Best of our wild blogs: 24 Dec 08

Bumper Seagrass-Watch Newsletter rings in the New Grassy Year!
on the teamseagrass blog

Happy Holidays from TeamSeagrass
on the teamseagrass blog

Why does the Hooded Pitta stand on one leg?
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

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UNDP's Way To Conserve Malaysia's Marine Parks

Melati Mohd Ariff, Bernama 24 Dec 08;

PULAU TIOMAN, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Almost two years into its implementation, the Marine Parks Project funded by the Government of Malaysia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) is well on its course to conserve the three islands chosen under this initiative.

The islands are Pulau Redang (Terengganu), Pulau Tioman (Pahang) and Pulau Sibu-Tinggi (Johor).

According the national project manager for UNDP's Marine Parks Project, Ramzi Abu, the five-year project began in 2007 and the planning itself took about six years.

"Actually the project is called Conserving Marine Biodiversity Through Enhanced Marine Park Management and Inclusive Sustainable Island Development and UNDP is the project manager.

"Normally, UNDP projects are funded by the World Bank but because this marine parks project falls under biodiversity and involves environment, we received funds (US$2 million) from Global Environment Facilities (GEF)", he told Bernama in an interview here recently.

GEF is a global partnership among 178 countries, international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.

MARINE PARK PROJECT

Marine Park is a sea-zoned area of two nautical miles from the lowest sea level during low tide and is established to protect and conserve various marine habitat and aquatic life.

The project is to assist the Malaysian Government to integrate development planning with effective conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, resources and ecosystems.

As the implementing agency for this project, the Malaysian Marine Parks Department (DMPM) would ensure improved marine resource conservation and management at the islands of Redang, Tioman and Sibu-Tinggi.

These three locations would be used as pilot sites where the management plan model and activities could be replicated to other marine parks in Malaysia.

The project's goal is to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity and sustainable island development in Malaysia.

This five years project targets 164,534.2 hectares of Malaysian sea (project sites only), for the conservation of marine bio-diversity.

CHOICE, APPROACH

On the choice of islands, Ramzi explained the three islands (Redang, Tioman and Sibu-Tinggi) were chosen because of three different scenarios.



"Tioman we can say is advanced in terms of tourism as it receives more than 200,000 visitors a year. Redang is rather moderate (at that time when it was picked for this marine project). Now the number of visitors is almost 200,000 a year.

"As for Pulau Sibu-Tinggi, there is not much tourism now but that does not mean we are abandoning the island. In marine conservation terms, less people would be good but without tourists, there would be problems for the islanders in terms of job opportunities. They may resort to fishing and we have to find alternative livelihood for them", he said.

In implementing the marine parks project, Ramzi said, the approach used comprised three components, namely to protect biodiversity, enhancing the management capacity and sustainable island management.

DIFFERENT PHASES

The Marine Parks Project has several phases and according to Ramzi the first year alone was spent on the Project document (drafted some six years ago) and socializing.

"We have to re-look at the conceptual report as some of it are redundant and some have been carried out by the DMPM and at the same time, some new problems occurred and so we incorporated what we have resolved.

"We have to look at the conditions at every side. We have to call all the stakeholders to attend a workshop and go to the ground and it took us some time to gain the confidence of the villagers and resort operators of what we are going to do.

"Those who were vocal at first later became our partners. They were concerned but they definitely care. One of them became the chairman of Rakan Park", said Ramzi, referring to the village head of Kg Air Batang, Kamarulzaman Ismail, popularly known as Tok Empat.

MAIN CHALLENGE

According to Ramzi, as the project has multiple stakeholders (local people, state and federal governments), the main challenge is to get everybody together to speak a 'common language'.

"To a certain extent, we have managed to cross this hurdle through the Rakan Park (in Pulau Tioman) and Redang Reef Rangers (Pulau Redang). It would be easier if we can engage the local community to be our 'eyes' and 'ears'", he said.

Ramzi said, the Rakan Park Pulau Tioman is the first Malaysian community park ranger corps founded by the Pahang Marine Park Unit and established by the DMPM.

Its main purpose is to help combat marine issues especially illegal activities and environmental problems within the Marine Park protected areas.

Tioman Rakan Park was established on Sept 6 last year as a pioneer project in Tioman and it is a vital link between the local communities with DMPM.

Members of Rakan Park comprise representatives from all villages in the Marine Park islands.

But as Ramzi said, the UNDP's role in the Marine Parks Project is very low profile and what is more prominent is the DMPM.

"We are not going to be here forever, we would make our exit after five years. That is why capacity building for Marine Park is very important and each island has its own officers", he said.

WHY CONSERVE MARINE PARKS?

Once a marine park is damaged, it may take years for it to recover and that also, depends on the extent of the damage.

DMPM's Marine Parks Project Director, Rahim Gor Yaman, who has been involved in the Marine Parks project since the planning stage shared his experience in rehabilitating a damaged marine park.

He told Bernama of a place called Pasir Akar in Pulau Redang.

"There was a small cove and many boats would take refuge from the storm and when they anchor, huge areas of coral reefs were destroyed. The place is just next to a village.

"Looking at the damage, we had to close the area in 1990 and by 2000, we noticed the corals have re-grown. It has not been re-inhibited and we have heard comments from people to let the area as it is. Now the place has become a research area for marine park", Rahim said.

He also told of a damaged area in Pulau Pinang off Pulau Redang that took about 10 years to be rehabilitated. The corals there, he said, were also destroyed by anchors thrown from boats.

"That particular stretch of beach of the rehabilitated area is only about 250 metres in length but has become a major tourist attraction including for snorkeling.

"The last count in terms of tourists arrival I heard is between 85,000 to 90,000 a year. We do minor management there, asking people to wear life jackets and not to damage the corals", Rahim said.

CORALS ARE VITAL

The establishment of marine parks, as Rahim said was basically for food security.

"We need to protect the breeding ground for fish and also for eco-tourism which is very important for the country. If you imagine the sea, brimming with islands where fish can hide and breed and protected from waves and predators.

"But if you destroy the corals and the seabed is left sandy and muddy, it is not a productive ecosystem. It is very important for us to protect their habitats for them to breed", he said.

According to Rahim, coral reefs is a living organism and any two-degree rise in temperature would cause them to die.

"Corals are very sensitive pre-historic organism and they are a cross between the animals and plants. Corals are very unique living organisms that have evolved for so long.

"We are lucky because Malaysia is located in the tropics. Their redistribution is within the tropics between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Major diversity of coral reefs is around the Equator and Malaysia is located on the fringe of the coral triangle.

"People fail to see what anchors could do to corals. If one boat anchors, the area of corals that could be damaged is about one square metre and if the anchor is dragged, the damage would be worse.

"Multiply by the number of boats and days, there you have it. As I have said, it take years for corals to re-grow as corals grow very slow", said Rahim.

-- BERNAMA

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11 more Solomon dolphins for Philippines, ultimately for Resorts World Sentosa

Makili: More dolphins ready for export here
Solomon Star 24 Dec 08;

ELEVEN more bottlenose dolphins are expected to leave the country before the end of this year, Earth Island Regional Director Lawrence Makili claimed.

Mr Makili said documents be obtained confirmed 11 more dolphins will be exported to the Philippines before the year ends.

“I have confirmation from the receiving party in the Philippines that 11 dolphins should be sent before the end of this year,” he said.

However he said whoever will be exporting the dolphins from this end is still unclear.
The Ministries of Fisheries and Conservation when contacted said they have no knowledge of the matter.

But a senior officer in the Fisheries Ministry who want his name withheld said if things are sorted out properly, it is not an illegal deal.

“Licence holders are allowed by the government to export up to 100 dolphins each year,” he said.

The country has five licence holders.

One of them, Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre, owned by Canadian Chris Porter, recently exported seven bottlenose dolphins to a marine park in the Philippines.

The dolphins will be trained there before they are sent to Resorts World Park in Singapore.

Mr Makili accused the Government of ignorance, saying a research which export of live dolphins should base on has not been completed.

“There’s a research which was not completed, and the research will determine the population of wild dolphins in our waters,” he said.

He said to allow the export of live dolphins without knowing exactly the population in our waters is ridiculous.

Mr Makili said they will ensure the 11 dolphins that is ready for export will not go unnoticed like the seven that left early this month.

“We will ensure the public and the rest of the world know about the movement of the dolphins and to see how bad-mannered Solomon Islands is towards these friendly mammals,” he said.

Mr Makil said all the dolphins are only sent to the Philippines for training.
“They’ll be re-exported to Singapore later next year.”

By EDNAL PALMER

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Four baby Rhinos discovered in Ujung Kulon, Indonesia

The Jakarta Post 23 Dec 08;

Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK) employees discovered four baby rhinoceroses during a routine census in Pandeglang, Banten, West Java, earlier this month, tempointeraktif.com reported Tuesday.

"Finding these baby rhinos proves they're still procreating and regeneration is ongoing," TNUK head Agus Primabudi said.

He added the four varied in size. The smallest baby had hind feet measuring at 17 and 18 centimeters in diameter; the largest baby's feet measured 23 and 24 centimeters.

TNUK reported they had recorded a total of 50 rhinoceroses in the park in 2008. (amr)

Rare rhino calves found in Indonesian jungle
Yahoo News 23 Dec 08;

JAKARTA (AFP) – Four calves of the world's rarest species of rhino have been found in remote jungle on Indonesia's Java island, giving hope to efforts to save them from extinction, an official said Tuesday.

"Four Javan rhinos of six to seven months age were seen by scientists on the beach near the jungle during a recent field survey," Agus Primabudi, the head of the Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java, told AFP.

Alerted to the presence of humans, the baby rhinos fled into the park to where two adult rhinos aged roughly 35 to 36, believed to be their parents, were staying, Primabudi said.

Primabudi said that the birth of the four calves has given new hope that the Javan rhinos can breed in the wild at levels high enough to keep the local population alive into the future.

"The most important thing we can do is to protect their habitat so that they can breed easily," he said.

The Javan rhino, which is distinguished by its small size, single horn and loose skin folds, is likely the most endangered large mammal on the planet, according to WWF.

Roughly 90 percent of the world's 50 or so Javan rhinos live in Ujung Kulon park, an oasis of wilderness on the western edge of one of the world's most densely populated islands.

The Javan rhino is classified as critically endangered by WWF and none of the animals currently live in captivity.

Calves of rare Javan Rhino found in Indonesia
Thaindian News 24 Dec 08;

Jakarta, Dec 24 (Xinhua) Four calves of Javan Rhinoceros, one the world’s most endangered species, have been found in an Indonesian jungle this week, indicating that they have started breeding and raising hope of saving it from extinction.It is believed that the specie, which is found only in the Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java, could not breed due to unfavourable environmental conditions, said Hadi Alikadri, head of species programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Indonesia.

The park is home to some 40-60 Javan Rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros sondaicus).

“Conservationists have found four calves (Javan Rhinoceroses) during a survey this week,” Alikadri said Wednesday, adding that the calves are around four-year old.

He said the finding put the total number of calves that have been born in the last three years to seven.

“The high population of wild bulls coupled with a type of plant widely grown, but disliked by the rhinos, hampered their breeding in the park,” said Alikadri.

“These factors must be reduced. The population of wild bull (around 700) and the amount of the plant must be slashed,” he said.

The Javan Rhino is sensitive to disturbances, which can force them to abort breeding that is limited to just once a year, said Alikadri.

Read more!

A rubbish life for US marathon recycler

Tangi Quemener, Yahoo News 23 Dec 08;

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Dave Chameides has spent almost an entire year living a life full of utter garbage, and hoping he can inspire other Americans to do the same.

The Los Angeles-based cameraman has lived in his comfortable Hollywood home without throwing away a single piece of trash, from wine bottles to chewing gum and pizza boxes.

Instead the 39-year-old Chameides -- nicknamed "Sustainable Dave" -- recycles his garbage or else stores it in his basement. He says he wants to show that it is possible to dramatically reduce his family's consumption habits.

And he can show astounding results. Rather than the 1,600 pounds of trash the average American family produces each year, Chameides, his wife and two daughters have amassed only 32 pounds over the last 12 months.

"If I were the average American, this entire basement would be filled with plastic water bottles," said Chameides, who chronicles his campaign with an Internet blog (http://365daysoftrash.blogspot.com).

Chameides has shunned bottled water in favor of filtered tap water -- except when on holiday in Mexico, but even those water bottles were brought back to his home, compacted and stored with other trash.

His war on packaging also extends to the family groceries. Rice and pulses are bought by the kilo and placed in containers, while fresh fruit and vegetables are purchased at a weekly neighborhood farmers' market.

In fact, groceries was one of the easiest areas to eliminate packaging, Chameides said.

"The food is not so bad, but with DVDs, kids toys and so on, it's packaging you don't want, and it's frustrating," he told AFP. "What you don't realize is that you're paying for it, and pay for it again to dispose of it."

"So I buy rice and beans in bulk, there's no packaging. I pay less, it just makes sense. People need to wake up and say, this is not OK."

Ironically, even Chameides's rubbish will not go to waste. In January, his refuse will be sent to the Trash Museum of Connecticut to be exhibited.

Meanwhile, organic waste, such as banana skins and egg shells, is minced up by worms and used as compost. "Any kind of organic food and paper, except meat and fish. It's a really amazingly efficient system," Chameides enthuses.

His southern California home is fitted with solar panels while his car runs on used cooking oil. However, he insists that even if you don't follow his example to the letter, "sustainable living" can be achieved without huge sacrifices to your quality of life.

"I'm eating fresher food, I'm saving money, helping the local economy, supporting farmers instead of corporations. For me that's worth it. It's just thinking about doing the right thing," he says.

"It's just little steps. I'm not living in a cave. People think that the US quality of life should be living in a house with lights on all the time. We live a pretty decent life, by many people's standards we live a phenomenal life."

Even wrapping paper for Christmas gifts presents an opportunity to recycle.

"If we wrap something, it would be either in comics or something useful, reusable," he says.

Read more!

'Global land grab' causing alarm among NGOs

Fabien Zamora Yahoo News 23 Dec 08;

MADRID (AFP) – The global food and financial crises have combined to create a new form of colonialism in which countries short of resources and corporations desperate for profits are buying up arable land in emerging nations, NGOs say.

The non-governmental organisations have expressed concern at this "global land grab," which they say is threatening the survival of rural livelihoods in some parts of the world.

The practice is being carried out in part by countries which have little arable land and have been hit this year by soaring food prices, and by investors who are getting burned in the financial crisis and are tempted by the profits from food products.

"On the one hand, 'food insecure' governments that rely on imports to feed their people are snatching up vast areas of farmland abroad for their own offshore food production," said the Spanish-based NGO Grain.

"On the other hand, food corporations and private investors, hungry for profits in the midst of the deepening financial crisis, see investment in foreign farmland as an important new source of revenue."

The result is that fertile agricultural land is becoming privatised and concentrated.

"Did someone say colonialism was a thing of the past?" Grain asked.

Among the countries looking for concessions are Arab countries in the Gulf, as well as China, Egypt, India, Japan and South Korea.

Among the target countries are the Philippines, Cambodia, Uganda and Brazil, said Grain.

Another NGO, International Land Coalition, has also voiced unease at the trend.

"The globalisation of land markets, combined with increasing opportunities for profit from agricultural production, is provoking increased speculation in agricultural land by multinational companies, including investment banks," it said.

South Korean group Daewoo Logistics is negotiating with the government of Madagascar for the acquisition of 1.3 million hectares of land, the equivalent of more than half of the land under cultivation in the country, to produce maize and palm oil.

The buying up of arable land "is a phenomenon of huge magnitude" which has undergone "a sudden acceleration," said Paul Mathieu, of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation's Land Tenure and Management unit.

He said the trend presents risks as well as opportunities.

The investors will "not only remove the land, but also the local farmers", with "real and major risks: impoverishment, extreme social tension, civil unrest," he said.

On the other hand, "more investment capital in agriculture, when well-managed, can contribute to real rural development."

But Grain is more pessimistic.

"If left unchecked, this global land grab could spell the end of small-scale farming, and rural livelihoods, in numerous places around the world," it said.

The FAO recently issued a document on good real estate practices in which it called for increased transparency in transactions between investor states and local communities giving up territory.

"There may be very positive practices in the negotiations between outside investors and the local community, in which both are looking for a win-win situation," it said.

"But it is not won in advance as the negotiations are very uneven in terms of economic power and access to information."

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 23 Dec 08

First signs of 'Long Island' reclamation off the East Coast?
on the wild shores of singapore blog and is more reclamation on Singapore possible?

Massive reclamation off Labrador continues to Jun 09
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Pollution at Punggol: what goes on nearby?
on the wild shores of singapore blog

The Oldies
an interesting clam on the Psychedelic Nature blog

Pretty rare
on the annotated budak blog

Merry Christmas (聖誕快樂)
sluggy seasons greetings from the colourful clouds blog

Sentosa Shore Walk
with the Naked Hermit Crabs on the Voices of the Reefs blog

Looking and studying birds at your doorsteps
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Hooded Pitta eating a land mollusc
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Valley of The Trees 2
on the Aesthetic Voyager blog

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Pollution hits waters off Punggol

Serene Luo, Straits Times 23 Dec 08;

A STRETCH of water off Punggol jetty, on the north-east coastline, has been polluted by an oily substance that has turned the water an oily grey and is leaving a black powdery residue on the beach at low tide.


The National Environment Agency said it is working with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore to investigate the cause.

Officers were examining the area, off the Johor Strait, last night.

The affected stretch of beach is at least 200m to 300m long.

Regulars who were at the beach yesterday to fish, swim or play were greeted by an uninviting sight as well as a strong odour of oil.

'It wasn't like this on Sunday,' said Mr Malal Sulong, a 55-year-old operations service officer. 'It's a lot murkier than usual and you can see a layer of oil on the surface.'

Mr Salleh Rahman, 37, who is in the cleaning business, refused to let his four children build sandcastles on the beach.

'It's dirty,' he said.

Though the cause could not be confirmed, one industry insider speculated that one of the many ships or bumboats plying the area - a busy route - could have discharged oil into the water.

Data centre operator Taufik Sardon, 26, said he and his friends would go on fishing, despite the pollution.

'Hopefully, when the tide comes in, the oil will be washed away,' he said, adding that they would still barbecue and eat any squid caught in those waters.

'There are some places with worse pollution than this, and the catch may still be sold, and people are still eating that,' he said.

Read more!

Have we done enough to safeguard the cleanliness of Singapore's coastline and water?

Straits Times Forum 23 Dec 08;

MR EDMUND HOE: 'I refer to last Tuesday's report, 'S'pore coastline getting dirtier'. Although it is important to track the size of trash we are recovering from our coastline over the years, it is also crucial that we identify the source of the trash accurately. This will ensure that our efforts towards having a clean environment are focused properly.

Having worked offshore and being an avid fisherman, I have seen masses of floating debris moving from the open sea towards our shoreline on many occasions. Once the tide recedes, the debris is trapped in mangrove swamps and along the coastal rock bund. Left uncleared, they build up swiftly.

The trash may have originated from foreign shores or from ships in our port. While much effort and resources are being directed towards ensuring a clean environment on our land, have we done enough to safeguard the cleanliness of our precious coastline and water? Could there be more enforcement in our waters and more effective dialogue with our neighbours?'

Read more!

The rojak visionary: Faris Basharahil of Social Creatives

For his causes, social entrepreneur painted dustbins and wants to see murals across the island
Agatha Koh Brazil, Today Online 23 Dec 08;

HE DISARMINGLY calls himself “rojak”, and carries the theme through on the website of the social enterprise that he founded.

Of Social Creatives, Faris Basharahil writes: “We are a cocktail of a youth organisation, arts group, NPO (non-profit organisation), NGO (non-governmental organisation) and environment group. We are a rojak.

“But isn’t that what society needs?”

His Arab/Malay heritage aside, the third-year Temasek Polytechnic student of Hospitality and Tourism is anything but mixed up.

At 20, he is startlingly single-minded. Long term, he wants to be a “social leader”. Right now, he just wants to“integrate and grow creativity in the social-community sector” by connecting his peers to social issues. This he hopes to do through “artistic expression” in activities-based community projects.”

“By nurturing an artistic culture — for each other, our home and community”, he hopes to change the way people see things.

“If you ask a Singaporean to draw a house, a typical interpretation would be a square-shaped building with a triangular roof. Perhaps there is a chimney while on the front there are two windows and a door.

“But where can you find a house like that in Singapore?

“Surprisingly not many people draw HDB flats with poles hanging out by the many windows ... This exercise shows how there is a misalignment to what we see and how we feel for our home.”

If you recall seeing — sometime this year — brightly painted dustbins along Orchard Road, that was Faris’ idea which he took to fruition under the auspices of the National Environment Agency.

“We live in a clean and green city ... However, is it because of effective governance and cheap foreign labour or because there is an emotional connection — no littering — with the environment?”

About 60 youths aged between 13 and 25 painted the dustbins under Project Creative Home. It raised almost $100,000 in sponsorship to cover costs — no mean feat for an unknown entity “without even a bank book”.

Faris’ vision took root last year when he was on a trip to South Korea as part of his involvement with the Young Changemakers, a body of the National Youth Council.

“I was at (South Korea’s) biggest amusement park, Everland. I got talking to a local there who was dressed in white and holding a humble broom. He was a cleaner, and he was very proud of his work. And he was an undergraduate working part-time.”

That encounter, says Faris, made him wonder about the youth of Singapore.

“The problem is the way we look at things. Our perception breeds elitism, generalisation, lack of ruggedness and lack of empathy.

“It is this perception that leads to kiasu-ism,” he says.

I’m dyslexic, not stupid

And dealing with perceptions is something he knows about first hand.

His personal motivation is to remind himself that he isn’t stupid just because he is dyslexic. This drive has seen Faris become youth president of the Siglapian Alumni Association and a panelist with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports feedback unit panel, among other things.

Out of the dustbin project, Social Creatives was born.

Incorporated as a limited company in July and given charity status early this year, it is positioning itself as a self-sustaining initiative. Board members providing guidance include Mr Gerard Ee, chairman of the National Kidney Foundation.

Among the dreams of its young director: “Murals anywhere and everywhere”. Under this “Skincare” project, Farishopes to raise awareness for his causes by giving a new face to walls in MRT stations or public walkways with a fresh lick of paint or by pasting stickers.

He also wants to convert public walkways into walkthrough art galleries, and by establishing community art galleries in the heartland.

But visions need support. So Faris is on the go, juggling his studies (he is currently interning at Changi Airport with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) and his work as director of Social Creatives.

The latter entails making the rounds talking about Social Creatives’ goals. He bemoans the fact that “a lot of government organisations take a very bureaucratic stand and a submit-approve/reject stand rather than a nurturing approach”, but concedes that he has learnt much patience along the way.

He barely has time for anything else, socialising included.

“Someone said: ‘Faris approaches girls like he approaches his work’,” he tells me wryly.

But all this will have to change by the middle of next year. “I will take a backseat,” he says. Not because he is running out of steam. But because of another calling which he has to be single-minded about.

The youthful visionary has to enter National Service then.

Read more!

Dengue cases down but chikungunya up in Singapore

39 caught chikungunya locally last week; disease has been made notifiable
Salma Khalik, Straits Times 23 Dec 08;

WITH intensified efforts this year, Singapore's fight against dengue appears to have paid off, with 25 per cent fewer cases than last year.

However, a newly emerged Aedes mosquito-borne illness is causing fresh concerns. Chikungunya cases continued their upward trend, with more than 40 cases a week in the past three weeks.
Of the 43 cases diagnosed last week, 39 caught the virus locally, while the other four imported cases were from Malaysia.

Last Friday, the Ministry of Health made chikungunya a notifiable disease.

Although doctors have already been informing the ministry of all cases since the end of 2006, when Singapore saw its first imported chikungunya case, the change means that doctors could be penalised with fines or jail terms for not doing so.

A ministry spokesman said this will enable the ministry to monitor the disease more closely. A circular has gone out to all doctors informing them of the change.

The appearance of locally transmitted chikungunya infections in Singapore this year also worries infectious diseases experts.

Although no one has died of the infection, chikungunya, unlike dengue, can be very debilitating. There is also the risk that it could become endemic, which means the disease would be here to stay, with no chance of wiping it out.

The Health Ministry said the disease has not become endemic yet, as a large number of cases is still from overseas.

Until this year, the few cases were all imported. But by the middle of this month, 388 people had caught the virus locally. A further 158 people who were infected were bitten by mosquitoes while overseas, primarily in Malaysia.

The areas where people here are getting bitten by the Aedes mosquito have also spread from the northern part of the island to places such as Bedok Reservoir and Tampines in the east.

Cases have also been on the increase, rising sharply since the end of July.

Given the current rates of infection, Singapore is likely to end the year with more than 600 chikungunya cases.

A spokesman for the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the Aedes albopictus mosquito, which is the main carrier of this virus, lives in forests and other heavily vegetated areas.

This makes it 'a challenge to remove as many breeding habitats as possible in such areas,' she said.

She added that the current rainy season is unlikely to be the cause of the increased rates. Instead, it has more to do with 'the movement of infected cases and the susceptibility of the population'.

The NEA spokesman said it is fighting chikungunya the same way it does dengue - by finding and destroying mosquito breeding spots and educating the public about stagnant water.

She added that the early and intensive exercise against the Aedes mosquito this year has staved off an anticipated dengue epidemic. Dengue epidemics tend to come in five to six year cycles.

So far this year, 6,424 people have become sick with dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever, 2,183 fewer than last year. 'Earlier this year, it was predicted that Singapore would experience major dengue outbreaks and the situation would be worse than last year,' she said.

But instead of going up, the number of infections had gone down significantly, due to the $200,000 a day spent fighting the scourge this year.

'This reversal in dengue trend, the first time in three decades, is a result of the enhanced dengue control strategy put in place by NEA,' said the spokesman.

salma@sph.com.sg

What is chikungunya

# SYMPTOMS: Sudden high fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash and joint pain.

These are almost similar to symptoms for dengue, the other Aedes mosquito-borne viral disease, except the joint pains for chikungunya can be excruciating, last for months and, in some cases, for more than a year.

While painful and debilitating, the infection is not life-threatening.

# TREATMENT: There is no vaccine against it or medicine that cures it. Treatment is only for symptoms such as fever or pain.

# TRANSMISSION: The culprit for dengue tends to be the Aedes aegypti while the Aedes albopictus is more likely to spread chikungunya.

However, both types of mosquitoes can spread both diseases.

# INCUBATION: It usually takes three to seven days from the time a person is bitten by an infected mosquito for symptoms to appear.

However, people can sometimes become sick just two days after being bitten, or as late as 12 days after.

# SPREAD: The disease is spread when a mosquito bites an infected person. The virus replicates in the mosquito and is passed on to people subsequently bitten.

# PREVENTION: The best way to stop the spread of the disease is to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. This year, the National Environment Agency spent close to $200,000 a day and has a team of 500 people doing just that.

A mosquito needs just a small spoonful of stagnant water to breed. The A. aegypti breeds well in indoor receptacles but the A. albopictus prefers forests and places with high vegetation.

Those infected should wear long sleeves and long dresses or pants and use insect repellent to prevent getting bitten again by mosquitoes, which could continue the chain of transmission.

SALMA KHALIK

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Vietnam customs seize five tons of frozen pangolin meat

Yahoo News 22 Dec 08;

HANOI (AFP) – Vietnam customs officials said Monday they had seized about five tons of frozen pangolin meat, a protected species whose trade is illegal.
The 270 boxes of pangolin meat were found Friday in northern Quang Ninh province, said an official at the Cai Lan port customs office, asking not to be named. Officials suspected the cargo was on its way to China, she said.

Another source at the port's customs office, who also asked not to be named, said the meat came from 1,481 pangolins.

Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and trading of the animal and its products is illegal.

Demand for pangolin meat, with its supposedly medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities, is widespread in China and in Vietnam, which has a poor conservation record.

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