remove the Pokestops from nature reserves.

Customer service officer Ryan Logarta, 39, said: "They shouldn't be in protected areas. Pokemon can be caught in public areas anyway."

Mr T.S. Teo, 54, who is between jobs, said the move could help protect individuals too. "There are no designated trails in there, and people could get lost," he said.

NParks is not the first to ask to have Pokestops removed. The former concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, now a museum, had asked to be withdrawn from the game, as has the village of Kijkduin in the Netherlands, whose protected beaches have become flooded with Pokemon Go players.

IMPACT ON WILDLIFE

It is important to balance recreation with biodiversity in the nature reserves. Even before Pokemon Go, people used to wander off-trail into these sensitive areas. Many rare animals roost and breed in these special core areas, and disturbance may disrupt their natural behaviour and even drive them onto the roads, where they end up as roadkill.

WILDLIFE CONSULTANT SUBARAJ RAJATHURAI, saying people have been seen venturing off-trail to catch Pokemon.

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Majority of fish consumed in Singapore not responsibly caught: WWF

Channel NewsAsia 4 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans need to make better consumption choices as three out of four common fish species consumed here are not responsibly caught, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said on Tuesday (Oct 4).

Fish varieties like the Indian threadfin (commonly known as ngoh hur) used in fish porridge, silver pomfret and the yellowbanded scad (also known as ikan kuning) used in nasi lemak are among those which Singaporean consumers should stop eating, the conservation group said.

A new seafood guide launched by WWF lists these fish species and others commonly used in local dishes as “avoid”.

“Without collective and decisive action, these popular fish could disappear from Singapore’s menus within our lifetime,” it said.

Singaporeans are one of the biggest consumers of seafood in the world, with each person consuming about 22kg of seafood a year, compared to the global average of 20kg, the conservation group said.

“We are squandering one of our greatest natural resources by failing to manage our fish stocks sensibly," said WWF-Singapore CEO Elaine Tan. "The seafood guide empowers everyone in the supply chain to make conscious choices that prevent the further exploitation of fish stocks.”

On Tuesday, WWF also launched the Responsible Seafood Group, consisting of organisations such as seafood supplier Global Ocean Link and luxury hotel Marina Bay Sands which have committed to responsible sourcing standards.

Marina Bay Sands’ Executive Director of Sustainability Kevin Teng said: "Since 2014, we have eliminated sharks fin from the restaurants we own and operate. At that time, we also started serving selected seafood sourced from suppliers that fish or farm responsibly, based on global seafood standards.”

- CNA/am


75% of popular seafood in Singapore not responsibly caught
WWF media release 4 Oct 16;

4 October 2016, Singapore – WWF has called for industry and public action to stem the increase of unsustainable seafood in Singapore. The new Singapore Seafood Guide, launched today, highlights the urgency for Singaporeans to make better consumption choices as 3 out of 4 common fish species have been flagged as unsustainable.

The guide evaluates over 40 popular seafood species in Singapore according to an international methodology.1 Compared to five years ago, fish varieties used in popular local dishes are now listed as ‘avoid’ in the guide. These include the Indian threadfin (locally known as “Ngoh Hur”) used in fish porridge; silver pomfret, commonly used in Chinese dishes, and yellowbanded scad (or “Ikan Kuning”), a key ingredient in nasi lemak. Without collective and decisive action, these popular fish could disappear from Singapore’s menus within our lifetime.

“We are squandering one of our greatest natural resources by failing to manage our fish stocks sensibly. As one of the biggest consumers of seafood in the world per capita2, Singaporeans have a big role to play in protecting our oceans. The Seafood Guide empowers everyone in the supply chain to make conscious choices that prevent the further exploitation of fish stocks,” said Elaine Tan, CEO, WWF-Singapore.

Responding to the growing crisis, Singapore’s seafood industry – consisting of retailers, hoteliers, restaurants and suppliers – has come together to crowdsource industry solutions at the Sustainable Seafood Business Forum today.

The Forum also kick started the Responsible Seafood Group, consisting of local industry leaders such as Global Ocean Link and Marina Bay Sands. Working with WWF-Singapore, they will commit to responsible sourcing standards and pave the way for the rest of the industry to follow suit.

"Our customers are demanding to know where their seafood comes from. Finding alternatives to endangered species on the red list and choosing to work with sustainable suppliers and their products has gone beyond being a corporate responsibility, and become a commercially viable decision for us,” said Lucas Glanville, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Singapore, which offers sustainable seafood in all restaurants, event spaces and in-room dining.

WWF cites Finland as an example of how a country with a population similar to Singapore’s can achieve sustainable seafood goals. Today, only 2% of all seafood sold in Finland is on WWF’s red list.

"Sustainability has become an everyday element in Finland’s seafood trade, and companies are very familiar with the origin of the fish they purchase. In addition, over one third of Finns use the seafood guide consciously to make better decisions,” says Matti Ovaska, WWF-Finland's Conservation Officer.

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Dengue vaccine Dengvaxia approved for use in Singapore

Lianne Chia Channel NewsAsia 4 Oct 16;

SINGAPORE: A vaccine for the dengue virus has been approved for use in Singapore and is expected to be available in a few months’ time, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Tuesday (Oct 4).

Developed by Sanofi Pasteur, the Dengvaxia vaccine requires three doses to be administered over 12 months by injection. It is effective for up to four years after the third dose.

Dengvaxia is the first available vaccine against all four strains of dengue. It is currently approved for use in nine other countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico and Brazil.

It is currently approved for use only for those aged between 12 and 45. Those outside of the approved age group but who want to be vaccinated will have to seek a doctor’s advice, the HSA said in a media briefing.

In response to Channel NewsAsia's queries, vaccine maker Sanofi said that, following HSA's approval, it is completing the local administrative processes with the Singapore authorities and aims to make the vaccine available "as soon as possible".

Sanofi added that the price of the vaccine in a private healthcare setting would vary between clinics and hospitals, as it "may include additional fees for related services charged by the private physician or clinic."

VACCINE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THOSE WITH PREVIOUS DENGUE INFECTION

A total of 24 clinical studies with more than 41,000 subjects were conducted by Sanofi. Dengvaxia was approved by Singapore authorities after a review to ensure that the vaccine is relevant for the Singapore population and its benefits outweigh the risks, the HSA said.

Two groups of experts from HSA’s medical advisory committee and dengue expert panel – comprising doctors and infectious diseases specialists – were consulted during the review.

The 24 studies reviewed include two major clinical studies conducted in Latin America and Asia on individuals between two and 16 years old, and 22 supportive studies assessing the antibody levels in individuals following vaccination.

Overall, the vaccine was effective in reducing dengue illness by 60 per cent, and reducing severe dengue illness by 84 per cent.

The vaccine was also most effective in those who already have baseline immunity due to a previous dengue infection. It was 81 per cent effective in those who had dengue previously, compared to 38 per cent in those who had not been infected before.

However, the studies also showed that the vaccine is less effective against the DENV-1 and DENV-2 strains of dengue, which are the predominant strains in Singapore.

VACCINE SAFE, WITH MINOR SIDE EFFECTS: HSA

The vaccine was found to be safe and “generally consistent” with the safety profile expected of a vaccine, HSA said.

“All vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are minor – for example, a sore arm or low-grade fever – and they usually go away within a few days.”

However, in vaccinated children between nine and 11 years old, the studies showed a 30 per cent increase in risk of hospitalisation and three times the risk of severe dengue. Hence the vaccine has not been approved for use in younger children, the HSA said.

There was also “insufficient evidence” on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in those above 45 years old.

“HSA is prepared to review the approved age range when more clinical data becomes available that reduces the concern on those under 12 years old, and that provides more data on those above 45 years old,” it said.

NOT PART OF NATIONAL VACCINATION PROGRAMME

The vaccine has been shown to be more effective in countries where there is a high prevalence of dengue, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

“Singapore has relatively low prevalence of dengue infection compared to other Southeast Asian countries. For this reason, the vaccine will be less effective here,” it said.

The ministry’s expert committee on immunisation does not recommend rolling out Dengvaxia vaccination as a national programme as it “would not be a clinically and cost-effective means to tackling dengue infection in Singapore”.

As such, there will be no subsidies or Medisave usage for those who choose to take the vaccine, MOH added.

Those interested in getting the vaccine should consult their doctors on the benefits and risks of the vaccination, said HSA. The authorities will also distribute educational materials to doctors and patients detailing the approved indications and limitations of the vaccine, particularly for those without a previous dengue infection.

But infectious diseases specialist Dr Leong Hoe Nam from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital cautioned against rushing to get vaccinated, saying that the vaccine will not provide immediate protection against a dengue outbreak.

“If there’s a cluster happening in your household you shouldn’t rush to get vaccinated, as you will get full protection only after one year and three shots,” he said. “So your dengue cluster will happen and probably burn out within a month or so, and during that time you will not have the immunity required from the dengue vaccine.”

“You may, however, want to take up the vaccine for future protection,” he added.

- CNA/cy

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