What Triggers Mass Extinctions? Study Shows How Invasive Species Stop New Life

Collapse of Earth's marine life 378 to 375 million years ago holds key
The National Science Foundation 29 Dec 10;

An influx of invasive species can stop the dominant natural process of new species formation and trigger mass extinction events, according to research results published today in the journal PLoS ONE.

The study of the collapse of Earth's marine life 378 to 375 million years ago suggests that the planet's current ecosystems, which are struggling with biodiversity loss, could meet a similar fate.

Although Earth has experienced five major mass extinction events, the environmental crash during the Late Devonian was unlike any other in the planet's history.

The actual number of extinctions wasn't higher than the natural rate of species loss, but very few new species arose.

"We refer to the Late Devonian as a mass extinction, but it was actually a biodiversity crisis," said Alycia Stigall, a scientist at Ohio University and author of the PLoS ONE paper.

"This research significantly contributes to our understanding of species invasions from a deep-time perspective," said Lisa Boush, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research.&

"The knowledge is critical to determining the cause and extent of mass extinctions through time, especially the five biggest biodiversity crises in the history of life on Earth. It provides an important perspective on our current biodiversity crises."

The research suggests that the typical method by which new species originate--vicariance--was absent during this ancient phase of Earth's history, and could be to blame for the mass extinction.

Vicariance occurs when a population becomes geographically divided by a natural, long-term event, such as the formation of a mountain range or a new river channel, and evolves into different species.

New species also can originate through dispersal, which occurs when a subset of a population moves to a new location.

In a departure from previous studies, Stigall used phylogenetic analysis, which draws on an understanding of the tree of evolutionary relationships to examine how individual speciation events occurred.

She focused on one bivalve, Leptodesma (Leiopteria), and two brachiopods, Floweria and Schizophoria (Schizophoria), as well as a predatory crustacean, Archaeostraca.

These small, shelled marine animals were some of the most common inhabitants of the Late Devonian oceans, which had the most extensive reef system in Earth's history.

The seas teemed with huge predatory fish such as Dunkleosteus, and smaller life forms such as trilobites and crinoids (sea lilies).

The first forests and terrestrial ecosystems appeared during this time; amphibians began to walk on land.

As sea levels rose and the continents closed in to form connected land masses, however, some species gained access to environments they hadn't inhabited before.

The hardiest of these invasive species that could thrive on a variety of food sources and in new climates became dominant, wiping out more locally adapted species.

The invasive species were so prolific at this time that it became difficult for many new species to arise.

"The main mode of speciation that occurs in the geological record is shut down during the Devonian," said Stigall. "It just stops in its tracks."

Of the species Stigall studied, most lost substantial diversity during the Late Devonian, and one, Floweria, became extinct.

The entire marine ecosystem suffered a major collapse. Reef-forming corals were decimated and reefs did not appear on Earth again for 100 million years.

The giant fishes, trilobites, sponges and brachiopods also declined dramatically, while organisms on land had much higher survival rates.

The study is relevant for the current biodiversity crisis, Stigall said, as human activity has introduced a high number of invasive species into new ecosystems.

In addition, the modern extinction rate exceeds the rate of ancient extinction events, including the event that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

"Even if you can stop habitat loss, the fact that we've moved all these invasive species around the planet will take a long time to recover from because the high level of invasions has suppressed the speciation rate substantially," Stigall said.

Maintaining Earth's ecosystems, she suggests, would be helped by focusing efforts and resources on protection of new species generation.

"The more we know about this process," Stigall said, "the more we will understand how to best preserve biodiversity."

The research was also funded by the American Chemical Society and Ohio University.

-NSF-

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Papua police foil attempt to smuggle out 10,000 pig-nose turtles

Antara 29 Dec 10;

Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Mimika police foiled an attempt to smuggle out 10,914 pig-nose turtles from Timika last Sunday (Dec 26).

Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mochammad Sagi on Wednesday confirmed the busting of the smuggling operation.

The confiscated turtles would be released into the Wania River, Paumako harbor, Mimika Timur District, on Thursday (Dec 30), he said.

One person identified as Jemmy was arrested in the case, and the police were still investigating several other witnesses.

Jemmy admitted that he had planned to dispatch the turtles out of Timika within the next few days.

Police raided Jemmy`s house in the Kamoro SP1 Timika area on Sunday (Dec 26) after receiving a tip-off from local people.

In addition to the pig-nose turtles, the police also found and seized a package of crystal methamphetamine in Jemmy`s house.

In March 2009, the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) released over 10,000 pig-nosed turtles, a species endemic to the province, into the Otakwa River in the Lorentz National Park.

The turtles were seized by the Mimika Police and a BKSDA team in Timika in February 2009.

They were poached in East Mimika district and to be smuggled out of the province. Pig-nose turtles (Caretto-chelys insclupta) are protected under Law No. 7/1999 on preservation of plant and animal species.

Over 10,000 pig-nose turtles released into habitat
Antara 31 Dec 10;

Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Some 10,908 pig-nose turtles were released into their habitat in the Wania River, Paumako harbor, Mimika Timur District, Papua Province, Thursday (Dec 30).

"We have released them into the Wania River, Paumako harbor," Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mochammad Sagi confirmed here Friday.

The event witnessed among others by Deputy District Head of Mimika Abdul Muis was aimed at preserving the endangered animals, he said.

Pig-nose turtles are protected under Law No. 5/1990 on Natural Resources and Ecosystems Conservation.

Mimika police had foiled an attempt to smuggle out the 10,908 pig-nose turtles from Timika last Sunday (Dec 26) and arrested two people identified by their initials as A and YW.

Police raided YW`s house in the Kamoro SP1 Timika area and seized the pig-nose turtles after receiving a tip-off from local people.

The turtles had been poached in the Asmat region and were to have been transported to Jakarta.

In addition to the pig-nose turtles, the police also found and seized a package of crystal methamphetamine in Jemmy`s house.

In March 2009, the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) released over 10,000 pig-nosed turtles, a species endemic to the province, into the Otakwa River in the Lorentz National Park.

The turtles were seized by the Mimika Police and a BKSDA team in Timika in February 2009.

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Animal trafficking flourishes in Brazil

Claire De Oliveira Yahoo News 29 Dec 10;

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – The police operation is carried out with the precision of a military ambush: a dozen officers in camouflage leap from a truck and quickly take control of the blackmarket alleyways in a northern Rio suburb.

Within minutes, their human targets are rounded up -- along with the "hostages" they are holding: birds, turtles, monkeys and reptiles.

This is Brazil's war on animal smugglers, a fight against the raiders of the flora and fauna of Latin America's most bio-rich nation. It's a fight authorities say they are winning.

"Thanks to checks, we have cut the traffic in exotic animals on the market by 80 percent compared to last year," Lieutenant Marcele Figueiredo, a 28-year-old woman commanding Rio's special environmental police battalion, told AFP.

Created in 1983, the battalion counts 400 officers, six of them female. And it has no time to rest.

Each year in Brazil, 250,000 animals are grabbed and stuffed in bags or cages for sale, according to official statistics.

Animal trafficking ranks as the third most lucrative criminal activity in Brazil, after the sale of arms and drugs, police say.

It generates a billion dollars a year, according to an association called Renctas which is dedicated to fighting the trade.

Under Brazilian law, hunting and keeping in captivity any wild animal is prohibited except on a few rare farms with special authorization.

But blackmarketeers keep an underground trade going, selling a green parrot or a toucan grabbed from its habitat for prices 10 percent those being asked in legal shops.

"That price difference is what keeps the trafficking going," Figueiredo said.

Every species is prey for Brazil's poachers. Birds are most often sold, going for 10 dollars for an ordinary breed to up to 10,000 dollars for a Hyacinth Macaw, a beautiful blue parrot prized as pets. The more endangered the animal, the higher its price.

Around 40 percent of the trafficked animals are headed for Europe or North America. Brazilian buyers, though, also fuel the activity.

One man arrested for trying to sell a green parrot for the equivalent of a few dollars claimed he did not know he was breaking the law.

"I just wanted to get rid of it because it bites," he said, before receiving a fine and being released on a promise of not offending again.

That bird and the other animals seized are taken to a state sorting center close to Rio, where they are put in quarantine.

Around 8,000 animals a year arrive in the facility, many of them in pitiful condition.

There are a few primates among them -- monkeys abandoned by their owners as they become more aggressive adults.

"It's really a problem," one veterinarian at the center said, explaining that the monkeys are unable to fend for themselves if released into the wild.

The ones that do make it to the center are the lucky ones. Half the animals smuggled die in transit.

"They are transported in awful conditions. They're kept in tiny closed boxes with little air. They go for hours without eating or drinking," said one vet, Daniel Marchesi.

"There is a huge diversity of species in Brazil, and some very beautiful animals which people want to own. And it's in the Brazilian culture to have all sorts of exotic animals at home," Marchesi said.

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Sabah leading the way to make Malaysia a global seaweed producer

The Star 30 Dec 10;

KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is trying out the mini estate concept to boost seaweed production that may help Malaysia emerge as a global seaweed producer.

The projects are now under trial in Semporna as location seen most suitable as it is part of the Coral Triangle encompassing leading seaweed producers Indonesia and the Philippines.

UMS School of Science and Technology Assoc Prof Dr Suhaimi Md Yasir said phase one of the project will stretch over 2,000ha and should yield about one to five million metric tonnes of seaweed per year.

“We will try to achieve this figure, which has a value of about US$130mil (RM404.3m)”, he said.

UMS is in the Malaysian Seaweed Development Industry Steering Committee chaired by the Fisheries Department.

“In phase one, we look at the database including oceanography, water quality for that area and so on.

“Because when you have the database, it is easy for the investors to come in. They know the water quality, area, topography and weather pattern.

“How you manage the nursery for the seedling collection is very important in maintaining growth rate and quality”, said Suhaimi.

Phase two is from 2011 to 2015 (10th Malaysia Plan), covering not only Sabah but Sarawak and the Peninsula too.

The seaweed planting trial has been conducted in Langkawi and Terengganu as well.

Suhaimi added while phase one of the project is about capacity building among others, the second phase will aim for national development, meaning seaweed becomes a commodity.

“It will no longer be small-scale but involves 50,000 to 100,000ha with a production target of about 200,000 to 300,000 metric tonnes per year.

“We want the private sector and government-linked companies to be involved. We also want to nurture small and medium scale entrepreneurs in this field. We work on the quality.”

Towards the end, UMS had enlisted the collaboration of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).

Even now, a company founded by Salleh Mohd Salleh in 2009, with a few foreign investors and Tawau-based Tacara Sdn Bhd are producing and exporting 500 metric tonnes of seaweed produce per month.

UMS Marine Science graduate Japson Wong, 25, from Kota Kinabalu is also a participant in the mini estate concept.

His interest in seaweed aquaculture was sparked by experience while doing field work in Banggi under Prof Dr Mohd Rizuan Nordin and further exposure to seaweed farming during his industrial training.

He applied through the Sabah Fisheries Department to be included in the Graduate Farmers Programme.

By April 2009, he was already in Pulau Omadal, where he and 21 other participants, including four women from Lahad Datu, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu were allotted two hectares each, a house and the necessary tools to start their respective project.

“When we started we encountered a lot of problems. Bad weeds were growing because the area was quite shallow”, he said.

The unwanted weeds affected growth rate. Progress was slow and to make matters worse, the seaweed would sometimes just drop into the sea.

There is also that seasonal challenge - the north and south winds.

“The north wind is good because the waves it creates contains the nutrients that nourish the seaweeds,” said Wong.

Wong realised it is a tedious endeavour which will not make him rich in the near future, but the thought that he will eventually prosper from all the hard work keeps him going.

At present, Indonesia is the leading producer of seaweed with an output of 150,000 metric tonnes in 2009 having overtaken the Philippines which could only manage 100,000 metric tonnes.

Presently, Malaysia is placed insignificantly under ‘others’ accounting for just five percent. World demand is expected to reach 400,000 metric tonnes by 2012.

Indonesia has indicated it would ban raw seaweed export by that time, hence Malaysia’s necessity to increase productivity, in order to cater for export and domestic needs.

The Coral Triangle is capable of supplying 80% of the world demand with the kappaphycus seaweed, known for its thickening and gelling properties, that can be found in abundance.

It is a major source of carrageenan, a colloidal substance chiefly used as an emulsifying and stabilizing ingredient in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. — Bernama

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Malaysia: No more plastic bags in Sibu supermarkets

Andy Chua The Star 30 Dec 10;

PLASTIC bags will soon be a thing of the past in major supermarkets in Sibu.

Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) decided at this year’s last full council meeting yesterday that the “Say no to plastic bag” campaign should not just be observed once a week, and it wanted supermarkets to take the lead in changing mindsets.

However, the commencement date will be decided in another meeting soon.

Currently, 60 businesses are participating in the campaign, which started on Nov 15, 2009. They would not give out plastic bags on Monday and instead, charged 20 sen for each plastic bag if a shopper insisted on using them.

All 26 SMC councillors yesterday agreed that the campaign be carried on a daily basis.

Public health, environment and municipal services standing committee chairman councillor Tong Hing Lee had brought the matter up for the council to decide after discussions with the participating businesses on whether the campaign should be observed daily came to a dead end.

The councillors were unanimous in their decision and SMC was urged to give a one-month grace period to the supermarkets to adjust to the new ruling.

Councillor Christopher Adrian added that with the new measure, the mindset of the younger generation could be changed to become more environment-friendly.

“There are presently still a lot of people who dump used plastic bags like there is no tomorrow,” he said.

The people of Sibu generate an average of 130 tonnes of refuse of which 15% are plastic materials. The move to reduce the use of plastic bags will lighten the load on the public sanitary landfill at Jalan Kemuyang.

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Italy To Ban Plastic Shopping Bags

Nigel Tutt PlanetArk 30 Dec 10;

Italy, one of the top users of plastic shopping bags in Europe, is banning them starting January 1, with retailers warning of chaos and many stores braced for the switch.

Italian critics say polyethylene bags use too much oil to produce, take too long to break down, clog drains and easily spread to become eye sores and environmental hazards.

Italians use about 20 billion bags a year -- more than 330 per person -- or about one-fifth of the total used in Europe, according to Italian environmentalist lobby Legambiente.

Starting on Saturday, retailers are banned from providing shoppers polyethylene bags. They can use bags made of such material as biodegradable plastic, cloth or paper.

Other European countries have tried voluntary schemes to cut plastic bag use, such as promoting reusable cotton bags. In 2002 Ireland imposed a levy on bags of 15 euro cents (20 U.S. cents) that cut use by 90 percent within a week.

"You are talking of a revolution that is already under way," Legambiente scientific chief Stefano Ciafani said of the shift to biodegradable bags.

Two hundred municipalities out of Italy's 8,000 have introduced their own plastic bag bans, including the cities of Turin and Venice, Ciafani said.

Many supermarket chains have started using biodegradable bags for shoppers even if not on a nationwide basis, Legambiente says on its website.

LACK OF DETAILS

Legislation on the bag ban was set in December 2006 with an original deadline of January 2010. The halt was delayed because of industry opposition but was pushed through by Environment Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo in a blanket decree last week.

Federdistribuzione, Italy's retailers association, said the January 1 deadline could lead to "chaos" and poor service for shoppers given lack of detail in the decree, business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore said this week.

Italy's rubber and plastics federation estimated the cost of changing over machines to make biodegradable bags was 30,000 euros ($39,440) to 50,000 euros per plant, the paper said.

Shops and shoppers seem prepared. The mid-size Billa supermarket on Milan's bustling Via Torino is ready with white biodegradable bags costing 10 euro cents, twice the price for existing yellow plastic bags, Billa manager Aldo Vismara said.

"We will have them at the check-out from January 1, 2011, and we will replace the yellow ones," he said.

On the downside of the shift, Vismara said there was the possibility the white bag could disintegrate in the rain.

Shoppers worried about the strength of the new bags.

"It's a positive move if the bags are strong enough. The worry is, what happens if they break?" shopper Rosanna said, declining to give her family name.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Australia PM urges help for 'unprecedented' floods

Amy Coopes Yahoo News 29 Dec 10;

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday warned "unprecedented" flooding would worsen after entire towns were cut off and soldiers airlifted hundreds of people from northeastern towns.

Drenching rains unleashed by a tropical cyclone have left vast tracts of the state of Queensland under water, with 1,000 evacuations and 38 regions declared natural disaster areas.

Gillard launched a public appeal for relief funds, pledging one million dollars (one million US) of government money to help those hit by the "particularly devastating" deluge.

"Some communities are seeing floodwaters higher than they've seen in decades, and for some communities floodwaters have never reached these levels before (in) the time that we have been recording floods," Gillard told reporters.

"For many communities we haven't even seen the peak of the floodwaters yet, that's a number of days away."

Hundreds fled their homes in the coastal city of Bundaberg, north of Brisbane, and in nearby Emerald, while the inundated town of Theodore was completely emptied by soldiers with Black Hawk helicopters.

The area resembled a vast inland sea, with crops and farmland worth billions of dollars drowned by the downpour, said local MP Vaughan Johnson.

"I flew over the area from Alpha to Barcaldine in a helicopter yesterday and I've never seen water laying in that country (area) like it is now -- never," Johnson told ABC radio.

"It's like a delta system draining, and you've got to see it to believe it."

Some people were left homeless after the surge and were camping in evacuation centres with little more than the clothes on their backs, while others took refuge in mining camps or with family and friends.

"We've got nowhere to go, we've got no family here," said Bundaberg man Daniel Bell, whose home was completely swamped. "You feel powerless. Absolutely powerless. All you can do is pray."

Floodwaters are expected to peak Friday at Emerald, with authorities warning the disaster will exceed major floods there in early 2008 that forced 2,700 evacuations and left a damage bill in excess of 50 million dollars.

Residents of the town of Rockhampton may be forcibly evacuated later this week as the flooding spreads and there is further rain, potentially closing the city's airport and all inbound roads and railways, said mayor Brad Carter.

Rockhampton's river is forecast to sit near flood levels for as long as 10 days, putting about 400 homes at risk.

The town of Dalby, to the southwest, may run out of drinking water within two days following damage to its water treatment plant, and local authorities are considering trucking in supplies.

Economists have estimated that the flooding could cost the economy as much as seven billion dollars in agricultural losses and delays to coal shipments.

Gillard, who is on a Christmas break, said she would tour affected areas in the coming days.

Australian Downpour Spreads South, Cuts Off Towns
PlanetArk 29 Dec 10;

Heavy rain across much of eastern Australia left towns cut off by floods on Monday as the storms spread southwards and threatened agriculture and mining, forecasters said.

The deluge over the Christmas weekend has gradually moved south from northeastern Queensland to hit agricultural areas of New South Wales, with further rainfall forecast for coming days.

Up to 250 mm of rain was recorded in the 24 hours to 6 p.m. EST Sunday in parts of Queensland, as the remains of a tropical cyclone that hit the coast on Saturday moved across inland areas, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said.

Sugar planters, wheat growers and coal miners in the affected states are among those likely to be hardest hit.

Several towns had been cut off in both states by rising floodwaters, while emergency services have evacuated families in the worst-hit areas. Gale warnings were issued for some coastal areas.

Flood warnings were in place on Monday for more than a dozen rivers in each state, while forecasters warned of the potential for flash flooding.

Much of the rain has fallen on key sugar growing areas of Queensland. Australia, a top sugar exporter along with Brazil and Thailand, this month slashed its current year sugar export forecast by 25 percent as flooding reduced sugar content of cane.

The crop damage over recent weeks has helped propel sugar prices to 30-year highs and forced the nation's biggest sugar exporter, Queensland Sugar Ltd (QSL), to buy more raw sugar from Brazil and Thailand to meet its export commitments following the wettest spring on record.

Industry body Canegrowers has said this year's crop had largely been harvested, so the rain would have less impact, but there were still concerns about sugar cane planted in the last six months and due for harvest around May.

The wheat harvest has also largely ground to a halt in affected areas.

Australia is also a leading coal exporter, much of it mined in the eastern states. Coal mines have been flooded and some producers have declared "force majeure" - indicating to their buyers that they may not be able to meet targets as originally agreed for reasons beyond their control.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

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Best of our wild blogs: 29 Dec 10

Mystery Animals Solved!
from Psychedelic Nature

The Huntsman Spider's Babies
from Macro Photography in Singapore

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Resorts World Sentosa told to review dolphins by man who sold them the dolphins

From dolphin 'Darth Vader' to activist
Benson Ang The New Paper Asia One 26 Dec 10;

JUST two years ago, Mr Chris Porter, 40, considered the world's biggest dolphin broker, was reported to have sold 25 dolphins to Singapore's Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).

But the man who was once referred to as the "Darth Vader of dolphins" is now an animal activist.

After two of the dolphins he sold to RWS in 2008 died recently, Mr Porter has called for RWS to review its motivation for using these animals as a tourist draw.

His main beef: RWS is using the animals primarily to make money while telling the public that its aim is to educate the public on marine conservation.

Mr Porter wants RWS to be upfront with its intentions.

He told The New Paper in an e-mail: "I would like to see more information on the amount of direct conservation work RWS plans to do and the amount of direct impact its display will have."

By impact, he meant "not only for the economical benefit of Singaporeans, but also for the social benefit to wild dolphins".

Mr Porter was responding to The New Paper's queries after two bottlenose dolphins that RWS had planned to display in its upcoming Marine Life Park (MLP) died in October.

An RWS spokesman confirmed this and said that both dolphins were female.

One was under seven years old and the other was under 10 years old.

Both dolphins died from an acute bacterial infection that arose from contact with contaminated soil and surface waters, the spokesman added.

The two dolphins have been with RWS since January this year.

Because of the deaths, local animal group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) has called for RWS to reconsider its decision to include dolphins in its park.

Mr Louis Ng, Acres' executive director, told TNP that he was "disappointed" that RWS would continue with its plan.

"What can RWS really teach its visitors about dolphin protection?

"Would it not be an irony and contradiction for RWS to ask its visitors to protect dolphins when it obtained 25 individual dolphins from the wild and two have now passed away?" Mr Ng said.

"RWS must rethink its decision urgently. If Mr Chris Porter, a dolphin trader, can have a change of heart, then surely RWS can as well."

RWS currently has five dolphins in a holding area in Langkawi. Another 18 are being trained at Ocean Adventure Park in the Philippines, according to a report in Today newspaper.

These dolphins were caught from the wild in the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea, by the Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Center and Exporters, which was owned by Mr Porter, the Solomon Star news website reported.

Mr Porter, who has been dealing in marine life for 21 years, felt that caring for animals in the industry has generally been buried under the red tape of companiesand organisations.

Referring to both dolphin catchers and protesters, he saidhe felt that both sides tend to bemore preoccupied with their own concerns and "the animals themselves are secondary".

Animal ambassadors

"These (animals) are ambassadors of their wild species for human benefit through education and display and profit.

"They should be treated as importantly as all ambassadors around the world."

Responding to Mr Porter's comments, an RWS spokesman told TNP via e-mail: "The MLP has consistently pledged its commitment to develop a facility that will set the standard in Asia for animal care, learning and education."

He explained that the MLP began conservation efforts even before it opened by launching the Marine Life Fund, worth S$3.2 million, in May 2008 to help marine life-related research, education and conservation projects.

The spokesman said: "RWS has also undertaken coral conservation and today remains one of the few destination resorts in the world that does not serve sharks' fin soup in its restaurants."

On the death of its two dolphins, RWS said it did not announce the news immediately as it was awaiting conclusive pathology results.

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ExxonMobil refinery fire: SCDF withdraws charges

Leong Wee Keat Channel NewsAsia 28 Dec 10;

SCDF alleged previously that the oil giant had failed to let firemen put out a fire at one of its refineries.

SCDF did not elaborate on its latest decision during a brief court hearing on Tuesday.

When queried later by Channel NewsAsia, an SCDF spokesman said: "The management of ExxonMobil has appealed and also taken prompt corrective actions...in view of this, SCDF decided to issue a stern warning in lieu of proceeding with charges against the company."

The fire in question at the Pioneer Road refinery occurred on January 6, and SCDF officers were also not allowed in some two hours later to investigate and determine its cause.

A third summons was for allegedly failing to notify SCDF immediately about the fire.

ExxonMobil apologised on Monday for the company's "part in the circumstances leading to the charges". "We've since reviewed our internal processes to ensure that such an incident won't occur again," its spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia. "We're also working with SCDF to ensure a closer alignment in our operational processes with all the ground personnel."

ExxonMobil gave assurances about the safety of its workers and the community.

"The Singapore refinery, as with other ExxonMobil sites, has an emergency response plan, and the employees prepare themselves through regular training and drills," said its spokesperson.

She said the company was equipped with a range of fire fighting equipment, which are subject to SCDF audits, and response teams were staffed with personnel trained at the SCDF Academy.

Under the Fire Safety Act, authorised personnel have the right to enter any premises to check for fire hazards and to determine the causes of a fire, among other duties.

Breaching the law carries a maximum fine of S$10,000, up to six months in jail, or both.

-CNA/ac

SCDF drops charges against ExxonMobil
Straits Times 28 Dec 10;

OIL giant ExxonMobil was cleared of three charges of refusing to allow firefighters into its premises to put out a fire earlier this year.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) withdrew the charges against the company during a night court session.

Its assistant director of corporate communications, Major Leslie Williams, said: 'The management of ExxonMobil has appealed and also taken prompt corrective actions... The SCDF decided to issue a stern warning in lieu of proceeding with charges.'

The company was acquitted of refusing to allow SCDF personnel into its Jurong Refinery in Pioneer Road and Shipyard Road on Jan 6 to extinguish a fire, determine the cause, and ensure that the fire safety manager notified the Commissioner of SCDF immediately of the incident.

An ExxonMobil spokesman expressed gratitude to the SCDF for acceding to its representations and withdrawing the charges.

'We regret and are sorry for our part in the circumstances leading to the charges.

'We have since reviewed our internal processes to ensure that such an incident will not occur again, and we continue to work with the SCDF to ensure a closer alignment in our operational process with all their ground personnel.'

She assured the public that the Singapore refinery, like all other ExxonMobil sites, has an emergency response plan and employees prepare themselves through regular training and drills.

ELENA CHONG

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Poaching Decimates Fish Stocks in Tambelans: Scientists

Ismira Lutfia Jakarta Globe 28 Dec 10;

Fish stocks in the Natuna Sea between Kalimantan and the Malay Peninsula have declined sharply in the past 30 years because of poaching, Indonesian scientists said on Monday.

Fahmi, a member of a scientific expedition that recently returned from the area, said the population density of demersal, or bottom-feeding fish, around the Tambelan Islands was 0.27 tons per square kilometer.

“This is a sharp decline from the last figure we had in 1974, which showed the fish population density there was 1.8 to 2.3 tons per square kilometer,” he said.

He added scientists had carried out the research around 12 of the 76 islands that make up the Tambelan archipelago.

Suharsono, director of the Oceanography Research Center at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), blamed the decline on poaching by foreign fishing vessels in the largely unpatrolled waters.

He also said local fishermen may have inadvertently helped these foreign fishing fleets without knowing they were operating illegally.

He said this called for the government to raise awareness of the issue among local fishing communities on all of the country’s outlying islands.

“We can help fish stocks recover quickly if we can control human activities in those areas,” Suharsono said.

Earlier this month Agence France-Presse reported that foreign fishing boats sometimes flew Indonesian flags in order to fish illegally in the Natuna Sea.

  Endang Sukara, LIPI’s deputy head of biosciences, said last month that up to 100 million tons of fish were illegally poached from Indonesian waters each year, threatening the country’s lucrative fish stocks.

The Natuna expedition also assessed the feasibility of turning the Tambelan Islands into a marine sanctuary, an idea proposed by the Bintan Island administration in Riau Islands province, which has jurisdiction over the Tambelan archipelago.

The Bintan administration cited the islands’ importance as a dugong habitat and nesting place for sea turtles as a reason for turning it into a sanctuary.

However, the scientists concluded that not all of the islands there were suitable for a marine sanctuary.

“There are only four islands that we have recommended as suitable for this purpose,” said Dirhamsyah, the research coordinator for the expedition.

Fahmi said the scientists would compile their findings to serve as a reference for the Bintan administration on the feasibility of turning the Tambelan Islands into a sanctuary.

Another finding made by the team was of the strong sea current around the islands, consistently registering at more than one meter per second. They suggested this could potentially be harnessed to generate electricity.

“Some of these islands would also be suitable for development as ecotourism areas,” Fahmi said.

The expedition involved marine biologists, oceanographers and social scientists from LIPI and 19 universities across the country, who sailed on board the Baruna Jaya VIII research vessel, operated by LIPI.

The scientists departed on their two-leg expedition last month from the Muara Baru fishing port in North Jakarta.

The first leg of the trip was to the Natuna Sea from Nov. 4 to 16, while the second leg of the trip was to the waters off South Kalimantan from Nov. 19 to Dec. 1.

The scientists now expect to publish 25 research papers on their findings in scientific journals in the country, Dirhamsyah said. “We’re looking to have some of them published in international journals, but that might take some time since the peer-review process takes at least one or two years,” he said.

The Rp 5 billion ($560,000) tab for the entire expedition was picked up by the government through the National Education Ministry’s Directorate General of Higher Education.

Overfishing depleting Tambelan Islands maritime resources
The Jakarta Post 5 Jan 11;

Scientists are warning that the ecosystem of the Tambelan Islands, located at the southern part of the Natuna Islands in Riau, has been severely degraded by overfishing, threatening several endangered species including sea turtles.

Erlinda Yurisanthae, a marine scientist from Tanjungpura University in West Kalimantan, said that the use of illegal fishing methods, such huge trawling nets, explosives and poisons such as potassium cyanide, were endangering Tambelan’s biodiversity, including its coral reefs and sea turtles.

“Economic activity has had a significant affect on Tambelan’s coastal areas,” she told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a two-day workshop titled “The Natuna Sea and South Kalimantan Waters Expedition”.

Erlinda was part of the expedition, which was comprised of 36 scientists from the Oceanographic Research Center at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and 22 lecturers from several local universities.

The expedition visited Natuna from Nov. 4 to 16 and South Kalimantan from Nov. 19 to Dec. 1.

Erlinda said illegal fishing had been carried out primarily by fishermen from outside of the Tambelan Islands, although some local fishermen were allegedly paid to direct outsiders to good fishing locations.

The Tambelan Islands cover 356,905 hectares of Bintan Regency, the administrative center of Bintan Island in Riau Islands Province.

Tambelan, which has a northern border on the South China Sea, can only be reached by sea from Bintan Regency.

The sea turtle is one of the most endangered animals in the world, according to the list of the most protected animals, which prohibits international trade in protected species.

Fahmi, a LIPI marine scientist, said the expedition also discovered that the population of the sea turtles was declining, despite a huge initial turtle population, especially on Uwi Island and Pejantan Island.

Aside from overfishing, an ongoing local tradition of eating turtle eggs might also have contributed to bringing the sea turtles to the brink of extinction, Fahmi said.

“They won’t stop consuming turtle eggs, so to the population decreases,” he told the Post.

Fahmi said local residents claimed that they were preserving the turtle population by protecting turtle nesting places along the beaches and prohibiting the slaughter of turtles.

In fact, they were making it easier to harvest turtle eggs, which were sold for at very low prices ranging from Rp 600 (7 US cents) to Rp 1,200, depending on their size, he said.

Over the last several years, the Riau administration has advocated the development of a national park for Tambelan Islands. By establishing a national park, exploitation of biodiversity would be effectively illegal.

“The local government has suggested that a marine national park be established over an area of 15 million hectares, mostly located in the Tambelan Islands,” said Husni Azkab, a LIPI scientist.

A proposed regional law on the Tambelan National Park should have been deliberated this year, but was delayed due to several obstacles, including a lack of scientific data.

The local residents of Tambelan depend on the sea and its marine resources for their livelihoods, but resources were continuously depleted by overfishing, he said.

According to LIPI’s Oceanographic Research Center, the coral reef ecosystem of the Tambelan Islands has been continuously degrading since the 1990s.

According to the Natuna Expedition, only 6.41 percent of Indonesia’s coral reefs, including those in Tambelan, were in very good condition, while 24.3 percent were in good condition, 29.22 percent were in moderate condition and 40.14 percent had been damaged.

Apart from establishing a marine conservation park in Tambelan, Erlinda said the local government should designate fishing areas for local fishermen so they would not lose their livelihoods. Alternative economic activities should also be provided for local people during the transition period.

“I don’t see any rejection of these ideas from the local people because they understand that the Tambelan ecosystem has been severely degraded by illegal fishing and the use of prohibited fishing methods,” she said.

“They have seen the decrease in fish catches from year to year. They want to end this difficult situation.”

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry recorded that the volume of commercial marine species in Natuna waters was 0.27 tons per square meter in 2010, down from between 1.8 to 2.3 tons per square meter in 1974, due to overfishing. (ebf)

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Manatees paddle to warm water to escape Florida chill

Associated Press Google News 29 Dec 10;

APOLLO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — People aren't the only ones in Florida who don't like cold weather.

Manatees — those giant aquatic mammals with the flat, paddle-shaped tails — are swimming out of the chilly Gulf of Mexico waters and into warmer springs and power plant discharge canals. On Tuesday, more than 300 manatees floated in the outflow of Tampa Electric's Big Bend Power Station.

"It's like a warm bathtub for them," said Wendy Anastasiou, an environmental specialist at the power station's manatee viewing center. "They come in here and hang out and loll around."

Cold weather can weaken manatees' immune systems and eventually kill them. State officials said 2010 has been a deadly year for the beloved animals: between Jan. 1 and Dec. 17, 246 manatees died from so-called "cold stress." During the same time period in 2009, only 55 manatees died from the cold. In 2008, only 22 manatees succumbed to chilly temperatures.

Manatee deaths documented from Jan. 1 through Dec. 5 are nearly double the five-year average for that time period, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission statistics.

"Obviously we're very concerned as an agency about the unusually high number of manatee deaths this year," said Wendy Quigley, a spokeswoman with the state-run Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

A total of 699 manatees were found dead between Jan. 1 and Dec. 5; state officials say it's likely the cold temperatures also contributed to many of the 203 deaths in the "undetermined" category and the 68 deaths of manatees whose bodies could not be recovered.

Quigley noted that the statistics don't even include this week's cold snap, which sent temperatures plummeting into the 30s in parts of South Florida overnight and into the teens in the central part of the state.

Tampa Bay and Gulf water temperatures are hovering around 50 degrees, said Anastasiou. When the water dips below 68, manatees seek warmer waters — usually springs or the power plant discharge canals. The water temperature in the power plant's Big Bend canal ranges from about 65-75 degrees, Anastasiou said. Even though they're huge animals, manatees are very cold sensitive.

"They're not blubbery mammals. They're very lean mammals," Anastasiou said. "They need the warmth. They need a warm place to go."

The herbivores will brave the cold temperatures to forage for sea grass but will sometimes stay in the warm canal without eating for days.

Adult manatees can weigh up to 1,200 pounds and grow to be 10 feet long. During the warmer months, manatees leave Florida and can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts — although sightings along the Gulf Coast and near the Carolinas are also common.

During last year's cold snap, some 329 manatees congregated at the Tampa Electric power station. In Broward County on Tuesday, some 50 manatees gathered in the outfall of a Florida Power and Light plant.

State officials are also warning boaters to slow down and be on the lookout for manatees in the warmer, shallow water, where the mammals can fall victim to boat propellers. Hundreds have been spotted in local waters, state wildlife officials said.

Officials say most of the manatees were in the warmer waters near Florida Power and Light's power plants. However, some small groups were spotted in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Meanwhile Tuesday in coastal Mobile, Ala., a 700-pound manatee died during a rescue attempt.

Ruth Carmichael, head of the manatee program at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said she and a team from the Mobile Manatees Sighting Network wrapped the animal in warm towels when they were called Saturday to a Mobile Bay beach.

Carmichael said rescuers used a stretcher made of car towing straps to move the manatee onto a trailer, and had hoped to haul the animal to the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Miss.

The young male was supposed to have migrated to Florida waters about two months ago, though it was unclear if the animal died because of chilly conditions, Carmichael said.

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