Malaysia: Johor calls for coordinated set of laws to govern all water supply-related agencies to address river pollution

Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 2 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor government will propose to the federal government to put in place a coordinated set of laws that can be enforced by all water supply-related agencies to address the problem of pollution at rivers.

Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said this needed to be done following cases of pollution at raw water resources such as rivers, which in turn had affected operations of water treatment plants and caused water supply disruptions.

Hasni said there were conflicting laws among the state water utility company SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd, Johor Water Regulatory Body (Bakaj), Department of Environment (DoE), Forestry Department and other agencies when it came to nabbing river polluters.

"There is a need to coordinate the laws. In Johor, the laws do not reflect how important it is to monitor the threats towards our water resources.

"We can see the differences in laws as with the Forestry (Department) that handles encroachment matters, Bakaj which monitors water intake points and whether anyone is diverting the water resources away from the water supply chain, and Department of Environment (DoE) which handles river polluters," said Hasni after the opening ceremony of the Water Leaders Forum organised by the Johor government at Mutiara Hotel here today.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin launched the forum. Also present was Singapore Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad.

Citing an example of conflicting laws in matters of water pollution, Hasni said that Bakaj and DoE had different measurement criteria to define a polluted body of water.

"For example, the DoE defines polluted discharges as a pollutant that is contained in 10 parts per million (ppm) of water.

"However, Bakaj's enactment says that pollutants found in 1.5 parts per million (ppm) of water is considered to be polluted discharge.

"If a factory is found to have 8 ppm of pollutants in its discharge, the DoE cannnot take action, but it will leave Bakaj to be in a bind.

"These laws have some weaknesses and they need to be improved. The state government will bring up the matter with the federal government," said Hasni.

He said that federal level agencies such as the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) needs to review the effectiveness of enforcement under the country's water industry policies.

"That's why the organiser of today's Forum invited SPAN's former chief executive officer Datuk Teo Yen Hua to speak on the topic 'A decade of Water Industry Reform- Time to Reflect'.

"We need to look into whether the country has met the objectives of SPAN and other goals in the restructuring of the water industry," he said.

Hasni said that Malaysia and Johor could benefit from taking a leaf out of the water industry in Singapore, which comes under a sole authority, Public Utilities Board, and has better coordination of laws all along the chain of water supply.

Recent cases of water supply disruptions in the past three months in Johor were traced to ammonia pollution in rivers.

On July 1, water supply to 6,000 account holders in Simpang Renggam was disrupted due to ammonia pollution in Sungai Benut. The ammonia contamination was traced to a damaged leachate tank near one of its tributaries that runs along the Southern Waste Management's CEP1 landfill.

On July 23, ammonia pollution in Sungai Skudai caused a disruption in the regular water supply in eight areas in Johor Baru when production at the Sultan Ismail water treatment plant dropped to 50 per cent.

On a related issue, Hasni said the state government was spending RM500 million this year for water supply projects in Johor, including the Penyaluran Air Mentah Iskandar Malaysia (PAMIM) project, water treatment plant in Kluang and temporary raw water transfer project from Sungai Lenggor to Congok dam in Mersing.


Streamline water pollution laws, Govt urged
The Star 3 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: The Government should streamline water pollution laws to help resolve the problem, said an exco member.

Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Moham-mad said the often conflicting laws and regulations made it easy for wrongdoers to get away with pollution or water diversion activities.

He said that plugging the loopholes could help resolve the pollution issues plaguing water resources.

He said the suggestion came in the wake of incidents involving Johor rivers – there were water disruptions when two treatment plants had to cease operations due to high ammonia levels.

“I believe the people are already fed up of hearing about the recurring ammonia pollution and we need to do something to stop it once and for all,” he said, adding that the state had spent about RM500mil to improve water reserves.

Citing Singapore as an example, Hasni said the island republic has one authority to manage its water, which is the Public Utility Board, unlike in Malaysia.

He said the laws enforced at the different agencies meant that agencies such as the Johor Water Regulatory Body, Department of Environment, as well as the Drainage and Irrigation Depart-ment, often had conflicting roles and regulations.

“The laws should be streamlined because existing regulations do not reflect our efforts to monitor and control such threats to our water resources.

“The laws stipulate differ terms for each department. For example, one agency defines pollution differently and has a pollutant index that varies from that of another,” he told a press conference yesterday after the launch of the two-day Johor Water Leaders Forum.

Earlier, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who launched the forum, said water usage in Johor was expected to increase by 80% in the next 11 years and that comprehensive steps must be taken to ensure that there was enough water for the people.


National Water Resources Bill tabled soon to enable standardised management system nationwide
Halim Said New Straits Times 3 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will be tabling the final draft of the National Water Resources Bill during the next Parliamentary sitting at the end of the month.

Deputy minister Datuk Dr Hamim Samuri said the tabling of the bill was important as it would ensure that a standardised water resources management system will be applied by all states.

“The bill will enable the state governments to apply a standardised water management system, which will be consistent with the federal-level policies on maintaining and safeguarding essential water resources,” he said at the closing ceremony of the two-day Water Leaders Forum 2017 organised by the Johor government.

Currently, said Hamim, the water resources management guidelines and some of its policies differed from state to state.

“The National Water Resources Bill will be able to coordinate the management of water resources across all agencies involved in every state,” he said.

He said, among other things, the bill was expected to contain aspects on coastal area management, underground water, flood mitigation and a contingency plan during droughts.

“There will also be sections on regulations to monitor the raw water resources such as rivers and tributaries,” he said.

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Malaysia: Petronas installs among world's largest ethylene oxide reactors at Pengerang

The Star 2 Oct 17;

KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) recently installed the biggest ethylene oxide reactors -- amongst the biggest reactors in the world – for its refinery within the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) in Johor.

The national oil company said on Monday each of the two reactors is a sophisticated engineering equipment, measuring 7.4 metres in diameter, 25.5 metres high and weighs 1,202 tonnes.

As of August 2017, the overall progress of the PIC development has reached 74.3% completion, said senior vice president and CEO of Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (PRPC), Dr Colin Wong Hee Huing.

“The successful installation of the reactors signifies that the PIC project is on track to achieve the first refinery start-up in Q1 2019,” he said.

Wong and the president and CEO of Samsung Engineering, Choong Heum Park were among those present at the installation.

Developed over 6,242 acres and involving US$27bil in investment, at the heart of PIC is the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project.

RAPID will have a 300,000 barrels-per-day (BPD) refinery and a petrochemical complex with a combined 3.609 million metric tons-per-year production capacity.

Associated PIC facilities include a 1,220 megawatt co-generation plant, 3.5 million metric tons-per-year regasification terminal, deep water terminal, air separation unit and raw water supply.

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Malaysia: Melaka turtle conservation centre releases 102 Hawksbill baby turtles

JANE RAJ The Star 3 Oct 17;

MELAKA: A total of 102 Hawksbill baby turtles were released in Padang Kemunting in Masjid Tanah today, after being hatched at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre here.

State Agriculture and Entrepreneurial Development committee chairman Datuk Hasan Abdul Rahman said Padang Kemunting has the highest number of nestings in Melaka.

"This centre is now well known for turtle nesting and hatching ground, where it has brought about uniqueness to the state itself.

"So now we have increased our workforce and improved our system to monitor these turtles, by hiring more people to keep an eye on their nesting grounds," he said after officiating the Hawksbill Turtle Release Programme in conjunction with the state-level National Fishermen Pre-Wave 2017 programme.

Last year, a total of 16,067 hatchlings were released to sea with the numbers increased to 25,835 hatchlings from January till August this year.

"We must cooperate and try our level best to preserve these turtle, where it can not only attract tourists, but also researchers and turtle enthusiasts.

"To help the Melaka Fisheries Department, I will be including this matter in the upcoming state budget meeting," he said.

The state Fisheries Department director Johari Tim said turtles helped to increase the number of fishes by eating their predators such as the jellyfish.

“This will in turn benefit the fishermen as they can get more catch.

"Turtles which lay eggs here are tagged and monitored by our staff. We want the baby turtles to get imprinted in this beach so they will return to nest here in the future as well," he said.

From the year of 1999 till August 2017, a total of 1,060,889 eggs were collected and 559,789 baby turtles were released in Melaka.

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Malaysia: Man arrested over mutilation of green sea turtles in Sabah

OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 2 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: A man from Semporna was arrested today over suspected turtle-poaching activities.

The arrest came about following the discovery of numerous mutilated green sea turtle carcasses in Pulau Bum Bum, off Semporna last week.

Sabah Wildlife director Augustine Tuuga said the 60-year-old man from Kampung Pantau-Pantau in Bum-Bum island will be remanded until Friday.

"The department is continuing its search for other suspects in days to come.

"The search will cover several islands in Semporna waters," he said, adding the arrest was made based on information from the public as well as the village head.

Last week, the department's investigators went to Pulau Bum-Bum following reports on social media of the carcasses.

On Saturday, turtles carcasses were also found floating in the waters near Pulau Mabul in Semporna.

Green sea turtles are classified as endangered and are a protected species.

Meanwhile, on the killing of a male Bornean pygmy elephant in Kinabatangan last week, Augustine said investigations are still ongoing.

He said investigations suggest that the elephant was not native to the area in Kinabatangan. Inspections along Sungai Kayoh, where the carcass was found, revealed no elephant footprints.

"It means that the elephant did not come from the area.

"We have identified several suspects in the case," he said.

The carcass of the Bornean pygmy elephant, aged between 15 and 20, was spotted by a group of tourists on a river cruise near Sungai Koyah in Kinabatangan.

Poachers had removed the endangered mammal’s tusks and cut off its left leg at the thigh.

Man remanded for five days over deaths of eight sea turtles
muguntan vanar The Star 2 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: A 60-year-old man was arrested over the deaths of about eight sea turtles at Pulau Bum Bum last week where investigators had also found 100 skeletal remains of the sea creature.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said Monday that the suspect from Kg Pantau-Pantau in Semporna’s Pulau Bum Bum was remanded by the magistrate's court for five days for questioning.

He said they have identified several suspects and are searching for them at several islands in this east coast district of Sabah.

The arrests are the first break for the Wildlife Department in their probe into the turtle killings that have stirred an outcry among local and international conservationists.

Tuuga did not disclose if the suspect and those wanted were also linked to the discovery of another seven burned sea turtle skeletons found at the tourists resort island of Pulau Mabul.

On the deaths of two Bornean pygmy bull elephants whose tusks were removed, he said they identified several suspects following information gathered from the public.

He said that investigations were ongoing into the killing of a male elephant in Kinabatangan last month.

“The search for the crime scene was done by boat along the river and on land by vehicle," said Tuuga.

He added that an inspection along the Koyah river near the site where the elephant carcass was found floating did not detect any sign of elephant footprints.

He said that this meant that the elephant was not from the area.

In the Tawau case where a bull elephant was found dead, Tuuga said that they were waiting for the blood sample analysis.


More agencies to protect Sabah wildlife
stephanie lee The Star 3 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will rope in more enforcement agencies to boost protection for wildlife on land and sea as a probe gets underway on the deaths of two elephants and over dozens of green turtles in Semporna.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said that the Wildlife Department could not on its own protect the wildlife in the state.

Enforcement teams from the Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Parks have been called in to help.

“One of the reasons why these killings still happen is a shortage of manpower to enforce the laws.

“By getting the other agencies to work together, we hope to fill the gap,” Masidi said after the opening ceremony of the state-level Warriors’ Day comme­moration at the Likas Sports Complex near here yesterday.

Last month, two bull pygmy elephants were killed in Kalabakan and Kinabatangan, as were dozens of endangered green turtles in Pulau Bum-Bum in Pulau Mabul, Semporna, in a week.

Masidi said the Wildlife Department was still trying to find answers to the turtle killings.

He urged the public to work together with enforcers to check wildlife hunting.

“We need help from everyone to report any incident to us as soon as they know about it before the relevant evidence is lost,” he said.

Masidi said the authorities would consider giving incentives to individuals who could provide information with evidence on killings of endangered species.

People who often post on social media about wildlife killings and hunting could also be appointed as honorary wildlife wardens, he said.

“This could encourage them to be our eyes and ears in our fight for wildlife protection.”


Two more detained over turtle deaths in Sabah's east coast
ruben sario The Star 3 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Another two people have been detained in connection with the slaughter of scores of turtles in Sabah’s east coast.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said a man in his 40s was arrested at Pulau Dinawan near Semporna on Tuesday.

He said Wildlife enforcement officers also held a woman in her 30s at Pulau Bum Bum on the same day.

“We are recording their statements to allow investigations,” Augustine said.

“More arrests are expected to be made in the coming days,” he said, adding that the department faced difficulties in ascertaining the whereabouts of key suspects.

Augustine said it was getting the help of the marine police, Sabah Parks and WWF Malaysia in locating the suspects.

On Monday, the department arrested a 60-year-old man over the poaching of eight sea turtles at Pulau Bum Bum last week.

Investigators had also found 100 skeletal remains of the sea creature.

The man had been remanded for five days for questioning.

On the killing of an elephant in Kinabatangan district, Augustine said Wildlife personnel raided the house of a suspect on Tuesday.

A search of the house resulted in the body parts of other protected species including sambar deer and bearded pig being seized.

He said two Indonesians had been arrested in connection with the discovery of the animal parts.

The investigation into the killing of a male elephant found floating in Kinabatangan will now move to the upstream of the river.

A house of a suspect that was initially suspected to have connections to the case was searched.

However the search only found parts of other protected species.

The carcass of the bull elephant was found floating in the Kinabatangan river with its tusks removed.


Sabah Wildlife Department looking for at least 3 suspects in turtle poaching case
OLIVIA MIWIL New Straits Times 3 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Wildlife Department officers are hunting for at least three people in connection with recent turtle poaching activities in Semporna.

This follows the arrests of a 60-year-old man in Kampung Pantau Pantau, off Semporna, yesterday and two people today.

“A Bajau Laut man in his 40s was detained in Dinawan island in the morning while a Bajau Laut woman in her 30s was detained in Kampung Amboh-Amboh, Bum-Bum island, in the afternoon.

“Their statements will be recorded to facilitate investigations,” said state department director Augustine Tuuga.

The arrests came about following the discovery of numerous mutilated green sea turtle carcasses in Bum Bum, located off Semporna, last week.

Augustine said initial investigations indicated another three people were involved in the poaching but did not exclude the possibility that there could be more.

The department is being assisted by Marine police, Sabah Parks officers and World Wildlife Fund members in the search for other suspects at several islands in Semporna waters.

Meanwhile, two Indonesian men were detained for possessing parts of protected sambar deer and bearded pig at their house in Kinabatangan.

Their house was searched this morning as the department suspected the owners were connected to the killing of a male elephant found floating in Sungai Kayoh last week.

“However, the search only found parts of other protected species,” said Augustine.

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EU to commit some $1 billion to better protect marine life

RAF CASERT, Associated Press Yahoo News 2 Oct 17;

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and its private sector will commit about 1 billion euros ($1.18 billion) to better protect marine life during the global Our Ocean conference this week.

EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella told the Associated Press that figure from the EU, its 28 member states and the private sector could be a conservative estimate, saying "it might be even a bit over."

The Our Ocean conference has turned into an annual marine governance event and has accumulated some 8.7 billion euros ($10.2 billion) since it started in 2014. Vella said "we are keeping up the pace with the previous three conferences."

Vella is also looking for donations from the United States. Many private companies contribute to the 2-day event, which starts Thursday in Malta.

Two of its previous annual meetings have been held in the United States, and then-Secretary of State John Kerry took a special interest in it. It's not clear to what extent President Donald Trump's Republican administration will be committed to the meeting's environmental cause.

Vella remained upbeat, saying "so far, the United States is still on board, very much on board."

"The U.S. will be coming round to Malta with commitments as well," he said. "The only question is the amount of support they will be giving."

The conference focuses on funding and leading projects as varied at combating plastics pollution to countering illegal fishing and looking at the effects of climate change.

Its mission is urgent, Vella said, pointing to the rapid decay of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

"Scientists were thinking that they would start feeling the negative impact of climate change and temperatures rising by 2050," Vella said. "We are still even before 2020 and we have already declared the Great Barrier Reef dead. So things are moving faster than we were hoping."

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Sand supply to struggle to keep up with global demand

Jonathan Rowland World Cement 2 Oct 17;

The use of sand in construction will drive demand, putting pressure on supply, according to recent analysis by BMI Research. Higher scrutiny of the fragmented sand mining industry by regulators will also hamper its ability to keep up with market needs.

Key Asian markets, such as China and the Middle East, are expected to drive sand demand from the construction industry. For example, the UAE alone has a US$273.7 billion commercial construction pipeline, according to BMI Research’s Infrastructure Key Projects Database.

Sand is a key element in a number of construction materials, including cement and concrete, and glass.

Given the expansion of high-rise building development around the world, a construction that typically involves significant amounts of glass, BMI Research expects the glass-making industry to “add to industrial sand demand”.

In addition to construction demand, demand will be compounded by the “effects of climate change […] as countries look to rebuild shorelines after storms or due to rising sea levels,” BMI Research said. “Low-lying nations, such as the Maldives, for instance, will use sand to rebuild receding coastlines against rising sea levels.”

Increased awareness of environmental issues will also cause higher regulatory oversight of the sand mining industry.

Cambodia recently banned sand exports, after it discovered 56 million t of unaccounted-for sand exports to Singapore. Meanwhile, in the US, local opposition and environmental scrutiny, is expected to see a movement of the industry – which comprises over 4000 companies with over 6000 operations according to the US Geological Survey – to more remote locations.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 Oct 17

15 Oct 2017 (Sun) - Free guided walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Loving Ubin mangroves in September
Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.) Initiative

Night dives at Pulau Hantu
The Hantu Bloggers

Kusu is alive!
Offshore Singapore

Oleander Hawk Moth (Daphnis nerii) @ Tanjong Pagar
Monday Morgue

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Sultan Shoal lighthouse: Run on technology, sustained by old-world charm

The 122-year-old western entry point to Singapore waters is both picturesque and eccentric at once.
Justin Ong Channel NewsAsia 1 Oct 17;

SINGAPORE: Taking the hour-long boat journey to Sultan Shoal island resembles a rewinding of Singapore’s landscape. First, two of the city-state’s gleaming new palatial playthings - Marina Bay Sands and Sentosa Cove - shrink from view. Next come Pasir Panjang port’s gangly ”giraffe” container cranes, and Pulau Bukom’s hulking oil refinery tubs.

Then, neatly poised between the stark, reclaimed land patches of Jurong Island and Tuas, standing ground amongst an odd tanker or two, is the distinctive white, copper and beige structure which marks out Sultan Shoal.

Everything about the outcrop - 0.6 hectares, smaller than a football pitch - is curious. There is a man-made lagoon which fills with seawater at high tide - but swimming is not allowed.

At the other end, two holiday chalets have sat dormant since 2012, the property of PSA Corporation or what was once the state-run Port of Singapore Authority.

Sandwiched in between is the 122-year-old lighthouse, a white Victorian column perched atop a two-storey design brick-laid with clashes of colonial and local influences.

It is a transporting experience standing at this western point for vessels entering and departing Singapore’s waters, said lighthouse keeper Lee Kwang Liang.

“This is a very special island, beautiful by itself,” the 64-year-old added.

He is one of eight men employed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to look after its five lighthouses.

Lee’s fellow keeper, 54-year-old N Manikaveloo, explained: “At any one time, four of us will be on an 11-day shift (at Pulau Pisang and Raffles lighthouses), while the others do unmanned lighthouse maintenance.”

Bedok lighthouse, Horsburgh lighthouse on Pedra Branca and Sultan Shoal are unmanned. The latter was only automated in 1984 at a cost of S$500,000, according to reports then.

FROM LAMP TO LED

When Sultan Shoal’s light first shone in 1896, it was a simple cluster of three single wick oil lamps. In later years, a kerosene burner was used, before diesel generators took over.

Even then, the lighthouse had to be manned by a crew of four, who manually operated the lantern at sunset and sunrise - and kept watch at night to ensure the light stayed on, according to Dr Parry Oei, MPA’s chief hydrographer and port services director.

“With the advent of technology and the growing difficulty in recruiting lightkeepers, we successfully automated Sultan Shoal lighthouse in 1984 using solar energy,” he recalled.

“We have now transited to using energy-efficient LED navigational lanterns, since 1992.”

The present-day lighthouse works by emitting two white flashes every 15 seconds, over a range of 15 nautical miles (almost 28km) and from 18m up.

A radar beacon also provides additional assistance to ships, but the increasing use of technology has done little to dim the significance of the lighthouse keeper’s job in their eyes.

“Yes, we come out to these unmanned lighthouses just once a month, and take up to about 1.5 hours to do the maintenance,” said Mr Lee, who has three years of experience under his belt. “But the keepers are still responsible for making sure the light is working and to help ships enter Singapore’s ports safely.”

STANDING STILL; STILL STANDING

Both Mr Lee and Mr Mani were effusive in comparing their lighthouse keeping to their previous deskbound professions.

“This is very unique work, very different from a job on the mainland,” said Lee. “For older people like me, this is very good for keeping ourselves occupied, active and fit at the same time.”

“It’s also a nice place for those who are semi-retired and want to and still can continue working,” he joked.

Said Mani, employed by MPA for eight years now: “In the city, it’s very hectic and stressful. When we come out to the lighthouses we get a sea breeze and a good view.”

Rust-tipped ships in the near distance notwithstanding, Sultan Shoal’s coconut tree-dotted shoreline and well-maintained greenery still make for an idyllic scene - albeit one off-limits to the public.

Nature, it seems, has found a way to preserve itself on the island. After 2,300 coral colonies were relocated to other islands to protect them from ongoing works at the Tuas port, the remaining 500 corals were observed in February to have a survival rate of about 90 per cent, according to Dr Oei.

And Sultan Shoal lighthouse too, in all its quaint, charming glory, “will not go”, said Lee.

“It’s a fixed structure, a benchmark, a key point. Should electronics fail, what do you rely on? That’s why we still maintain it after 100 over years.”

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Malaysia: Wildlife dept probing seven gutted carcasses near Pulau Mabul

ruben sario The Star 2 Oct 17;

KOTA KINABALU: More turtle carcasses have been discovered in Sabah’s east coast.

Facebook user Ridwan Abdul Razak shared photos of the seven dead turtles he found floating in the waters near Pulau Mabul at about 11.20pm on Saturday.

They were similar to those found near Pulau Bum Bum in Semporna earlier last week, with their flesh and plastron (lower shell) harvested.

“Hopefully the authorities will take action,” Ridwan wrote.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said an investigation team was immediately dispatched to the island when they were alerted about the carcasses yesterday morning.

“We are trying to ascertain whe­ther the turtles were killed there or whether the carcasses had drifted from another location,” he said.

Augustine said their investigations also focused on tracking down the buyers of the turtle meat and plastron, which are said to be ingredients for traditional medicine.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Envi­ronment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the state was looking at tightening existing wildlife laws so that those suspected of killing protected species would have to prove themselves innocent instead of the other way round.

He said it was not easy for prosecutors to find substantial evidence to prove that the suspect had killed an endangered animal.

Among the obstacles they faced was getting reliable witnesses, he added.

Masidi’s comments followed the recent killings of two bull pgymy elephants in Kalabakan and Kinaba­tangan, and at least nine endangered green turtles near Pulau Bum Bum.

About 100 turtle skeletons were also found on the island recently.

The killing of the green turtles had caught the attention of Sea Shepherd founder Capt Paul Watson, who offered a reward of US$5,000 (RM21,000) for information on the culprits.

Writing on his Facebook page, Capt Watson, who is also the CEO of the US-based non-profit marine wildlife conservation organisation, described those killing the turtles as monsters and said there was no justification for such savagery.

He urged those with information on the turtle poachers to contact the Sabah Wildlife Department.


More turtle carcasses found floating at sea, this time near Mabul island
AVILA GERALDINE New Straits Times 1 Oct 17;

SEMPORNA: Another seven turtle carcasses, with their stomach exposed, were found floating in waters near the popular Mabul island, last night.

The 10pm discovery was made by a group of islanders, who pulled the carcasses to a secluded area away from a resort to avoid drawing attention.

All the carcasses were found tied together and believed to have drifted to the Mabul waters.

The shocking discovery was streamed on Facebook Live by a user Joe Strazz. The footage showed a group of men on a boat inspecting and pulling the carcasses, while expressing their dismay over the incident.

The turtle carcasses was found floating at sea near the Mabul island. Pic courtesy of NST reader.
Based on the conversation on the boat, the turtles were spotted stuck to the pillar of Billabong Scuba Homestay’s jetty. The group also counted the seven carcasses, noting there was another that slipped away.

“We are trying to bring these carcasses away from the island so they will not get stuck at the stilt houses and resorts (on Mabul). We are not sure what to do with these, but we are just pulling them towards the open sea.

“We are going to mark the area and will survey other sites to see if there are any more carcasses. The turtles are spotted by one of the tourists, who immediately informed us,” said the videographer to his audience.

At one point he mentioned the presence of police, noting they were not supposed to go to the sea as it was curfew hour and that they had not reported the findings to the authority.

Meanwhile, Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the department was alerted of the incident this morning.

“We have sent a wildlife team to the island to retrieve the carcasses and conduct an investigation. I have also instructed all district wildlife offices to conduct massive operations against turtle poaching,” he said.

Early this week, the wildlife team had also responded to a viralled photo of eight mutilated turtle carcasses on Pulau Bum Bum off Semporna.

Upon arriving at the site on Thursday, the team only found one carcass while others were believed to have been washed away.

The team, however, made a shocking discovery when they spotted 100 bones from dead sea turtle carcasses scattered in the bushes near Kampung Pantau-Pantau, Kampung Amboh-Amboh and Kampung Sampolan on the island.

Tuuga had said initial investigations reveal the turtles may have been poached by the Bajau Laut or Pala’u community, sea gypsies who roam the seas, as they have been seen in the areas previously.

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Pakistan: Mangrove cover shows no significant increase ‘despite plantation efforts’

Faiza Ilyas Dawn 1 Oct 17;

KARACHI: Once rated the fifth largest mangrove forest in the world with a cover as high as 250,000 hectares a few decades ago, mangroves of the Indus delta now rank lower than 15th on the (global) list and have decreased to 98,014 hectares, indicating two to three per cent annual loss.

No significant success has been achieved to increase its size despite attempts for mass mangrove plantation in the delta.

These observations are part of a paper published in an international journal. Titled The Effect of Global Warming (Climate Change) on Mangroves of Indus Delta with Relevance to other Prevailing Anthropogenic Stresses, A critical review, the paper has been published in July this year in the European Academic Research journal.

It is authored by Dr Syed Mohammed Saifullah, a retired professor of Karachi University’s botany department.

The paper begins with the importance of mangroves and states that the total mangrove cover of the world has been estimated to be 137,760,000 hectares with an economic value of $200,000 to $900,000 per square kilometre and $1.6bn annually to ecosystem services.

“Besides, providing many goods and services to mankind, they also sustain about 80pc of global fisheries and serve as a sink of greenhouse gases. They fight back global warming through carbon sequestration at a higher rate than any other ecosystems on a unit area basis; it is estimated that as much as 25.5bn tons of carbon are sequestered by mangroves annually,” it says.

The mangroves in the Indus delta, it points out, are perhaps the most seriously stressed in the entire subtropical belt. Several anthropogenic stresses account for their drastic decline; the foremost among them is the sharp decline in the Indus river discharge into the delta.

“Some decades ago, 150MAF or more water used to reach the delta but now it is almost negligible except for occasional floods during monsoon. This is due to the construction of several dams and barrages along the Indus river to meet the increasing water demands for agricultural and industrial purposes. Consequently, the alluvial flow of the river, important for mangrove’s growth, has also decreased. These issues have become severe over time,” it says.

These conditions along with massive groundwater extraction, the author says, are contributing to the subsidence of the Indus delta, a phenomenon also affecting mangroves.

“It (the delta) is sinking continuously and has shrunk to about one tenth of its original size and cannot be restored to its original condition,” he says, citing other data.

Eight species of mangroves have been reported from Pakistan but now only four species occur in the delta with Avicennia marina the most dominant. The others are Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Aegiceras corniculatum.

The first two had almost disappeared from the delta but were reintroduced into the area by Sindh forest department and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Efforts for massive mangrove plantation, however, couldn’t produce significant results.

An estimated 0.54m saplings were planted in 2009 and more than 0.75m saplings in 2013 in the area of Keti Bandar. But, the results were not promising and didn’t show significant increase in the mangrove cover.

“A 2015 satellite study showed that the plantations resulted in only 1.6pc increase in the total mangrove cover. The reasons for this setback were mainly two; plantation was done in June in the midst of southwest monsoon characterised by high winds and high wave action, which may not have allowed proper rooting of seedlings.

“Secondly, only one species (Rhizophora mucronata) was planted, especially during 2009. The survival rate would have been better if A.marina had been planted along with it. Monocultures (the practice of growing a single species) are easily susceptible to environmental vicissitudes. Thirdly, the habitat and environmental conditions of the Indus delta do not favour the growth of Rhizophora mucronata,” it says.

On the effect of climatic changes, the author says, the phenomenon of sea level rise resulting from global warming might be contributing to subsidence of the delta. Citing various data, he argues that the inland retreat of mangroves along Karachi’s coastline in the face of sea level rise might not be possible owing to coastal installations. This won’t be the case, however, on the larger southern western part.

“The species’ composition of mangroves will probably remain the same, though their relative proportions of occurrence and zonation may change. Mangroves are resilient to climatic changes and in several areas (other countries) their growth has increased as a result of global warming. (Similarly) The increase in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide may increase mangrove growth in the Indus delta,” the author says.

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Best of our wild blogs: 1 Oct 17

Spectacular September at the Sisters Islands Marine Park
Sisters' Island Marine Park

Night Walk At Rifle Range Trail (29 Sep 2017)
Beetles@SG BLOG

Life History of the Ganda Dart
Butterflies of Singapore

Asian Scientist feature – Taking to TED to Champion the Cause of Clams
Mei Lin NEO

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Stench in Singapore: Johor DOE issues stop work order to damaged chemical plant

Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 30 Sep 17;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Department of Environment (DOE) has issued a stop work order to a chemical plant in Pasir Gudang, which was pinpointed as the source of a chemical stench which enveloped parts of northern Singapore on Monday.

DOE director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the order was issued after the plant suffered a fire at one of its facilities earlier this month.

"The order will be in effect until the plant completes necessary remedial actions. We will make sure that the plant complies with the order before allowing it to resume operations," he said.

It was reported on Friday that Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) traced the source of a chemical stench that cloaked the north-eastern part of the Republic on Sept 25 to an industrial facility in Pasir Gudang.

The agency was reported as saying that it contacted the DOE for assistance after the smell was detected by distressed residents on Monday.

"The DOE… has traced the source… and is taking action against the operator," the NEA said.

On Monday, residents in Sengkang and Punggol, Singapore complained of an acrid, chemical stench that was later detected in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Seletar and Bishan. Thick smoke also hung over some of the affected areas, residents said.


Chemical stench: Johor issues stop-work order to Pasir Gudang plant
Straits Times 1 Oct 17;

JOHOR BARU • A chemical plant in the industrial town of Pasir Gudang that was identified as the source of a chemical stench which engulfed parts of Singapore has been issued a stop work order by the Johor Department of Environment (DOE).

"The order will be in effect until the plant completes necessary remedial actions. We will make sure that the plant complies with the order before allowing it to resume operations," the DOE director, Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh, told the New Straits Times.

He said the order was issued in the wake of a fire at the plant earlier this month.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) had contacted the DOE for assistance after residents complained of an acrid, chemical stench on Monday.

Complaints first poured in from residents in Sengkang and Punggol, and later in estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Seletar and Bishan. Thick smoke also hung over some of the affected areas, residents said.

A large zone in the 311 sq km town of Pasir Gudang is dedicated to heavy industries, and fumes and pollutants have drifted to Punggol in past incidents.

The industrial estate, established in the 1990s, is a little more than 1.5km across the Strait of Johor from Punggol, and controlled burning to get rid of waste gases is a common occurrence there.

The town is home to a port, power station and petrochemical companies, and those dealing in edible oils, steel and fertiliser.

Some in Singapore affected by the stench were worried that the gas might be toxic, but the NEA has assured the public that air monitoring stations detected only low and safe levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

VOCs are chemical compounds that easily enter the air.


Chemical stench incident: Johor Department of Environment issues stop work order to damaged chemical plant
Straits Times 30 Sep 17;

JOHOR BARU - The chemical plant in Pasir Gudang that was identified as the source of a chemical stench that engulfed parts of Singapore on Monday has been issued a stop work order by the Johor Department of Environment (DOE).

DOE director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh told The New Straits Times that the order was issued in the wake of a fire at the plant earlier this month.

"The order will be in effect until the plant completes necessary remedial actions. We will make sure that the plant complies with the order before allowing it to resume operations," he said.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) had contacted the DOE for assistance after the smell was detected by distressed residents on Monday. Subsequently, the foul odour was traced to the industrial facility in Pasir Gudang.

"The DOE… has traced the source… and is taking action against the operator," the NEA said.

Residents in Sengkang and Punggol had complained of an acrid, chemical stench that was later detected in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Seletar and Bishan. Thick smoke also hung over some of the affected areas, according to some residents.


Johor chemical plant that caused 'burning smell' in Singapore issued stop work order
Channel NewsAsia 30 Sep 17;

JOHOR BARU: A stop work order has been issued to a chemical plant in Pasir Gudang after it was pinpointed as the source of a strong burning smell that residents in many parts of Singapore complained about on Monday.

Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times reported on Saturday (Sep 30) that the Johor Department of Environment (DOE) issued the order after a fire broke out at one of the plant's facilities earlier this month.

DOE director Dr Mohammed Ezanni Mat Salleh said that the order will be in effect until the plant has completed necessary remedial actions.

"We will make sure that the plant complies with the order before allowing it to resume operations," he added.

On Friday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the strong smell had been traced to an industrial facility in Pasir Gudang. The agency said that it was working together with the DOE in the investigation.

Reports of the burning smell also led NEA to conduct checks on Singapore's industrial plants, but they were found to be operating normally. Air quality levels also remained "within safety limits", the agency said.


Stop work order issued to chemical plant responsible for stench in Singapore
ASYRAF KAMIL Today Online 30 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE – The Johor Department of Environment (DOE) has on Saturday (Sept 30) issued a stop work order to a chemical plant in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, which was pinpointed as the source of a chemical stench that enveloped parts of northern Singapore last Monday.

According to Malaysian daily New Straits Times, Johor DOE director Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the order was issued after the plant suffered a fire at one of its facilities earlier this month.

"The order will be in effect until the plant completes necessary remedial actions. We will make sure that the plant complies with the order before allowing it to resume operations," he told reporters.

The plant was already the subject of an investigation over the gas-like smell that plagued parts of northern Singapore last week.

Together with the Johor DOE, the NEA had identified the plant as the source of the stench. “(The DOE) is taking action against the operator,” the Singapore agency said in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Friday.

Complaints about the odour appeared on the online forums such as Reddit and Hardware Zone last Monday evening. Many netizens said that the smell appeared to be largely confined to the North-Eastern parts of Singapore in areas like Sengkang, Hougang, Buangkok and Ang Mo Kio.

Checks by the NEA and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on factories in affected areas had failed to find any anomalies that could have caused the gas smell.

The NEA then decided to enlist the help of its Malaysian counterparts to investigate further.

Similar complaints have surfaced in the past.

In 2013, there were complaints of a "foul odour" in Punggol and Sengkang. An NEA spokesman then said that the smell could have possibly "emanated from palm oil industries".

NEA however ruled out industries near Punggol as the cause of the smell, after inspections of their equipment, processes, operations and records "did not reveal any abnormalities or issues in their operations" that could be behind the "chemical smell as mentioned in the feedback".

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Fire at Lotte facilities in Johor

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