U.S., China account for 40 percent of carbon emissions

Reuters 17 Nov 09;

(Reuters) - U.N. talks on a new climate deal are struggling to overcome differences on how to share the cost of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and of preparing for global warming, which is now considered inevitable.

U.S. President Barack Obama met Chinese President Hu Jintao this week to discuss a climate deal. Their countries account for 40 percent of all carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Following is a breakdown of the top 15 emitters of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels up to end-2008.

The International Energy Agency estimates that global carbon emissions will fall by as much as 3 percent in 2009 as a result of the financial crisis. Estimates of carbon emissions that include deforestation can be far higher, notably for Indonesia.(million tons carbon 2005-07, million tonnes carbon 2008)

2005 2006 2007 2008* PCT total, 08

TOTAL WORLD 7,985 8,229 8,471 8,510 100

1 China 1,514 1,676 1,802 1,841 22

2 U.S. 1,577 1,558 1,586 1,722 20

3 Russia 410 431 432 456 5

4 India 383 402 430 381 4

5 Japan 336 332 337 376 4

6 Germany 214 216 210 232 3

9 South Korea 123 124 130 179 2

7 Canada 147 145 145 178 2

8 Britain 149 150 145 157 2

10 Iran 123 128 130 139 2

14 Saudi Arabia 104 109 115 133 2

12 Italy 123 123 121 131 2

13 South Africa 112 114 118 130 2

11 Mexico 115 118 121 124 1

15 Brazil 89 90 96 119 1

Sources:

2005-07 -- U.S. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center

* 2008 data uses a different source: IWR Research, BP

Statistical Review, European Union, German Economy Ministry

(Compiled by Gerard Wynn; editing by Tim Pearce)

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UN environment chief Achim Steiner warns of high cost of climate delays

• Plea for world leaders to avoid Copenhagen failure
• Deadlock poses enormous 'human and financial risks'
The Guardian 16 Nov 09;

The likely delays in sealing a global deal to fight climate change would have a "human cost", and increase the risks of great harm to the planet and the economic costs of dealing with it, the head of the UN environment programme said today.

Achim Steiner also said there was an "extremely high" risk that the UN-hosted talks would drift into deadlock if the summit in Copenhagen next month failed to deliver a meaningful agreement. "The world has been focused on this moment for years," he told the Guardian.

"There have been hundreds of meetings and summits and workshops. If you then take that momentum out you run the risk of entering into an open-ended process and before you know if it you are in the same situation as the Doha round of the World Trade Organisation talks.

"There is a moral hazard in any attempt to further delay action on climate change," he added. "Political leaders in Copenhagen will have to explain in a credible way to the 2bn-3bn people who are living on the frontline of climate change why they could not reach a deal."

Steiner added: "I believe that a deal [in Copenhagen] is still do-able. But any delay has real cost implications in economic, social and human terms and those implications must be at the forefront of the people's minds as they go to Copenhagen."

On Sunday the US president, Barack Obama, acknowledged that a legally binding deal was impossible in Copenhagen. He needs a reluctant Senate to pass domestic laws to cut greenhouse emissions before being able to agree to an international deal, a requirement that has stalled the talks. Obama gave his support to a Danish plan to delay any deal to mid-2010. His comments were widely received as a blow to hopes of a meaningful agreement in Copenhagen, but senior figures said today a deal was still possible.

Ed Miliband, the UK climate change secretary, said Copenhagen could still deliver a "comprehensive" and "ambitious" agreement and lead quickly to a legally binding treaty. He spoke to the Guardian at international talks in the Danish capital aimed at increasing political momentum prior to the full UN meeting next month.

"An ambitious deal is still possible," he said. "It has to include all the major issues: targets for carbon emissions, including mid-term targets, finance, technology, forestry, and crucially, a very clear and short track to a legally binding treaty."

Sources within the British delegation characterised yesterday's negotiations as "anxious" and "urgent" and earlier cited "a large amount of mistrust" from some developing countries.

Despite pessimism about whether the US would be able to make commitments at December's summit, they remained optimistic about the US proposing bigger cuts in emissions in future.

In response to claims that the Danish plan threatened to turn the Copenhagen summit into a mere "photo opportunity", Denmark's climate and energy minister, Connie Hedegaard said her resolve to get a legally binding deal was intact.

"I believe it is important that Copenhagen sets a deadline," she said. "We have to do that, so we do not end up with something that goes on for years and years and years."

In the US key negotiators warned that President Obama must deliver on his environmental agenda by early 2010 if there is to be a chance of a global treaty.

In London the foreign secretary, David Miliband, also said there were grounds for hope: "I don't accept we should write off Copenhagen at all," Miliband said. "It shouldn't be just another summit that produces a string of warm words."

Additional reporting: Julian Borger

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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Nov 09

Macaranga bancana and bulbuls
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Sentosa!
from Nature's Wonders

Flooding kills marinelife
from wild shores of singapore

Smarter policies needed?
Bjorn Lomborg speaks from eco-business.com

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NEA warns of flash floods in Singapore

Today Online 17 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE - Don't put away your umbrella just yet. It's been rainy, but more rainfall is expected now that the North-east Monsoon is upon us, said the National Environment Agency's (NEA) Meteorological Services Division yesterday.

The rainy season is expected to last until January next year. There will be periods of moderate to heavy rain, with high tides ranging from 3 to 3.2 metres in the same period.

Because of this, there might be localised flash floods in low-lying areas such as Lorong Buangkok, Jalan Seaview, Meyer Road, Lorong 101 to Lorong 106 Changi and Everitt North Road. Residents and shopowners have been warned and motorists travelling along roads in these areas are advised to exercise caution during flash floods.

Flash floods might also occur in low lying city areas such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Geylang and Jalan Besar.

The public can obtain the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, by tuning in to radio broadcasts, calling NEA's weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visiting www.nea.gov.sg or accessing NEA's mobile weather service Weather@SG (weather.nea.gov.sg).

The public can also call PUB's 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-284 6600 to report obstructions in drains or to check the flood situation.

PUB gives monsoon period updates
Channel NewsAsia 16 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE: The PUB has completed several projects that will help alleviate flooding in flood-prone areas as the monsoon season draws near. Some of the areas include Cuscaden Road, Commonwealth Avenue and Bedok North Ave 3.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday, the monsoon season is expected to set in shortly and last till January next year. Heavy rain, coinciding with high tides, could lead to localised flash floods in low-lying areas.

PUB, the national water agency, had in October sent advisories to residents and shop-owners in flood-prone areas to warn them of the possibility of flash floods.

They have also been advised to take the necessary precautions to protect their belongings by storing them on higher ground or placing sandbags to block floodwaters.

PUB has also stepped up the monitoring of some 60 hotspots islandwide to ensure that the drainage system is not blocked.

In addition, checks on construction sites have been intensified to ensure that contractors keep the drains around their sites smooth-flowing and free of debris.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution when travelling along roads in the flood-prone areas. NEA said it will issue warnings through the media when heavy rain or prolonged monsoon rain is expected.

Wet spell could trigger flash floods
Low-lying areas may be affected, with heavy rain expected till January
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 17 Nov 09;

HOLD on to your umbrella - the wet weather is set to stay till January, at least.

Singapore's weatherman has forecast that the wet spell will linger till then, with the possible risk of floods affecting low-lying parts of the island till the end of the year.

PUB, the national water agency, said yesterday that heavy rain brought on by the north-east monsoon could coincide with 3m- to 3.2m-high tides, triggering flash floods over the next few months.

Some 50 PUB officers have their eyes peeled on 58 'hot spots' around the island to ensure rubbish or debris, such as at construction sites, does not block drains and outlets.

Flood-prone areas include Chinatown, the Central Business District, Geylang, Lorong Buangkok and Tanjong Katong.

'Motorists travelling along roads in these areas are advised to exercise caution in the event of flash floods,' the agency said.

The National Environment Agency said that in the first two weeks of this month, rain was above the national average across many parts of Singapore. Areas such as Jurong and Kranji saw as much as 210mm of rain dumped, more than three times the average, although it was below that in the same period for the previous two years.

Dr Wolfgang Grabs, head of hydrological forecasting and water resources at the World Meteorological Organisation, told The Straits Times that rainfall in the region will be below average over the wet months but it would be more intense when it rains.

This is attributed, in part, to warming global temperatures, meaning more moisture is trapped in the atmosphere. 'The higher water content in the atmosphere means rain is more intense than before.'

To quell the effects of the stormy spell, PUB has invested $59 million over the last 12 months to widen and deepen drainage networks, as well as raise the roads in 10 low-lying areas such as Cuscaden Road, Mountbatten Road and Commonwealth Avenue.

Since last month, the agency has advised 204 residents and businesses to store belongings on elevated ground and place sandbags at entrances to block flooding.

Mr Eric Wong, 50, who owns three shophouses along Trengganu Street in Chinatown, has spent more than $5,000 over the past few years to protect his grocery stores from the annual downpour.

'The flooding is not as bad now, compared to a few years ago, when construction work was done to complete the Chinatown MRT station nearby,' he said. 'The water then could reach knee deep.'

Food supplies in Mr Wong's shops are now stacked on 30cm-high wooden platforms. A canopy was also installed recently to protect the stores from the elements.

The flooding situation in the city area has also improved since the completion of the Marina Barrage. To prevent floods, it has seven pumps - each with a capacity of 40 cu m per second - to flush excess storm water into the sea.

The barrage also has nine 30m gates to separate sea water from the reservoir and keep out high tides.

To date, the highest amount of rainfall to drench the island was in December 2006, when 366mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period, the wettest on record in 137 years of recorded history.

Some 50 PUB officers have their eyes peeled on 58 'hot spots' around the island to ensure rubbish or debris, such as at construction sites, does not block drains and outlets. Flood-prone areas include Chinatown, the Central Business District, Geylang, Lorong Buangkok and Tanjong Katong.

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Prices for vegetable, egg imports from Malaysia rise due to rainy weather

Ng Lian Cheong/Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia 16 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE: Continuous rainfalls have caused egg and vegetable imports from Malaysia to increase in price.

Egg prices have jumped four times since October but the rate of imports from Malaysia stays at three million eggs per day. This accounts for 75 per cent of the local supply of fresh eggs. Currently, a batch of ten eggs cost between S$1.30 and S$2.

The rain has also led to poor vegetable harvests in Malaysia, causing prices to escalate by ten per cent.

Most of these are leafy vegetables, including Chinese cabbage and Chinese spinach, which come mainly from Johor, Kulai, and Kota Tinggi.

A merchant at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre said this year's wet season came about a month earlier. As a result, supplies from Malaysia dropped by about 20 to 30 per cent.

In order to ensure a stable supply, vegetable suppliers have looked to other countries like China and Thailand for imports. - CNA/vm


Vegetable prices up in Little India due to heavy rains in India & Malaysia
Channel NewsAsia 19 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE: Heavy rains in vegetable exporting countries, such as India and Malaysia, have caused a price hike in shops at Little India.

Onions, an important ingredient in Indian cooking, now cost double - at S$2 per kilogramme, compared to a dollar previously.

Lady's finger, brinjal and other vegetables, imported from India and Malaysia, have seen a 30 per cent price increase.

Vegetables sellers said prices will go higher if the rains continue.

- CNA/sc

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Singapore sets up an energy policy framework

Aligning local to global standards
Singapore sets up an energy policy framework, with govt agencies roped in to encourage the sustainable use of energy, reports FELDA CHAY
Business Times 17 Nov 09;

NEED some light? Flick the switch. Feel like watching TV? Hit the 'on' button. Energy in Singapore comes so easily that it is hard to remember we do not own a single drop of oil in this country, and that in recent years the world has been facing several challenges on the energy front.

This has prompted Singapore to set up its own energy policy framework, with various government organisations and ministries roped in to study the sustainable use of energy and promote the use of alternative fuels.

One such body is the Standards Council, which formulates the strategies for Singapore's national standardisation programme.

It seeks to align Singapore with international standards in energy use, and make it more competitive through greater transparency in such standards.

With Singapore promoting emerging energy and sustainable development, the council has sought to establish standards and conformance (S&C) infrastructure in these new areas.

Council chairman Edwin Khew shares with The Business Times the importance of establishing standards in the emerging energy sector, and what Singapore has achieved in the area.

Question: What exactly is the emerging energy sector? And how will it help Singaporeans use energy efficiently?

Answer: The emerging energy sector refers to the myriad of alternative energy-related services and products such as bio-gas, bio-diesel and ethanol. Each of these products requires systems and components necessary to support its deployment.

The emerging energy sector will see increasing emphasis on energy conservation, and the institution of energy efficiency policies and initiatives which impact not only businesses but also the man on the street.

Most importantly, the more efficient the use of energy per head of population, the lower the carbon footprint of a community and therefore the lower is its contribution to the effects of climate change.

Q: Why is it important to establish recognised S&C infrastructure with regards to the emerging energy sector, and sustainable development?

A: There are six reasons that I can think of:

1. S&C infrastructure provides the necessary building blocks needed to ensure the quality and reliability of products and services;

2. For emerging areas, it is even more critical as it helps to build national and international confidence in new innovative solutions, be it products, services or technologies that are developed;

3. It provides the fundamentals to define, implement and monitor policy metrics in emerging sectors;

4. It provides the consensus necessary to enable and accelerate the adoption of enhancements and innovation by integrating stakeholder needs;

5. It provides the basis for measuring and quantifying data which can be verified to provide credibility and assurance;

6. It supports public policies.

Q: What benefits does the Standards Council hope to achieve by pushing for such standards? How is it expected to benefit Singapore as a whole?

A: Standards play an important role in setting the benchmark for energy-related products, services, processes and systems to be applied by companies in the energy and its supporting industries and also other products and services. These standards will facilitate market access of their products and services to overseas markets.

Standards also provide the basis for the development of new and innovative clean energy and sustainable energy technologies and solutions that would be acceptable around the world, given the international alignment of standards. This will help grow Singapore into a leading provider of such technologies and solutions.

This should open up huge markets globally for Singapore enterprises as sustainable energy technology and solutions are still nascent and growing in demand regionally and globally. Last but not least, standards also provide a technical basis to support public policies on energy-related matters.

Q: When did Singapore start to realise the importance of, and establish such standards?

A: Singapore has been promoting alternative energy and energy efficiency for more than 10 years under the National Energy Efficiency Committee within the National Environment Agency (NEA). This committee is now known as the National Climate Change Committee (N3C) and chaired by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

NEA has also set up an Energy Efficiency Programme Office (E2PO) to further drive such initiatives in Singapore.

Singapore has been involved in the development of energy related national standards for close to 20 years. The first energy efficiency standard - Singapore Standard on Mechanical Ventilation and Air-Conditioning in Buildings - was introduced in 1980. This standard establishes minimum requirements in design, construction, installation, testing and commissioning, operation and maintenance of mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning systems. It helps companies to attain acceptable indoor thermal environment in an energy efficient manner with general consideration for the indoor air quality, and maintainability of the equipment.

Q: What sort of standards and conformance measures has been put in place for the local government and industry players when it comes to energy and sustainability?

A: Our various government agencies have been working with industry to enhance the standards and conformance infrastructure. This includes the reduction of our reliance on conventional energy sources by leveraging on solar power and electric vehicles, and the development of green data centres and energy efficiency measures for buildings to reduce energy consumption.

An example of a completed standard is the SS 530:2006 Code of Practice for Energy Efficiency Standard for Building Services and Equipment. This standard provides minimum energy efficiency requirements for new installation and replacements of systems and equipment. It is used by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) as a reference standard in its Building Control Regulations for air-conditioning systems which exceed 30kW cooling capacity and the maximum lighting power budget.

The use of SS 530 can help businesses reduce energy consumption by 10-30 per cent. This translates into significant savings in utilities, which increases cost competitiveness for companies.

Q: How has the adoption of such standards been in general? Do local firms recognise the importance of adopting S&C to develop sustainably?

A: More and more companies around the world are recognising the importance of standards for energy efficiency and sustainable development as it is a global problem, particularly when it affects climate change. This will also be discussed at the Conference of Parties (COP 15) held in Copenhagen in December.

More local companies are adopting standards to fulfil their social responsibility and manage their energy usage to help lower their operational costs. One example is the success of the BCA Green Mark for Buildings Scheme which refers to the SS 530 : 2006 Code of Practice for energy efficiency standard for building services and equipment. There has been a significant increase in the number of building projects receiving the Green Mark Award.

Q: Has the economic crisis been a setback in the setting up of S&C infrastructure here? If yes, how so? If no, why, given that the logical assumption would be for firms to be less inclined to spend?

A: There has been an increase in interest as industry is keen to look into the business opportunities and jobs that energy and environmental issues can bring and standards play an important part to help make this happen in the marketplace.

Demand for standards has in fact increased during this period of economic crisis as enterprises seek to improve their efficiency through standards.

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More on Singapore's magnificent trees

Straits Times Forum 17 Nov 09;

I REFER to last Saturday's graphic, 'Trees in the city'.

Thank you for raising the interest in wayside trees. The flowers of the rain tree and tembusu did little justice to these two magnificent trees. More of their woody forms should be shown.

Many swings could hang from the bough of the rain tree and its broad crown gives shade on a hot day. Its tiny compound pinnate leaves go to sleep in the evening or when it rains. Malays called it Pukul Lima (five o'clock).

The tembusu has no significant bough but branches that reach for the sky, wriggling upward, defying gravity while carrying its fine leaves of light and dark green away from its dark, ribbed trunk. The road divider along Paterson Hill has two fine specimens, although the larger one has lost its crowning glory.

As for the mahogany tree, the third common one was not presented: African mahogany (Khaya grandifoliola). This huge tree gives the most shade and is a fast-growing wayside tree.

Of course, any mention of the mahogany tree compels me to highlight the finest specimen - the Honduras or broad-leaved mahogany found in Singapore. You cannot miss the magnificent twin-boled mahogany tree near the Merlion in Sentosa.

That tree should be registered as a national dendrological monument.

Chen Sen Lenn

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Organisers ensure materials used are recycled in post-APEC cleanup

Zhao Quan Yin/Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia 16 Nov 09;

SINGAPORE: The APEC has come to an end, and cleanup operations are in full swing at the three venues - The Istana, Suntec Convention Centre, and the Esplanade.

The event organisers are ensuring that the materials used will not go to waste.

About 600 workers at the Suntec Convention Centre have been busy dismantling the setup since Monday morning.

The doors used at the event can be reused up to 30 times. Moreover, 20 banners will be donated to charities to produce environmentally-friendly bags.

Some interesting remnants of the APEC are the 42 seats, which the 21 APEC leaders and their spouses sat on during the Singapore Evening. These will be stored aside in special crates and reused for future conventions.

The mass cleanup is expected to end on Tuesday.

Lim Kian Meng, general manager, Pico Art International, said: "We have 250 newly-fabricated doors, just for this event. These will be recycled for other mega events, as well as the modular panels. These modular panels are our existing stock, we will also recycle for other events."

- CNA/sc

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Oily beaches and one 'dead' plant at Johor

New Straits Times 16 Nov 09;

KOTA TINGGI: Sacks and plastic bags full of sludge strewn across the beaches of Pengerang bear testament to dumping by the crew of ships anchored off the coast.

Such a crime against the environment should not have occurred because there is a local sludge processing facility at Teluk Kelok, about 7km from Sungai Rengit town.

Locals, however, said it was not functioning as it should.

Checks revealed that the facility is owned and operated by a company registered as a scheduled waste contractor in the Department of Environment website.

Since the facility was permitted to process sludge from ships, it should have been a hive of activity due to the ships anchored off the coast.

Cases of sludge dumping and illegal tank cleaning by ships in Pengerang are being reported regularly in the media. The latest occurrence was reported by all major dailies yesterday.

Hidden from the main road by craggy, barren hills, the sludge processing facility is unknown to many.

When the New Straits Times went to the facility, the front gate was locked with nobody at the guardhouse.

A long trek through the hills led to the beach and from there, the whole processing plant could be viewed clearly.

There was not even a single person around and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of waves crashing onto the casuarina-lined shore.

Piles of oil-covered sacks lay under a large shed while a tall chimney stood forlornly nearby, with no trace of smoke coming out of it.

There was no activity in the facility and a lone dog sauntered lazily in the afternoon sun between two huge steel tanks, one of which had a large dent on its side.

A Pengerang resident, who wanted to be identified as Ahmad, questioned the function of the facility.

He said it was ironic for the Pengerang people to suffer from sludge dumping activities when there was a processing plant right next to the polluted beaches.

"The signboard leading to the front gate indicates that it is a sludge processing facility and yet, our beaches are badly polluted by the very sludge that the facility is supposed to process," he said.

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Ramzan, 56, said the authorities should know the best way to use available facilities to prevent sludge contaminating the sea and destroying marine life.

"We just want the pollution to stop. Aren't there special government departments to tackle that?" he asked.

Calls to the telephone numbers listed on the company's signboard went unanswered.

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Another Trapped Sumatran Tiger Dies in Aceh

Nurdin Hasan Jakarta Globe 16 Nov 09;

Atwo-year-old female Sumatran tiger was killed by villagers after it tried to break into a chicken coop belonging to a resident of Silolo village in South Aceh.

Syafwan, the head of South Aceh’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency, said the tiger, measuring a meter in length, tried to enter a chicken coop behind the house of Muhammad Rajab, 45, at 8:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.

“According to local residents, they wanted to capture the tiger alive,” Syafwan told the Jakarta Globe by telephone. “But since the plastic rope used to snare it was too big, the tiger suffocated and died on Monday at dawn.”

He said local residents only reported the capture and subsequent death of the tiger to conservation officials later on Monday morning.

“If only they had reported it to us sooner, perhaps the animal could have survived,” he said, adding that the tiger was then buried in accordance with local tradition.

The villagers wrapped the body in a white shroud and prayed over it with the hope that other tigers would not disturb the village.

“The funeral was conducted by local people to avoid unwanted things in the future. It was the villagers way of paying their respects to the dead tiger,” Syafwan said, adding that he and several other officials were on hand to witness the funeral.

Syafwan said that at the same time the animal was being trapped by villagers, another tiger was spotted near the house.

“But when the young tiger became ensnared by the rope, the second tiger fled into the jungle,” he said.

He said there had been a rise in the number of reports of tigers entering villages as the animals’ natural habitat was destroyed.

“Tigers are entering villages in their search for food because they are being forced from their traditional hunting grounds,” Syafwan said.

Asked if the local residents who ensnared the tiger would be reported to the police, Syafwan said conservation officials would prioritize cooperating with local communities and accommodating their traditional wisdom.

“We will continue educating the people in small ways, like not to use snares that could threaten the tiger’s life,” he said.

“We will also encourage them to report tiger activity to us,” Syafwan added.

In October, a five-year old Sumatran tiger that was injured after being ensnared in a trap set by villagers in Aceh, died a few days later as veterinarians prepared to amputate one of the animal’s legs.

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Indonesia targeting position of world's biggest fish producer

Antara 16 Nov 09;

Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) has set a target to make Indonesia a world biggest fish producer in 2012, a cabinet minister said.

DKP Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Monday that the plan to make Indonesia a world biggest fish producer was part of the DKP targets in its coming years` work programs.

"Indonesia should become a center of fish production so that it could control the world`s fish trade," the minister said.

He said that Indonesia had the marine and fresh water potentials which were not possessed by all countries. Thus, it would not face significant barriers to achieve the target.
"Facilities at fish auction markets, access roads and fishermen`s fuel tanks to meet the need for fishing activities must also be improved and be made complete," the minister said.

Besides, he said, his ministry was also adopting a special program called `minapolitan`, a program which combines agriculture and fisheries aimed at raising the income of farmers and fishermen.

The minapolitan scheme could be carried out, among others, with a `mina padi` program where fields were planted with rice while at the same time were also sowed with fish seeds so that the fields could yield rice and fish at the same time.(*)

Indonesia stepping up efforts to fight illegal fishing
Antara 17 Nov 09;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (DKP) is working closely with the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs to fight illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing practices in the country, a cabinet minister said.

"I have met with the coordinating minister. He promised to consult the president over the efforts to combat IUU fishing practices," DKP Minister Fadel Muhammad said.

Fadel said that with a close cooperation in cracking down on IUU fishing practices with the coordinating minister, the arrests of poachers in Indonesian waters or in Indonesia`s exclusive economic zones could be made by the navy officers or by the water police.

He hoped that civilian investigators (PPNS) of the DKP would concentrate on supervising marine resources such as fish and coral reefs.

"But it would all depend on the president. We will wait and see its developments later. What I want is that our supervision should be directed on this so that I can focus on handling the welfare of fishermen," he added.

He said that the problem of restricted supervision facilities to crack down on IUU fishing practices would be resolved together with the coordinating minister.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) under its new chief, Fadel Muhammad, has come up with an ambitious plan to raise fish production by over 300 percent and `transform` the country into the world`s biggest fish production center in the coming five years.

"Indonesia should become a center of fish production so that it could control the world`s fish trade," the minister said on Monday. (*)

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Setiu shrimp farm not green

Dato’ Dr Dionysius S.K. Sharma, Executive Director/CEO WWF Malaysia 16 Nov 09;

WWF-Malaysia would like to respond to the article “Green Shrimp Farm” which appeared in the Star online on 4 November 2009 [below].

In WWF-Malaysia’s opinion, the iSHARP (Integrated Shrimp Aquaculture Park) project cannot be considered as a ‘green’ project. WWF-Malaysia was consulted by the project developer and we used this opportunity to raise many of our concerns about the project.

The project developer was required to submit a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA), and by virtue of being a member of the DEIA Technical Review Panel, we provided extensive comments on the DEIA regarding adverse environmental impacts of the project. Severely concerned with the adverse environmental impacts of the project, we issued a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in order to bring the issues related to the project to his attention.

There are a number of reasons why WWF-Malaysia cannot disagree more on the claim by the developer that the project is ‘green’. A foremost criterion for ‘green’ or responsible aquaculture is to NOT locate aquaculture farms within environmentally sensitive areas.

The iSHARP project has clearly not met these criteria; as nearly 700ha of Gelam forest is set to be cleared to accommodate the project. The Gelam forest is one of the most severely threatened freshwater ecosystems in Malaysia. By sitting the project in the area, the project has not conformed to land-use plans, namely the National Physical Plan and the Setiu Local Plan (2003-2015). Both plans categorise wetlands as Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). Additionally, the Setiu Local Plan states that only recreational activities are allowed in this area.

WWF-Malaysia is gravely concerned with the proposal by the developer to discharge effluent from the shrimp pond to Sungai Chaluk, an important habitat for the critically endangered river terrapins. As the project will be utilising pure sea water for its operations, the pond effluent will be high in salt content. In WWF-Malaysia’s estimation, the project could potentially discharge up to an equivalent of 50,000 kilogram’s of salt into the river every hour, when operating at full capacity. It is doubtful that Sungai Chaluk will have the capacity to dilute this volume of salt especially during the dry seasons. This will have a devastating impact on the river ecosystem and the river terrapins.

Apart from this, the effluent could be contaminated by viruses. Releasing contaminated effluent to Sungai Chaluk would have an adverse impact on the existing aquaculture activities downstream of the river in the Setiu Lagoon, affecting the livelihood of the local aquaculture producers. The expected impacts of the project will also compromise the integrity of the proposed Setiu State Park. WWF-Malaysia along with other concerned parties recommended that the effluent be channelled back into the sea instead and not into Sungai Chaluk. Regrettably, the developer rejected this alternative and even more regrettably, the authorities have approved the discharge of the effluent into the river. Such a discharge will have a devastating impact on the river terrapins, and drive them to local extinction, notwithstanding proposals by the developer to have monitoring programmes in place.

WWF-Malaysia reiterates that it does not consider the project to be environmentally friendly nor ‘green’ for the above reasons.

Thank you.

-END-

‘Green’ shrimp farm
Chew Wan Ying, The Star 4 Nov 09;

SETIU: The 1,000ha shrimp farm project in Terengganu will not affect the environment and wildlife, claims Blue Archipelago Bhd, which is in charge of the project.

The project, known as the Integrated Shrimp Aquaculture Park (iSHARP), is located in Penarik, near here. Setiu is a breeding ground for the endangered river terrapins.

In an interview with The Star in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, chief executive officer Dr Shahridan Faiez addressed the concerns raised by environmentalists and Setiu residents regarding the environmental impact of the project.

The company had gone the extra mile in making sure that the project was environment-friendly, he said, adding that those who were against the project were misinformed.

“We have taken a proactive stance. We are the first aquaculture farm in the country to conduct a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) for our project,” he said.

One of the major concerns raised is the discharge of salt water — an essential component in breeding shrimps — into Sungai Caluk, the river adjacent to the project site.

Critics believe that this would affect the river’s salinity and its ecological system.

“When we were designing the farm, we had considered various options. We opted for Sungai Caluk because it is a river where sea water comes in and goes out, as it has two openings into South China Sea (one at Setiu and the second one at Merang).

“On that basis, we do not think the discharge of salt water will contribute a significant impact on the environment,” he said.

He added that 24%, or 243ha, of the project site would be allocated as a green lung, while two hectares of land would be allocated for the River Terrapin Conservation Centre.

“The 243ha equals 500 football fields. You will never find this in any other shrimp farm,” said Dr Shahridan.

A buffer zone of between 120m and a kilometre, which is above the legal requirement of 50m, had been established at Sungai Caluk to protect the riparian vegetation along the river, he added. The vegetation is a primary food for the terrapins.

“Prior to this, we conducted extensive public consultation and workshops, and met with WWF-Malaysia, non-governmental organisations and key stakeholders.

“We went down to the ground and interviewed families staying within 5km radius from the project site,” Dr Shahridan said.

He said Blue Archipelago was also working with the Environment Department to come up with an intensive environment monitoring programme for iSHARP.

“We are marketing our products to the international market, where there are many powerful environmental groups, especially in Europe.

“We would be shooting ourselves in the foot if the project causes damage to the environment in any way,” he pointed out.

Financially, iSHARP will give Setiu a new lease of life, said Dr Shahridan.

“It is one of the poorest regions. The average household income among those staying around the project site is RM500.

“There are all kinds of problems pertaining to education attainment and employment,” he said, adding that iSharp would create 1,500 jobs.

“Job opportunities will be provided in all aspects of the supply chain, from the hatchery, grow-up farm and feed-mill to the processing plant. The plant especially needs women workers and this will help the single mothers,” added Dr Shahridan.

He said the shrimp farming industry was facing the challenges of fluctuating product price and a new global trend where the requirement for food safety was higher than ever before.

He hopes that iSHARP will attract local shrimp farmers and be a platform for them to upgrade their skills and market their products to the world.

“In Malaysia, the aquaculture sector is not growing as well as in Thailand and Indonesia.

“Most local shrimp farmers can’t sustain their businesses, financially and ecologically. Most of them are unable to invest in infrastructure and the know-how.

“By joining iSHARP, they will be able to do so. This will help the local industry grow,” he said.

Dr Shahridan estimates an annual revenue of RM100mil from the project, which is slated to begin operation in June next year.

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