Rhopalocera Singaporeana: A Tribute to 3 "Singapura" Butterflies
from Butterflies of Singapore
Green Imperial Pigeons Spotted at Pasir Ris Park
from Bird Ecology Study Group
First Naked trip to Chek Jawa in 2012
from wild shores of singapore
Letter from Chong Ja Ian Today Online 11 Feb 12;
The Environment and Water Resources Ministry recently released the "Report on Key Conclusions and Recommendations of the Expert Panel on Drainage Design and Flood Protection Measures".
The report states: "Urbanisation has undoubtedly led to an increase in storm water runoff in Singapore. There is therefore a strong argument for introducing measures to mitigate the effects of such urbanisation."
The report also indicates the importance of modelling and analysis in understanding and mitigating the effects of urbanisation on flooding.
In this regard, I ask the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Land Transport Authority and related agencies to share with the public their studies on the effects of road building and future development at Bukit Brown Cemetery on flooding.
It would also be helpful if the relevant bodies could specify their plans, based on this research, to address any flooding that may arise.
If such a study is not ready for release, it would be useful if the agencies could say when it would be and how they intend to act on its findings.
Such environmental impact studies are common to many large-scale construction and development projects around the world.
Making such information available would help members of the public who may be affected by plans to develop Bukit Brown.
Reefs likely to vanish if action not taken
Audrey Dermawan New Straits Times 11 Feb 12;
IPOH: THE Sembilan Islands, one of the last remaining significant coral reef area in west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, could 'vanish' if no efforts are taken to protect it.
Located some 20km from the coast of Perak (Lumut) and 15km south of Pulau Pangkor, the Sembilan Islands are currently facing a number of threats including damage by discarded fishing nets and land-based development.
The Sembilan Islands as the name suggests are a cluster of nine islands -- Pulau Agas, Pulau Payong, Pulau Nipis, Pulau Rumbia, Pulau Lalang, Pulau Saga, Pulau Buluh, Black Rock and White Rock.
The only structure on the uninhabited islands is a small rest area on Pulau Saga, constructed for the use of tourists and fishermen.
Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) general manager Julian Hyde said although a series of surveys conducted last month showed that the coral reefs were in 'fair' condition, they are in actual fact heavily impacted by a number of factors including development and shipping.
(RCM is part of the worldwide Reef Check network, working to conserve coral reefs.)
He also said the situation was further compounded by the absence of protected status for the islands.
The popularity of the islands, once a sought after destination for snorkelling, diving and recreational fishing, has declined as the quality of the coral reefs has dwindled.
"Continued development on Pulau Pangkor and the mainland nearby, if not well managed, will have serious implications for the future health of coral reefs around the islands, threatening their ecological value and economical potential.
"We recommend that the Sembilan Islands be gazetted as a Marine Protected Area ... this will show the world that Malaysia is serious when it comes to protecting its coral reefs," he said in an interview.
Hyde however said the current model in Malaysia for gazetting Marine Parks -- establishing a protected area two nautical miles from the shore at the lowest low tide, within which fishing, anchoring, collecting, extraction and construction are prohibited -- was not suitable for the Sembilan Islands for the following reasons:
The proximity of the islands -- the Sembilan Islands are a cluster of islands close to each other and the two nautical mile distance will mean that protected areas around each island will overlap one another. This will make it impossible for fishing vessels to travel around the islands without violating park rules, and will close off substantial parts of existing fishing grounds;
Vast area to patrol -- a two nautical mile barrier surrounding the Sembilan Islands will create an area too large for Marine Park officers to patrol effectively and enforcement will prove costly and time consuming;
Local compliance -- the Sembilan Islands have been an important commercial fishing ground for many generations of fisherman and a sudden 100 per cent restriction is likely to be ignored; and
Lack of suitable infrastructure -- there is no infrastructure in any of the Sembilan Islands to accommodate Marine Park officers. If officers are effectively to enforce Marine Park rules, they will need to be on the islands daily thus requiring accommodation and basic utilities.
"To overcome these drawbacks, we recommend adopting a more flexible approach which takes into account the needs of all local stakeholders.
"And one approach to the development of better coastal and marine policy and management is the concept of marine managed areas (MMA)."
A MMA is an area of ocean, or a combination of land and ocean, where all human activities are managed toward common goals.
Hyde said RCM therefore recommends the Sembilan Islands to designated as a MMA with a number of zones that could include:
Commercial fishing zones -- to allow current fisheries industry to continue operating, but with some restrictions on fishing areas to protect coral reefs and recreational areas;
Sport fishing zones -- to allow current small scale fishing to continue, but with restrictions on fishing area to protect coral reefs and recreational areas;
Recreational zones -- adjacent to beaches, to provide for tourism activities; and
No take zones -- areas in which no extraction activities are allowed.
These can also be areas in which reef rehabilitation activities are carried out.
Such a zoning system is expected to reduce immediate human activities on the coral reef areas.
"Key to the success of this approach is the participation from the local communities, government agencies, local tour operators, NGOs and universities."
Copies of the survey report are available on the Reef Check Malaysia website at www.reefcheck.org.my
Coral reefs surrounding the Sembilan Islands growing despite pollution and other odds
Ivan Loh The Star 14 Mar 12;
CORAL reefs, which are scarce in number at the Sembilan Islands, about 15km south of Pangkor Island, have the potential to regenerate.
Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) general manager Julian Hyde said surveys carried out at the islands last month, showed that corals appear to be growing, despite the damage caused by human activities, pollution and silt sedimentation.
“The reefs are considered to be in relatively good condition.
“Corals at the islands appear to be growing and reproducing well despite the muddy waters and limited sunlight,” Hyde said.
“The corals have also adapted to its surrounding by altering its feeding habits, with most of them extending their tentacles to catch food during the day,” he said, adding that its resilience has been increased.
He said the islands’ remoteness had also helped preserve the corals and marine life.
Hyde said large surface of rocky areas were noted at the seabed near the islands that were conducive for new growth through settlement of young corals.
“Young corals require hard, sturdy surfaces to settle and grow.
“There were numerous locations within and outside the surveyed area with coral growth,” he said, adding that the Sembilan Islands was one of the last remaining significant coral reef areas in Peninsular Malaysia’s west coast.
Hyde said a relatively high amount of rubble, indicating physical disturbance to the corals, had been noted during the survey.
“We found abandoned anchors and some discarded fishing nets at several locations.
“These are likely to cause significant damage to the reefs,” he said.
RCM, a non-organisation dedicated to the conservation of coral reefs, had in October last year begun a pilot project to increase the population of corals at Mentangor Island, near Pangkor.
RCM had transplanted a three-square-metre frame with corals on it onto the seabed near Mentangor and it proved to be a success, with a 100% survival rate of the corals.
Hyde suggested the Sembilan Islands, which consists of Pulau Agas, Pulau Payong, Pulau Nipis, Pulau Rumbia, Pulau Lalang, Pulau Saga, Pulau Buluh, Black Rock and White Rock, be put under protection and conserved as a marine-managed area.
“The move will not only protect the biodiversity of the islands’ reefs, but also revive its tourism industry.
Hyde said the islands used to be a popular tourism destination, for snorkelling and diving as well as recreational fishing
“The popularity has nose-dived as the quality of the reefs has declined, impacted by development of tourism facilities on Pangkor and industrial facilities on the mainland nearby, as well as shipping in the Straits of Malacca,” he said.
Monster of a catch
Christina Chin, photo by Gary Chen The Star 12 Feb 12;
MARKETGOERS could hardly believe their eyes when they saw a whopping grouper at Cecil Street Market in Penang.
Fisherman Tan Kah Seng, 38, caught the grouper, or loong tan to the Chinese, off the Teluk Bahang coast early yesterday morning.
The fish weighs 165kg and is about 2m long.
It took six men at the market to hang up the giant fish and remove its scales.
The fish is among the biggest caught in Malaysian waters in recent years.
“It probably takes some 30 years for a grouper to grow to this size.
“Bigger groupers definitely taste better because the flesh is sweeter,” Tan said when met at the market yesterday.
The fish was sold to Kar Be Cafe operator Chew Kean Ghee, 40.
Chew, who runs the popular eatery at Weld Quay, paid more than RM8,500 for the fish.
“It’s a little pricier than the giant grouper I bought from Tan last year but my customers love it,” he said.
He added that the fish would be used to make more than 300 bowls of noodles.
This is not the first time Tan has landed a giant fish.
In August 2010, Tan caught a fish weighing a whopping 168kg.
He later landed a 203kg shark believed to be a nurse shark.
Seven-year-old Yannie Tham, who was at the market with her grandmother, said she had never seen a fish so big.
The largest catch in Malaysian waters was a 180kg fish caught in 2008 near Pulau Sembilan in the Straits of Malacca.
Bangkok Post 12 Feb 12;
Seven popular dive sites in the Andaman Sea will be closed for at least six more months to allow coral damaged by bleaching to recover.
The National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department ordered the temporary closure of 18 diving sites at seven marine national parks in the Andaman Sea in January last year because of the coral bleaching phenomenon.
Bleaching, or the whitening of coral as it loses its natural pigment, is caused by a rise in sea temperatures, which has been linked to global climate change.
Eleven of the sites were reopened to tourists in November after inspections found the coral had recovered to a satisfactory degree.
However, the officials decided to extend the closure of seven sites at three marine national parks as the coral there remained in poor condition.
The closed sites are Koh Hin Ngam, Hat Sai Khao, eastern Koh Dong, southern Koh Dong and Koh Ta Kieng at Tarutao Marine National Park in Satun province; Koh Chuek at Hat Chao Mai National Park in Trang; and Hin Klang at Nopparat Tara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province.
Vithya Hongviengchan, chief of the National Park Office, said the department had tightened regulations at marine national parks to provide better protection of the coral and other marine species in areas affected by bleaching.
"We will cap tourist numbers at each dive site, install rope lines to prevent diving at sensitive spots, and will ask operators of dive shops to strictly follow the rules," he said.
In some areas, such as Koh Hin Ngam, diving would be allowed only during high tide to prevent divers from stepping on coral.
Mr Vithya said marine scientists had found a lot of young coral at certain dive sites, which is a good sign that the coral there is recovering.
The department will evaluate how coral is recovering at the diving sites every six months. If signs of degradation are found, the department can order them to be closed again, while those which remain closed could be opened if there is significant improvement, he said.
Meanwhile, Nipon Pongsuwan, acting director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, said the average recovery rate at all sites was less than 5% of the damaged coral.
However, the amount of young coral found suggested that recovery was going forward.
He added that if the coral's growth continues unhindered, it can recover within the next four years.
Mr Nipon said coral bleaching should not occur this year as the sea temperature was still at the normal level of 28 degrees.
"Normal sea temperatures are being seen around the Pacific and Indian oceans region," he said.
"Therefore, the coral should be safe from the bleaching phenomenon this year."
WWF 11 Feb 12;
Jakarta, Indonesia - A new report released by WWF to commemorate the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Declaration’s 5th anniversary shines a positive light on the environmental status of this iconic 220,000 km2 landscape.
The Heart of Borneo Declaration, signed five years ago on February 12, 2007, committed the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to the conserve and sustainably develop the 22 Million hectare ‘Heart of Borneo’.
However until now, there was no baseline data from which to assess the environmental status of the region or monitor changes over time. That is about to change with a new report produced in consultation with a wide range of specialists and scientists who have been working on Borneo ecology for many years.
The new report: The Environmental Status of the Heart of Borneo, analyses the environmental health of the area via 13 key targets and more than 50 indicators. The targets include endangered animal species, such as the orang-utans, rhino and pygmy elephant and a selection of ecosystems such as lowland, heath and montane forests and river systems. Each key target has been given a rating of very good, good, fair or poor – depending on its current quality within the Heart of Borneo (HoB).
The good news
The good news overall, is that most forest types in the HoB are currently rated as good or very good. This is particularly important for lowland forest which is under severe threat across the rest of the island of Borneo. In fact, given that lowland forest is prime habitat for Pygmy elephant, orang-utan and Rhino, the HoB may be the last stronghold for the preservation of this type of forest on Borneo.
The bad news
The bad news is that the HoB still remains under serious threat from industrial conversion of natural forest to palm oil and other agricultural crops, as well as illegal logging and unsustainable rates of legal timber extraction. Forest fire, mining and over hunting of wildlife are also major threats which future versions of this report will serve to monitor.
The report was released by WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative. Its team leader, Adam Tomasek, highlighted the significance of the report.
“For the first time the environmental health of the HoB has been assessed using a series of scientifically derived biological and ecosystem indicators and the results have indicated the HoB is currently in good health,” he said.
“Just as importantly, now for the first time, the three HoB governments and key stakeholders will have a credible and easy to use tool to monitor progress in terms of improvements or degradation in key natural health measures for the HoB. It is a management tool which can be used to improve decision making on the sustainable use and conservation of this globally iconic landscape,” he said.
WWF encourages the three governments of Borneo to use the report to raise awareness of the high conservation values of the HoB and the major threats to its continued survival as an area of globally significant biodiversity.
The report was written by WWF Indonesia’s field biologist, Stephen Wulffraat with funding from the Sall Family Foundation via WWF US.
'Heart Of Borneo,' Last Stronghold Of Lowland Forest, Says Report
Bernama 11 Feb 12;
KUCHING, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The Heart of Borneo (HoB), which straddles the transboundary highlands of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, may be the last stronghold for the preservation of lowland forest in Borneo, said a report released by World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia)'s Heart of Borneo Initiative.
Its team leader Adam Tomasek said today based on the the new report titled "The Environmental Status of the Heart of Borneo", the good news overall was that most forest types in the HoB were currently rated as good or very good.
"This is particularly important for lowland forest which is under severe threat across the rest of the island of Borneo, especially as it is prime habitat for the pygmy elephant, orang utan and rhino," he said in a statement here.
However, he said, the HoB still remained under serious threat from industrial conversion of natural forest for oil palm cultivation and other agricultural crops as well as illegal logging and unsustainable rates of legal timber extraction.
Forest fires, mining and over hunting of wildlife were also major threats which future versions of the report would serve to monitor, said Adam in highlighting the significance of the report, which analysed the environmental health of the area via 13 key targets and more than 50 scientifically derived biological and ecosystem indicators.
The targets included endangered animal species, such as the orang utan, rhino and pygmy elephant and a selection of ecosystems, including lowland, heath and montane forests and river systems, with each key target being given a rating of very good, good, fair or poor - depending on its current quality within the HoB.
The report was released by WWF to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the HoB's Declaration, which committed the governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve and sustainably develop the iconic 22 million hectare or 220,000 km sq 'Heart of Borneo'.
It was written by WWF Indonesia's field biologist, Stephen Wulffraat with funding from the Sall Family Foundation via WWF United States in consultation with a wide range of specialists and scientists who have been working on Borneo ecology for many years.
Signed on February 12, 2007, the declaration is supported under important regional and international agreements such as Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD).
-- BERNAMA
Kalimantan’s forests are doing OK: NGO
Elly Burhaini Faizal,The Jakarta Post 17 Feb 12;
The Heart of Borneo is doing well, despite the usual threats from extractive activities and fires, according to environmental activists.
The famed forested area spans 22 million hectares in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia on Kalimantan Island, also known as Borneo.
Adam Tomasek, the leader of the Heart of Borneo Initiative, said on Thursday that deforestation and forest degradation remained a serious issue in Indonesia and Kalimantan.
“This is not at all to say that the threats from forest conversion, deforestation and forest degradation in the area have disappeared. They are still real threats,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
In a recently released report, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia said that most types of forest in the Heart of Borneo were in good or very good condition, although several areas were under threat from businesses.
Illegal logging, an excessive rate of legal timber extraction, forest fires, mining and excessive wildlife hunting posed additional threats, the report said.
However, Tomasek said that political commitments to conserve and to develop the area in a sustainable way had been made over the past five years, such as by the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 3/2012 on Spatial Planning in Kalimantan.
“It was the first time that the government developed a special plan for the whole of Kalimantan, and not just for one province or district. This was one spatial plan for the entire island,” Tomasek said.
A working group comprising the Coordinating Economic Minister and the Agriculture, Defense, Environment, Foreign, Forestry, Home and Public Works Ministers was given a mandate to realize the Heart of Borneo Declaration, which Indonesia signed in 2007.
“With commitments at both the national and district level, we are starting to see that the issue of illegal logging in some parts, but not all parts, of the Heart of Borneo has disappeared,” Tomasek said before adding a somber assessment.
“Without provincial and district engagement, I don’t think we’ll see much progress.”
Under the spatial planning regulation signed on Jan. 5, the government will allocate 45 percent of Kalimantan to serve as the “lungs of the world”.
Separately, Indonesian Environmental Forum (Wahli) executive director Berry Nahdian Furqon warned that the spatial regulation might trigger new conflicts due to its centralized approach.
“The government did not make a comprehensive study. Neither did it consult with the local people,” Berry said, adding that regulation provided no specific information on the government’s proposed spatial plans or conservation programs.
Moreover, Berry said, many conservation areas in Kalimantan were no longer forested areas. “Only forests in the Meratus mountains in South Kalimantan are still well conserved while the rest have overlapping land use with industrial activities, such as palm oil plantations and mining,” he said.
Tomasek said the report analyzed the environmental health of the area by evaluating progress against 13 key targets using more than 50 indicators.
“What we found is that the Heart of Borneo is doing quite well,” he said.
“It’s a huge area, very remote, very diverse in terms of its forest types, fresh water ecosystem and peatlands and biodiversity,” he said.
The Heart of Borneo comprised some of Kalimantan’s best remaining lowland forests, Tomasek said. “The lowland tropical rain forest is extremely important, as it is a biodiverse area where you can find more species per meter than any other ecosystem,” he said.
Hermit crabs galore at Tanah Merah
from wild shores of singapore
Banded Woodpecker cooling off @ bukit brown
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Straits Time 11 Feb 12;
I could not agree more with Sumiko Tan's You're What You Eat (LifeStyle, Feb 5).
I never order shark's fin when I dine out. But when it is served at a wedding, why let it go to waste? Just eat it, I love how the soup tastes.
I am all for it if wedding dinners do away with the dish.
But people who give others a hard time at wedding dinners that do serve it are just being unreasonable.
Of course, they can argue that it is a demand and supply situation.
Still, getting people to stop serving it at weddings will take time as serving shark's fin is a tradition.
Andy Tan Hong Wei
I am ambivalent about shark fin's soup, but what gets my goat is when I am not given a choice.
These days, it seems that just because you scream louder and beat your chest harder, the rest will capitulate.
To me, it is all about maintaining our Chinese traditions.
I would still like to eat shark's fin during Chinese New Year and weddings. I want to have a choice.
Anna Lim
Unlike Sumiko Tan, I am more direct on the hypocrisy of it all.
I understand the arguments but, until we are clear on people's positions on geese, cows and chickens, it is unbearable that some are taking positions - and being rude to others - going on limited information.
I wonder what people will say if a famous scientist's research finds that weekly shark's fin consumption is lifeenhancing.
Kevin Kwek
I am very much against the eating of shark's fin, but I understand where Sumiko Tan is coming from.
However, my belief is in moderation. I only think of conservation. I will not eat anything that is endangered. For example, I would not mind eating crocodile meat if the reptiles were bred for food.
Similarly, pigs and chickens are bred for our consumption and there is a constant supply that does not affect the ecosystem. This is fine.
The problem is that sharks, much like crocodiles, are apex predators. They are at the top of the food chain. They moderate the number of fish.
If you take away the apex predator in an ecosystem, the food chain will crumble. There will be too many fish that will eat too much plankton. Once there is no more plankton, coral reefs will slowly die.
And this will increase the ocean's temperatures and lead to global warming. Taking away sharks has a direct effect on the environment.
However, if sharks can one day be bred for eating and the populations in the wild are left alone, I am definitely going to get myself a few good bowls.
Ryan Sim
You're what you eat
I won't order shark's fin soup myself. But if I'm served a bowl, I'll take it because it's rude not to
Sumiko Tan Straits Times 5 Feb 12;
I've never regarded shark's fin soup as a delicacy because I was force-fed it as a child.
My father, you see, didn't believe in half-measures. When he was interested in something, he'd go the whole hog.
For a while in the 1960s, his dream was to create the most beautiful black orchid in Singapore, so for years he and my mother mixed tiny seeds in bottles of agar-agar culture to come up with new orchid hybrids.
He then got into cultivating bonsai, which he turned into a business.
Another time, he was seized with the idea that there was a market for old typewriters, and so imported dozens from Sri Lanka. He had to sell them for a song when this business idea came to naught.
Shark's fin soup was another of his life-long obsessions.
He loved it and wanted to eat it every day, so he got my mother to learn to cook the dish, which is usually served on special occasions in restaurants and is expensive.
He would set off before dawn to the then-Kangkar wholesale fish market in Upper Serangoon where he got our supply of fish and, when the craze hit him, shark's fin.
Making the soup was painstaking work.
If the fins hadn't come already cleaned, my mother would have to do this, and carefully, for you didn't want any of those precious slithery strands to slip down the sink.
She'd then line a bamboo basket with raw pig's skin and place the fins in the middle. Chinese wine and lots of coriander were added and the pig's skin folded over to form a sort of giant samosa.
On top of that bundle she'd arrange fresh pig's trotters and chunks of chicken. All this was put into a steamer and slowly cooked for hours.
The shark's fin - softened and rid of the fishy smell - was then set aside while the rest of the by-now gelatinous ingredients were mixed with Chinese ham, crab meat and soya sauce to form a tasty broth.
Growing up, I had shark's fin soup coming out of my ears. At any one time, we'd have pots of it in the fridge where it would have turned into jelly and had to be heated up.
My father believed shark's fin was nutritious and would make us strong, and so he forced us to eat it.
While I didn't dislike the dish - the fins are tasteless but the soup is flavourful - I developed something of a phobia for it.
Those days, no one batted an eyelid about eating shark's fin soup. The Chinese have for centuries revered shark's fin as a delicacy and it was served as a treat - a symbol of respect, honour and prosperity.
Today, no one can escape the bad press surrounding it.
Anti-shark's fin soup advocates cite two main reasons the dish should be banned.
One is cruelty. Fishermen, they say, perform 'finning' where the coveted fins of the sharks are hacked off and the rest of the fish, sometimes still alive, thrown back into the sea to sink and die.
The other is the environment. They say the killing of sharks for their fins is depleting the world's shark population with some species almost extinct, and this has dire effects on the ocean's eco-system.
I would never order a bowl of shark's fin soup for myself.
But this is not so much because of the anti-shark's fin lobby, although I am sympathetic to its argument about protecting the environment. It is because I'm still tired of it, given how much I'd consumed when I was young.
But if I am served a bowl of shark's fin - like at my recent Chinese New Year's Eve reunion dinner - I will take it.
I'll take it because it is there.
I'll take it because the soup is tasty.
I'll take it because it will be a sheer waste of money to leave it untouched to be then thrown away.
Mostly, though, I'll take it because it will be rude to my host if I don't.
If someone had honoured me by serving the treasured dish, I don't believe I should be so ungracious as to reject it, and in front of other people too. Why make him lose face?
A friend said he so dislikes people who give others a hard time at wedding dinners that serve shark's fin soup that he'll deliberately eat extra portions.
'If they're really all that compassionate, they should stop eating meat too. Killing cows and chickens is also cruel,' he said.
Indeed, where does one draw the line as an 'ethical consumer'?
At shark's fin? But what about shark meat? It's been used in the West for fish and chips and such.
Is it okay for sharks to be killed for their meat but not their fins? Isn't any form of 'killing' traumatic to the animal? Why limit it to finning?
How about foie gras? It must be horrible to be a goose and force-fed just so that your liver becomes enlarged and deliciously fatty and buttery when eaten.
Feedlot cattle? Can't be nice to be packed in a pen with thousands of others, fattened up with an unnatural diet, then killed for food.
Factory-farmed chicken that have been debeaked? Same thing.
Bluefin tuna? They're becoming endangered because of over-fishing.
My sister tries to eat only 'humanely raised' and 'humanely killed' animals. She feels less bad if they had been killed in as least a painful method as possible.
But she admits it's not all altruistic. She believes animals that are highly stressed have stress hormones and their meat isn't healthy to the human body.
But isn't 'humanely killed' a contradiction?
In my world view, animals - unless they have been domesticated - were created to be killed by humans for food.
And if you've watched documentaries, you'll know animals in the wild are vicious. They rip apart and kill each other all the time, whether for food or to protect themselves or their young.
It's all part of nature and the cycle of life, so why are some people so hung up about what animals might be 'feeling'?
A friend, who reviews food, describes herself as an 'equal opportunity eater'. She eats almost anything as it is her job to do so, and because she doesn't think one species deserves more sympathy than another.
She recently had dinner and was served a roast piglet. She showed me an iPhone photo of it and, my goodness, we both agreed, it was the cutest little piggy ever.
It had been roasted to a rosy hue, had a round little head and its eyes were closed, as if it were sleeping. Totally angelic.
She ate it.
It's a pig.
It's meant to be eaten.
There are some things I would never eat - dog meat, snake, frog, turtle, pigeon, oysters, chicken feet, insects and gooey stuff such as sea cucumber.
But this has more to do with how they make my stomach turn than with ethical reasons.
To each his own, I always say.
We are ultimately what we eat, or don't eat, and we live with our conscience.
What gets my goat is when ethical consumers adopt a holier-than-thou attitude and hector anyone who is not like them.
And so, at the risk of receiving their vitriol, I'll admit it again: If served shark's fin soup, I'll eat it.
Maybe, as a friend pointed out, I also represent a generational divide.
I straddle my father's generation that regarded shark's fin as a cultural and culinary treasure, and today's young that thinks the dish is barbaric.
I have good memories of it and want to remain loyal to it, yet I also don't want to be flamed for not hating it. It is an uncomfortable position.
But if I have to choose between ranting about cruelty to sharks and hurting the feelings of someone who had served me the dish because he wanted only the best for me, I will keep quiet and eat up my shark's fin soup, anytime.
TRAFFIC 10 Feb 12;
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10th February 2012—Eight Tiger skins, elephant tusks and bags of bones were seized in northern Malaysia, according to a statement released today by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The items were found after a dozen officers from Malaysia’s wildlife department, Perhilitan, raided a house following a tip-off in the early hours of Friday morning in Kota Setar in the northern district of Kedah.
One local man was arrested and taken away for questioning. A second house was also raided as part of the investigations, although no animal parts were discovered there.
Among the goods confiscated were 8 Tiger skins, 9 elephant tusks, one deer horn and 22 bags containing animal bones. The bones are to be sent away for identification and forensics analysis.
“TRAFFIC warmly congratulates the wildlife department on this important seizure,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC South-East Asia.
“However, it is vital thorough investigations are undertaken of all seized items to determine their origin, who was behind trafficking in them, and where the buyers are, so that they can be brought to book.”
The confiscation of elephant tusks could mark a shift in Malaysia’s involvement in the illegal ivory trade. Prior to 2011, Malaysia was considered a transit country in the flow of ivory from Africa to Asia, but in January 2012, 450 kg of ivory was seized in Port Klang, with Malaysia as its final destination.
Under Malaysian law, anyone convicted of possession of parts of totally protected wildlife, such as Tiger skins, faces a maximum fine of MYR100,000 (USD33,000) or up three years in jail or both, for each offence.
“The government has regularly warned its citizens about the penalties for anyone caught dealing in protected wild animal parts,” said Krishnasamy.
“Now is the time to back up those warnings—if anyone is convicted in this case, they should feel the full force of the law. A small fine is just a slap on the wrist and sends completely the wrong message: laws are there to be obeyed.”
Tiger skins and elephant tusks seized
Isabelle Lai The Star 11 Feb 12;
PETALING JAYA: Tiger skins and elephant ivory tusks were among wildlife parts seized by the Wildlife and Natural Parks Department (Perhilitan) in a successful bust.
A team of 12 Perhilitan officers from Kedah raided two houses in Mukim Tokai, Pendang, and Kota Sarang Semut, Kota Setar at around 3.15am yesterday.
The team seized eight tiger skins, nine elephant ivory tusks, 22 plastic bags suspected to be filled with wildlife bones and a tusk suspected to be from a barking deer.
“The seized items were taken from an unnumbered house in Lot 30, Kampung Sungai Dedap, Kota Sarang Semut in Kota Setar,” Perhilitan said in a statement.
It warned that the act of keeping wildlife parts was illegal and offenders could be prosecuted under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
“Owning tiger skins, elephant ivory tusks and wildlife bones without a permit is illegal and offenders can be fined up to RM100,000, jailed up to three years or both for each offence,” it said.
Perhilitan said a male suspect had been detained and remanded at the Kota Setar police station for further investigation.
Wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic hailed the bust as very significant.
“It is shocking to learn he had in his possession all these parts from protected animals.
“Further investigation to determine where these items were obtained from and who else was involved is crucial,” said Traffic South-East Asia senior programme officer Kanitha Krishnasamy.
She said the arrest of this individual with nine ivory pieces was an excellent opportunity for intelligence-led investigations to crack down on the illegal ivory trade.
Malaysia has seized more than six tonnes of ivory worth millions of ringgit in the last seven months, most of which were transshipped.
Mark Kinver BBC News 10 Feb 12;
Overfishing of EU fisheries is costing £2.7bn (3.2bn euros) a year and 100,000 jobs, a report has said.
The research, by the UK-based New Economics Foundation, said a third of Britain's fish consumption could be met if stocks were allowed to recover.
Separate research suggests that half of fishermen would not be willing to give up their livelihoods.
Last week, a report said there were reasons to be optimistic that fisheries could recover from past exploitation.
"Overfishing is bad for the economy," said report author Rupert Crilly, environmental economics researcher for the foundation's Ocean2012 initiative.
"With the stroke of pen, European fisheries ministers are wiping out millions of pounds and thousands of jobs each year by allowing overfishing to continue."
The report, Lost at Sea, concluded that the restoring 43 of the continent's fish stocks to their "maximum sustainable yield" (largest annual catch that can be maintained over the long-term) would result in an additional 3.5m tonnes of fish reaching markets, "enough to meet the annual demand for almost 160m EU citizens".
It added: "Overfishing is the single most destructive force in the marine environment.
"It has made the fishing industry economically vulnerable and caused coastal communities to crumble. Instead of rebuilding (fish) stocks, the industry has become heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.
"This is a losing battle. In just these (43) sample stocks, the cost of overfishing is five times higher than the value of EU subsidies."
It warned that the proposed reforms to the 27-nation bloc's Common Fisheries Policy did not go far enough to address the problem.
"Restoring fish stocks is within politicians' power, and in the current economic climate, the stakes are higher than ever," Mr Crilly said.
Global problem
Last week, the Prince of Wales launched a report by his think-tank, International Sustainability Unit (ISU), that looked at a way to put fisheries around the globe on a sustainable footing.
The report, Fisheries in Transition, concluded that by regulating the catch in a sensible way, fishermen were able to make more money for less effort, allowing the stock to be safeguarded against exploitation.
"We recognise that there is no 'one size fits all', solution - every fishery is different," said Charlotte Cawthorne, ISU marine programme manager, speaking at the report's launch.
But, she added, three things were essential: scientific understanding of the ecosystem, funding for the transition, and sound management.
A study published this week in the journal Plos One said that half of the fishermen in developing nations would not be willing to give up their livelihoods, regardless of declining catches.
"We found that half of fishermen questioned would not be tempted to seek out a new livelihood, even if their catch declined by 50%," said co-author Dr Tim Daw from the University of East Anglia.
The survey carried out by an international team of researchers questioned almost 600 fishermen in Africa and Asia about how they would respond to declining catches.
"Surprisingly, fishermen in the more vibrant and developed economies were less likely to give up their trade, despite having more economically fruitful opportunities open to them," explained fellow co-author Joshua Cinner from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australia.
"This is the reverse of the common belief that poor communities are less likely to adapt than wealthy ones," Dr Cinner added.
"We suspect that this may be in part due to the perverse impacts of subsidies in more developed countries encouraging people to stay in the fishery which would otherwise not be profitable."
Berlayar Creek still has seagrasses!
from wild shores of singapore
Lunch of cattle egret 牛背鷺吞食青蛙
from PurpleMangrove
Thoughts on the NCCS Public Perception Survey on Climate Change in Singapore
from Low Carbon Singapore
Poll shows greater awareness, sense of responsibility in dealing with issue
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 10 Feb 12;
THE first local survey on climate change shows that most Singaporeans are concerned about the issue and believe in taking action to address it.
The findings, released yesterday by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), took civic and industry organisations by surprise and all agreed that the trend was encouraging.
The NCCS conducted a face-to-face poll of about 1,000 Singaporeans aged 15 and above from October to December last year on issues relating to climate change.
At the time, there was serious flooding in Thailand and Singapore also experienced heavy rainfall and floods - events which might have raised public awareness about environmental issues.
The survey showed that 86 per cent, or more than eight in 10 of the respondents, felt a sense of responsibility in dealing with climate change, and 74 per cent were concerned about it.
Some 63 per cent felt that Singapore would be severely affected, while 58 per cent said the country should take action to reduce the effects of climate change even if it involved significant cost.
Singapore Environment Council executive director Jose Raymond said the results surpassed his expectations and countered the popular notion that Singaporeans do not care about climate change.
Ms Olivia Choong, co-founder of environmental group Green Drinks Singapore, said she had expected the numbers to be lower, based on her own interaction with the public.
The positive findings were a stark contrast to a broader public perception survey on the environment done in 2005 by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Then, only 53 per cent of those polled said they had even heard of climate change or global warming.
Asked why they were concerned about climate change, three-quarters of those surveyed last year agreed that the environment had to be preserved for future generations and that everyone shared this responsibility.
About half had a more practical reason for adopting eco-friendly practices: It would help lower the cost of living.
But despite the survey findings indicating a high level of support for efforts to deal with climate change, only half of those polled said they would like to receive more information.
Of this group, most wanted to know more about the impacts and effects, the science behind climate change, and what individuals can do.
Ms Choong said there could still be a gap between Singaporeans saying they care about climate change and actually doing something about it.
The NCCS yesterday also released key suggestions from its public consultation exercise for Singapore's National Climate Change Strategy 2012, conducted from September till last month.
The document, to be published in the middle of the year, will set out ways for Singapore to reduce its carbon emissions and prepare against the effects of climate change, and include suggestions from members of the public.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change, said in a statement yesterday that he was heartened by the strong support for climate change action.
'If we do our part, we can help protect the environment for future generations and ensure that Singapore is well prepared for climate change, and remains economically competitive and vibrant,' he said.
The NCCS findings can be viewed at www.nccs.gov.sg/consultation.
Suggestions for green living
Straits Times 10 Feb 12;
THE National Climate Change Secretariat's consultations with the public, interest groups and the industry produced suggestions like green vehicle incentives and promoting environmental education.
Some could be put into action soon.
HOUSEHOLDS
Suggestion: Improve energy labels on household appliances by adding information to make costs and benefits clearer.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is reviewing the design of the labels and considering adding the annual estimated operating costs of the appliance.
Suggestion: Educate appliance retailers so they can recommend energy-efficient equipment.
The NEA has trained retailers in energy efficiency since 2009 and is reviewing its training scheme. It is considering undertaking an in-depth consumer behavioural study to figure out which efforts yield the largest changes.
TRANSPORT
Suggestion: Redesign train cabins to encourage better passenger behaviour.
In the 22 new trains for the North-South and East-West lines, there are three rows of overhead hand rails. The Land Transport Authority is monitoring how well-used they are by commuters.
It is also looking into installing extra overhead hand rails and removing vertical poles at train doors to discourage people from crowding round the doors.
Altering behaviour to make for a more pleasant commute may encourage more people not to drive and take public transport instead.
Suggestion: Adopt an emissions-based or fuel efficiency-based vehicle tax system.
This is already in the works. Buyers of highly fuel-efficient new cars stand to enjoy rebates of up to $15,000 while those who snap up more polluting models could pay up to $15,000 in extra taxes.
BUILDINGS
Suggestion: Expand the Green Mark scheme to include environmental impacts such as materials and air pollution.
The Building and Construction Authority is developing a Web-based carbon emissions calculator that takes into account a building's lifespan and major construction materials.
SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES
Suggestion: Develop a library of energy-efficiency practices as a reference for SMEs.
The United Nations Environment Programme has developed a guide for Asia, with case studies. At the same time, the Government is studying the development of a compendium of such practices specifically tailored for Singapore.
OTHERS
Suggestion: Incorporate climate change issues formally into the school curriculum.
Environmental themes like energy, weather and climate are already in the primary and upper secondary syllabi.
At the same time, the NEA and the Education Ministry are revising the lower secondary syllabus to include environmental issues from 2014 (for Secondary 1 students) and 2015 (for Secondary 2 students).
Singaporeans supportive of climate change actions
Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 12;
SINGAPORE: Singaporeans on the whole feel a sense of responsibility in playing their part to address climate change.
This is according to a survey commissioned by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) to gauge the levels of public awareness, attitudes and behaviours towards issues related to climate change in Singapore.
The survey sampled 1,010 Singaporean residents aged 15 and above and was conducted from October to December 2011.
86 per cent of the respondents said they felt a part in taking action on climate change.
Over 73 per cent of the respondents said they are concerned about climate change.
Respondents perceived climate change to be an urgent issue and about 63 per cent felt that Singapore would be severely affected by climate change.
One in two respondents expressed interest to receive more information about climate change.
7 in 10 respondents expressed interest in the science and impact of climate change and the practical measures that individuals could take to address climate change.
The respondents generally displayed a positive attitude towards tackling climate change. More than half agreed that individuals played an important part in addressing climate change in Singapore.
More than 70 per cent of the respondents are conscious about practising environmentally friendly habits in addressing climate change.
More than 70 per cent of the respondents believe it is everyone's responsibility to care for the environment.
Three in four respondents are motivated by the need to preserve the environment for future generations.
Most respondents also agreed that Singapore should take steps to reduce climate change. 58 per cent of the respondents even thought that such steps should be taken even if it involved significant cost.
The NCCS also released the government's response to various suggestions from public consultations that were conducted from September 2011 to January 2012.
One suggestion was to improve energy labels by including more information. The NEA is reviewing the design of the energy labels and is considering incorporating the annual estimated operating costs of the appliance into the energy labels if it is practicable.
On the suggestion to provide comparisons of the costs of using one appliance versus another, the NEA is looking into new tools that will enable consumers to estimate the life-cycle cost of the more energy-intensive household appliances.
As for the suggestion to adopt an emissions based or fuel efficiency based vehicle taxation system, the government is undertaking a comprehensive review on the measures to promote the adoption of green vehicles as part of overall efforts to promote sustainable development.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will take these suggestions into consideration in its review.
As for having more cycling facilities and more cycling towns, LTA will assist HDB to implement cycling facilities in Jurong, Punggol and East Coast.
To support the cycling population, LTA has planned for more bicycle racks to be provided at MRT stations. Where possible, LTA will facilitate intra-town travel by putting in dedicated cycling paths or where space is limited, widen the footpaths to allow sharing.
There was a suggestion to expand the current Green Mark scheme to bring it closer to international standards such as those used in the US and the UK.
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is currently developing a web-based carbon calculator that will take into consideration the building lifespan and major construction materials used to estimate the total carbon emissions.
The public also suggested developing a depository or storing energy efficient practices as a reference for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and highlight how energy efficient practices can related to their bottom-line.
The government will study and consider how best to develop a compendium of energy efficient practices specifically tailored for Singapore that would be useful for Singapore SMEs.
There was a call to incorporate climate change issues formally into the school curriculum.
The government is working to incorporate aspects of climate change into the curriculum.
Topics such as climate change, global warming and ozone depletion are currently taught at various levels in subjects such as Science and Geography.
Students' awareness of climate change is enhanced in the informal curriculum through students' participation in community-initiated projects.
- CNA/ck
'Green' COE, eat less meat: Two of the 1,000 suggestions to deal with climate change
Esther Ng Today Online 10 Feb 12;
SINGAPORE - Create a new category of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) for green vehicles. Eat less meat. Make climate change issues part of the school curriculum.
These are some of the 1,000 suggestions the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) received from the public and industry players between September and last month, as part of its efforts to engage Singaporeans on climate change-related issues.
Releasing the suggestions yesterday, the NCCS said relevant government agencies will assess the ideas.
"Some were new ideas and they are being studied to see if they can be effectively adopted in Singapore. Others were workable solutions that have already been implemented, which need to be publicised more so that members of the public are aware of these efforts," said the NCCS.
Some suggestions were considered but found to be not suited for adoption at this stage, it said.
For instance, having COEs for green vehicles would "introduce more complexity" to the vehicle quota system, which was the case when the COE system first started, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
In its early years, the COE system had more categories than it has today. "The small quota of each category resulted in price anomalies and distortions within the categories," said the LTA.
As for eating less meat - because meat production contributes some 14 to 22 per cent of global emission - the NCCS pointed out that the carbon footprint of the food the Republic consumes is not straightforward. Production and transport processes, for instance, often take place outside Singapore and cannot be easily verified.
Meanwhile, the Government is working to incorporate aspects of climate change into the school curriculum, where topics such as global warming and ozone depletion are taught in geography and science.
Between October and December, the NCCS, for the first time, also surveyed 1,010 Singaporean residents, aged 15 and above, to gauge levels of public awareness and attitudes towards climate change-related issues here.
It found seven in 10 believed it was everyone's responsibility to care for the environment. Three in four saw the need to preserve the environment for future generations, and nearly six in 10 said steps to reduce climate change should be taken even if it involved significant cost.
Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on climate change Teo Chee Hean said he was "heartened" to see the "strong support" for climate change action. He pointed to the 86 per cent of respondents who felt they had a part to play in taking action on climate change.
However, Green Drinks Singapore founder Olivia Choong, 33, told Today that she was "surprised" by the findings. "Based on my interactions with people I talk to, whether taxi drivers or my banker friends, a lot more education needs to get out there. For instance, how many know that the rare earths that go into your smartphones and tablets are polluting the environment, or that smartphones are such power-hungry devices," said Ms Choong. "I'm not sure how much of it will translate into action," she added.
The list of suggestions and agency responses can be found on the NCCS website.
Climate change survey findings not reflected in day-to-day life here
Letter from Gaetane Prinselaar Today Online 13 Mar 12;
I read with interest the report "'Green' COE, eat less meat: Two of the 1,000 suggestions to deal with climate change" (Feb 10).
I was surprised that seven in 10 surveyed by the National Climate Change Secretariat believe that it is everyone's responsibility to care for the environment, a statistic not reflected in day-to-day life in Singapore.
Protecting the environment starts in the supermarkets. For instance, grapes and many other fruits are packed in plastic boxes which cannot be reused.
Or just count the number of people who bring recycled bags, probably the easiest way to gauge environmental responsibility.
Going by the survey, only three in 10 would ask for plastic bags. But not only do people not carry recycled bags, they leave with at least three or four plastic bags for seven items, as they do not want to mix them up.
If you ask for everything to be put into one bag, the cashier will double-bag it. Even China has banned supermarkets from giving out free plastic bags,
What about the recycling of batteries which contain pollutants? The only way is to bring them to the French School, which provides for such recycling. But Singaporeans throw their batteries in the bin.
I also live in a condominium where there is no recycling to speak of, and if you mention it, people do not want to hear about it.
Singapore has always been known as a clean city, one of the reasons for a lack of environmental responsibility, I believe, as people mix up cleanliness with environmental friendliness.
The fact that one does not see garbage does not mean Singapore is good at recycling.
It is time for the Singapore Government to make society part of the solution, and time is not a luxury. Surveys such as in the report may make Singaporeans feel good about themselves, when the reality is scary.
Climate change survey findings are a positive development
Letter from Yuen Sai Kuan Director, 3P Network Division, National Climate Change Secretariat Ong Seng Eng Director, Waste & Resource Management Department, National Environment Agency
Today Online 28 Mar 12;
WE REFER to Mr Gaetane Prinselaar's online letter "Climate change survey findings not reflected in day-to-day life here" (March 13).
We agree that public support and participation are key to the effectiveness of Singapore's efforts to boost recycling and climate change action.
In this regard, the findings from the National Climate Change Secretariat's public perception survey, on the high level of public awareness and interest in climate change-related issues here, is a positive development.
The public, private and people sectors need to work together to help translate this into eco-friendly actions by all stakeholders.
In Singapore, all incinerable waste, including used plastic bags, are sent to waste-to-energy plants for incineration, rather than to a landfill.
Notwithstanding, as part of its 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) efforts, the National Environment Agency encourages the public and community to reduce waste and reuse items that are reusable.
Retailers such as FairPrice, IKEA and the pharmacy at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital have also implemented schemes to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags or to discourage overuse of plastic bags.
More information on the 3R initiatives can be found at the NEA's website, http://app2.nea.gov.sg/index.aspx.
As part of its efforts to promote recycling, the NEA has required condominiums to provide recycling receptacles for residents.
As for household batteries, these can be disposed of without causing pollution, as the NEA has imposed a mandatory limit on mercury content of batteries sold here.
Mr Prinselaar can contact the NEA at 1800-225-5632 or Contact_NEA@nea.gov.sg if he needs help with recycling at his condo.
As part of the Government's outreach efforts, we will continue to advocate individual and corporate responsibility in environmental protection as well as action against climate change. We will work with the community to foster greater ownership in caring for the environment. We thank Mr Prinselaar for his feedback.
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