Best of our wild blogs: 29 Mar 12

Dive excursion to Raffles Lighthouse with MOS Tan Chuan-Jin
from Psychedelic Nature

Paddyfield Pipit enjoying a dust-bath
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Bukit Brown: Consider the impact on biodiversty, says Nature Society

Straits Times Forum 29 Mar 12;

WE WISH to highlight a few points about the adverse impact on the biodiversity of the area where the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be building a bridge as part of a road through the Bukit Brown Cemetery ('Bridge will help, say some experts'; last Friday).

The area is very rich in birdlife with 94 species recorded so far, including 15 of the 56 nationally threatened bird species listed in The Singapore Red Data Book (2008), making it a highly important wildlife habitat.

It also serves as a very important foraging ground and habitat for forest birdlife coming over from the Central Catchment Forest across Lornie Road.

The recent sighting here of a large flying fox, a bat species regarded as extinct in Singapore, promises ample opportunities for other equally exciting discoveries.

An environmental impact assessment for the whole area, and not only the transect zone, should be conducted.

The results and conclusions should be made public for comments and feedback.

The planned dual four-lane carriageway diagonally cuts across the only expansive and beautiful valley in the area. Most of the valley will be covered over by the proposed 670m-long bridge.

The thick woodland on both sides will be severely damaged if not completely wiped out. Creating a gap in the middle for sunlight to get through will cause wider destruction.

The woodland on both sides has a concentration of forest species, some endangered, such as the red-eyed bulbul and grey-headed fish eagle.

The damage or destruction of the woodland will adversely affect Bukit Brown as a foraging ground or extended habitat for the forest species.

The expressway, even with the bridge, will not be serving any residential area in the near future.

So, it is critical for the Government to justify to the public the need for this expressway and to clarify the rationale behind such a short timeline.

Dr Ho Hua Chew
Executive council member and vice-chairman
Conservation Committee
Nature Society (Singapore)

Bridge at Bukit Brown will help, say some experts
It will minimise disruption of ecosystem but more thought must be put into its design
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 29 Mar 12;

Some environment experts here believe a bridge that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be building as part of a road through the 200ha Bukit Brown Cemetery will help minimise disruption to the flora and fauna.

Preserving the environment would be better but since the LTA is going ahead with the road plan, more thought needs to be put into the design of this bridge.

Earlier this week, the LTA announced that a third of the planned road across the cemetery would be a bridge, to allow animals to pass under the road and preserve streams in the area. A 670m stretch of the road will climb up to 10m above ground.

Among the animals believed to be found in Bukit Brown are the sunda pangolin and monitor lizard.

The change comes after months of protests by civic groups, which have called for the whole area to be preserved for its heritage and biodiversity.

They argued that a road would disrupt animal migration patterns and vegetation in the area. After the Bukit Timah Expressway was built in 1986, slicing a vast wilderness tract in half, animals died trying to cross the road to search for food and mates. As animals have a role in pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, plant variety in the forest was also reduced.

The groups have called for a moratorium on all plans until discussions on possible alternatives have been exhausted.

Professor Peter Ng, 52, who co-edited the first encyclopaedia on Singapore's biodiversity, published last year, said that while traffic noise from the bridge may scare some animals away, others would adapt to the new situation.

Assistant Professor David Bickford, 43, from the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore, added that in any case, many animals travel at dawn and dusk and in the night, when there is less traffic on the bridge.

But more information on the exact species in the area needs to be gathered first, they said, in order to understand the impact of the bridge on them.

The LTA had conducted a study on the road's environmental impact but declined to share the details of its report.

The Nature Society (Singapore) estimates that at least 91 bird species live in or frequent the area, including 14 species that are threatened.

'We need more data on the vegetation and other fauna such as mammals, reptiles and amphibians in the area,' said Dr Ho Hua Chew, the Nature Society's conservation committee vice-chairman.

But the bridge could cause other environmental problems in the area, said Dr Ho. The eight-lane bridge will cast a wide shadow, killing plants underneath, he said. 'The stretch will be bare and ugly over time, wiping out most of the species that are adapted to grassy or shrubby habitats,' he added.

Prof Bickford said if the linkway becomes barren, animals may not use it.

This could have further impact on the vegetation in the area. 'Some plants require animals to carry their seed,' said Dr Edward Webb at the NUS Department of Biological Sciences who specialises in plant ecology.

The experts suggested several measures to make sure the bridge serves its green purpose.

Thick vegetation on both sides of the bridge would insulate animals from the traffic noise and make the passageway more attractive to them, said Prof Ng, who is also with the NUS Department of Biological Sciences.

Prof Bickford suggested breaking up the expressway into two four-lane roads and making sure there is a sizeable gap between them.

'Let the gap be big enough to have substantial sunlight passing through. The light will hit different parts of the ground during the day and reduce the area that is in shadow all the time,' he said.

This would give vegetation a fighting chance and therefore make the linkway more attractive to animals, he explained.

The LTA said the road would have a gap but the exact blueprint has not been determined.

Cheaper way to solve congestion in Adam, Lornie roads
Straits Times Forum 29 Mar 12;

MANY questions have been raised about the road planned through Bukit Brown Cemetery ('Green path for new Bukit Brown road'; March 20).

But the most important one has not been asked: Is there a lower-cost solution to the traffic congestion along Adam and Lornie roads?

Unless the objective is to boost gross domestic product through increased spending, putting aside heritage and land-use issues, I fail to see the logic of building a new dual four-lane carriageway, and then reducing a wide, existing road to two lanes.

Would it not be better to widen the existing road only where necessary, and then allow Bukit Brown itself to become a park?

I used to travel frequently along that stretch and agree that the morning congestion in the direction of Farrer Road can be serious. The return journey was not as bad, except for one choke-point caused by the traffic light at Sime Road.

There are ways to solve these problems on the cheap. An additional lane can be added to Adam and Lornie roads in the direction of Farrer Road. The traffic light-controlled U-turn just after the MediaCorp headquarters should be removed.

If it is found that a significant number of drivers intend to get onto the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) towards Changi, one of the existing service roads inside Bukit Brown itself can be upgraded to siphon off such traffic.

In the opposite direction, the traffic light at Sime Road causes major congestion in the evenings as traffic entering from the PIE stops there, causing traffic coming from Farrer Road to build up.

My evening drive home was clear once I passed that point.

This traffic light, which is only for the convenience of Singapore Island Country Club members, should be eliminated.

For golfers wishing to go in the direction of Bukit Timah, an old road through the nature reserve, currently in disrepair, can be upgraded to allow them to exit onto the PIE.

Rather than aspiring to grand solutions, those who control the public purse should seek out what gives Singaporeans the best value for money.

Lee Chiu San

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Near real-time water monitoring of Singapore waters planned

Feng Zengkun Straits Times 29 Mar 12;

A NETWORK of eight water-monitoring buoys could soon be installed in Singapore waters for near real-time alerts to changes in water quality.

These changes can be brought about by, for example, oil spills, algae blooms or even heavy rain, which alter the composition of sea water and can harm fish and other sea life.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is now evaluating bids for such a system; if awarded, the contractor has seven months to deliver it.

The unmanned buoys will be capable of relaying information on water quality to the NEA.

They will also collect weather data, such as that for humidity, rainfall and solar radiation.

The data will be shared with government agencies overseeing facilities that use coastal water, such as desalination plants.

According to documents obtained by The Straits Times, the buoys are likely to be located near Lim Chu Kang, Tuas, Serangoon, Seletar, East Coast, the Cyrene Reef in Pasir Panjang and offshore islands Pulau Tekong and Pulau Semakau.

At present, the NEA collects water samples manually every month and analyses them; it also monitors coastal recreational beaches weekly, to ensure their waters pass World Health Organisation guidelines.

An NEA spokesman said the new system will complement the existing measures, not replace them.

'It will help... by providing near real-time water quality data at the eight locations in our coastal waters,' she said.

Fish-farm owners say they hope that the NEA will share the information with them. At the moment, these farm owners tip one another off to changes in the water that can kill their fish, which are usually kept in nets in pens suspended in open sea.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority also shares any alerts it receives from them with other farmers.

Ms Maureen Ng, a Punggol fish-farm owner in her 60s, said: 'Any measure that can help us is welcome. Sometimes, even the rain can cause havoc to our fish by changing the water's salinity.'

The vagaries of the weather aside, Singapore straddles a busy shipping route, on which accidents have been known to happen.

About a third of the world's trade and half the world's oil pass through the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait.

In 2010, a collision between an oil tanker and a bulk carrier in the Singapore Strait spilt about 2,500 tonnes of crude oil into the sea.

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ACRES & Lao Zoo set up Vientiane centre to curb illegal wildlife trade

Channel NewsAsia 28 Mar 12;

SINGAPORE: Singapore animal welfare group ACRES and Lao Zoo have set up the first Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre in Vientiane, Laos.

ACRES, which stands for Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the ACRES Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre (AWREC) in Laos on Wednesday.

Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam and Laos Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr Thongloun Sisoulith were present at the ceremony.

"I am delighted to have witnessed the MOU signing between the Lao Zoo and Singaporean charity ACRES," said Mr Shanmugam. "The Bear and Wildlife Protection Programme under the MOU is a timely initiative. Wildlife and environmental conservation is an increasingly important issue, so the joint effort is very encouraging."

Under the agreement, the five-hectare AWREC will provide sanctuary to animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, with a focus on rescuing bears.

ACRES said AWREC will also serve as an educational facility to create awareness on the wildlife trade, environmental protection and a host of animal protection issues.

It will have exhibits on a animal protection issues and conduct educational talks, skits and performances to create awareness and inspire the community to make a difference.

ACRES will also provide technical assistance to operate and manage the Lao Zoo and improve the welfare of animals in the zoo.

A Wildlife Crime and Rescue Hotline will be set up to help combat the illegal wildlife trade by allowing those who know of anyone who buys, owns or trades in protected species to report the matter.

ACRES and the Lao Zoo will work closely with the Wildlife Conservation Division of the Department of Forestry Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for all project activities.

Executive Director of ACRES, Mr Louis Ng, said he's confident that the partnership will strengthen ties between Singapore and Laos and help curb the illegal wildlife trade.

He said ACRES will be hiring at least 24 Laotian members of staff to work with its Singapore team.

ACRES said Laos boasts one of the least disturbed ecosystems in Asia.

However, this biodiversity is under threat, as Laos is emerging as a source country in Asia's illicit wildlife trade.

ACRES said this trade is taking a heavy toll on its wildlife.

It said if left unchecked, current trends in the illegal trade will result in biodiversity and economic loss.

Acres lends a hand to create sanctuary for rescued bears
Nirmal Ghosh Straits Times 29 Mar 12;

BANGKOK: A wildlife refuge for bears rescued from painful captivity where their bile is extracted will soon open in Vientiane. It will be able to house up to 200 bears in spacious forested enclosures.

The Acres Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre (Awrec) is a partnership of three groups - Singapore's Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), a Thai wildlife organisation called Love Wildlife Foundation, and the privately run Lao Zoo.

This is the first time a Singaporean animal welfare organisation has gone international.

Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam, on an official visit to Laos, yesterday witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the new centre. He was joined by Dr Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos.

'Wildlife and environmental conservation is an increasingly important issue, so the joint effort is very encouraging,' Mr Shanmugam told The Straits Times by phone. 'This (animal welfare) is everybody's business and I welcome NGOs and citizens playing a role.'

He added that those working on these issues outside Singapore should do so within the context of local laws and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

Keeping bears in captivity and extracting bile from their gall bladders is a common practice across mainland South-east Asia and China. The bile is in demand in China for its alleged medicinal properties.

But the bears live for most of their lives in cages in which they can hardly move, and the daily bile extraction is carried out via catheter and is extremely painful.

Wildlife and animal rights groups have long campaigned against the practice, with some success in China, where a recent public outcry stalled the initial public offering of a firm that made pharmaceutical products using bear bile.

There are an estimated 200 bears in bile farms in Laos - although no exact figures are available. 'Some are legal and some are not,' Acres executive director Louis Ng said.

The 5ha Awrec site is adjacent to the Lao Zoo, which owns the land. It will be developed into forested enclosures and be operational hopefully in six months' time, he said.

The new centre will also take in other rescued wildlife, and plans to work with field biologists and other NGOs on reintroducing some species to the jungles of Laos - a country with rich biodiversity under threat from illegal logging and extraction of wildlife.

Acres will also provide technical assistance in terms of improving enclosures and medical care at the Lao Zoo. The Love Wildlife Foundation in turn will focus on developing educational programmes. A new wildlife crime and rescue hotline will also be set up to help combat the illegal wildlife trade.

Mr Shanmugam, who is on a two-day visit to Laos, has met Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong to discuss ways to further bilateral cooperation.

Both men also exchanged views on issues such as the importance of Asean achieving its community-building targets, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said yesterday.

Dr Thongloun, in his meeting with Mr Shanmugam, spoke about Laos' development priorities, and expressed appreciation for Singapore's help in its capacity-building efforts, particularly in the field of human resource development, said the MFA statement.

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Orangutans in Indonesia's Aceh forest may die out in weeks

Reuters 28 Mar 12;

JAKARTA | Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:14am EDT

(Reuters) - Forest fires and land clearing by palm oil firms could kill off within weeks about 200 orangutans in a forest in western Indonesia, an environmental group said on Wednesday.

The orangutans, part of a population of around 6,600 on Sumatra island, used to live in a lush forest and peatland region called Rawa Tripa on the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province. But more than two-thirds of the area has been divided up into palm oil concessions, said the Coalition to Save Tripa.

Graham Usher, a member of the coalition and a landscape protection specialist, said satellite images showed forest fires had been burning in Tripa since last week, and if allowed to continue they could wipe out orangutans already forced onto the edge of remaining forests.

"If there is any prolonged dry spell, which is quite likely, there's a very good chance that the whole piece of forest and everything in it, so that's orangutans, sun bears, tigers, and all the other protected species in it, will disappear in a few weeks and will be gone permanently," he told a news conference.

The palm oil industry has expanded to make Indonesia the world's top producer and exporter of the edible oil, used to make good ranging from cooking oil and biodiesel to biscuits and soap to feed growing Asian consumer demand.

Deforestation has threatened animals like the Sumatran tiger and Javan rhino and pushed up carbon dioxide emissions. The Bali tiger and the Java tiger have disappeared in the last 70 years.

A two-year moratorium on new permits to clear primary forests came into effect in Indonesia last year, part of a $1 billion deal with Norway to cut emissions and slow expansion of plantations. But the moratorium was breached in Aceh on its first days, an environmental group has said.

The last Aceh permit for palm oil was issued by former Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf in August last year to PT Kallista Alam, prompting environmental group Walhi to file a legal suit against Yusuf. A court verdict is expected next week.

"If Kallista Alam win the case they will burn it and that whole bit of forest will disappear and we can say goodbye to the orangutan of Tripa peat swamps," Usher said.

Kallista Alam could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Ron Popeski)

Indonesia land clearance 'wiping out' orangutans
AFP Yahoo News 27 Mar 12;

Critically-endangered orangutans in a protected area of Indonesia will be wiped out by the end of the year if land clearing is not stopped, a coalition of environmental groups warned Wednesday.

The government must immediately halt the clearance of forest in the 13,000-hectare (32,000 acres) peat swamps in Tripa, Aceh province, the groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth said.

They also called on the government to investigate the use of fire by palm oil companies for land clearing and reinforce existing laws protecting the ecosystem.

Ian Singleton, conservation director of Swiss-based PanEco, one of the groups making up the Coalition for Protection of Tripa Swamp, said the roughly 200 orangutans left in the peat swamps will be gone in months if the fires continue.

"The speed of destruction, fires, burning and everything has gone up dramatically in the last few weeks, let alone in the last year, and this is obviously a deliberate drive by these companies to clear all the remaining forests," he said.

"If this is not stopped right now, then all those orangutans, all those forests, will be gone before the end of 2012."

Experts believe there are about 50,000 to 60,000 of the two species of orangutans left in the wild, 80 percent of them in Indonesia and the rest in Malaysia.

They are faced with extinction from poaching and the rapid destruction of their forest habitat, driven largely by palm oil and paper plantations.

Most of those left are the endangered Bornean orangutan species. And Singleton said that based on 2004 figures there are only 6,600 of the critically-endangered Sumatran oragutans left in North Sumatra and Aceh provinces.

"We suspect that up to 100 orangutans may have perished in forest clearing and peat burning in the last few months in Tripa," said Graham Usher of local group Foundation of a Sustainable Ecosystem.

Satellite monitoring found at least 87 fire hotspots between March 19 and 24 in three palm oil concessions. Footage and images captured large clouds of white smoke and patches of burnt peat.

At least 2,800 hectares of peat were destroyed in the latest fires, and the number of animals, including Sumatran orangutans, Malayan sun bears and Sumatran tigers that perished was "immeasurable", the local group added.

Palm oil is a key ingredient in soap and everyday foods ranging from peanut butter to sweets but its cultivation is considered one of the biggest threats to the world's dwindling rainforests.

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Malaysia: The Dugong - A lady you rarely see

Avila Geraldine New Straits Times 23 Mar 12;

SANCTUARY: Locals want Mermaid islands be turned into marine park to protect the dwindling dugong population

KOTA BELUD: MANY visitors willingly take a 50-minute boat ride to Mantanani Islands near here with the hope of catching a glimpse of the famous "lady of the sea".

The best time to see a dugong is between October and February, but with the population slowly on the brink of extinction, such sightings are becoming rare.

These endangered dugongs, dubbed "seacows", are semi-nomadic, travelling long distances in search of food and occasionally found grazing on sea grass near here, 80km north of Kota Kinabalu, at a cluster of islands also known as Mermaid islands.

Mantanani Paradise human resources manager Zamzani P. Amin said the last dugong sighting was last year when a juvenile was spotted feeding on the seabed located north side of the island near Mantanani Kecil. However, no proper recording was done.

"Mantanani is blessed with them, but not any more.

"The dugongs were hunted for their meat and oil, and the fish bombing frightened them away."

Mantanani Paradise, established in 2004, is the second operator to operate in the island that currently boasts more than 13 dive sites.

He said many divers especially from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and the United Kingdom would come during the diving seasons with the hope of an encounter with the unique marine mammal.

A recent issue of AsianDiver magazine carrying a picture of a diver patting a dugong in Mantanani helped fuel their interest.

"We will tell visitors to pray for a sighting, as the waters around Borneo are known to support a small population especially here.

"But with the dwindling population, we tell them that they would have to be extremely lucky.

"There have been claims of sightings but there was no proof."

A monitoring programme conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sabah and James Cook University in Australia from September 2001 to July 2003 recorded 88 sightings of a single dugong in Sabah waters.

The study also suggested that at least five dugongs were resident or transient at the island within the three years.

He said the authorities should consider gazetting the islands as a marine park to protect the dugong population.

"A female dugong gives birth to only one calf every three to seven years and the pregnancy lasts for 12 to 14 months.

"The creation of a marine park will be good for both humans and the marine population.

"Since the island relies on tourism, the protection of the marine life including the dugongs will boost the industry.

"The islanders should be taught to understand the importance of preserving the marine life as its depletion will drive the tourists away," he said.

Mantanani Islands comprising Mantanani Besar which is populated, Mantanani Kecil and Lungisan, is famed for dive spots.

"The recommended diving season is from January to October.

"For the dugong season, researchers find that dugongs often keep close to shore during the northeast monsoon (October to February) when the sea is relatively rough," he said.

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Malaysia: Aquaculture threat to mangroves

Predeep Nambiar New Straits Times 27 Mar 12;

STOP IT: Control aquaculture land

THE government has been urged to check the growth of the aquaculture industry to prevent the destruction of mangrove swamps and protect the coastal eco-systems.

In making the call, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president S.M. Mohamed Idris said 2010 figures showed that 7.7 million hectares of land had been alienated for aquaculture.

He said the ever expanding number of aquaculture ponds eventually caused mangrove swamps to become the biggest casualty. Citing what has happened in Perak as an example, he said an analysis of changes in the mangrove areas in the state by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) showed a notable decline of 64 per cent in the extent and distribution of mangrove swamps from 1989 to 2009.

The main cause of the decline was the promotion of aquaculture development.

"We are concerned with these trends because it involves land clearing and conversion, particularly mangrove forests to build aquaculture ponds.

"These aquaculture projects have serious impact on coastal eco-systems, affecting those who are dependent on the natural environment, especially fishermen," he said.

Idris said there were also serious weaknesses in terms of government policies on the aquaculture industry as there were no special legal provisions to regulate it.

The biggest enforcement concern included legislation to control discharge or wastewater effluents from aquaculture ponds.

He said although there was a code for "good aquaculture practice", it was not legally binding.

"All this issues are proof that the current methods of modern aquaculture are in serious need of reform. The industry is predominantly export oriented while our environment is adversely affected."

"In this perspective, the economic value of the aquaculture exports must not take precedence over the broader social, economic, and environmental value of the coastal zone."

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Indonesia: Coral Reef Off Coast of Bontang Severely Damaged

Tunggadewa Mattangkilang Jakarta Globe 27 Mar 12;

Bontang, East Kalimantan. At least 70 percent of the 6,000 hectares of coral reefs in Bontang have been badly damaged, a local environment group said on Monday.

“The damage is so severe,” said Concern for Equator Environment Forum chairman Laode Udin. “It is estimated that 70 percent or 4,200 hectares of [coral reefs] is damaged.”

Laode said the coral had been ruined by the mass of industrial and domestic waste dumped into the waters. Other contributing factors to the decline are the use of explosives by local fishermen, and locals who have been stealing the reef to use for the construction of homes.

Laode said that in the 1990s, the condition of Bontang’s coral reefs were excellent. This all changed, he said, when big businesses began to enter Bontang, famous for its rich gas reserve and coal deposits.

Bontang is also home to Indonesia’s biggest state-owned fertilizer company, Pupuk Kaltim.

The city’s economic boom, Laode said, sparked an influx of migrants and massive developments and it is slowly taking its toll on the environment.

To fulfill Bontang’s need for fish, he said, fishermen began to use trawlers and bombs to increase their catch. Although illegal, enforcement against these acts has been virtually absent.

The activist said that the fishermen are starting to suffer for their reckless acts.

“Now they have to sail several miles into the sea to catch their fish,” he said.

Laode said that the current rate of destruction, coupled with the reefs’ slow pace in repopulating themselves, meant that in a few years reefs in Bontang would be wiped out completely.

As the coral reefs decline, so will the city’s once teeming marine life. Laode called for an end to over-fishing and the dumping of pollution in Bontang’s waters.

“At least don’t treat the sea as a waste dump,” he said. “People should not throw their trash and waste to the sea. This is what is damaging the reefs.”

Nur Hidayah of Bontang’s Agriculture, Fishery and Maritime Office (DPPK) admitted that the city’s coral reef has been badly damaged but put the level closer to 50 percent, or 3,000 hectares.

Hidayah said that forces of nature, like sedimentation, also played a role.

“We have to admit that our coastal lines have been badly damaged, especially the coral reefs which have reach a destruction level of 50 percent,” he said.

The condition, the DPPK official said, had led the city to enact a city regulation as an effort to slow down the destruction rate in Bontang’s coastal areas.

The regulation defines zones meant for conservation and those for fishing.

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Indonesia: Fisheries Group Accuses Jakarta of Protecting Firms That Pollute Seas

Fidelis E. Satriastanti Jakarta Globe 28 Mar 12;

The Fisheries Justice Coalition has accused the government of trying to legalize the dumping of toxic waste into the sea.

It said the government’s draft regulation on the management of hazardous and toxic substances ignored the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and would open the door for polluters.

Indonesia has ratified the UN convention, which obliges it to take steps to prevent, minimize, and overcome sea contamination.

The fisheries coalition, or Kiara, urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to revise the draft regulation to close loopholes it said would allow companies to legally dump dangerous waste in the ocean.

It said the country needed tougher laws in place to protect its waters from the dangerous practice of dumping hazardous materials at sea.

“There are at least five reasons to reject the government’s draft regulation on toxic dumping,” Kiara’s secretary general, Riza Damanik, said on Tuesday. “It seems that the government is trying to protect environmental polluters by legalizing the dumping of waste at sea.”

Riza said the draft regulation only called on industries to voluntarily limit the production of dangerous waste instead of making it obligatory.

“The dumping of tailings [mining waste], for example, endangers the marine ecosystem and food chain,” he said.

However, the Environment Ministry’s deputy for hazardous and toxic waste, Masnellyarti Hilman, denied that the draft regulation legalized the dumping of waste into the sea.

“It doesn’t mean that companies are free to dump their waste. The regulation requires certain conditions to be met before they can dump waste into the sea,” Masnellyarti said. “The conditions are stipulated with the aim to eliminate or minimize the impact of waste dumped into the sea.”

She added that the draft regulation was written after intense discussions with experts.

In a recent case involving hazardous waste, a scrap metal exporter from Britain agreed to take back waste it had sent here.

“Britain said it would send a notification letter to take the containers back. The exporter, Stemcor UK Limited, will re-export it and it will reach England by April 30,” Masnellyarti said.

The Netherlands is helping to find where the waste originated.

“The Netherlands is trying to find out the origin of the waste, whether it was from that country or whether came from another country,” Masnellyarti said.

In January, customs agents working with the Environment Ministry found 113 shipping containers said to contain scrap iron but in fact held contaminated electronics waste and asphalt.

Some of the containers, which arrived at North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok Port, were oozing a white liquid.

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Sediment killing Thai coral reefs

The Phuket News 23 Mar 12;

Up to a third of all coral reefs around Thailand have been covered and destroyed by sediment from land development to build hotels, resorts and private homes, says the Marine and Coastal Resources Department (MCRD).

According to a 2009 report, destroyed reefs now total more than 35,520 rai (14,200 acres) from a total of 96,000 rai of reef in coastal areas, reported The Nation.

Off the Andaman coast, about 50 per cent of the coral reefs covering 49,000 rai has been degraded, while some 24 per cent of 47,000 rai of reefs in the Gulf of Thailand have been destroyed.

A director of the department’s Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation, Pinsak Surasawadee, said recently that coastal land developments were the main destroyers of coral reefs.

“The removal of land surfaces in coastal areas has sped up the amount of sediment flowing into the sea, affecting reefs, aquatic animals and plants,” he said. Sediment in the sea also blocks sunlight and affects the growth of coral.

“The problem is that many builders do not follow guidelines for the environmental impact assessment, which require them to construct sediment retention to prevent soil flowing into the sea,” he said.

Coral reefs around three islands in Surat Thani province, Koh Samui, Koh Phang Ngan, and Koh Tao, have been severely damaged by a huge amount of sediment, as have those around Phuket and Koh Yao, according to a sea watch agency.

“We have discussed this problem with the department to try to find effective ways to reduce the impact from coastal development, especially in Phuket, which has areas designated for environmental protection, but law enforcement has never been implemented,” said Mr Pinsak.

He said MCRD officials now had no authority to arrest people who damaged coral reefs and marine resources. The department wants the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning to give more power to its staff, under the 1992 Environmental Act, to arrest offenders.

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Indonesian Officials Brace for ‘Tomcat’ Insect Outbreak

Jakarta Globe 27 Mar 12;

The Health Ministry has ordered all community health centers to be on standby to treat a potential outbreak of skin rashes caused by contact with the rove beetle, as reports of bug attacks begin coming in from outside Java.

Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the ministry’s director general for environmental health and disease control, said on Monday that his office was closely monitoring reports of attacks by the beetles, known locally as tomcat bugs, and coordinating prevention and treatment efforts with provincial, district and municipal health officials.

“In Surabaya, for instance, all community health centers have been placed on standby and are prepared to provide free treatment and medication for patients who have come into contact with tomcat bugs,” he said.

The bug infestation was first reported in Surabaya earlier this month, with scores of residents complaining of severe rashes after coming into contact with fluid secretions from the insect.

Tjandra said most of those affected were generally in good health and only suffering from skin irritations.

“They’ve just got dermatitis, with symptoms of itching, burning sensations and in some cases hyperpigmentation [localized darkening of the skin],” he said. “It will all clear up in about 10 days.”

He added that clinics in Yogyakarta were reporting similar symptoms among residents there who had come into contact with the beetle.

Tjandra played down the idea that the infestation was an unusual event, pointing out that those affected in Yogyakarta had acknowledged that the local tomcat population regularly peaked six weeks into the rice-growing season and would stay that way until the harvest.

The beetle is usually found in moist areas such as rice paddies and swamps, and is known for feeding on smaller insects that attack rice crops.

Tjandra said although the rashes and irritations were not a new disease and should not prompt excessive concern, the Health Ministry had ordered quarantine officials at ports and airports in high-risk areas to fumigate their facilities to prevent any bug attacks there.

The skin irritations can be transmitted to other people through towels, clothes or other materials that come into contact with the fluid contained in the blisters, Tjandra said previously.

The ministry’s latest warning on the issue comes as reports of tomcat attacks trickle in from outside Java. In Palembang, South Sumatra, a resident said on Monday that he and his family had come into contact with one of the beetles.

“We developed itchy rashes that we initially thought was from an allergic reaction,” said Tohir Sopyan, 45.

“But then we saw the news reports on TV and we were convinced that this was because of the tomcats.”

He added that after reporting the case to local health authorities, officials found several of the bugs in the neighborhood.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, 11 workers at El Tari Airport were reportedly suffering from tomcat-related rashes. Airport manager Imam Pramono said although the symptoms regularly cropped up this time of year, officials there had not known the cause of the rashes until now.

In Bali, health officials said the beetle was known to thrive in the local paddies, but there had been no reports of attacks yet.

Antara

Bogor Subdistricts Start to Feel Pain of Tomcat Beetle Attacks
Vento Saudale & Antara Jakarta Globe 27 Mar 12;

Bogor. Poisonous tomcat beetles have not only spread to a second subdistrict in Bogor, with three other victims reported in a village in Rumpin, but they have been reported in other districts on Java.

In Bogor, the tomcat beetle was found in Dramaga subdistrict, where it stung one person, and on Monday three victims of the poisonous insect were reported in Kampung Sawah village in Rumpin subdistrict.

Adam Glorawan, 6, from Kampung Sawah was first diagnosed as suffering from herpes because he had blisters, but he did not suffer from the symptomatic fever. The tomcat beetle, whose poison causes serious skin irritations that can later develop into blisters, also affected a 17-year-old uncle of Adam and a 28-year-old neighbor.

Bogor district health office chief Tri Wahyu Harini said that officials were not checking the reports.

“We did some monitoring at the location but cannot ascertain what the victims are suffering from,” Tri said.

Rumpin health clinic chief Yusnizar Ikbal also said that “it cannot yet be ascertained whether the irritation is due to the poison excreted by the tomcats or from something else.”

However, Yusnizar said that the insect had been sighted within the village.

In West Java, two other districts have reported people stung by the beetle, which looks similar to an ant but has a more elongated body with orange and black segments. The fluid it excretes contains paederin, which can cause rashes or blisters within 24 to 48 hours of contact with the skin.

Garut district health office chief Dede Rohgmansyah said on Sunday that at least 17 villagers from Mulyajaya had reported rashes that appeared to have been caused by tomcats. Medical tests proved those suspicions to be correct.

Tomcats, also known as rove beetles, have also been found in the Cihideung subdistrict of Tasikmalaya, West Java.

“Tomcats entered my house and I found 15 of them. I immediately killed them,” said Nanang, a resident of Cihideung who has since left the house with his wife and young child and sought temporary shelter at the home of his parents in the neighboring Garut district.

He said he killed them by spraying them with insecticide.

According to the South Tangerang health office, a 7-month-old baby was stung by the beetles.

Health office chief Dadang M. Epid said the baby was from the Pakulonan ward of North Serpong.

Two other area residents were reported to have suffered rashes caused by the insect, but further tests were not able to establish that, he said.

Dadang added that the district would pay for the baby’s medical treatment.

He said that although poisonous, the tomcats were actually beneficial to farmers because they ate eggs of wereng, a pest that is harmful to rice.

Tomcats are also believed to have poisoned dozens of people in Dempo in the Pasean subdistrict of Pamekasan on Madura Island, said a local district councilor, Suli Faris.

Suli said the tomcats started inflicting pain on their victims about three days ago.

Another district councilor, Khairul Kalam, said, “I found two tomcats in my bathroom at home, which is near rice fields.”

State news agency Antara said tomcats were reported in six other subdistricts in Pamekasan.

Tomcat attacks were first reported in the East Java capital of Surabaya, where 149 cases had been recorded as of Wednesday.

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Malaysia: 'Control on open burning to combat haze'

New Straits Times 28 Mar 12;

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will impose control on open burning as a way to combat haze during the hot and dry season expected to occur between April and September this year, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

He said the decision was reached at a preparatory meeting of the National Haze Committee last Thursday, and that the Department of Environment had been tasked with controlling open burning.

"The strategy now, as we move towards a dry weather, (is) more enforcement on the road to ensure there will be less pollution; and impose regulation to ensure there will be no open burning," he told reporters after opening a regional seminar on "Improved Tools and Methods for Integrating Biodiversity Conservation into Forest Planning," here today.

Until last March 19, 320 cases of open burning was recorded nationwide, with 56 cases issued with compound fines and 23 were given notices under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
He said to control open burning, the government would also focus on peat areas in Selangor, Pahang, Miri (Sarawak) and Johor, as peat soil could easily combust when the water level in the area dropped.

He said so far the ministry managed to ensure the water level was sufficient, and at the same time build a number of tube wells either for fire-fighting purpose or for raising the water level at the peat area.
Uggah also said that the Asean ministerial steering committee on trans-boundary haze would meet in Brunei in May to discuss ways to address haze.

The group will also discuss coordination and collaboration in various programmes as well as exchanging fire-fighting experiences among member states.
At today's event, Uggah launched the Perak Tool, a new biodiversity tool, aimed at assisting forest managers and decision-makers to ensure improved planning, sustainable harvesting and effective biodiversity impact assessment.

It comprises four kits namely Landscape Planning Tool Kit, Payment for Ecosystem Services Tool Kit, Rapid Biodiversity Assessment Tool Kit and Alternative Harvesting Method with Computerised Tree Selection Tool which can be used together or separately.

It was named after Perak because it was developed after six years of research carried out in the Temenggor Forest Reserve by local and United States researchers under the CBioD project costing about RM7 million.
Also present at the function were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, and Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
The two-day seminar was attended by 120 participants from various Asean countries including Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. -- Bernama

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