Philippines: Illegally mined minerals smuggled to Singapore

BusinessMirror 17 Jul 17;

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has alerted the Singapore gov­ernment regarding the transport of illegally mined minerals from unauthorized dredging operations being conducted in Ma­colcol River in San Felipe, Zambales, that are reportedly being smuggled to Singapore.

Lawyer Eric Nuque, chief of the NBI-Environment Crime Division, said those involved in these illegal activities must be stopped and immediately arrested, which is why they have alerted the Singapore gov­ernment about the smuggling activities.

The NBI is conducting its own investiga­tion to find out who are the people behind the illegal dredging operations of black sand, white sand and lahar in Zambales, which are being smuggled to Singapore.

Earlier, the NBI arrested 10 foreign na­tionals allegedly involved in the illegal dredg­ing operations in Zambales.

Charges for the violation of Section 103 (Theft of Minerals) of Republic Act 7942— otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995—were filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Iba, Zambales, against Zhining Tang, Liao Nantu, Yichang Lin, Zhibin Xu, Jinewei Chen, Hongming Zhou, Wen Haihu, Yong Wang, Tang Peilong (all Chi­nese nationals) and Afrizon Hary (Indonesian).

The NBI said it had received information regarding the illegal extraction of lahar sand from the mouth of Macolcol River in San Felipe, Zambales, being undertaken by foreign dredging vessels commissioned by domestic firms that have no government permit.

After conducting a series of surveillance operations, the NBI arrested the foreigners.

“The 10 arrested foreign nationals, most of whom are Chinese, were caught operating the dredging vessel SL-D1 siphoning sand which is suspected to be black sand from the dead river and transporting its cargo to the mother vessel. Five vessels along the mouth of the Macolcol River were likewise seized. The confiscated vessels consist of one dredger vessel, one tugboat and three dumb barge,” NBI Director Dante Gierran said.

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Malaysia: Protecting our drinking water

Dr Zaki Zainudin New Straits Times 17 Jul 17;


This landfill in Kluang, Johor is believed to be the source of the leachate taht contaminated Sungai benut last month. Pix by Adnan Ibrahim

THE recent ammonia contamination at the Simpang Renggam Water Treatment Plant has many people up in arms, yet again. The ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) level at the Sungai Benut intake was 13mg/L and levels were purported to be higher upstream.

The primary source appeared to be leachate, which originated from a landfill. Leachate from landfills are well documented to contain high levels of organics, ammonia and heavy metals.

Ammoniacal nitrogen in leachate is known to hover between 1,000 and 3,000mg/L. Legally, prior to discharging effluent into a river, the ammoniacal nitrogen has to be treated to reduce it to around 5mg/L as per the Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution from Solid Waste Transfer Station and Landfill) Regulations 2009.

Think about that. To lower the level from 1,000mg/L to 5mg/L, the wastewater treatment plant has to achieve at least a 200-fold reduction. This is possible from an engineering point of view, but the consequences of failure are gruesome.

And, in the case of structural failure (the bund is said to have “broken”, compounding the leachate contamination at Simpang Renggam) the effects can be most disconcerting.

Water contaminated with large amounts of ammonia not only emits a pungent odour, but can also react with chlorine (used as a disinfectant at the drinking water treatment plant) to produce chloramines. This reaction reduces the “potency” of disinfection to ward off bacteria (eg. E. coli) in water supplied to our homes.

Besides ammonia, leachate also has high levels of organics which can react with chlorine to produce trihalomethanes such as chloroform. In themselves, these substances are also harmful if ingested. Leachate also contains heavy metals such as lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg).

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a wastewater treatment failure has occurred. There have been many incidences where drinking water treatment plants had to be shut down temporarily due to the failure of wastewater treatment plants located upstream.

The fact of the matter is there is no guarantee a wastewater treatment facility will function as intended — meeting limits as per the regulations, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Perhaps it is time we planned ahead for such failures and other unforeseen circumstances.

There are several ways to do this. The first option is to prevent the discharge of effluent, including treated effluent, into stretches of river that are upstream of water intake points.

While upstream development cannot be avoided in certain cases, the discharge can be channelled downstream, hence bypassing water intake points. Effluent-specific drains, pipes and outfalls can be constructed to channel treated or untreated effluent downstream or away from water intake points. To ensure that downstream river stretches are protected, the effluent load must be kept under control.

The second option is to have a buffer prior to release into rivers. The current practice is to release effluent directly into a river or drain after it has undergone treatment. Perhaps its time to rethink this practice.

Prior to discharge, it may be desirable to release the effluent into a holding pond that can act as a final buffer before it enters waterways. This holding pond not only functions as a buffer, but also provides an added layer of treatment.

Certain vegetation, which absorb pollutants (including ammonia, nitrate, phosphorous and heavy metals), can be grown in the pond to clean the water further. This technique is known as phytoremediation.

At larger scales, the effluent can be discharged into a constructed wetland, which works in a similar way.

Sometimes, the quality of water that has been put through phytoremediation is so good it can be recycled and reused for other, purposes; reducing or even avoiding the need for discharge altogether.

If the water treatment system fails, a holding pond or constructed wetland can provide added response time for corrective measures to be taken. In other words, the contamination would occur in the holding pond or constructed wetland before it goes into the river. This would give wastewater treatment plant operators time to seal off the discharge and stop untreated effluent from entering the river. However, not all failures can be remedied through these methods.

Sometimes, as in the case of Sungai Benut, where the bund broke and leachate entered the river, those measures would not work because the problem was due to structural failure.

Under such circumstances, a final resort would be to install online systems that monitor the water quality of the river in real-time. This data is relayed to plant managers and authorities.

The online stations have to be installed at locations that allow sufficient response time for treatment plants to shutdown if contamination is detected.

To avoid supply disruption, treatment plants need to ensure that there are sufficient water reserves throughout the shutdown period. This can be achieved via other strategies such as off-site storage.

In short, we need to expect the unexpected and prepare how to deal with them. Public health and safety are at stake.

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Malaysia: Viet man nabbed at KLIA for ivory smuggling

The Star 17 Jul 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities have arrested a Vietnamese man and seized a stash of elephant ivory worth almost RM300,000 (US$70,000), an official said Monday.

The man was detained Friday at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after flying into the country from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, said KLIA Customs chief Hamzah Sundang.

Officials stopped the suspected smuggler -- whose identity was not revealed -- in the airport terminal as he was acting suspiciously.

When they checked his luggage, they found 10 packages containing elephant ivory weighing 36kg that had been cut into small pieces. Activists said the consignment was likely going to be fashioned into jewellery.

Authorities said the haul was worth about RM300,000.

The man had been due to travel on to Vietnam, where there is high demand for ivory which is prized locally for decorative purposes and in traditional medicine.

The latest seizure underlines Malaysia’s role as a transit point in the global wildlife smuggling trade.

Earlier this month, Hong Kong customs officials discovered 7.2 tonnes of ivory tusks in a shipment from Malaysia.

The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after populations of the African giants dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to around 600,000 by the end of the 1980s.

Anyone found guilty of importing rare animals or their parts into Malaysia can be jailed for up to three years and fined.

Kanitha Krishnasamy, acting regional director for wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, hailed the latest discovery by Malaysian authorities, which follows recent seizures of rhino horns and pangolins.

She said the operations were “crippling illegal traders from profiting from this business”. - AFP

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Vietnam: Stop building, demolish buildings on Son Tra Nature Reserve -- experts

VietNamNet Bridge 17 Jul 17;

Nearly 200 scientists, biologists and conservationists, unanimously have agreed that the construction of all buildings on the Son Tra Nature Reserve should be stopped immediately.

The consensus was reached at a scientific conference on the conservation and sustainable development of ecological systems on the Son Tra Peninsula, held in Da Nang on Saturday.

The conference saw 11 reports and research papers submitted on biodiversity in the reserve as well as ideas and proposals for its sustainable development.

The scientists also agreed to petition the PM for stopping construction of new buildings on and reviewing tourism plans for the reserve.

The conference followed up on concerns voiced by the public as well as scientists when the Viet Nam National Tourism Administration announced a plan to “develop” the reserve.

The reserve, which shrank from 4,400ha to 2,500ha to accommodate resorts and hotels between 1977 and 2014, would have to give up another 1,056ha more for the new plan, that plans 1,600 luxury hotel rooms by 2030.

Of 25 hotels and resorts on the Son Tra Mountain that have been approved by the city, 18 are operating or under construction.

“The development of resorts and hotels as well as traffic routes, has interrupted the movement of wild species including the endangered Red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus) living in the reserve,” said Dr Ha Thang Long, head of the representative office of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) in Viet Nam.

He said construction of the InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort had separated the west and east sides of the reserve, interrupting the movement of wildlife animals including the Red-shanked douc langurs.

Director of the Southern Institute of Ecology, Luu Hong Truong, said the Son Tra Nature Reserve, 10km away from Da Nang, was really unique in Viet Nam and the world, with its biodiversity ranging from primary forests to ocean with more than 1,000 plants and 370 animal species.

Dr Nguyen Xuan Hoa of the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute said 42 per cent of coral reefs in the reserve had disappeared in the past decade (from 80.9ha in 2006 to 46.9ha in 2016) in sea area off Da Nang due to construction projects, pollution and over-fishing.

Hoa said coral reefs in the north of Son Tra peninsula (near InterContinental Da Nang had been almost entirely destroyed and 9ha of seabed badly damaged.

According to the latest report from the centre for biodiversity research and conservation (GreenViet), more than 237 herds of red-shanked douc langurs, comprising over 1,300 individuals, are living in the Son Tra Nature Reserve.

It said the development of buildings and poor control of tourism in the reserve would damage the ecological system which is an oxygen supplier for 4.3 million people each day.

Special regime

Chairman of the Da Nang City Tourism Association, Huynh Tan Vinh, who has sent a petition to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asking for changes to the Son Tra Master Plan, said the Son Tra Nature Reserve was precious not only for Da Nang, but the whole of Viet Nam.

He said it must be strictly protected with a special regime involving responsible agencies and managers.

“We should protect the reserve before targeting tourism. The city can maintain the reserve as a site for tourists interested in exploring primary nature,” Vinh said.

“The city can build hotels and resorts in the downtown and coastal areas, but not in the reserve, please,” he pleaded.

Vinh said Da Nang could allow the operation of already hotels and resorts already built, but a moratorium was needed on new projects in the reserve.

Dr Nguyen Manh Ha with Viet Nam National Committee for Man and Biosphere (MAB), said part of the Son Tra Nature (2,591ha) can combine with 2,269ha of the Nam Hai Van protective forest to form a biosphere reserve.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Chi Thanh, vice chairman of Viet Nam Wetlands Association, said the current management overlap regarding control of Son Tra Nature Reserve must be removed.

Nguyen Duc Tu of IUCN Viet Nam said the organisation had sent a letter to Prime Minister regarding its concerns about the tourism plans for the Son Tra Reserve.

A National Assembly Deputy, Truong Trong Nghia, also said that all illegal constructions in the reserve should be demolished.

Last week, soil erosion caused by an illegally constructed villa polluted the Tien Sa beach, and observers said a larger of the Da Nang beach is likely to suffer similar pollution.

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Maize, rice, wheat: alarm at rising climate risk to vital crops

Simultaneous harvest failures in key regions would bring global famine, says the Met Office
Robin McKie The Guardian 15 Jul 17;

Governments may be seriously underestimating the risks of crop disasters occurring in major farming regions around the world, a study by British researchers has found.

The newly published research, by Met Office scientists, used advanced climate modelling to show that extreme weather events could devastate food production if they occurred in several key areas at the same time. Such an outcome could trigger widespread famine.

The scientists, led by Chris Kent, of the Met Office, focused their initial efforts on how extreme weather would affect maize, one of the world’s most widely grown crops. Heat and drought were the prime risks, although flooding was also included in the analysis.

The group found there is a 6% chance every decade that a simultaneous failure in maize production could occur in China and the US – the world’s main growers – which would result in widespread misery, particularly in Africa and south Asia, where maize is consumed directly as food.

“The impact would be felt at a global scale,” Kent told the Observer. “This is the first time we have been able to quantify the risk. It hasn’t been observed in the last 30 years, but the indications are that it is possible in the current climate.”

An example of the kind of disaster that could occur is provided by the maize harvests that failed last year in Africa. Communities in Zambia, Congo, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar were affected and six million people were left on the brink of starvation. A joint failure of China and America’s maize harvest would have a far greater impact.

Having studied the risks facing maize production, the group is now following up this work by studying climate impacts on the world’s other staple crops – in particular rice, wheat and soya beans – in order to assess how weather extremes could affect their production.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, maize, rice and wheat together make up 51% of the world’s calorie intake. Billions of people rely on these crops for survival. Any disruption to their production would have calamitous consequences.

The trouble is that crop-growing methods and locations have changed considerably over time, as has the climate and the probability of extreme events, Kent told the Observer. “This means the number of relevant observations to the present-day growing of stable crops has been reduced, and that limits our ability to have useful estimates of the risks to the growing of these crops.”

To get round this problem, the team ran 1,400 climate model simulations on the Met Office’s new supercomputer to understand how climate might vary in the next few years and found that the probability of severe drought was higher than if estimated solely from past observations. The scientists concluded that current agricultural policies could considerably underestimate the true risk of climate-related shocks to maize growing and food supply.

The particular risk outlined by the study envisaged simultaneous catastrophic disruptions in China and the US. In 2014 total world production of maize was around 1 billion tonnes, with the US producing 360 million tonnes and China growing 215 million. If production in these two countries were hit by simultaneous extreme weather events, most likely droughts, more than 60% of global maize production would be hit.

A double whammy like this has never happened in the past, but the work by the Met Office indicates that there is now a real risk. In addition, there may be risks of similar events affecting rice, wheat or soya harvests. These are now being studied by the Met Office, which is also working with researchers in China in a bid to understand climate risks that might affect agricultural production.

“We have found that we are not as resilient as we thought when it comes to crop growing,” said Kirsty Lewis, science manager for the Met Office’s climate security team. “We have to understand the risks we face or there is a real danger we could get caught out. For now we don’t have the means to quantity the risks. We have to put that right.”

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Best of our wild blogs: 16-17 Jul 17

22 Jul (Sat): Mangrove Speaks! @ Sungei Buloh
wild shores of singapore

Biodiversity Youth Forum (BYF), Singapore, 12 August 2017
Psychedelic Nature

Butterfly of the Month - July 2017
Butterflies of Singapore

Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus) @ Old Upper Thomson Road
Monday Morgue

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More Pulau Ubin kampong houses to be restored

Liyana Othman Channel NewsAsia 16 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE: If you have been to Pulau Ubin, you would have seen the old kampong houses dotting the island. While they lend a rustic charm to the area, some are in a state of complete disrepair.

So, NParks announced on Sunday (Jul 16) that it is calling members of the public - especially interest groups with experts in architecture, heritage and nature - to join them in restoring these dilapidated wooden kampong houses - starting with House 63C.

The former home of Ubin resident Mr Tan Bak Tee for five decades was first built in the 1930s and then later converted for other purposes like a storehouse. It was returned to the state in the early 2000s.

When refurbished, NParks said the house, which is only left with a wooden and zinc skeleton, will retain the "cultural heritage and rustic character of the island". Enhancements will also be done sensitively and sustainably. What the house will be used for is still up in the air, and is open to proposals by interest groups.

Four other empty houses on the island, which have been returned to the state as well, are also earmarked for restoration. The idea to restore these kampong houses was first conceived through The Ubin Project meetings, organised by the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN).

But this is not the first time such a restoration has been done.

At the sixth Ubin Day, Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee noted Pulau Ubin's long history, dating back to the Orang Laut who inhabited its shores before colonial times, and the island's granite quarrying and farming past.

"Since last year, we've embarked on initiatives that represent our commitment to further enhance the heritage, history and community of Pulau Ubin", said Mr Lee.

He pointed to House 363B, which was restored after it was returned to the state. The house, which once belonged to Mr Chew Teck Seng, was relaunched in his name to "give visitors a glimpse into kampong life on the island in the 70s."

"Many people have enjoyed visiting Teck Seng's place. The house and the specially curated memorabilia and photographs have triggered fond memories of how life used to be in the past", said Mr Lee.

He added: "Recognising the community's interest, we will be embarking on a more concerted effort to restore the kampong houses on the island. It is the existing community's way of life on Pulau Ubin that makes for the living heritage that is special to Pulau Ubin - and this is something that can be sustained only if we continue to anchor the active participation of the community on this island."

Ubin Day is the culmination of Pesta Ubin, which saw more than 8,000 participants taking part in over 10 weeks of activities.

Besides restoration works, NParks is also working with the research community to conduct a first ever comprehensive biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin late this year. There are more than 700 native plant species and over 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as 240 species of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Some of them are only found on the island.

Over the next two years, they will be collecting data to update the species inventory of the island, which will be useful for research, habitat enhancement and species recovery projects. NParks added that the results will be used for long-term monitoring and management of the island.

The nature gallery, which greets visitors as soon as they step on the island, has also been renovated to include 3D displays of biodiversity found on Pulau Ubin, like the otters and dugongs.


NParks to lead restoration of kampung houses on Pulau Ubin
LOUISA TANG Today Online 17 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE — Restored kampung houses, a comprehensive survey of biodiversity and a revamped nature gallery. These will soon grace — or are already enhancing — Pulau Ubin.

At least five disused kampung houses on the island will be restored to their former glory as part of years-long restoration efforts, led by the National Parks Board (NParks) along with community groups.

One of the houses, House 63C, was identified by the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) this year in a pilot 
project.

Built in the 1930s, it was the home of Mr Tan Bak Tee and his family for half a century before it was returned to the State in early 2000.

The restoration project was announced by Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee at Ubin Day yesterday. He said that the efforts will “sensitively enhance Ubin’s tangible living cultural heritage”.

He added: “Moving forward, we are exploring the possibility of allowing groups and individuals to use and manage unoccupied kampung houses that have been restored if they can demonstrate that they can work alongside the existing village community to contribute to our larger vision for a rustic and nostalgic Pulau Ubin.”

He also said that the project had been discussed and mulled over by FUN — comprising Ubin residents, naturalists, heritage experts and researchers — for some time. FUN members have worked with NParks to develop proposals on which houses to restore and how to do it.

Speaking to the media, NParks Group director of conservation Wong Tuan Wah said that the restorations are in “preliminary discussions”. “Once the first pilot is done, we will see how the community takes to it. The community will deliberate and decide what kind of activities will take place,” he added.

House 63C, among 70 kampung houses on Pulau Ubin, now stands in disrepair about five minutes away from the jetty. The nephew of its former owner, 63-year-old Mr Tan Chee Kiang, said that he was “very happy” to know that his childhood home would be restored. “To see the house go back up again, I am heartened … if it continues standing empty, it’d be dirty with snakes, mice roaming around,” he said in Mandarin.

For the first time, NParks will also be launching a two-year-long comprehensive biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin that will begin towards the end of the year, aided by volunteers, researchers from the National University of Singapore and citizen scientists from nature groups.

The survey builds on last year’s BioBlitz@Ubin, which resulted in the documentation of more than 450 species. Pulau Ubin is home to 720 native plant species and over 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as about 240 species of butterflies, dragonflies and 
damselflies.

“This survey will allow us to reconfirm the baseline data for the species that we’ve already done, but will also allow us to get new data for species like bees, moths, ants and some other animals (for which) we haven’t got baseline data. This will help in the long-term planning of biodiversity conservation on Pulau Ubin,” said NParks manager for conservation Noel Thomas.

Mr Lee also unveiled the revamped Nature Gallery by HSBC, updated from a previous decade-old exhibition through a S$100,000 donation from HSBC. The revamped gallery now comprises information panels, educational displays, interactive touchscreens and 3D models of species found on Pulau Ubin, such as dugongs and oriental pied hornbills.


NParks to restore kampung houses on Pulau Ubin; biodiversity survey to start in late 2017
Samantha Boh Straits Times 16 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE - The National Parks Board (NParks) will get to work restoring kampung houses in Pulau Ubin to their former glory.

NParks will work with community partners, including heritage experts and nature groups for the project.

Among the houses that will be restored is a disused structure built in the 1930s. House 63C - a five-minute walk from the jetty - is now hoarded up.

It was the home of one Mr Tan Bak Tee and his family for 50 years before it was returned to the authorities in the early 2000s.

Mr Tan Chee Kiang, 69, who is Mr Tan Bak Tee's nephew, said: "The house is old, dirty and the structures have broken down. There are even snakes there. It would be good to restore it and make it look nicer."

The exact number of houses that will be chosen for restoration is undecided. For now, Mr Tan's former house and four others have been selected. There are about 70 kampung houses on the island.

Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, speaking at the launch of the project, said it was "a first step in sustaining the unique charm of Ubin".

He said: "Moving forward, we are exploring the possibility of allowing groups and individuals to use and manage unoccupied kampung houses that have been restored, if they can demonstrate that they can work alongside the existing village community to contribute to our larger vision for a rustic and nostalgic Pulau Ubin."

Mr Lee, who is also the Second Minister for Home Affairs, was on the island to mark Ubin Day on Sunday (July 16).

Conserved kampung house, fruit orchard now open to visitors to Pulau Ubin

The Friends of Ubin Network has mulled over the restoration project for some time, and its members joined hands with NParks to develop proposals on which houses to restore, and how the restoration will be done, he added.

Dr Vivienne Wee, an anthropologist who does volunteer work with the Singapore Heritage Society, is among those who will help to identify the houses that are in a state of disrepair, and decide what is needed to restore them.

She said: "Many of the villagers still know how to do the repairs. That is also a disappearing body of knowledge that we need to conserve."

One possible use for the vacant houses after restoration, she said, would be to allow short stays for people who want to experience life on the rustic island.

NParks will also be starting a two-year biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin later this year, with the help of volunteers, National University of Singapore researchers and citizen scientists from nature groups.

It will be the first biodiversity survey to be conducted spanning the entire island. The results will allow NParks to update Pulau Ubin's species inventory. It will also help plan future research, habitat enhancement and species recovery projects, and long-term monitoring and management of the island.

There are about 720 native plants species and more than 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians on the island, as well as about 240 species of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.

Mr Lee on Sunday (July 16) unveiled the revamped Nature Gallery by HSBC on the island. The gallery was upgraded with a $100,000 donation by HSBC.

The revamped exhibition features information panels, educational displays and an interactive touchscreen, including 3D models of flora and fauna found on the island such as the Asian small-clawed otter and dugong.


Kampung houses on Pulau Ubin to be restored
Exact number has not been decided; NParks to work with community partners on project
Samantha Boh Straits Times 17 Jul 17;

The National Parks Board (NParks) will get to work restoring kampung houses on Pulau Ubin to their former glory. NParks will work with community partners, including heritage experts and nature groups, for the project.

Among the houses that will be restored is a disused structure built in the 1930s. House 63C - a five-minute walk from the jetty - is now boarded up. It was the home of one Mr Tan Bak Tee and his family for 50 years before it was returned to the authorities in the early 2000s.

Mr Tan Chee Kiang, 69, who is Mr Tan Bak Tee's nephew, said: "The house is old, dirty and the structures have broken down. There are even snakes there. It would be good to restore it and make it look nicer."

The exact number of houses that will be chosen for restoration has not been decided. For now, Mr Tan's former house and four others have been selected. There are about 70 kampung houses on the island.

Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, speaking at the launch of the project yesterday, said it was "a first step in sustaining the unique charm of Ubin".

He said: "Moving forward, we are exploring the possibility of allowing groups and individuals to use and manage unoccupied kampung houses that have been restored, if they can demonstrate that they can work alongside the existing village community to contribute to our larger vision for a rustic and nostalgic Pulau Ubin."

Mr Lee, who is also the Second Minister for Home Affairs, was on the island to mark Ubin Day yesterday. The Friends of Ubin Network has mulled over the restoration project for some time, and its members joined hands with NParks to develop proposals on which houses to restore, and how the restoration will be done, he added.

Dr Vivienne Wee, an anthropologist who does volunteer work with the Singapore Heritage Society, is among those who will help to identify the houses to be restored, and decide what is needed to be done.

One possible use for the vacant houses after restoration, she said, would be to allow short stays for people who want to experience life on the rustic island.

NParks will also be starting a two-year biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin later this year, with the help of volunteers, National University of Singapore researchers and citizen scientists from nature groups.

It will be the first biodiversity survey to be conducted spanning the entire island. The results will allow NParks to update Pulau Ubin's species inventory. It will also help in the planning of future research, habitat-enhancement and species-recovery projects, and long-term monitoring and management of the island.

There are about 720 native plant species and more than 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians on the island, as well as about 240 species of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.

Mr Lee yesterday unveiled the revamped Nature Gallery by HSBC on the island. The gallery was upgraded with a $100,000 donation by HSBC. The revamped exhibition features information panels, educational displays and an interactive touchscreen, including 3D models of flora and fauna found on the island, such as the Asian small-clawed otter and dugong.


New opportunities for the community to partner NParks in revitalising Pulau Ubin
NParks press release 16 Jul 17

- Launch of multi-year kampong house restoration effort on Pulau Ubin
- First comprehensive biodiversity survey of the island

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee today announced the launch of a multi-year kampong house restoration effort on Pulau Ubin at Ubin Day 2017.

The National Parks Board (NParks) will work with the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) and community groups to sensitively restore kampong houses on the island, starting with House 63C. First built in the 1930s, House 63C was the home of Mr Tan Bak Tee and his family for 50 years. After it was used for other purposes such as a storehouse, it was eventually returned to the State in the early 2000s. NParks will build on these community-led efforts by connecting interested groups with experts in architecture, heritage and related fields as well as volunteer networks through FUN. Apart from House 63C, NParks will also identify other kampong houses suitable for restoration.

The community-led restoration will be aligned with the overall look and feel of Pulau Ubin and retain the cultural heritage and rustic character of the island. Enhancements will also be done sensitively and in line with the “Sustainable Design and Practices” theme of the vision for The Ubin Project. Moving forward, the Friends of Ubin Network will explore the re-vitalisation of the Ubin community by allowing interested groups and individuals to use and manage these restored kampong houses, as long as they are able to contribute to The Ubin Project. FUN will be gathering feedback and suggestions from Ubin residents and heritage groups on these proposals.

Ubin Day 2017

Today marks the sixth time Ubin Day is being organised. First held in 2002, Ubin Day is a community event which celebrates the different facets of the island. This year, a host of activities such as kampong games, art workshops, and visits to kampong houses have been organised by the community in collaboration with NParks. Educational booths by community groups to promote biodiversity conservation and cultural heritage will also be set up. Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng is our guest-of-honour at the event.

Ubin Day is part of Pesta Ubin, a festival organised by FUN members and the community. This year’s festival saw a record number of more than 8,000 participants taking part in about 100 activities over 10 weeks. For more information on Pesta Ubin, please visit http://pestaubin2017.blogspot.sg.

Revamped Nature Gallery by HSBC

Activities and enhancements on Pulau Ubin are made possible through community efforts, including corporate involvement. One of these enhancements, the revamped Nature Gallery by HSBC, was also unveiled at Ubin Day. It showcases Ubin’s biodiversity conservation, research, heritage, nature-based recreation and sustainable practices. Located near the jetty, the previous exhibition was 10 years old and in need of updating.

The revamped exhibition comprises information panels, educational displays and an interactive touchscreen to enhance the experience of visitors. Enhanced displays include 3D models of biodiversity found on Pulau Ubin including the Asian Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus), Dugong (Dugong dugon) and Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris).

The newly installed touchscreen enables visitors to view the nature conservation masterplan for Ubin including maps highlighting its vegetation, biodiversity areas, habitat enhancement and species recovery sites, as well as the bird calls of 10 species that call the island home. The Nature Gallery is supported by a S$100,000 donation from HSBC through the Garden City Fund. For more information on the Nature Gallery, please refer to Media Factsheet A.

First comprehensive biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin

Minister Lee also announced that NParks will work with the research community on a two-year comprehensive biodiversity survey on Pulau Ubin, starting in late 2017. It will be undertaken by NParks staff, volunteers, researchers from the National University of Singapore and citizen scientists from nature groups such as the Vertebrate Study Group of the Nature Society (Singapore), Herpetological Society of Singapore, Entomological Network of Singapore and ButterflyCircle. This is the first time that a survey will be conducted on the biodiversity of the entire island.

Pulau Ubin is home to 720 native plant species and over 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as about 240 species of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Some of these species are only found on the island and not on the mainland. The comprehensive biodiversity survey will focus on plants and key groups of animals including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies, butterflies and moths, bees and wasps, grasshoppers and katydids, as well as intertidal biodiversity.

The results of the survey will enable NParks to update the baseline data for taxonomic groups such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and butterflies and obtain new baselines for other groups. The data will help to update the species inventory of Pulau Ubin and aid in the planning of future research, habitat enhancement and species recovery projects. The results will also be used for systematic long-term monitoring and management of the island.

Data from the first BioBlitz@Ubin, which was held from 3 December to 4 December 2016, helped to set the ground for the upcoming comprehensive biodiversity survey of Pulau Ubin. Organised as part of the NParks Community in Nature Biodiversity Watch series, more than 450 species were documented by 100 participants including members of the public, naturalists and researchers over 24 hours.

Singapore Garden Photographer of the Year Photo Competition

Last November, NParks launched the Singapore Garden Photographer of the Year (SGPY) photo competition where photography enthusiasts can submit photographs of what they think best represents the three themes: “Gardens and Landscapes”, “People and Nature” and “Our BiodiverCITY”. Theme 1 (Gardens and Landscapes) and Theme 2 (People and Nature) attracted more than 8,000 entries in total. The competition’s presenting sponsor is City Developments Limited, supported by Nikon and the Photographic Society of Singapore).

A Special Category – Fort Canning Park (People and Nature), supported by partners from Fort Canning Park, was introduced this year. Under this category, participants submitted photographs that depict activities at Fort Canning Park.

Minister Ng presented the top awards to the winners of these themes. For more information on the competition, please refer to Media Factsheet B.



Factsheet A: A Nature Gallery by HSBC

Factsheet B: SGPY 2017 Photo Competition

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The future of local farming: Balancing technology and nature

Wendy Wong Channel NewsAsia 17 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE: Imagine a future where all of Singapore’s vegetables are grown in a completely controlled environment, and where every stage of a plant's growth can be calibrated - from its soil composition to the amount of air and light it gets.

Such farm factories are fast becoming a reality indoors, located in warehouses and industrial buildings.

Hothousing them in this way allows for a faster and smarter way of growing greens, thanks to agrotechnology - such as the use of artificial LED light, computer-controlled watering and fertilising, and genome editing of crops. At the same time, such vertical farms have a smaller physical and energy footprint.

There has been rising interest around the world in indoor farms, said Associate Professor Sanjay Swarup from the Department of Biological Science at the National University of Singapore. "Not only (are we seeing) large-scale production which is under controlled conditions, but it is also now comparable to what people can get from outdoor cultivation."

Currently, there are around 200 food farms in Singapore producing fish, eggs and vegetables - 15 of which are indoor farms.

PRODUCTIVITY THE NEW BUZZWORD

With erratic weather patterns arising from global warming, an increasing population and Singapore's heavy reliance on imported food, productivity is an oft-repeated buzzword in the local farming industry.

On Mar 7, the Government unveiled its Farm Transformation Map, with innovation and the use of technology seen as key means to boosting farm yields.

Likewise, productivity-related criteria were included in the tender assessment for new farm plots in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, with farmers to tender for plots starting in August.

In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia, Senior Minister of State for National Development Koh Poh Koon stressed the importance of the farming industry in contributing to Singapore's food security: "As opposed to many different industries, our local food farms have an important national duty to ensure that Singapore has some supply resilience.

"Therefore, we want to encourage our farms to adopt technology that make them more productive - increase their yield, decrease their loss, so that in times of need, we know we can be self-sufficient to some extent," Dr Koh said.

LOSING TOUCH WITH THE NATURAL WORLD?

But as technology sinks ever deeper roots in Singapore’s urban jungle, some in the industry say that its overemphasis may root out the rustic nature of farming and, for younger generations, a loss of knowledge of where our food comes from.

While older folks can recall childhood memories of chickens and cows roaming in their kampung, many children today only have the experience of seeing animals up close at the zoo or during farm tours.

It is that disconnect that has made second-generation farmer Chelsea Wan worried for her 21-month-old son.

"We shouldn’t be too engrossed about farms having to go high tech," said the director of Jurong Frog Farm. "Being a parent myself now, I hope my child will get to see both sides of the industry, the different ends of the spectrum - from the high-tech farm to the productive conventional ones.

"If children have to visit factories in future to see how animals and plants are grown, they really might lose their concept of how soil-based vegetables are important, how the environment really does affect the farming community, how climate change plays an important role as well," said Ms Wan.

"They might lose all that, to think that everything can be controlled and manipulated. So that might not be such a good thing for young children."

Care should be taken when adopting any new technology, Assoc Prof Sanjay said.

"As we're getting away from less sterile outdoor conditions to indoor conditions, there will be a reduced load of bugs - or microbes - so that might or might not be good in the long run, because microbial exposure from the air and water and all around us help to improve our immunity as we grow up … So we still have to see the long-term effects of that."

EXPERIMENTING WITH THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

But some say that the value of traditional farming and of "farm factories" may not be a meaningful or accurate distinction.

"I think a lot of times when we talk about technology, the image that comes to mind is that of gizmo and gadgetry, expensive investment in machinery," said Dr Koh. "But technology means that we need to use something that is more related to science, and also have something that helps to reduce wastage and increase your yield.

"Farming technology spans a whole different spectrum - from simple things like automatic irrigation to putting in simple sensors which tell you the temperature," said Dr Koh. "These are actually simple technologies that existing farmers on the soil are actually using. So I do not think that it is beyond the reach of most of our land-based farmers."

President of the Kranji Countryside Association Kenny Eng agreed: "Innovation does not just equate to high tech. Innovation can be innovation in your production, concepts, being creative in your product range as well.

"Farming agriculture for that matter is not just production - there’s heritage, culture and education. These intangible assets are very critical for nation building in Singapore. Knowing where your food comes from is something that every parent hopes every child (will) know."

One such conventional soil-based farm attempting to incorporate both production and education is Kok Fah Technology Farm. Not only does the vegetable farm hold a weekly farmer's market and tours for the public, it has also adopted new machinery with the help of government funding. Such technology has helped to improve its yields by around 20 per cent - up to 120 tonnes of vegetables a month.

"We realised that manpower is getting more and more difficult to hire and it's getting more expensive," said its business development manager Dave Huang. "At the same time, the Government is giving out grants to offset all the machinery that you buy for the company. So that’s why we decided to adopt technology."

Since then, Mr Huang said that the farm has seen "better consistency" in its output, with the technology providing more consistent irrigation to its crops.

More young urban farmers are also exploring how to harmonise both the hardware and "heartware" of farming - such as Citizen Farm, a first-of-its-kind closed loop urban farming system.

The 8,000-sq-m farm, located in Queenstown, makes use of insect farming to turn food waste into fertiliser, which is then supplied to its food crops.

"We incorporate natural elements in the modern technology we use today," said its head farmer Darren Ho. "We looked around in the cities and we realised what is in abundance is food waste. We use insect farming to turn this food waste into fertiliser, which is then transferred onto our growing systems, which then produces high-quality food. And then it goes back into our consumers which then generates food waste again.

"So this is part of this circular economy approach, as opposed to a linear approach, whereby you put inputs and expect outputs."

The farm grows its greens - such as microgreens, lettuce and tomatoes - in both indoor and outdoor spaces. It also has a mushroom farm and aquaponics farm rearing fish, with nutrients from its waste being absorbed by vegetables in its indoor farm.

Apart from conducting corporate farm tours, it has also tasked itself with a social mission, by employing people with autism and Down's syndrome. It also plans to start an urban farming school in October.

"I think that the advancement of technology should not come at the expense of human capital," said Mr Ho. "We have to look at what our society is made up of first, look at what’s needed … and what we value around us, before we get too ahead of ourselves with technology.

"Same thing with our farm - we do want to see robotics and technology for agriculture advance, but never at the expense of human capital or our workforce," he said, citing an example of giving more dangerous jobs to robots instead of workers.

As more farmers find ways to balance the value of both technology and nature, the future of local farming looks bright.

Ms Wan is optimistic. "I hope to see children being able to see farms as how they’re supposed to be - animals that can see the light and breathe outdoor air, and also appreciate technology to increase productivity and automise land space," she said.

"If they're able to see both sides, they can better decide for themselves how to merge the two."

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Managing animal hoarding not a straightforward affair, say animal welfare groups

SIAU MING EN Today Online 15 Jul 17;

SINGAPORE — In the three-room Yishun flat, there were 39 cats caged up and caked in faeces. When the authorities raided the place last February, it was overrun with cockroaches, and many of the cats were malnourished; 12 later died.

Just last month, in a separate case, more than double the number of cats — 94 — were kept in an even smaller place, a two-room unit in Fernvale Link. But although this was believed to be the biggest cat-hoarding case here, these felines, compared with the earlier case, mostly did not have as severe medical conditions.

The two cases reflect the differences in animal hoarding behaviour, which has cropped up in Singapore from time to time. While animal welfare groups interviewed said they have not seen more of such cases, they said managing the problem was not as straightforward as criminalising the act — laws were enhanced three years ago.

They noted that it may be unfair to be tougher on hoarders based on the number of animals, since whether the animals are well cared for is more relevant — even as rehoming all the rescued animals could take animal welfare groups up to a year or longer. And why these individuals hoard and how to prevent them from relapsing into the behaviour are more important, they added.

Hoarding is generally classified as a disorder when an individual has difficulty discarding their possessions, among other things. It can be a symptom of people with certain mental illnesses, such as Schizophrenia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Dr Kelvin Ng, a consultant at the Institute of Mental Health, said while they do not have much information on animal hoarding specifically, some characteristics of animal hoarders are that these are animal lovers who feel that they are providing adequate care to the animals they are keeping, even though they may not be.

Statistics from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) showed there was one case of animal hoarding in 2015, 11 cases last year, and five cases as of June this year. Most of these cases involved cats or dogs. Only one case involved mice and rabbits.

Ms Veron Lau from Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said: “I don’t think it’s getting worse or better, it’s just a perennial issue that simply existed in our society. It’s just a matter of when they are discovered.”

CWS defines cat hoarding as having more cats than the number they are reasonably able to care for. Rescuers or fosters, for instance, can have several cats but are able take good care of them, noted Ms Lau, whose group handles seven to 10 hoarding cases a year.

Mr Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD), said the first indicator for his group, which handles one to two such cases a year, is whether an individual keeps more dogs than he is allowed. In public housing flats, owners can keep only one dog from a list of approved breeds. In private housing, up to three dogs are allowed.

But Mr Yeo said the dog’s state of health, and whether there are signs of abuse or neglect are taken into consideration before they classify it as a case of hoarding.

While there are regulations for the number of dogs a household can keep, there are no similar regulations for smaller pets.

President of the House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS) Betty Tan said her group handled one case of animal hoarding each this year and last. In April this year, HRSS and other animal welfare groups rescued 23 rabbits and over 100 mice kept in a Tampines flat.

While animal welfare groups have varying approaches, the AVA noted that hoarding of pets “may also cause public safety, nuisance and hygiene issues to the community”, apart from the welfare of the animals.

If animal welfare is compromised, pet owners can be fined up to S$15,000 and/or jailed 18 months under the Animals and Birds Act.

Another challenge is ensuring that hoarders do not relapse and hoard animals again.

One way to do so is for animal welfare groups to partner grassroots and voluntary welfare organisations to keep tabs on hoarders in their estates.

The costs of sending these animals to the veterinarian, which can range from about S$100 for rabbit sterilisation to close to S$1,000 for more serious cases, can also put a strain on the groups’ resources.

Rehoming the animals also takes time, at times, more than a year.

Even then, some of these animals stand almost no chance of being adopted if, say, they sustained serious medical conditions while they were hoarded.

For instance, 14 cats from the Yishun case are still with CWS.

“Even though now they are very plump and very cute, people are afraid of (their) medical conditions ... and it’s true because of the severe emancipation they suffered previously, a lot of them have very high cancer markers,” said Ms Lau.

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Malaysia: RM15mil sanctuary for elephants soon

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 17 Jul 17;

JOHOR BARU: Work on the first phase of the RM15mil Johor Elephant Sanctuary is underway and will provide a safe home for about 15 elephants.

Johor Health, Environment, Information and Education Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said a contractor was appointed in May to start work on the 100ha project.

“The first phase will see about 15 elephants being housed in the sanctuary located along Jalan Lombong, not far from the Kota Tinggi waterfall, where the wild animals can roam freely,” he said.

He said the first phase was scheduled for completion at the end of next year and with that, help improve the conflict between wild elephants and humans in Kluang and Kota Tinggi.

He added that the sanctuary would also doubled as a tourism attraction for nature lovers to get close to the elephants.

“Johor’s vast forests are habitats to about 140 wild elephants where Segamat, Kluang, Mersing and Kota Tinggi are their stomping grounds,” he said.

The rapid developments and deforestation leading to the shrinking of the wild animals’ natural habitat have caused the animals to enter villages in search of food, creating conflicts with humans.

Ayub said the state received 75 complaints from residents and villagers of wild elephants encroaching into their farms and villages from January to May this year.

The highest complaints came from Kluang and Kota Tinggi with Kampung Sri Lukut and Mawai respectively being the most affected villages, he said.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) received an average 181 complaints from villagers and the agricultural industry each year from 2011 to 2016 with damages amounting to about RM1.2mil annually.

Ayub said since 2008 to May this year, Perhilitan transferred 48 wild elephants out of Kluang alone and each transfer process cost about RM50,000.

Ayub said Perhilitan also gave out 100 special flashlights to villagers of Kampung Sri Lukut last week to be installed at agricultural areas and villages to prevent the elephants from entering.

“The flashlights will light up when motion is detected and deter the elephants from going near as the wild animals are afraid of bright lights,” he added.

One of the steps taken by Perhilitan to reduce the conflict was installing electric fence, costing about RM717,000 which passes through the Lenggor, Mersing and Labis forest reserves.

Ayub said, however, that some parts of the fence were partly cut and damaged by irresponsible hunters.

“When elephants enter our villages and farms, we are quick to put the blame on the animals when in reality, humans are the ones entering and destroying their natural habitat,” he said.

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Malaysia: 70 nabbed for possession of agarwood

The Star 17 Jul 17;

PETALING JAYA: Seventy people have been caught possessing agarwood or gaharu in 13 operations since 2013.

Natural Resources and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, however, disagreed that enforcement was lax in addressing the dwindling number of karas trees.

The Forestry Department, he said, carried out 2,349 patrols in jungles this year alone.

While the number of karas trees had shrunk, he said there was still “an abundance” of karas trees in uncharted forests that had yet to be surveyed.

“The fact that it is under Appendix 2 of the CITES Regulation, the species is endangered. It is a long way from being listed under Appendix 1 which will indicate critically endangered status,” Wan Junaidi said in an e-mail response.

Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said the problem was due to poor enforcement.

“The number is still small but we need to reduce or stop completely on the felling of agarwood. Forestry and Perhilitan should start conducting joint operations as illegal loggers are also poaching wild animals,” she said.


‘Liquid gold’ rush endangers karas trees
NICHOLAS CHENG and MEI MEI CHU The Star 17 Jul 17;

Sorja Tan, 22, an orang asli from the Temiar tribe says it is becoming increasingly difficult to find karas trees in the forest.

EXCLUSIVE: GERIK: Sorja Tan (pic) remembers a time when it was easy to find karas trees – tall, straight jungle giants – that grew in the forest reserves here.

Now, there are days when he leaves the forest after a long day of gaharu collecting empty-handed.

“In the past, if you go to the forest, karas trees were not rare. You could find them close together here and there. Now, there are only a few left,” said the 22-year-old of the Temiar tribe living nearby.

Karas trees – or aquilaria malaccensis – are being logged by the tens of thousands in Malaysian jungles, mostly by foreigners because of the valuable agarwood, known locally as gaharu.

One kilogramme of agarwood can fetch between RM4,000 and RM20,000 and its woodchips – which are turned into essential oils used in perfume and incense – fuel a RM26bil global trade every year.

The rareness and value of agarwood oil has led traders to call it “liquid gold” and has sparked many to either grow or log karas trees for profit.

Tan is worried about the agarwood going extinct.

This gold rush is threatening to push Malaysia’s karas trees into extinction, said Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

In 2004, the National Forest Inventory estimated there were 3.06 million karas trees in the wild. Today, that number has more than halved to 1.16 million, according to the latest data from the Forestry Department.

The demand for karas trees has become so overwhelming that the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said its research plantations have been trespassed by illegal loggers who stole 40% of the trees.

However, the ministry does not see the population drop in the wild as alarming.

Karas trees produce agarwood as a reaction to when injured – either by insect or bacterial infection, lightning strikes or even human logging.

The agarwood acts as a defence mechanism for the trees much like white blood cells in the human body, said FRIM researcher Mohd Noor Mahat, who specialises in karas trees.

image: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/07/17/liquid-gold-rush-endangers-karas-trees-illegal-and-irresponsible-loggers-could-make-rare-agarwood-ex/~/media/1c85673624914a1a94f8f95fd3e1b343.ashx?h=400&w=600

Valuable bark: A merchant showing a box top quality agarwood sourced from the Malaysian rainforests.
Valuable bark: A merchant showing a box top quality agarwood sourced from the Malaysian rainforests.

Malaysia has about 2,000ha of karas tree plantations, where farmers intentionally infect trees to get them to produce agarwood. But it takes up to at least five years before any agarwood can be harvested.

“Why wait so long when there are trees in the forest, growing for decades, that I can just go and cut down? That’s human behaviour,” Mohd Noor said.

The Forestry Department has said agarwood cartels have been living and harvesting karas trees in jungles here as early as the late 80s.

Most of these foreigners from Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines harvest the woodchips and smuggle them into Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Mohd Noor said competition between cartels has become so fierce, they have begun arming themselves in the jungle and even fight each other over who gets to chop down which tree.

“The worst thing is, only a small percentage of karas trees produce agarwood. They chop down whatever tree and only get a small bit of agarwood from each. The rest die for nothing,” he said.

While there have been efforts to replant karas trees and enforce illegal removals of it in the wild, Mohd Noor believes the rate of them being chopped down is much higher.

“There is a possibility that it can go extinct. We have yet to study the environmental impact of that but this would mean that the genetics of our karas trees will no longer exist and sources of new medicine and economy from agarwood will be gone,” he said.


Orang asli harvest gaharu in a sustainable manner
The Star 17 Jul 17;

GERIK: Traditionally, orang asli only used the soft bark of karas trees to weave items such as clothes and bags but in the 1980s, they discovered a new source of income – harvesting agarwood.

Deep in the forest reserves here, the karas trees stand tall with large chunks of their trunks gouged out by orang asli checking to see if the agarwood resin has grown in the heartwood inside.

If the heartwood remains a pure yellowish-tan, they would leave the tree to grow but if the coveted deep brown wood is found, they have hit pay dirt and will harvest the agarwood by hacking it into woodchips.

Andak Lembut, a 54-year-old from the Temiar tribe, said the community would only harvest the agarwood they needed for their daily living expenses.

Unless it was a mature tree with high quality agarwood, he said they were careful not to kill the tree, adding that the forest was their main – if not only – source of income.

“We take care of the forest, including the gaharu trees, because it is our source of sustenance. For the orang asli, the forest is our bank ... we only take what we need,” he said.

However, the orang asli community is facing a problem as they compete with poachers for their livelihood.

According to forest researcher Lim Teck Wyn, the orang asli have been sustainably harvesting agarwood for many years without harming the karas tree population.

“They have a system of harvesting where they only take a little bit of agarwood at a time. They only take the dead wood.

“The problem is when foreigners come in and they cut down the whole tree,” he said.

The Vietnamese and Cambodian poachers, said Andak, would log even young karas trees that had not developed any agarwood.

“This is because the agarwood cartels want to increase the price of farmed agarwood by reducing the availability of agarwood in the wild,” he claimed.

The orang asli, Andak admitted, were also supplying agarwood to the black market as the law currently did not allow them to legally collect and trade forest produce.

According to residents here, it is common to see orang asli coming to town and deal discreetly with buyers, some of whom come from as far as Malacca.

“The authorities say we need a permit to harvest and sell agarwood but when we apply, they do not approve our applications,” claimed Andak.

In the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia’s books, orang asli are only allowed to harvest forest produce for personal use.

“It is not fair to charge them to obtain the removal pass (harvesting permit) because they are using this for their own consumption.

“However, lately urban folk are taking advantage of their abori­ginal privileges by hiring them to collect agarwood in big amounts for commercial purposes,” said Forestry Department director-general Datuk Akhirmuddin Mahmud.

“The department will not compromise with this syndicated extraction of agarwood from the Permanent Reserved Forest areas as it is against the National Forestry Act 1984.”


Board: We only export 150,000kg of the rare wood
The Star 21 Jul 17;

PETALING JAYA: With agarwood being declared an endangered species by the Convention on Interna­tional Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) says it adheres to a yearly export quota of 150,000kg of the rare wood, including wood chips and processed products, for Peninsular Malaysia.

Its deputy director-general Norchahaya Hashim said the board enforces the export permit system efficiently to regulate the trade.

In 2016, MTIB issued 335 export permits that were in compliance with CITES for the export of 121,364kg of agarwood and its related products.

“Although many exporters said the Forestry Department is very strict in approving removal passes or harvesting permit to them, MTIB will only process export permit applications if they are submitted along with the removal passes,” Norchahaya said.

She was responding to allegations by agarwood trade expert Lim Teck Wyn that the permit system of agarwood trade in the country was found wanting, resulting in a booming black market trade for the wood.

Norchahaya said while a permit was required for export purposes, agarwood could still be traded domestically without a permit.

When contacted, the Forestry Department in Peninsular Malaysia said it was strengthening its enforcement team to combat illegal logging including agarwood poaching.

Its director-general Datuk Akhiruddin Mahmud said the department was actively involved in several enforcement strategies like the Malaysian Biodiversity Enforcement Operation Network that involves the Wildlife Department, the military, police and FDPM in combating illegal encroachment of forests and national parks.

“Since 2000, the department has addressed 27 cases involving the poaching and illegal possession of agarwood with 94 offenders arrested, of whom 39 were foreigners and 55 locals,” he said in a statement.

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Indonesia: Appeal to protect Leuser ecosystem

Fardah Antara 16 Jul 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) is prioritized after UNESCOs World Heritage Committees decision, in its 41st session, to retain TRHS on the List of World Heritage In Danger following threats to remaining rainforests.

The 2.5 million-hectare TRHS site comprises three national parks: Mount Leuser National Park located in Aceh and North Sumatra; Kerinci Seblat National Park in Jambi, Bengkulu, West Sumatra, and South Sumatra; and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in the provinces of Lampung, South Sumatra, and Bengkulu.

A large part of the TRHS lies within the Leuser Ecosystem, which is among the most biodiverse and ancient ecosystems to be ever documented by science and the last habitat of Sumatran orangutans, elephants, tigers, rhinos, and sun bears.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has identified Leuser as one of the worlds "irreplaceable protected areas."

UNESCO says the site "holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra, including many endangered species."

According to UNESCO, the area is home to some 10 thousand plant species, including 17 endemic genera; more than 200 mammal species; and about 580 bird species, of which 465 are resident and 21 are endemic.

Besides this, millions of people in Aceh and North Sumatra depend on the rivers of the Leuser Ecosystem, not only for fresh drinking water but also to sustain their livelihoods as farmers.

The TRHS was nominated by the Indonesian government as a World Heritage Site and accepted in 2004. The TRHS and adjacent lowland rainforests and peatlands in the greater Leuser Ecosystem are the only place on Earth where orangutans, rhinos, tigers, and elephants exist together in the wild and is a critical source of water and livelihood for millions.

Since then, new threats have emerged, including Acehs flawed spatial plan, three proposed large hydroelectric dams, and the proposed Kappi Geothermal Project, which if built, would destroy forests in the very heart of the World Heritage Site.

In 2011, the property was listed as "World Heritage in Danger" due to illegal logging, poaching, palm oil expansion, and fragmentation of its intact rainforests to make way for new roads.

Panut Hadisiswoyo, founder and director of the Orangutan Information Centre, and civil society spokesperson at the World Heritage Committee meeting, held in Krakow, Poland, on July 4, 2017, issued a statement on the decision of the committee.

"The World Heritage Committee has confirmed the need to take decisive action to address current and emerging threats facing the world heritage rainforests in Sumatra. We are very appreciative that the committee has retained the TRHS site on the List of World Heritage In Danger, as destruction driven by illegal activities continue to this day," he remarked as quoted on orangutancentre.org.

"The Indonesian governments announcement to categorically rule out geothermal development within the World Heritage property is welcomed. We stand ready to work collaboratively to protect its rainforests and realize alternative development that protects the greater Leuser Ecosystem whilst securing the integrity of the TRHS World Heritage Site," he noted.

"Similar to the Indonesian government, we are committed to seeing the property come off the Danger list but not until all the threats it faces have been addressed. We commend, both the Indonesian minister of environment and forestry and Governor Irwandi Yusuf of the Aceh provincial government, who now have made unequivocal statements, ruling out geothermal proposals in the heart of Leuser, but we still have much work to do to reverse the damages that have already been done and block any attempts of building new roads or hydro dams proposed for the Leuser Ecosystem," Hadisiswoyo stated in his commitment during an address.

"We are ready to work with the Indonesian government to conserve the property. Proper law enforcement is required to tackle the unacceptable levels of illegal logging, poaching, encroachments, and new roads," he pointed out.

He delivered petitions to the 21 members of the World Heritage Committee on behalf of 14 thousand concerned global citizens that are part of the growing movement to "Love The Leuser" and supported the call to keep the TRHS site on the List of World Heritage In Danger - until such time that the threats to the area are resolved and its future conservation is ensured in perpetuity.

In its January 2017 report to the World Heritage Committee, the Indonesian government reiterates its commitment "to ensure the sustainability of the TRHS and restore it to such a state that the property may be removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger."

It lists the measures it has taken, which include establishing a program for increasing the population of Sumatran tigers, elephants, rhino, and orangutans; conducting training in wildlife monitoring; improving monitoring equipment; identifying and mapping human-wildlife conflict areas; developing a rhino sanctuary; and conducting Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool patrols.

It also expressed commitment to not granting any concessions or permits for geothermal exploration or the construction of new roads within the TRHS site.

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