Malaysia: Sun bear cubs and other wildlife infants openly sold online

fatimah zainal The Star 30 May 18;

KOTA KINABALU: From sun bear cubs and tapir calfs to slow loris and hornbills, the illegal wildlife trade is booming online and must be stopped, said wildlife biologist Dr Wong Siew Te.

Dr Wong, who found many such businesses brazenly operating on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, said it was sad that such illegal activities were still widespread in Malaysia.

Despite these sales being illegal under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, hundreds of juvenile protected animals are still being killed, captured and sold as pets and for individual profits, said Dr Wong.

Dr Wong, who is known for his studies on the sun bear and for founding the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan, was shocked to discover sun bear cubs being sold online.

One Instagram page had more than 500 posts advertising protected infant animals for sale.

“The protected wildlife species that are sold include the calfs of the highly endangered Malayan tapir, sun bear cubs, infant gibbons, infant leaf monkeys, slow loris, leopard cat kittens, juvenile raptors, hornbills, civets, and more.

“All of these protected wildlife infants possibly had their mothers killed by illegal poachers in order to obtain these infants,” he said.

On the BSBCC Facebook page, Dr Wong on Wednesday (May 30) shared a video he found on the Instagram page which was advertising a sun bear cub for sale.

It showed a man bottle feeding milk to the cub.

“The sun bear is a totally protected species in West Malaysia and Sabah, and protected species in Sarawak.

“No one is allowed to sell, to kill, to keep, and to possess any body parts of sun bears,” Dr Wong wrote in his post accompanying the video.

Since the online business is being conducted in the peninsula, Dr Wong had reported the matter to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) which told him that the matter will be investigated.

He said the discovery of sun bear cubs being sold online comes just two weeks after BSBCC celebrated Sun Bear Day on May 16, which was aimed at raising public awareness on the protection and conservation of sun bears.

“If we keep quiet and choose to do nothing, soon our forests will be empty,” he said.

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Thailand: Dead or alive, search for whale shark continues off Phuket

Eakkapop Thongtub Phuket News 21 May 18;

PHUKET: The director-general of the Department Of Marine And Coastal Resources (DMCR) has confirmed that they will continue to search for another five days for the whale shark seen on video strung up on a fishing boat between Koh Hei and Koh Racha, south of Phuket, last Friday (May 18).animals, crime, military, marine, transport,

However, it is still unclear whether the whale shark, which are listed as endangered, actually classed as 'vulnerable to extinction' and protected in Thai waters with a ban on fishing all whale sharks, was dead or alive when it was put back into the sea.

Speaking to The Phuket News yesterday (May 20), DMCR director-general Jatuporn Buruspat said, “We are very concerned about Thailand’s marine life after finding out about the whale shark caught off Phuket on May 18. This is disgusting behaviour.

“We will keep looking for this whale shark as we have yet to find any trace of it. If we can’t find the whale shark floating in the sea in next five days we will presume it is still alive.

“If we do find it dead then we will next have to recover the body to find the cause of death,” Mr Jatuporn explained.

Following the video being released on social media on Friday, the Royal Thai Navy at 9:30am on Saturday (May 19) went to Seang Arun Pier in Rassada Pier to search for the boat seen on the video with the whale shark strung up.

A The Phuket News reporter joined the search with navy officials and was told that a crew member of the “Aqua” dive boat saw the incident and shouted out to the crew of the fishing boat until they eventually released it back into the sea.

It was believed that the whale shark was dead, The Phuket News reporter was told.

Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command Adm Pichet Tanaset led the inspection at Seang Arun Pier and confirmed that it was the “Sang Samut 3” fishing vessel that was seen in the video with the whale shark.

Both the Sang Samut 3 and Sang Samut 2 were apprehended at the pier and the captain of the Sang Samut 3 was immediately taken to Chalong Police Station for questioning.

“Somsamai Meejom is the captain of the boat. He has been taken for questioning at Chalong Police Station,” Adm Pichet confirmed.

“The Department of Fisheries and DMCR Phuket office are currently looking into the incident and they will decide whether they believe Mr Somsamai’s is guilty of committing any crime.

“If they believe that he has then he will be charged accordingly. I expect the penalty against him to be very serious,” Adm Pichet said.

Mr Jatuporn added, “I don’t want any incident like this to happen again. If anyone has any information regarding damage to marine life, please inform the DMCR.

“I have also asked the tourist police at Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to support us as they can help to inform tourists about laws regarding protected marine life.”


Ban sought on otter trawling after whale shark snared off Phuket
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM The Nation 23 May 18;

AN ONLINE petition campaigning for a ban on a form of fishing was launched yesterday after an endangered whale shark was caught by a trawler in the waters off Phuket last Friday.

Piya Thedyam, creator of the campaign on Change.org for ending the use of so-called otter trawls, emphasised that the marine ecosystem, biodiversity and seafood sustainability of Thai seas were in great danger as long as this destructive fishing equipment was still allowed to operate in Thai waters.

For these reasons, Piya started seeking signatures for the online petition to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach in an effort to preserve the marine ecosystem, ensure the survival of rare aquatic animal species, and promote sustainable fishing, as the otter-trawlers had just proven the harm they were doing to marine life by snaring the whale shark in their nets off the coast of Phuket.

“I would like to use the case of this whale shark to motivate the fishermen, seafood lovers, and all people to show solidarity in protecting our beloved oceans, marine animals and our sources of seafood by signing the petition to criminalise [otter] trawling and come up with high penalties for using this destructive fishing equipment,” he said.


“If we still allow these trawlers to operate freely in the sea, we may witness rare aquatic animals such as whale sharks or sea turtles become the next victims, while the very fine net of the trawls will scoop up anything in their path, including juvenile fish, cutting down the reproduction cycle, until there are no fish left for us in the sea,” he added.

The petition is open for signatures at http://change.org/whaleshark.


Whale shark a wake-up call
Bangkok Post

The fate of an unlucky whale shark -- believed to be pregnant -- that became entangled in a Thai fishing trawler's nets about a fortnight ago remains unknown.

What we do know is the 7-tonne fish was drawn onto the boat, which is a big no-no for any fishermen who accidentally catch such a rare and protected species.

The story made headlines when a diver shared a clip he made after accidentally encountering the trawler, Sang Samut 3, near an island off Phuket on May 18.

From the clip, which angered many members the Thai public, the creature was in dire straits as she was non-responsive and her skin had lost its shininess, as she was seen tied to the trawler's mast. Considering her injuries, some academics said she had zero chance of surviving.

The crew finally released her back into the ocean -- after the group of divers complained vigorously about the situation -- and she has not been seen since.

As expected, the story drew a knee-jerk reaction from Thai authorities.

A frantic search for the whale shark by the Marine and Coastal Resources Department has also apparently failed. It filed charges against 17 people aboard the trawler and temporarily suspended its operations pending the results of an ongoing investigation.

In a bid to defend himself and those on board, the captain claimed neither he nor his crew had the faintest idea there was a 7-tonne fish trapped in its net.

If they had, they would never have hauled it up, he said, but conservationists remain sceptical.
In a media interview, Jatuporn Buruspat, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said the actions of the trawler crew were not acceptable.

"I was shocked to see the picture [of a whale shark being dangled from the mast]. I don't want to believe fishermen would dare commit such an act," he told the media.

The official said the crew had breached several laws, overseen by his agency and the Department of Fisheries.

If found guilty, they could face a fine of between 300,000 baht and 3 million baht and quite possibly have to serve a jail term.

Mr Jatuporn, while citing the need to improve local conservation efforts, also mentioned the restrictions his agency faces in such tasks.

More importantly, Mr Jatuporn admitted that improper fishing methods are a major cause of deaths and injuries of rare, endangered species like dolphins and other aquatic life in Thai waters.

At least one sea cow and two dolphins have washed up on Thai beaches in the first five months of this year, and all three deaths were linked to fishing operations.

The female whale shark is merely the latest and possibly the saddest example of this scourge given how brutally she was treated.

The creature would have had a higher chance of survival if the crew had not breached the code of conduct for responsible fisheries and immediately released her back into the sea.

At the very least, this should serve as a wake-up call.

The crew members, particular the captain of the Sang Samut 3, deserve the maximum punishment available. This would set an example for others.

Meanwhile the Coastal and Marine Department, as well as the Department of Fisheries, need to streamline their efforts, close all loopholes, and strengthen the ability of local groups to carry out conservation efforts.

Public education about the need to save endangered species is also necessary.

And priority must be given to make sure such a sad incident as this is not repeated.

The news of the whale shark also comes at a crucial time.

Thailand will join the rest of the international community in celebrating Ocean Day in a few weeks' time under the theme of "Healthy Oceans, Healthy Lives".

But the country will have little to celebrate if such issues as these are not quickly addressed.

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Japanese hunters kill 120 pregnant minke whales during summer months – report

Conservationists call for end of ‘abhorrent’ whaling programme, which Japan argues is conducted for scientific purposes
Daniel Hurst The Guardian 30 May 18;

More than 120 pregnant whales were killed during Japan’s annual “research” hunt in the Southern Ocean last summer, a new report has revealed.

Of the 333 minke whales caught during the controversial 12-week expedition, 181 were female – including 53 immature ones. Figures show that of the 128 mature female whales caught in the hunt, 122 were pregnant.

“Apparent pregnancy rate of sampled animals was high (95.3%) and no lactating animal was observed in this survey,” said a technical report submitted to the International Whaling Commission.

Conservationists seized on the document as further evidence of the “abhorrent” whaling programme, which Japan argues is conducted for scientific purposes.

“The killing of 122 pregnant whales is a shocking statistic and sad indictment on the cruelty of Japan’s whale hunt,” Alexia Wellbelove, a senior program manager at Humane Society International, said in a statement.

“It is further demonstration, if needed, of the truly gruesome and unnecessary nature of whaling operations, especially when non-lethal surveys have been shown to be sufficient for scientific needs.”

In 2014, the international court of justice ordered a temporary halt to the annual slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean, finding that the Japanese programme known as Jarpa II was not for for scientific purposes.

But Japan resumed whaling in the region two years later under a revamped whaling plan, that included reducing its catch quota to about a third.

“Research effort began 60 minutes after sunrise and ended 60 minutes before sunset, with a maximum 12 hour per day,” said the report, prepared by representatives of the Institute of Cetacean Research – a whale research agency that is associated with Japan’s fisheries ministry. It was co-written with authors from the fisheries processing company Kyodo Senpaku and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

“One or two minke whales were sampled randomly from each primary sighted school using harpoons with a 30g penthrite grenade,” it said, referring to an explosive material.

“Sampled whales were immediately transported to the research base vessel, where biological measurements and sampling were carried out.”

The report said 11 targeted whales managed to get away before being hit, mainly because they had moved into an area where sea ice was dense.

Wellbelove called on Australia and other anti-whaling countries to send “the strongest possible message to Japan that it should stop its lethal whaling programs”.

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Best of our wild blogs: 30 Mar 18

For kids! Singapore shores at the Festival of Biodiversity 2-3 June
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

Catch up with these new children's books on Singapore's seagrasses and corals!
Celebrating Singapore Shores!

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Indonesia: Rafflesia Kemumu blooms in North Bengkulu

Antara 29 May 18;

Rafflesia kemumu is blooming in the forest area of North Bengkulu region. (Dokumentasi Riki Rahmansyah)

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - A rare Rafflesia kemumu flower is currently in full bloom in a forest area near Tebing Kaning Village, North Bengkulu District, Bengkulu Province.

"The flower has been in full bloom for two days," Riki Reptian, coordinator of the North Bengkulu Rare Flower Community, stated here, Monday.

The forest serves as a habitat for Rafflesia kemumu, which was identified as a new species of the Rafflesia flower by Agus Susatya, a forestry lecturer at the University of Bengkulu, in 2017.

Bengkulu is currently home to five species of Rafflesia flowers: Rafflesia arnoldii, Rafflesia bengkuluensis, Rafflesia gadutensis, Rafflesia hasselti, and Rafflesia kemumu.

Three species of Rafflesia -- Rafflesia arnoldii, Rafflesia kemumu, and Rafflesia gadutensis -- are found in Bengkulu`s Boven Lais protected forest.

"The three species are unique and have become icons of the tourism industry in North Bengkulu," he noted.

Rafflesia kemumu is expected to remain in full bloom for the next three days.

The diameter of Rafflesia kemumu is similar to that of Rafflesia gadutensis but smaller than that of Rafflesia arnoldii.

Its color is more orangish and brighter than Rafflesia gadutensis and Rafflesia arnoldii.

Reported by Helti M Sipayung
EDITED BY INE
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Heru Purwanto

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Best of our wild blogs: 29 May 18

Zebra Dove Courtship Ritual
Singapore Bird Group

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Childhood pet leads to primatology calling

Dr Andie Ang is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife in Singapore
Jan Lee The New Paper 28 May 18;

Primatology is not the career a young Singaporean girl usually dreams of.

Until she gets a monkey.

When she was 10, Dr Andie Ang's family received a monkey as a gift from a relative.

It was a male vervet monkey from South Africa, and the family named him Ah Boy.

She loved the monkey with all her heart.

"I would bring him outside on my bicycle, play with him and feed him every day. We groomed each other too," recalled Dr Ang, now 33.

But the wild animal was not meant to be a pet.

When it grew to its full size, it had to be chained up in the house, for fear it might scratch and injure someone.

Eventually, keeping the monkey in the flat got too dangerous and it was moved to a factory in Tuas.

The sadness in Ah Boy's eyes as it got older started to affect Dr Ang.

She said: "No matter what I did and tried, it just seemed sad and bored."

To help her beloved pet, she did more research into the natural habitat and habits of monkeys, and soon found that being alone and away from the wild was not the way for animals like Ah Boy to live.

So Dr Ang made the decision to give it up willingly at 15.

Dr Ang said: "I knew I had to return him to the wild. But it was so heartbreaking to part with him. I knew I was never going to see him again."

REACH OUT

In a bid to find Ah Boy a suitable home, Dr Ang reached out to several agencies including the then newly formed Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Blue, the dancing monkey featured as the logo of Acres, is actually based on Ah Boy.

Dr Ang said: "When Louis Ng (the founder of Acres) first saw Ah Boy, Ah Boy looked so sad that Louis decided to call him Blue. I am thankful to Louis."

Her time with Ah Boy, who was eventually released into the wild in Zambia, sparked something in Dr Ang.

At 18, on the brink of entering university to study engineering, she changed her mind and switched to life sciences at the National University of Singapore.

After furthering her studies in the US, she is now a leading primate researcher in Singapore, working to conserve the Raffles' banded langur, a breed found only in Singapore and Johor in Malaysia.

No one had spotted the notoriously shy langurs in years when Dr Ang embarked on her project 10 years ago.

She said: "I was told I could try to look for them in the forest for a few months but if I did not see any, I would have to give up.

"When I finally saw them two months in, I was so thrilled. It is not extinct."

The Raffles' banded langur is an endangered species, with just some 50 of them in Singapore.

Aside from chairing the langur working group, Dr Ang is the president of an environmental group, the Jane Goodall Institute in Singapore.

She also assists in education and awareness-raising campaigns to help Singaporeans live in harmony with wildlife.

Increasing urbanisation here has closed the distance between humans and wildlife, and encounters can range from annoying to dangerous.

Complaints of macaques going into residences foraging for food are common among those living near the nature reserves and forests of Singapore.

CONCERNS

Dr Ang said such concerns are worsened by human behaviour such as poor food waste disposal or an insistence on feeding monkeys.

She said: "Sometimes people think these macaques are pitiful because they do not have enough food in the forests. But they do, and we should not feed them.

"Feeding them does more harm to them. It encourages the monkeys to leave their forest home to get easy food from us.

"With more food given out by people, the monkey population will increase at an unnatural and unsustainable rate..."

Dr Ang said she regularly comes across food left out for monkeys. She believes that having tougher enforcement of laws related to wildlife can help.

"Education and enforcement have to go hand in hand in order to stop people from feeding wildlife," said Dr Ang.

Currently, under the Parks and Trees Act, there are penalties such as fines for those caught feeding wild animals, but the law is difficult to enforce unless perpetrators are caught in the act.

The law only applies to those caught feeding within nature reserves and national parks.

Feeding of animals such as wild boars that appear outside of such places is not banned.

Last year, a wild boar was injured after colliding with a car and charged at people in the area.

A police officer shot it, and the animal was later euthanised.

Such incidents can make cultivating empathy for animals, especially those that come into contact with humans, difficult.

Calls for the culling of such animals are not uncommon, and Dr Ang takes on the tough job of emphasising to Singaporeans the importance of conservation.

"One of the biggest myths, I think, is that we do not have a lot of wildlife," said Dr Ang.

According to information from National Parks, Singapore is home to some 40,000 kinds of non-microbial organisms - which includes flora, fauna, animals and insects on land and sea.

Many of these species are native to Singapore, and some are so rare as to garner international attention.

The Neptune's cup sponge, a sea creature shaped like a goblet, was thought to be extinct until it was re-discovered in Singapore waters in 2011.

The critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab is also only known to exist here.

BIODIVERSITY

Dr Ang added: "There are some people who may say that there's not much wildlife to conserve in Singapore, but that is not true. Singapore has amazing biodiversity of which some are only found here and nowhere else."

Conservation is rapidly becoming an issue both in and out of Singapore, with South-east Asia being a particular hotspot for illegal wildlife trade.

Said Dr Ang: "Demand for tiger bones, rhino horns, elephant tusks, bear bile, shark's fin and such stems from persisting beliefs in baseless information and the desire to display one's wealth and status."

Consuming tiger bones will not help treat illness or improve vitality, she said.

But not all is lost, even as the struggle for an end to the black market for exotic animals and their parts continues.

"Education outreach goes a long way," she said.

"With more people becoming aware of the issues with consuming shark's fin, there is less demand, for example, during weddings, and more pressure for restaurants to stop serving it completely."

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Buddhist groups step up reminders to followers to avoid releasing animals on Vesak Day

Khoe Wei Jun Straits Times 28 May 18;

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Buddhist Federation and other experts are encouraging devotees to not release animals to mark Vesak Day, but to consider alternatives instead, including going vegetarian.

Buddhist groups have been regularly educating followers on the issues associated with releasing animals, but in the lead-up to Vesak Day on Tuesday (May 29), the groups say followers need to be reminded.

Venerable You Wei, the chairman of the federation's education committee, said: "It will be ironic to consume meat and liberate life."

He added: "Vegetarianism saves many more animal lives than life liberation."

The practice of releasing animals on Vesak Day and on other special occasions is known as "fangsheng" among Chinese Buddhists, and "jiwitte dana" (the gift of life) among other Buddhists such as Theravada Buddhists, said Dr Neena Mahadev, an anthropology professor at Yale-NUS College.

Dr Mahadev, who specialises in the study of religion, in particular Buddhism, said Singaporean Buddhists "tend to be mindful of the broader ecosystem and are educating themselves on which animals are appropriate for release, and which will survive in the wild".

Mr Chan Chow Wah, a researcher of Buddhism, who is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute in Britain, said: "Animal release, if done in the right context, is not an issue. For example, releasing a captured wild animal to its original habitat."

But many Buddhists believe it is not appropriate in Singapore. Said Mr Chan, who is a Buddhist: "In urban places like Singapore where animals for sale are bred in captivity, releasing these animals causes suffering as they are unable to survive when they are released."

Other than adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, Mr Chan said, there are other ways to show compassion to animals. These include doing animal rescue work and supporting animal shelters. He said that these activities take place all year round in the Singapore Buddhist community.

More Buddhist followers are aware of how releasing animals also jeopardises the environment.

Dr Tan Wee Hin, a biological science professor at NUS, said: "Introducing animals such as red-eared terrapins and fish can change the environment, such as the quality of water, to become harmful to other species and increase the competition for limited resources."

The National Parks Board (NParks) has been working with volunteers to spread awareness, using exhibitions, roadshows and school outreach activities. NParks volunteers have also been looking out for animal release in nature reserves and parks.

Those caught releasing animals can be fined up to $50,000 under the Parks and Trees Act, jailed for up to six months, or a combination of both.

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Rainbow Warrior ship makes first official visit to Singapore to spread green message

Esther Koh Straits Times 28 May 18;

SINGAPORE - A ship with a famous name returned to Singapore on Monday (May 28) to continue its global mission for action against climate change.

The Rainbow Warrior, first launched by environmental organisation Greenpeace 40 years ago, is making its first official visit to Singapore, having previously visited only to rest its crew and stock up on supplies.

The third version of the Rainbow Warrior will be docked here for three days, as part of Greenpeace's five-month climate action tour of South-east Asia.

More than 100 Singaporeans from environmental groups and civil service sectors have been invited to view a climate change exhibition and attend a campaign talk aboard the ship on Tuesday (May 29).

"Greenpeace is grateful for the opportunity to be here in Singapore with the Rainbow Warrior," said its captain, Mr Peter Willcox. "She is a very special ship… (she) stands in solidarity with the people who are fighting to reclaim their rights to a healthy and peaceful environment."

Greenpeace was founded in 1971 in Vancouver, Canada, with a message of a green and peaceful future, which it chose to spread by ship.

Its first flagship - also called Rainbow Warrior - held its first voyage on April 29, 1978, to Iceland, to oppose the commercial whaling programme there.

But its exploits have not always been welcome. On July 10, 1985, the first Rainbow Warrior was bombed by the French secret service, in an attempt to counter the ship's protest against French nuclear testing in Mururoa Atoll.

Mr Willcox started sailing with Greenpeace in 1981, and was appointed captain the same year. He witnessed the 1985 bombing, which resulted in the death of photographer Fernando Pereira.

Mr Willcox said he would not trade his job for anything else in the world. "I have three children. I want to leave them some kind of planet that's fit to live on, and right now we're not doing it. We're failing miserably.

"My motivation is that I'm concerned. I don't want to leave a big mess for my children to clean up."

The 16-strong crew aboard the Rainbow Warrior come from 10 different countries worldwide, including Lebanon and Indonesia.

The Rainbow Warrior's South-east Asian voyage began in the Philippines in February. It has since visited Indonesia and southern Thailand, before arriving in Singapore.

It will travel from Singapore on Wednesday to Malaysia, before rounding up the trip in Phuket.

Built from scratch and designed specifically for Greenpeace's environmental missions, the Rainbow Warrior is one of the most energy-efficient ships in operation today. It sails primarily using wind power, rather than fuel, due to its 55m-high A-Frame mast system, which carries far more sail than a conventional mast of the same size.

On average, the Rainbow Warrior burns half a tonne of fuel a day, as compared with a typical ship of the same size which burns close to four tonnes.

Executive director of Greenpeace South-east Asia, Mr Naderev "Yeb" Sano, said: "It is fitting that the Rainbow Warrior is here in Singapore as the Government has marked 2018 to be the Year of Climate Action. We hope to work closely with the Singapore Government and civil society in the future, and look forward to what the country can deliver under the Paris Agreement."

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Malaysia: Sandakan ‘river of death’ a threat to lives and livelihood

stephanie lee The Star 28 May 18;

KOTA KINABALU: It is a river of death, with hundreds of freshwater fish found floating along the Se­­galiud River in Batu Sapi, Sandakan.

They are believed to have died from waste pollutants discharged from factories and mills in the area.

Segaliud River, like the Kinaba­tangan River nearby, is a source of water to thousands of villagers in Sandakan and its surrounding areas.

But the stench was obvious when Batu Sapi MP Datuk Liew Vui Keong visited the area following complaints from villagers.

“It looked like they had been dead for at least three days,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the villagers claimed that the river could have been polluted with pesticides, fertilisers and sediment from logging activities as well as effluent from palm oil mills that were nearby.

Liew said a police report had been lodged by the village head who alleged that the mills had discharged effluents into the river.

He said the villagers relied hea­vily on the river as a source of income as they catch fish, prawns, clams and crabs to earn a living.

He estimated that each household could lose about RM150 each day.

Liew said it could take about two months to clear the river of the pollu­tants.

This would mean that more than 60 registered fishermen in the area could face a loss of about RM9,000 if they were unable to fish for two months, he said.

Liew said that there were at least another 100 fishermen who did not register with the Fisheries Depart­ment.

The villagers also claimed that the water quality had declined and they were worried about its impact on their health.

Liew said he would take the matter up to the Agriculture and Food Industries as well as the Health and Well-being ministries for further action.

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Indonesia, home to six rare turtle species

THE JAKARTA POST 28 May 18;

World Turtle Day is celebrated every May 23 to protect turtles, tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world.

According to their scientific classification, turtles belong to the diapsid group of the order Testudines, which is part of the class Reptilia. Some Testudines species have already gone extinct.

Turtles are one of the oldest reptile groups, even older than snakes or crocodiles. There are 365 turtle species known to be alive today, but some of them are highly endangered.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia has revealed that the archipelago is home to six out of seven of the world’s marine turtle species, as it provides important nesting and foraging grounds, as well as important migration routes at the crossroads of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Kompas.com has compiled a list from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of threatened or near-threatened marine turtle species in Indonesia, along with their conservation status.

1. Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback turtle) – vulnerable, population decreasing

2. Chelonia mydas (green turtle) – endangered, population decreasing

3. Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle) – endangered

4. Natator depressa (flatback turtle) – threatened species, data deficient

5. Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill sea turtle) – critically endangered, population decreasing

6. Lepidochelys olivacea (olive ridley sea turtle) – vulnerable, population decreasing

The hawksbill sea turtle, which is categorized as critically endangered, is the nearest to being extinct.

According to WWF Indonesia’s coordinator of marine species conservation, Dwi Suprapti, observations have hinted at the significant decrease of turtles in Indonesian waters.

The study looked at turtles’ nesting and egg-laying habits on numerous beach.

“In Indonesia, sea turtles mainly nest at Sangalaki Beach in the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan; Paloh Beach in West Kalimantan, Pangumbahan Beach in West Java; Jeen Womom Beach, West Papua,” Dwi said.

Aside from natural factors, humans also contribute to the decreasing turtle population by capturing the animals for food, poaching then and selling off their body parts, and polluting the rivers and oceans with plastic waste.

“Recently, a turtle died at Paloh Beach because there was a plastic sheet blocking its stomach,” Dwi revealed.

Activists continue to reiterate that turtles need to be protected as they are an important part of ocean ecosystem. Oceana.org wrote that turtles maintain healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, providing key habitat for other marine life, helping to balance marine food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling from water to land.

The animals, therefore, contribute significantly to the ocean.

Dwi emphasized that the illegal hunting and trading turtles must be reported to the authorities. This can be done through:

1. The Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA) (http://bksdadki.com/),

2. Office for Marine, Coastal and Resources Management (BPSPL),

3. GAKKUM Lingkungan & Kehutanan app (Environment and Forestry Law Enformencement) operated by Environment and Forestry Ministry

4. e-Pelaporan Satwa Dilindungi app run by the Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim)

(mut)

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Indonesia: Tiger chased away from plantation areas to conservation park

Jon Afrizal The Jakarta Post 28 May 18;

A Sumatran tiger that reportedly attacked a resident of Kerinci, Jambi, last week had returned to its natural habitat in the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) after being chased away from plantation areas, a conservation official has said.

The Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency’s (BKSDA) conservation division head, Udin Ikhwanuddin, said the agency’s rangers had monitored the movement of the 2-year-old tiger since Friday and concluded that the endangered species had left the plantation areas where it had been wandering about over the last several days.

As reported earlier, a Sumatran tiger mauled Rusmayati, 58, a resident of Pungut Mudik village in Air Hangat Timur district, Kerinci regency, on Thursday. She was severely injured in the attack.

Udin called on locals to stay alert because it was still possible for the tiger to return to the settlement areas. “We are calling on all residents to understand that humans and animals can live together peacefully,” he said.

Udin further said residents living near the TNKS could protect the national park from damage so that tigers could live peacefully in their habitat.

TNKS data shows that around 166 tigers live in the 1.36 million-hectare conservation area. Illegal logging activities in and around TNKS have threatened their habitat. (ebf)

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