Indonesian Forest Fires Highlight President's Campaign Gaffe

Associated Press 19 Feb 19;

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Deliberately set fires are burning through peatland forests in the Indonesian province of Riau, the disaster agency said Tuesday, just two days after President Joko Widodo incorrectly claimed there'd been no fires for several years.

The agency said that 843 hectares of land have burned in Riau since the beginning of the year and that fire-fighting teams are currently battling blazes in several locations.

"Conditions are expected to become more dry so the potential for fires increases," it said in a statement.

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Indonesia: Fourteen herds of elephants in search of food in Aceh

Rahmad Nasution Antara 20 Feb 19;

Lhokseumawe, N Aceh, (ANTARA News)- At least 14 herds of wild Sumatran elephants have been wandering in search of food in the areas of districts such as Tamiang, Pidie, Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Biruen, a conservationist said.

According to the Head of the Lhokseumawe Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Dedi Irvansyah, here on Tuesday evening, around four up to five herds were found wandering around the forest areas of East Aceh and Tamiang Districts.

In North Aceh District, there were three herds of these herbivorous animals, while in the districts of Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Bireun, about four herds of wild elephants were also observed, he stated.

Meanwhile, in Pidie Jaya and Pidie Districts, two herds were reportedly observed, he noted, adding that each of the herds consisted of 15 to 20 wild animals.

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Best of our wild blogs: 20 Feb 19

Clam takeover at Changi
wild shores of singapore

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Best of our wild blogs: 19 Feb 19

Get plushie Snapping shrimps and Shrimp gobies!
wild shores of singapore

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Wild boar spotted again in Choa Chu Kang

Choo Yun Ting Straits Times 19 Feb 19;

A wild boar was spotted roaming near Housing Board flats in Choa Chu Kang yesterday.

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) deputy chief executive Anbarasi Boopal told The Straits Times that the wild boar had been spotted in the area in recent months.

Yesterday, it was seen near Block 544 Choa Chu Kang Street 52 around 7.30am.

Members of the public were seen keeping their distance from the animal.

Ms Anbarasi said that when Acres staff previously visited the area where the wild boar was spotted, they found that people had left food out in the open for animals.

She also said that "trash management is improper" in the area. "It really boils down to the food available in the area," Ms Anbarasi said, adding that it was a key reason for the repeated wild boar sightings.

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3 land parcels awarded under new tender mode

Price evaluated only after quality of bids assessed; plots awarded for agriculture
Toh Ting Wei Straits Times 19 Feb 19;

Three land parcels have been awarded for agriculture on 20-year leases at Sungei Tengah near Choa Chu Kang through a new tender process, which first looks at quality, then price.

Applicants were first assessed on their production capability, production track record, relevant qualifications and innovation and sustainability under the new Concept and Price tender method. Those who passed were then evaluated on price, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said yesterday.

These companies submitted proposals that incorporated productive and innovative farming systems, such as a recirculating aquaculture system for shrimp farming with auto loaders and feeders and sensors to monitor water quality, and a climate-controlled greenhouse with automatic conveyor belts for growing ornamental aquatic plants.

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Singapore Budget 2019: New aquaculture centre to work on improving Singapore's food resilience

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 18 Feb 19;

SINGAPORE - More is being done to transform the food production process, and make Singapore's food supplies more secure.

“In the digital age, we still need food, not just bits and bytes,” Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his Budget speech on Monday (Jan 18), adding that the agriculture and food production sectors are transforming to meet this need.

A new Centre of Innovation in Aquaculture at Temasek Polytechnic will work on promoting aquaculture (high-tech marine farming) and will be funded to find ways to improve Singapore’s food resilience, said Mr Heng.

He cited the example of St John’s sea bass, a fish breed developed by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority’s (AVA) Marine Aquaculture Centre and its collaboration with the Temasek Life Sciences laboratory, a beneficiary of Temasek Trust.

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Budget 2019: Total infrastructure bill to rise as Singapore fights climate change and rising sea levels

CYNTHIA CHOO Today Online 18 Feb 19;

SINGAPORE — The Government will be investing more “to protect Singapore against climate change and rising sea levels”, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said, stressing the urgency for Singapore to plan for climate change beyond the next decade.

“Together with existing infrastructure needs, our total bill for infrastructure will increase significantly,” he said during his Budget speech on Monday (Feb 18).

While it is “very difficult” to project spending needs “way into the future”, Mr Heng said that the different government ministries have done some preliminary estimates.

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Indonesia: Wild elephants ravage coconut plantation in Pekanbaru

Antara 18 Feb 19;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - A herd of wild Sumatran elephants (elephas maximus sumatranus) ravaged a coconut plantation in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, on Monday morning.

"Some 13 elephants entered the plantation," Mangido Nababan, owner of the plantation, informed Antara, here, Monday.

The elephants were first spotted by local residents on Saturday evening (Feb 16), and they later entered Nababan`s plantation.

Hundreds of seedlings and some 20 four-year-old coconut trees were eaten and damaged by the elephants.

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Feb 19

Assorted Nectaring Plants - Part 2
Butterflies of Singapore

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Malaysia: Nicky, the friendly dugong

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 18 Feb 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Nowadays, one needs luck to spot dugongs in the wild, let alone play and swim with them. Their sightings are rarely, if at all, reported.

But two years ago, a group of tourists had Lady Luck on their side when they came across a dugong swimming beside their boat.

The tourists, who were guests of the Try Scuba Sdn Bhd dive company, were headed towards Pulau Kalampunian Damit and Pulau Besar Kalampunian when the dugong made a surprise appearance.

“I’ve not seen a dugong for a long time after my first encounter with one at Pulau Mantanani between 2005 and 2007. So, to see it after over 10 years and in an area you least expect it, is remarkable,” said company owner Rudy Mattahari, 51.

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Indonesia: 'The case is irregular' - Company speaks up in Lake Toba dead fish incident

Apriadi Gunawan The Jakarta Post 17 Feb 19;

Fish breeder PT Aquafarm Nusantara has begun an independent investigation into a pollution case in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, following a reprimand from the local administration, which has accused the company of the violation.

The North Sumatra administration has issued a warning to the country’s largest tilapia breeder after the recent finding of sacks of dead fish in waters near one of the company’s warehouses.

The company has denied involvement in the case and expressed its commitment to finding the perpetrators.

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