Work on Bukit Timah Eco-Link begins
from The Biology Refugia
Life History of Arhopala amphimuta amphimuta
from Butterflies of Singapore
Fishes galore on oil-slicked Tanah Merah
from wild shores of singapore and More plastic spill on Tanah Merah
Sunday Times 31 Jul 11;
I was dismayed to learn that the heavily wooded forest that abuts onto the hill at Bedok Reservoir Park will be sliced off for an upcoming low-rise residential development by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
Picture the new scenario: a condominium that dominates the landscape, with signposts stating that trespassers will be prosecuted; the din during the construction when one is trying to enjoy nature at the hilltop; and the many giant trees that will be felled, which will destroy the natural habitats of birds and other wildlife.
The hill is a prominent landmark for many joggers and nature lovers. By turning its vicinity into a residential estate, the whole scene will become an eyesore.
We should consider safeguarding as much of the natural environment as possible.
It has taken decades for the trees in the area to grow to such a mature stage, particularly the giant banyan trees. The lush vegetation also serves as a carbon sink and natural air-conditioner.
The National Parks Board could perhaps take over this verdant oasis and make it accessible to the public. This green parcel alongside Bedok Reservoir hill could be conserved as an avian sanctuary and a haven for little creatures.
I hope that URA would listen with a heart and preserve this ecological gem.
Sor Boon Kia
Greenery fast vanishing in Fernvale
Sunday Times 31 Jul 11;
Ten years ago, my husband and I chose our new flat at Fernvale in Sengkang, lured by promises of 'lush greenery'.
However, over the last few years, we have witnessed blocks of new flats sprouting up around us with alarming speed. The promised lush greenery is fast disappearing, and Fernvale is in danger of becoming densely populated.
While I understand that a certain level of population is required to support commercial activities in the area, the Housing Board should revisit its initial blueprint for Fernvale and ensure that the overall concept is maintained, while providing new residential projects.
I hope that in the years to come, I will still be able to enjoy the view of green fields and open skies when I look out of my windows.
Ang Chin Chin (Ms)
Care taken to save trees in Bedok
Sunday Times 7 Aug 11;
We thank Mr Sor Boon Kia for his letter last Sunday ('Preserve ecological gem in Bedok').
We recognise the importance of keeping our green spaces as Singapore develops. However, given Singapore's land limitations, we need to take a balanced approach to ensure that sufficient land is also provided for our housing needs.
Even when we released the land parcel at Bedok Reservoir Road/Bedok North Road for residential development, we have been careful to retain the existing public access to the hill, as well as the mature banyan trees within Bedok Reservoir Park.
The site boundaries of this development will also not encroach upon the bird sanctuary within Bedok Reservoir Park, which is safeguarded as park land.
The proposed development has been kept low-scale so as to keep it compatible with the surroundings.
The developer is also encouraged to sensitively design the development to keep the existing topography and retain as many trees as possible.
Hwang Yu-Ning (Ms)
Group Director (Physical Planning)
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Higher number of cases reported to AVA only tip of the iceberg, say nature lovers
Judith Tan Straits Times 31 Jul 11;
Night-time is not safe for wild birds and animals here, it seems.
Under the cover of darkness, poachers are trapping wildlife, said nature lovers, who added that the higher number of cases reported to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) represents only the tip of the iceberg.
The AVA handled 22 cases last year, more than double the figure of 10 the year before.
Of the 22 and 10 cases, 20 and nine were linked to birds. AVA said two people were fined between $300 and $500 for trapping spotted doves in 2007 and 2009.
More offences were also committed in the parks and nature reserves. Since January this year, the National Parks Board (NParks) has issued 10 notices of offence, compared to 12 for the whole of last year.
The culprits could be fined or given a warning, said its spokesman.
But nature lovers, like public relations manager Ng Li Huang, feel that the numbers caught merely scratch the surface.
'They would turn up during dusk and at night, after the park rangers have left,' said Ms Ng, 49, who often spots them when she jogs in the Venus Drive and Lower Peirce areas.
Poachers catch the animals for food, to keep as pets or to sell them to pet shops.
Some of the animals caught are endangered, such as the pangolin, straw-headed bulbul and red junglefowl.
Sometimes, other unintended animals fall victim too. Last month, The Straits Times reported stray dogs being maimed by wild-boar traps in forested areas in the north. Animal activists had also posted pictures online of injured dogs, with some missing up to three limbs.
It is not known who is laying the traps, though groups of men have been seen entering the forested areas. It is believed they were hoping to snare the wild boar for food.
Businessman and nature lover Jim Chua, 37, who feeds stray dogs in wooded areas in the east, dismantled three wild-boar traps recently.
'One wild boar even lost a foot in these traps and now has to depend on volunteers, like myself, to get sustenance,' he said.
The authorities are fighting back.
Dr Leong Chee Chiew, commissioner of parks and recreation at NParks, said its officers are authorised to apprehend and prosecute anyone caught in the act.
'The traps and devices are also confiscated as evidence and subsequently destroyed and disposed of when the case is concluded,' he said.
Its rangers also work beyond the nine-to-five shifts to deter illicit activities.
AVA investigates and conducts checks in areas where poaching is reported and staff will revisit the places to ensure there is no poaching.
While national water agency PUB has allowed for more recreational activities such as fishing in selected areas in reservoirs since 2006, it is believed many also cast lines at illegal spots, often under the cover of darkness.
A PUB spokesman said it takes a serious view of poachers who use nets to catch fish 'as this will deplete the fish stock and affect the ecosystem'.
'Our officers carry out daily patrol and enforcement in the reservoirs, including weekends and public holidays,' she added.
PUB is also working with residents, park users and other government agencies to educate the public on not fishing illegally, she said, adding that it has built fishing jetties and designated fishing grounds for the public.
If you suspect or spot any poaching activity, call AVA on 6227-0670, PUB on 1800-284-6600 or NParks on 1800-471-7300.
WILD ANIMALS AND BIRDS ACT
Under the Wild Animals and Birds Act, it is an offence to trap, keep or kill wild animals and birds (except those in the Schedule such as crows, mynahs and pigeons) without a licence from the AVA.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of $1,000 and forfeiture of the birds or wild animals. Offenders may also be charged with animal cruelty if the animal is found injured.
Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 30 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE: A 107-year-old country club and an upcoming river safari were both awarded the Active Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters Certification 2011.
Keppel Club and River Safari received the certifications for their environmentally friendly water features.
The country club, which has been in its original location since 1904, said its greening practices started four years ago.
Deputy Manager of Keppel Club, Desmond Chua, said the managing of golf courses are now becoming more environmentally friendly.
He added that the widely-held perception that golf courses use too much chemical and waste too much water is changing.
Mr Chua said: "Superintendents who manage the golf course are now equipped with the latest information, knowledge, to develop integrated pest management programme, that will put them in a very responsible way of managing the golf course, which uses chemicals in an orderly manner, in a systematic style.
"Previously, people felt that golf courses excessively use chemicals to maintain their golf courses. But right now, with education and proper training and knowledge."
The club's need for water is provided naturally, using rainwater to irrigate and wash heavy machinery with its nine ponds that are interconnected underground.
Over at the River Safari, one of their ABC Waters Design Features is the open air multi storey carpark at River Safari channels.
Fourteen per cent of the total catchment area rainwater flows down to a bio-retention planter box where it will be filtered by four layers of sand and soil before being channelled to a nearby pond.
Cham Tud Yinn, Director, Exhibit Design & Development, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "River safari is a project where basically we want to highlight how freshwater habitats are endangered and this is the best showcase for river safari.
"For us, being so near the Seletar Reservoir, our first priority is to protect the environment around us, and highlight the beauty of freshwater habitats, and this is the best example for the project."
More similar systems will be implemented near the River Safari's freshwater animal habitats.
- CNA/fa
New Shrew Review
National Geographic News 27 Jul 11;
Photograph courtesy Jake Esselstyn
A newfound white-toothed shrew of the Crocidura genus (pictured) is one of four potential new shrew species discovered during an April field survey of Mount Tompotika, a small mountain on the eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. DNA analyses currently underway will reveal which of the mammals are truly new to science.
Like all shrews, the mammals have small eyes and a sharply developed sense of smell for rooting out small invertebrates such as earthworms, said team member Jake Esselstyn, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
"People don't appreciate how little we know about the natural world—even basics like how many species there are on Sulawesi," Esselstyn said.
"This kind of work is important to [show] how many species live in particular places, what their evolutionary history is, and how we can preserve natural biological communities."
—Christine Dell'Amore
Published July 27, 2011
Chai Mei Ling New Straits Times 31 Jul 11;
The aircraft glided across the skies over a vast expanse of forest, a sensor strapped to its underside capturing detailed and breathtaking shots, before this only seen in the realm of science fiction.
The hyperspectral imaging kit is able to identify individual trees, and amazingly -- after lab work -- zero in on the species.
Tree canopies will be bathed in a multitude of colours when scanned, as if buckets of paint had fallen off the sky and rained on the treetops.
In a population of mangroves, bakau minyak stands out in striking red, bakau kurap is swathed in turquoise, berembang purple, membuta emerald, piai pink, perepat yellow and gedabu bright green.
The rainbow of colours is a result of the vegetation's "varying reflectance", says Dr Alias Mohd Sood of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
When the sun shines upon objects, some of the rays are scattered and reflected.
This reflected energy is what's measured by the sensor, resulting in different colours, depending on the strength of the reflectance.
"In vegetation, chlorophyll absorbs red and blue lights but reflects green. That's why we see the leaf as green. That's the theory of light," says Alias.
While the human eye sees visible light in three bands, and satellite imaging captures eight, spectral imaging breaks down the electromagnetic spectrum into many, many more.
Up until two years ago, the airborne hyperspectral imaging system had over 200 bands, extending beyond the visible, which is why it could capture a colour and divide it into many more sub-colours.
When the sensor, attached to the belly of an aircraft, flies over forests, everything that makes up the texture of its canopy -- the combination of leaves, the shape of the leaf, the size, thickness, the branches, the subcanopy -- will be registered.
"Different plant species have different canopy textures, so they reflect light in their own way.
"That's why they appear in different colours in images," says Alias, a specialist in remote sensing, with a forestry background.
The system, put together by Professor Kamaruzaman Jusoff of UPM, was first used in the 1990s.
It detected cracks in boulders along the highway, surveyed forest reserves and mapped sedimentation in rivers.
After much fine-tuning by the forest engineering survey expert, the system was commercialised in 2004 through a joint venture between UPM and Aeroscan Precision (M) Sdn Bhd.
Among the company's earlier projects were mapping the Gunung Stong Forest Reserve in Kelantan, making an inventory of Kuala Lumpur's forested areas, and charting the coral distribution in Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Terengganu.
Then, two years ago, the company replaced the near-obsolete sensor with the latest technology -- one which comes with 488 bands at a cost of RM2.4 million.
The increased bandwidth propelled the potential of the kit's application to new areas.
The kit could now tell not just the tree condition, but also help zero in on the degree of its health, says Izani Ibrahim, chief operating officer of Aeroscan Precision.
This added edge is especially useful in the agriculture sector.
Healthy, stressed and dead trees can be revealed in a single imaging -- unhealthy trees have less chlorophyll, which in turn reflect less light. So, they register a weaker or duller colour.
"Imagine the time and manpower saved from reducing the need for plantation workers to go down to the ground and inspect each and every tree on hectares and hectares of land.
"If one-fifth or more of the tree is infected, there is no point saving it. Let it die. If the degree of infection is lower, treatment can still be carried out," says Izani.
Another useful function of the system is to identify nutrient level.
"In the oil palm business, fertiliser constitutes 50 to 60 per cent of the cost. If the tree health is already at an optimum level, there's no need for blanket application of fertiliser.
"If you're healthy, why take additional vitamins and supplements? This is precision agriculture -- applying the right amount of fertiliser to the right trees at the right time. And you save money," Izani adds.
Aside from species identification and mapping of tree height, diameter and tree crown feature, the imaging system is also able to capture tree stand count, forest health and density, timber volume estimation and vegetation index.
The kit also makes a better information-gathering tool in marine ecology, as it's able to perform ocean depth measurement and mappings of coral reef, water quality and beach infrastructure.
It can tell hard, soft and dead corals apart, the classification of coral genus and seaweed and seagrass distribution.
As the sole provider of hyperspectral imaging service in the country and the Southeast Asian region, Aeroscan Precision plans to expand its offerings overseas.
Its services has been sought by Arab countries to inventory their date plantations and map out tree health.
It is also working on sharpening the sensor's detection of valuable resources, such as minerals, gaharu in karas trees, and honeycombs on tualang trees.
Although the system is useful to detect illegal logging because it provides near real-time imagery, the noble intention of the practice is outweighed by the surging cost.
An area is surveyed only upon request because it is expensive to rent an aircraft, onto which the sensor is strapped.
Aircraft rental ranges from RM4,000 to RM4,500 an hour, and flights should only take place between 10am and 2pm -- the brightest hours of the day -- and only if the weather is good.
Rain, haze and a cloud cover of more than 20 per cent spell added cost, as the company still has to foot the aircraft rental bill despite not being able to fly.
Because of these limitations, hyperspectral imaging service does not come cheap. Aeroscan Precision charges RM30 to RM60 per hectare surveyed, an area of about 2.5 football fields.
Nevertheless, Izani stresses the importance of conservation.
The mapping of rare and endangered tree species is crucial so that the country is aware of the wealth of biodiversity that it has and can forge a better understanding on conservation methods.
Having an inventory of the distribution of corals will also encourage protection of the nation's marine ecosystem.
Freshwater fish are the most endangered group of animals on the planet, with more than a third threatened with extinction, according to a report being compiled by British scientists.
Richard Gray The Telegraph 30 Jul 11;
Among those at the greatest risk of dying out are several species from UK rivers and lakes including the European eel, Shetland charr and many little known fish that have become isolated in remote waterways in Wales and Scotland.
Others critically endangered include types of sturgeon, which provide some of the world's most expensive caviar, and giant river dwellers such as the Mekong giant catfish and freshwater stingray, which can grow as long as 15 feet.
The scientists have blamed human activities such as overfishing, pollution and construction for pushing so many species to the brink of extinction.
They also warn that the loss of the fish could have serious implications for humans. In Africa alone more than 7.5 million people rely on freshwater fish for food and income.
The precarious status of the species has been revealed in interim results from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List assessment of freshwater fish.
Dr William Darwall, manager of the freshwater unit at the IUCN in Cambridge, said: "There are still some big gaps in our knowledge, but of the 5,685 species that have been assessed, 36 per cent of them are threatened.
"Compared to mammals, where 21 per cent are threatened, and birds, where 12 per cent are threatened, it is clear that fresh water ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world.
"Sadly, it is also not going to get any better as human need for fresh water, power and food continues to grown and we exploit freshwater environments for these resources."
The IUCN conducts assessments on the status of species around the world. It most recently completed an assessment of amphibians and found 30 of the planet's amphibians are threatened with extinction.
The assessments form the basis for conservation groups and governments to conserve biodiversity and protect the most threatened species.
There are an estimated 15,000 freshwater fish species that have been discovered and so far 5,685 of them have had their status assessed.
The preliminary results of the assessment were revealed at the annual conference of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles at Bournemouth University.
Professor Rudy Golzan, director of the centre for conservation ecology at Bournemouth University, said: "Freshwater biodiversity is a crucial issue and more important than people think. Billions of people rely upon freshwater species for food and work.
"We have to find ways of reducing impacts on these ecosystems while allowing people to continue to use the resources that freshwater environments have to offer."
In the UK a relative of the salmon, called the Gwyniad, is found in just one lake in Wales called Llyn Tegid, where it became trapped after the end of the last ice age.
The introduction of another fish called the ruffe, which preys upon the eggs and young Gwyniads, has seen their numbers fall to as low as 31 females since the 1980s.
The European eel, another species found in UK streams, rivers and lakes which is an important food source for many birds and other fish, has also declined by 90 per cent since the early 1980s.
Atlantic sturgeon, which is the source of one of the most expensive forms of caviar and were once common in rivers around Europe including the UK, is now only found in the Garonne river in France, where it has an estimated wild population of between 20 and 750.
The results show that in Africa around 28 per cent of freshwater fish are threatened while in Europe 38 per cent are threatened.
Among the most threatened with extinction are giant freshwater species such as the Mekong giant catfish, which can grow up to 10 feet long, may have as few as has just 250 individuals left in the wild.
The Mekong freshwater stingray, which grow up to 15 feet long and can weigh up to 1,300lbs, has suffered declines of up to 50 per cent in Thailand and Cambodia.
The giant Mekong salmon carp has also seen numbers plummet by more than 90 per cent due to overfishing and damage to its habitat.
Scientists fear that dam construction in China, Laos, and Thailand will further threaten these species by cutting off fish populations and preventing the species from reaching their spawning grounds.
Professor David Dudgeon, chair of ecology and biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong, said: "There are eight Chinese dams in the upper reaches of the Mekong river while there are another 11 dams planned downstream.
"They will prevent many threatened species from reaching their spawning sites upstream. The impact on the people there will be huge too as they will reduce flow by 70 per cent."
Other species such as the knifetooth sawfish, found in inshore estuaries of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indonesia have seen numbers plummet due to over fishing.
The red tailed shark from lowland streams in Thailand and the Nilgiri shark in India are also critically endangered.
Yesterday, I was smitten by dinosaurs!
from wild shores of singapore and The long road to the new natural history museum
Little Terns hovering before plunge-diving
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Lornie Trail On 16 July
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature
Saving the wrong rhino in Indonesia?
from Mongabay.com news
Channel NewsAsia 30 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE: Work has started on Southeast Asia's first ecological corridor, Eco-Link@BKE, that links two nature reserves across the Bukit Timah expressway (BKE).
The National Parks Board (NParks) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) broke ground on Saturday to mark the start of construction.
Eco-Link is part of Singapore's efforts to conserve biodiversity in its urban landscape.
The hourglass-shaped Eco-Link will be built across the BKE to connect Singapore's largest primary and secondary forests, as well as the Bukit Timah and central catchment nature reserves.
NParks and LTA said it's important to preserve the habitats in the nature reserves because they're home to three quarters of Singapore's native plant species and more than 1,000 animal species.
Linking two high points on opposite slopes of the nature reserves and measuring 50 metres at its narrowest point, Eco-Link will be a forest habitat in itself.
When ready in 2013, populations of native animals such as flying squirrels, monitor lizards, palm civets, pangolins, porcupines, birds, insects and snakes, will be able to travel between the nature reserves to find other food sources, homes and mates.
This will also help plant species to propagate through pollination and dispersal by the animals.
Eco-Link will also benefit visitors.
For the first few years, it'll be restricted to the public while ecological monitoring is conducted to assess its effectiveness as a wildlife corridor.
When ready, NParks will consider public access in the form of guided walks on the bridge and the areas around it.
There are also plans to have educational and outreach activities to raise the awareness and appreciation on biodiversity conservation.
Already, students are helping to carry out various reforestation planting works, plant and animal surveys as well as project work to study aspects of the ecology of the forest.
Since the start of the project, nature groups, non-governmental organisations, tertiary institutions, volunteers and government agencies have been working closely with NParks and LTA to conduct feasibility studies and ecological monitoring surveys.
This close partnership will continue even after the construction of Eco-Link is completed.
The project costs S$17 million, covering construction, survey, research and planting works.
- CNA/ck
Work begins on SEA's first ecological corridor at BKE
Wayne Chan Today Online 31 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE - Work has begun on South-east Asia's first ecological corridor, Eco-Link@BKE, to connect Singapore's two biggest nature reserves across the expressway.
The hourglass-shaped S$17-million Eco-Link@BKE is part of Singapore's efforts to conserve biodiversity in its urban landscape, and will be built across the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) to connect Singapore's largest primary and secondary forests, as well as the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves.
The animals in the two reserves, which have been separated for more than 20 years since the BKE was constructed, will be able to travel across a bridge to "find each other" when the link - which will be a forest habitat - is completed in 2013.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, said there is potential for more of such links to connect the rest of Singapore's parks and nature reserves.
Said BG (NS) Tan: " This is something we will track to see in terms of wildlife, fauna, flora, insects and so on.
"We are looking at other potential projects as well but they can take many different forms - sometimes even a narrow strip, like for small birds. They don't need huge strips, they just need plants along the way and they can flit from tree to tree."
Access to the public will be restricted for the first few years, while ecological monitoring will be continued to assess its effectiveness as a wildlife corridor.
When ready, the National Parks Board will consider allowing public access in the form of guided walks on the link.
Work begins on link for two nature reserves
Sia Ling Xin Straits Times 31 Jul 11;
The idea of building a link to reinstate the connectivity between the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserves, conceived six years ago, became reality yesterday as construction on the link started.
It was members involved in the Singapore Green Plan 2012 - a 10-year blueprint towards environmental sustainability - who came up with the idea.
The $17 million project, set to be completed by December 2013, is the first ecological corridor that connects two nature reserves over an expressway in South-east Asia.
When the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) was completed 25 years ago, movement of wildlife in the area was cut short. Animals often turned into roadkill while trying to venture out in search of food and mates.
Since then, conservationists have bemoaned the potential loss of bio-diversity, as species like the rare banded leaf monkey were cut off from their counterparts on the other side of the BKE.
The eco-link will enable animals, birds and insects to move around freely in the area.
All these, in the longer term, will help 'restore the ecological balance in these fragmented habitats and provide a conducive environment for our bio-diversity to thrive,' said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for Manpower and National Development, who attended the project's ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.
He operated an excavator and dug into the earth as a symbolic gesture of the beginning of construction.
The minister added that while it was still early days, the Government was exploring the idea of creating more linkages, such as connecting the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to the Bukit Batok Nature Park.
While public access to the link will be restricted in the initial years as experts need to monitor and assess its ecological benefits, there are plans to allow the public to view the link through guided walks in future.
Construction begins on Ecological Corridor
Business Times 2 Aug 11;
THE National Parks Board (NParks) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) held a groundbreaking ceremony late last week for Eco-Link@BKE, South-east Asia's first ecological corridor that will connect two nature reserves over the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).
The Eco-Link is part of Singapore's efforts to conserve biodiversity in its urban landscape, and will connect Singapore's largest primary and secondary forests: the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves.
The Eco-Link will join the two high points on opposite slopes of the nature reserves and will measure 50 metres at its narrowest point.
'These two nature reserves have been separated by the BKE for more than 20 years . . . When completed, the Eco-Link will enable animals, birds and insects to move freely along the connecting bridge, allowing for the effective exchange of native plant and animal genetic materials between the two nature reserves,' said Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower.
Eco-Link will not only benefit wildlife; visitors will also be able to enjoy guided walks later. The option is currently being considered by NParks. However, for the first few years, access will be restricted to the public while ecological monitoring is conducted to assess its effectiveness as a wildlife corridor.
The total cost of the project is $17 million and it includes construction, survey, research and planting works.
Letter from Jennifer Lee Today Online 30 Jul 11;
I refer to the commentary "Moral progress measured by animal welfare" (July 18).
On top of the progress cited for land animals, shark conservation has also taken a turn for the better this year, a result of the growing recognition of the importance of apex predators.
In the first quarter, California - one of the largest consumers of fins outside Asia - pushed for a ban on shark's fins. The regulation is pending approval.
Earlier this month, Fiji announced intentions to review and amend its fishing management laws to ban the trade of all shark products.
Meanwhile, the Bahamas banned shark fishing and Chile placed a ban on shark finning, the inhumane practice of throwing the lower-value shark carcasses back into the water once they are de-finned, in order to save space on board vessels for more valuable fins.
Taiwan also announced plans for regulations early next year that would require fishermen to land sharks in port with their fins attached. This will aid in species classification, counteract the issue of wastage and may reduce the amount of fins harvested, as more fishing trips would be needed.
However, there are more underlying issues than meet the eye. Firstly, the Taiwan regulation does not protect endangered sharks.
Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies a third of the world's sharks as "threatened", the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora sets trade restrictions for only three species.
The issue of sustainability is left unaddressed because a quota is not set to limit the number of catches in Taiwan to sustainable levels, to allow time for populations to recover. There are also no measures to stop fishermen from docking at other ports to unload their stocks.
The effectiveness of this new regulation remains in question if complementary measures, such as setting catch quotas and trade restrictions for threatened species are not in place.
Ultimately, as long as demand exists, fishermen will fish accordingly, and the most important role falls back on consumers, who control the power with their dollars.
Moral progress measured by animal welfare
Today Online 18 Jul 11;
Mahatma Gandhi acutely observed that "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". To seek to reduce the suffering of those who are completely under one's domination, and unable to fight back, is truly a mark of a civilised society.
Charting the progress of animal-welfare legislation around the world is therefore an indication of moral progress.
Last month, parallel developments on opposite sides of the world gave us grounds for thinking that the world may, slowly and haltingly, be becoming a little more civilised.
First, the British House of Commons passed a motion directing the government to impose a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.
The motion followed the release of undercover footage, obtained by Animal Defenders International, an animal advocacy group, of a circus worker repeatedly beating Anne, an elephant. The measure was, at least initially, opposed by the Conservative government but supported by members of all political parties. In a triumph for parliamentary democracy, the motion passed without dissent.
More controversially, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament passed a law giving the Jewish and Islamic communities one year to provide evidence that animals slaughtered by traditional methods do not experience greater pain than those that are stunned before they are killed. If the evidence cannot be provided, stunning before slaughter will be required in the Netherlands.
At times, it has seemed that gains for animals in Western countries have been outweighed by increasing animal abuse in China, as growing prosperity there boosts demand for animal products. I found it difficult to watch the videotape of the beating of Anne, but that recording did not compare to videos I have seen of animal cruelty in China.
Sickening footage available online shows bears kept in cages so small that they cannot stand up, or in some cases move at all, so that bile can be taken from them. Worse still (if one can compare such atrocities) is a video showing fur-bearing animals being skinned alive and thrown onto a pile of other animals, where they are left to die slowly.
In light - perhaps one should say darkness - of such images, it is sometimes suggested that animal welfare is exclusively a Western concern. But that is implausible, given that Buddhist tradition places more emphasis on concern for animals than Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
Long before Western philosophers included animals in their ethics, Chinese philosophers like Zhuangzi said that love should permeate relations not only between humans, but between all sentient beings.
Nowadays, China has its own animal-rights campaigners and there are signs that their message is beginning to be heard.
One recent sign again concerns circuses. Chinese zoos have drawn crowds by staging animal spectacles and by allowing members of the public to buy live chickens, goats and horses in order to watch them being pulled apart by lions, tigers and other big cats. Now the Chinese government has forbidden state-owned zoos from taking part in such cruelty.
FACTORY FARMS
Welcome as these initiatives are, the number of animals in circuses and zoos is tiny compared to the tens of billions of animals suffering in factory farms. In this area, Western countries have set a deplorable example.
Recently, however, the European Union has recognised that the intensive confinement of farm animals has gone too far. It has already outlawed keeping veal calves in individual stalls and in six months, it will be illegal in all 27 EU countries, from Portugal to Poland and from Britain to Greece, to keep laying hens in the bare-wire cages that today dominate the egg industry around the world. In January 2013, keeping breeding sows in individual stalls will also be prohibited.
The United States lags behind Europe in getting rid of the worst forms of abuse of farm animals. The problem does not lie with voters, who, in states such as Florida, Arizona and California, have shown that they want farm animals to have better protection than the animal industries typically provide.
The biggest problems are in those states that lack a mechanism for citizens to initiate a referendum on how farm animals should be treated. Unfortunately, this group includes the Midwestern and southern states, where the majority of America's farmed animals are produced.
China's central government can, if it so chooses, ensure that animal-welfare laws apply throughout the country. The animal-welfare movement in China should not be satisfied with its small but conspicuous success regarding animal abuse in zoos. It must move on to the far more significant target of better living conditions and more humane deaths for bears and fur-bearing animals, as well as for cows, pigs, laying hens and chickens.
There remains many other countries with deplorable animal-welfare standards. In Indonesia, for example, Animals Australia, a national animal protection organisation, recorded undercover videos showing such brutal treatment of Australian-raised cattle that Australia's government suspended cattle exports to the country. Now, some Members of Parliament are calling for a permanent ban.
The best hope for further progress, it seems, lies in animal welfare becoming, like human rights, an international issue that affects countries' reputations. PROJECT SYNDICATE
Peter Singer is Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. His books include Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, The Ethics of What We Eat and The Life You Can Save.
Straits Times 30 Jul 11;
AS AGREED with Malaysia, Singapore must remove the railway tracks and ancillary structures along the former KTM railway line, and hand them over to Malaysia by Dec 31 ('SLA should let public enjoy railway walk for next few years' by Mr Liew Kai Khiun; last Saturday).
This is a very tight timeline given the extensive work required: The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) must remove 26km of railway tracks in five months. SLA started removal works on July 18.
During the removal, we try to use existing tracks as access routes for heavy vehicles to move in to disassemble and remove the railway tracks and ancillary structures.
Where this is not practical, SLA has identified, in consultation with the National Parks Board, additional access routes that have minimal impact on existing vegetation and undergrowth. After the completion of removal works, the contractors will reinstate and turf the terrain.
For safety reasons, we must restrict public access to areas affected by ongoing works. The rail corridor will be reopened to the public after removal works have been completed and the area ascertained to be safe for public access. More information on the reopening will be provided later.
As for the development plans for the former railway lands, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is carrying out a comprehensive review that will also consider the plans for the surrounding areas.
As part of its review, the URA will study the possibility of marrying development and greenery, such as applying innovative strategies to maintain a continuous green link along the rail corridor without affecting the development potential of the lands.
The URA welcomes feedback and ideas from the community in shaping the future development plans for the railway lands, and we thank Mr Liew for his suggestions. The public can provide their ideas at www.ura.gov.sg/railcorridor
Lee Seng Lai
Director
Land Operations (Private) Division
Singapore Land Authority
Tan See Nin
Director (Physical Planning)
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Preservation fever
Straits Times 30 Jul 11;
'Let the authorities do their job.'
MR LEONG SOW PHONG: 'While I can understand the concerns of many who have a sudden surge of interest in preserving the KTM railway track, let us not forget that this thorny issue of having the Malaysian Customs, Immigration and Quarantine facility at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station has finally been resolved after a stalemate of many years. The railway track cuts across Singapore, hindering development plans for better use of our land, and we should let the authorities do their job of moving our country forward. I am proud of our country's progressive culture that balances nostalgia and development. There is no shortage of gardens, parks, reservoirs, offshore islands and so on for nature lovers to explore. I am also confident that the authorities will look into creative ways of conserving the railway station, after gathering so much feedback from the public on retaining a piece of our history.'
SLA should let public enjoy railway walk for next few years
Straits Times 30 Jul 11;
IN THE fortnight after the last Malaysian train departed from Tanjong Pagar station, members of the public walked enthusiastically along the now-defunct rail route.
They included ministers like Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin and Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who, impressed with the potential of conserving the route as a promising 'green spine', have been urging the public to come forward with feedback.
However, as much as many would like to continue to contribute their ideas towards this concept that, according to BG Tan, may take years to evolve, several concerns have been raised about public access to this route from next month as well as the existing historical and natural features along it.
Currently, the old Tanjong Pagar station and its surrounding land are closed to the public by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), disappointing many walkers who thought they could start their journey from the southern tip of the route.
The SLA is also silent on whether any construction and redevelopment work would be undertaken that may potentially threaten the existing natural environment and compromise the heritage around the premises.
While we understand issues of public safety and that of protection against scrap metal thieves and souvenir hunters, the relevant authorities can still make arrangements to keep the entire path of the former rail route open to the public to enjoy while discussions are ongoing.
We also hope that any temporary and makeshift construction and demolition work would be minimised, especially on the thick, natural vegetation along stretches from Holland Road to the Bukit Timah station, as well as the religious shrines and gardens that people in the vicinity have built and planted over the years.
It would be a waste if the entire stretch of the route gets fenced off and boarded up from next month, and Singaporeans return to an altered and damaged landscape the day these barriers are lifted.
Hence, with just perhaps minimal improvement work to facilitate public access and some accommodation for safety considerations, we believe that the former railway line can be an instant and temporary park connector for Singaporeans for the next few years while plans for its use are being finalised.
Liew Kai Khiun
Project Co-ordinator
Green Coordinator Project
for Singapore Heritage Society and Nature Society of Singapore
VietNamNet Bridge 30 Jul 11;
The first international day for tigers will be held in Hanoi on July 31, to raise the awareness of protection of this endangered species.
A workshop, games and exhibition with the topic “combating wildlife trading”, including tiger trading, will be held, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
In Asia, tigers are being hunted and traded illegally to meet man’s requirements. In Vietnam, tigers are mainly used to make products that are considered as medicines like tiger bone glue and tiger bone alcohol. Their skin and meat are used to make souvenirs or cuddly tigers.
According to statistics by the Education of Nature Vietnam (ENV) in 2010, there are less than 30 tigers in nature in entire Vietnam.
Nick Cox, an expert of the WWF Greater Mekong Sub-region, said that Vietnam is a hot spot in tiger trading from Southeast Asia to China and also for local demands.
As carnivorous animals, tigers help ensure the numbers of bait animal species in control to maintain the balance and stability of the ecological system, Cox explained the significance of protecting tigers.
Pauline Verheij, manager of the anti-tiger trading program of the TRAFFIC organization, confirmed that there are little evidences about the effect of tiger bones in curing diseases and in all cases, there are replacements that are much cheaper and legal than tiger bones.
According to Verheij, breeding tigers at farms are much costly than hunting them in the nature (around 250 times higher), tigers have become the targets of hunters.
The international day for tiger in Vietnam is jointly held by the WWF, the Biodiversity Preservation Agency and TRAFFIC.
In the brink of distinction of tigers in the nature, Russia held the Summit of countries that have tigers, with the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders of 13 tiger-having countries committed to take action to preserve this species. The goal of these countries is the number of tigers in the nature to double from 3,200 to 6,400 by 2022.
Attending countries in the Tiger Summit included: Russia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.
PV
Vietnam makes great efforts in tiger conservation
VOVNews 29 Jul 11;
(VOV) - A children’s painting awards ceremony and an exhibition on combating the trafficking of wild animals were held in Hanoi on July 29 in response to International Tiger Day.
The celebration is held annually by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Vietnam, Biodiversity Conservation Agency, and the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, TRAFFIC.
Over the years, Vietnam has exerted significant efforts in tiger conservation by banning tiger hunting and putting the animal on the list of endangered species in need of protection.
However, hunting, illegal trade and illicit transport of this iconic animal are becoming prevalent due to the huge potential for economic profit.
According to the 2010 Report from Education for Nature-Vietnam, the country is on the verge of tiger extinction.
It is estimated that only 3,200 wild tigers survive worldwide, their population having decreased by about 95 percent and their range by 93 percent since 1900. This steep decline is mainly due to heavy poaching and the illegal trade in tiger paraphernalia to supply a thriving black market demand. As well as this, loss of habitat due to deforestation and an increase in the number of animals preying on tigers have also led to their decline.
Vietnam is a significant market for tiger products, as illegal medicines made from tiger bone and tiger wines have become popular, especially among the wealthy, because of their supposed remedial powers.
The demand for tiger parts in Vietnam has led to animals being smuggled in from elsewhere in the region. In March and June of last year, three tigers sourced from Laos were seized in Vietnam, believed to be intended for further domestic distribution. The country is also a transit point for a range of illegal wildlife products, including tiger products, being smuggled to China from other countries.
“Tigers are integral to maintaining healthy, balanced forest landscapes, yet they remain at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. Vietnam has lost most of its wild tigers, so it's most important contribution at the moment is to play a part in halting the illegal international tiger trade and domestic consumption of tigers. It's as simple as that,” said Nick Cox, Regional Manager of WWF's species programme.
Vietnam’s Global Tiger Day activities will focus on reducing the demand for tiger products and promoting the conservation of wild tigers. Events include exhibitions, a tiger film, children’s activities, performances and a workshop with officials to discuss progress thus far and the next steps in tiger conservation.
“Tigers have long played an important role in our culture and in our ecosystems. Vietnam sees Global Tiger Day as an opportunity to increase public appreciation for this iconic species and to further discuss real solutions for its long term survival,” said Ms Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, Deputy Director of Biodiversity Conservation Agency under the Vietnam Environment Administration.
Following the event, international experts from the 13 tiger range countries will attend a workshop in Hanoi from August 2-4 to discuss the implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) which aims to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.
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