Best of our wild blogs: 26 Nov 12

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [19 - 25 Nov 2012]
from Green Business Times

Whiskered Tern vomiting fish
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Twin-barred Tree Snake
from Monday Morgue

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Indonesia: Forest Ministry Pushes to Continue Deforestation Moratorium, House Pushes Back

Camelia Pasandaran Jakarta Globe 23 Nov 12;

Indonesian lawmakers threatened on Friday to freeze the budget for reforestation projects if President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono continues the nation’s deforestation moratorium until 2014.

Yudhoyono issued a two-year moratorium on new forestry permits for peat and primary forests after the Norwegian government promised $1 billion in conservation assistance. To receive the funds Indonesia has to provide verifiable proof that it has reduced deforestation rates in a nation where more than a million hectares of forests are cut down annually.

The bulk of the money won’t be paid until Indonesia can prove reforestation efforts have made an impact.

But the promise of funds was not enough for United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker Romahurmuzy.

The head of the House of Representatives forestry and agriculture commission said Indonesia was losing too much money setting up reforestation projects when it could be issuing more permits for palm oil plantations.

“It’s not worth it,” he said. “Our total budget is Rp 1,600 trillion. The budget for the Forest Ministry is Rp 6 trillion. The reward is not equal to the economic potential being lost in the forest sector.”

The government receives some 300 applications for new palm oil plantations a year, Romahurmuzy said. It approves between 70 and 80 a year.

One 10,000 hectare plantation can provide work for entire villages in rural Indonesia, Romahurmuzy said.

“If Norwegian is not serious about the compensation, the government should seriously consider not continuing it,” he said.

The Ministry of Forests will recommend the moratorium stays in effect until the 2014 presidential election, ministry spokesman Sumarto said. The ministry still has 40 million hectares of cleared land to replant, he added.

“The Forest Ministry plans to continue the moratorium,” Sumarto said. “[Minister] Zulkifli [Hasan] will soon report the plan to the president.”

The government has a responsibility to restore the nation’s forests and should not focus on the compensation funds, Sumarto said.

“We have the responsibility to maintain our economy by changing the consumptive pattern in managing the forest,” he said.

It will take at least 25 years to restore the nation’s forestland, Sumarto said. The reforestation programs also provide jobs for some of the four million people who live near deforested areas, he added.

“So we try to extend the moratorium at least until 2014, as long as this government term,” he said.

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Malaysia: Threat to a hill rich with fossils

Satiman Jamin New Straits Times 26 Nov 12;

300-MILLION-YEAR HISTORY: Bukit Buchu could be flattened if no action is taken

KUALA TERENGGANU: A HILL full of 300-million-year-old fossils in Batu Rakit here may go into oblivion if no efforts are taken to protect them.

The barren hillside of Bukit Buchu, overlooking Taman Atikah in Batu Rakit, looks like many other hills that dot the coastal road to Kota Baru.

However, while the more picturesque hills have no visitors, the jagged rock face of Bukit Buchu has seen a regular stream of geologists and geology students since the 1980s as the hill holds ancient marine flora and fauna fossils.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Oceanography and Environment Institute geological researcher Dr Peter Robertson Parham said he was excited when his colleagues informed him about the hill.

He was surprised by the density of the fossils there.

"I thought I would have to sift through a lot of rocks to find a fossil but when I went up the hill, I realised they were everywhere, even on the loose rocks that I trampled on."

Parham demonstrated his point when he picked up a loose rock which has indentations of round patterns on one side.

"The patterns are actually the fossil of brachiopods which lived in shallow seas during the Carboniferous era about 300 million years ago."

He said it was amazing that the fossils were so well preserved as the soft shale on which they were embedded could be easily affected by the elements, let alone the geologic upheavals over millions of years.

"The mud at the bottom of the prehistoric sea was turned to shale by geologic activities, such as the receding ocean levels at the end of the Carboniferous era," he said, adding that the layers of shale also indicated that the rock face of Bukit Buchu had been sheared, turned and upturned repeatedly by ancient geologic activities.

"We can learn a few things about the geological history of this area by studying the changes indicated by the patterns on the rock face."

UMT vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo, who is also the founder of the Malaysian Historic Geological Heritage, said the absence of laws protecting fossils and fossil sites could hamper efforts to preserve them.

"One way to get around this is by gazetting heritage areas as geoparks, such as in Langkawi."

He said although Bukit Buchu might lack the criteria to become a national heritage, the state government could still turn it into a state geopark to let students and the public have a better understanding of the geological history of Terengganu.

Ibrahim said Terengganu had no lack of possible geopark sites, such as Gunung Gagau, which might contain dinosaur remains as highlighted by the New Straits Times.

"Some areas in Tasik Kenyir also have the potential of becoming state geoparks as they have unique geological features. Some interesting fossils have also been found there."

Efforts to preserve Bukit Buchu should be hastened as the fossil-bearing hill stands on private land and the landowner can level the hill or turn it into a housing area, which means Terengganu may lose the 300-million-year-old treasure trove that it holds.

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Review highlights role of citizen science projects

Mark Kinver BBC News 23 Nov 12;

A review of more than 230 "citizen science" projects says the involvement of volunteers offers "high value to research, policy and practice".

It added that such schemes had the potential to help meet the demands of monitoring the UK's environment.

The review's authors also produced a guide offering advice on how to get the most out of citizen science projects.

The review and guide was commissioned by the UK Environmental Observation Framework (UK-EOF).

The authors, from Nerc Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and the Natural History Museum, London, reviewed 234 projects - ranging from small one-off local surveys to large-scale long-term programmes.

'Cost effective'

"Participation with environmental science and natural history has a long history, especially in Britain, long before it was termed 'citizen science'," project leader Dr Helen Roy, an ecologist from the CEH, told BBC News.

"However, the development of communication technologies through the internet offers many new options which will help even more people to get involved in contributing information for monitoring our environment, which is under increasing pressure."

The review reached a number of conclusions about the value of data collected by volunteers:

The development of technologies was "revolutionising citizen science", for example through online recording and smartphone apps;
Data quality could be excellent, but was not fully recognised by all researchers or policymakers;
It is a cost-effective way of collecting environmental data
There was potential to make considerably more use of citizen science that currently was the case.

The guide, published alongside the review, offers the scientific community advice on how to develop, implement and evaluate citizen science projects.

The guide's lead author, Dr John Tweddle from the Natural History Museum, said participating in the monitoring and observation was a "fun and rewarding pastime" for volunteers.

"Our guide aims to support anyone with an interest in developing their own citizen science project - and new communication technologies, like mobile phone apps and environmental sensors, mean that it has never been easier to get involved."

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UN to launch new round of talks on global warming

Karl Ritter Associated Press Yahoo News 25 Nov 12;

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas-rich Qatar for annual talks starting Monday on slowing global warming, one of the main challenges will be raising climate aid for poor countries at a time when budgets are strained by financial turmoil.

Rich countries have delivered nearly $30 billion in grants and loans promised in 2009, but those commitments expire this year. And a Green Climate Fund designed to channel up to $100 billion annually to poor countries has yet to begin operating.

Borrowing a buzzword from the U.S. budget debate, Tim Gore of the British charity Oxfam said developing countries, including island nations for whom rising sea levels pose a threat to their existence, stand before a "climate fiscal cliff."

"So what we need for those countries in the next two weeks are firm commitments from rich countries to keep giving money to help them to adapt to climate change," he told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Creating a structure for climate financing has so far been one of the few tangible outcomes of the two-decade-old U.N. climate talks, which have failed in their main purpose: reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases that scientists say are warming the planet, melting ice caps, glaciers and permafrost, shifting weather patterns and raising sea levels.

The only binding treaty to limit such emissions, the Kyoto Protocol, expires this year, so agreeing on an extension is seen as the most urgent task by environment ministers and climate officials meeting in the Qatari capital.

However, only the European Union and a few other countries are willing to join a second commitment period with new emissions targets. And the EU's chief negotiator, Artur Runge-Metzger, admitted that such a small group is not going to make a big difference in the fight against climate change.

"I think we cover at most 14 percent of global emissions," he said.

The U.S. rejected Kyoto because it didn't cover rapidly growing economies such as China and India. Some hope for stronger commitments from U.S. delegates in Doha as work begins on drafting a new global treaty that would also apply to developing countries including China, the world's top carbon emitter. That treaty is supposed to be adopted in 2015 and take effect five years later.

Climate financing is a side issue but a controversial one that often deepens the rich-poor divide that has hampered the U.N. climate talks since their launch in 1992. Critics of the U.N. process see the climate negotiations as a cover for attempts to redistribute wealth.

Runge-Metzger said the EU is prepared to continue supporting poorer nations in converting to cleaner energy sources and in adapting to a shifting climate, despite the debt crisis roiling Europe. But he couldn't promise that the EU would present any new pledges in Doha and said developing countries must present detailed "bankable programs" before they can expect any money.

Sometimes, developing countries seem to be saying, "OK give us a blank check," he told AP.

Climate aid activists bristled at that statement, saying many developing countries have already indicated what type of programs and projects need funding.

"They need the financial and technical support from the EU and others. Yet they continue to promise 'jam tomorrow' whilst millions suffer today," said Meena Raman of the Third World Network, a nonprofit group.

Countries agreed in Copenhagen in 2009 to set up the Green Climate Fund with the aim of raising $100 billion annually by 2020. They also pledged to raise $30 billion in "fast-start" climate financing by 2012.

While that short-term goal has nearly been met by countries including the EU, Japan, Australia and the U.S., Oxfam estimates that only one-third of it was new money; the rest was previously pledged aid money repackaged as climate financing. Oxfam also found that more than half of the financing was in the form of loans rather than grants, and that financing levels are set to fall in 2013 as rich countries rein in aid budgets amid debt problems and financial instability.

Meanwhile, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere keeps going up. It has jumped 20 percent since 2000, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, according to a U.N. report released last week.

A recent projection by the World Bank showed temperatures are on track to increase by up to 4 degrees C (7.2 F) this century, compared with pre-industrial times, overshooting the 2-degree target on which the U.N. talks are based.

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Nov 12

Alexandra civet seen again… this time in daytime!
from Life of a common palm civet in Singapore

A black bittern @ Jurong Lake?
from PurpleMangrove

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Candlelight vigil for dolphins at Speaker's Corner

Today Online 24 Nov 12;

SINGAPORE - The Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES) will be organising a Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service for Wen Wen, the male dolphin that died while bound for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) newly-opened Marine Life Park.

The Sunday event, on Dec 2 at 6pm, is also in memory of two other wild-caught dolphins that died earlier. It will be held at the Speaker's Corner, said ACRES founder Louis Ng on a Facebook post.

"The vigil and memorial service will ensure that the tragic loss of the dolphins is not forgotten, and remind people about the plight of the 24 surviving dolphins and the need to do all we possibly can to spare them from the same fate," he said.

He added that the group would continue calling for the 24 dolphins to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Related links
Save the World's Saddest Dolphins website and facebook page.

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Best of our wiild blogs: 24 Nov 12

Bidadari (18 November)
from Rojak Librarian

Dragonfly (41) – Nesoxenia lineata
from Dragonflies & Damselflies of Singapore

Plant-Bird relationship: 14. Miscellaneous trees and shrubs and their families
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Forests worldwide near tipping-point from drought
from Mongabay.com news by Rhett Butler

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Dolphin deaths in transit rare: Experts

Procedure is safe but unnatural environment on trip may be stressful
Ng Kai Ling And Melissa Pang Straits Times 24 Nov 12;

IT IS rare for dolphins to die while they are being transported as all necessary precautions would have been taken to ensure their health and safety, two marine mammal experts said yesterday.

But, they added, the unnatural environment that the animals are exposed to during the journey can be very stressful.

On Thursday, a male bottlenose dolphin being transported to Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) Marine Life Park died suddenly less than an hour before its plane landed.

Wen Wen, estimated to be 10 years old, had been on a three-hour flight from Subic Bay in the Philippines. A necropsy - an autopsy for animals - has been performed and further tests will be done here and in the United States to find out how it died.

A Marine Life Park spokesman said yesterday that the other 10 dolphins that travelled with Wen Wen are under quarantine and being monitored closely. He also said RWS and park officials were deeply saddened by the death.

National University of Singapore's Tropical Marine Science Institute biologist Elizabeth Taylor said it was "very rare" for dolphins to die in transit.

"It is usually a very safe procedure," said Dr Taylor, who heads the Marine Mammal Research Laboratory. She said the utmost precautions are usually taken to make sure the dolphins are safe.

She added that at 10 years old, Wen Wen was considered a young dolphin and in its prime.

The transportation of dolphins involves placing them in specially made stretchers and submerging them in a deep container filled with water, she said.

The dolphin's flippers are fitted into slots at the sides of the stretchers to ensure they are not tossed around in transit.

This suspended position is just one of several stress factors for the sea mammals, said American dolphin expert Ric O'Barry, speaking from Almeria in Spain, where he helps in dolphin rescue efforts.

"In their natural world, dolphins do not know gravity. It's alien to them and causes stress," said Mr O'Barry, who has helped transport dolphins in his 50 years of experience working with them.

More stress comes from the noise and vibration from cargo planes, which they are usually transported on. Their primary sense is their sense of sound, and the environment is very different from what they are used to in the ocean, he said.

Mr O'Barry said none of the dolphins he has helped to transport has ever died, but they were mostly short journeys done in cases of emergency.

Dr Taylor said it was hard to tell if the other dolphins would be affected by Wen Wen's death. "They do recognise other individuals, so they will know if one is no longer there, but we can't know for sure how they will feel."

The first batch of 14 dolphins to the park arrived without harm on Monday.

Of the 27 dolphins that RWS bought for its oceanarium, two others besides Wen Wen have died, in 2010 of a bacterial infection while in a holding pen in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Wen Wen's death has renewed calls among animal activists for RWS to return the remaining 24 dolphins to their natural habitat in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, where they were captured from.

The activists argue that these dolphins will not survive in captivity. They also claim the dolphins were caught unethically.

The Marine Life Park opened on Thursday, the last attraction at the $7 billion integrated resort to be ready. Its 8ha oceanarium is the world's largest aquarium and was part of the proposal which won Genting International the bid to build the Sentosa integrated resort in 2006.

RWS bought the dolphins from a Canadian dolphin trader in 2008 and 2009.

In 2009, RWS scrapped plans to have whale sharks, saying it might not be able to care for them. The park's staff include four veterinarians with a combined experience of successfully transporting more than 500 marine mammals, a spokesman said.

The dolphin exhibit - which will not feature live shows and will have opportunities for visitors to interact with the mammals - will be open to the public next year.

Subic dolphin dies on flight to Singapore
Inquirer 24 Nov 12;

MANILA, Philippines—Wen Wen, one of 25 dolphins transferred from Subic in the Philippines to a Singapore oceanarium despite protests from activists, died during its flight to the city-state on Thursday, the resort said.

The male dolphin, aged about 10, died suddenly less than an hour before the flight from the Philippines landed, a Marine Life Park spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson of the park—which opened to the public for the first time earlier

Thursday and is part of the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) casino—said Wen Wen appeared fine when medically examined before the flight.

“We are deeply saddened… he will be sorely missed,” the spokesperson said.

He confirmed that the other 24 bottle-nose dolphins had arrived and were acclimatizing to their new home.

“No effort or resources will be spared in ensuring the health and well-being of our dolphins and all marine animals at Marine Life Park,” the statement said.

Wen Wen is the third dolphin to die out of 27 which RWS acquired from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific between 2008 and 2009.

Wildlife activists in the Philippines, however, are mad that the firm was able to ferry out the dolphins despite an ongoing court case and said Resorts World Sentosa and the government could expect a new round of lawsuits against them.

Trixie Concepcion of the Earth Island Institute decried the exportation of the dolphins from Subic to Singapore as “blatant disregard of Philippine laws and courts.”

She pointed out that a Quezon City court was still hearing their appeal seeking the extension of a temporary environment protection order (Tepo).

“And yet they flew the dolphins out of the country, it is a disrespect of our processes… the status quo should have been observed,” she said in an interview on Friday.

Concepcion pointed out that Wen-wen’s death only supports their argument that wild animals should not be transported.

“That is very stressful to the wild animals. And they die in the end,” she said.

Even though the dolphin died outside the country, Concepcion said they will file criminal charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

The animal welfare advocate said they will also pursue contempt charges against the government and Resorts World Sentosa.

“We are also contemplating a case before the Ombudsman against the government for obstruction of justice,” she said.

The activists had filed a lawsuit last month to stop the firm from taking the dolphins out of Subic, were they were kept and trained. They said the dolphins’ capture violated an international treaty on the trade in endangered animals and plants.

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 101 is hearing a case that the Philippine Animal Welfare Society and other groups filed against the Resorts World Sentosa and other government agencies seeking to stop the export of the dolphins.

The dolphins originally came from the Solomon Islands and were cared for in Subic before they were brought to Singapore.

Last month, the court issued a Tepo stopping the export of the dolphins but this order was only valid for 72 hours. The court did not extend the Tepo but is hearing the advocates’ appeal for its extension.

The first batch of 11 dolphins was reportedly transported on Nov. 19. The animal welfare advocates filed an urgent motion the following day. With a report from Agence France-Presse

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Seletar jetties in jeopardy - again

Seletar fishermen may have to move to make way for major road project
Straits Times 23 Nov 12;

AFTER shelling out thousands of dollars to hire professional engineers to certify their jetties safe, fishermen and jetty owners at Seletar thought they could continue to earn a living from the sea.

But their future remains uncertain, as the jetties might have to make way for a road project.

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) 2008 Masterplan, which maps out development plans for the next 10 to 15 years, a major road could be built parallel to Lower Seletar Reservoir Dam, in Yishun Avenue 1.

When contacted, URA could not confirm details of the proposed road, or whether the jetties, sited on a reserved site, would be affected.

The jetties, just off the eastern corner of the dam, may be boxed between two major roads and have access to the sea cut off.

The 30 to 40 full-time fishermen there - most of whom head to waters off Pulau Ubin or Changi - fear it is only a matter of time before the jetties have to make way.

Their new concerns follow a recent scare over the jetties' future because of safety violations and illegal land use.

In 1993, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) approved the use of part of the picturesque Seletar Reservoir coast as a mooring spot for boats.

Over the years, long wooden jetties and structures were built that extended from the mangrove far out into the sea.

Both the MPA and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) declared these structures illegal in March, saying that although three temporary occupation licences had been issued for the use of state land since 1993, no approval had been granted for jetties and structures outside the licence boundary.

They noted that the structures lacked professional certification and posed a safety hazard.

However, if engineers could certify that the jetties were safe, they would not need to be removed.

An MPA spokesman said three of the four jetties have been certified safe by professional engineers, but they have to be inspected annually.

One jetty - which was not certified - has been dismantled. Fishermen from that jetty are believed to be now using Jenal Jetty, one of the three jetties that have been approved.

Most of the current jetty owners have been operating there for at least eight years.

Mr Yiew Lian, 60, a fisherman who docks his boat at a jetty owned by 76-year-old Toh Teck Yee, said the latter had spent about $2,000 to engage a professional engineer and make the necessary rectifications.

Another fisherman from a neighbouring jetty said he and others had pooled money to help the owner defray the cost of getting the jetty certified. "I contributed $50. What to do? There are no fish nowadays and I can't even feed myself," said the fisherman, who declined to be named.

These sums may not seem like much to some but the fishermen say they are significant given their meagre takings.

In a good month, these independent fishermen can earn $1,000. But, more often than not, they scrape by, as their catches have dwindled while prices of fuel have soared over the years.

When The Straits Times visited the place on Saturday, Mr Yiew had just returned from fishing off Pulau Ubin. His haul of mud crabs had fetched $80, out of which $50 went to foot the fuel bill.

"The $30 I earn does not take into account the amount needed to repair the nets. Compared to 30 years ago, the catch now fetches better prices but there are fewer fish," he said.

Fishermen said the fluctuating salinity of the reservoir after it was dammed and nearby land reclamation works had affected the quality and quantity of the catch.

"In the past, there was more salt water and our fish were so good that they were exported. Now water gets stuck in the reservoir and doesn't circulate," said a jetty owner who wants to be known only as Mr Teo.

With such bleak prospects, it is not surprising that the number of fishermen here is on the decline. According to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority, which issues licences to commercial fishermen, there are 61 now. In 2009, there were 74. They sail out from locations such as Changi Creek, Pulau Ubin and Seletar.

Almost all the 30 to 40 fishermen in Seletar have been in this line all their lives. Some have retired, while those who continue are in their late 50s to 80s.

Some set up jetties as they live in the Seletar coastal area. It was once a fishing village for the Orang Seletar tribe, which made a living collecting shellfish and edible plants.

As most are illiterate and have lived from young by the sea, the fishermen hope the Government will find another site for the jetties if they need to be demolished.

"I think they will find another place for us; after all, we have shifted three times. Originally, we were at Punggol. What else can we do? We live here month by month," said Mr Teo.

Mr Oh Soon Chai, 54, who used to operate an illegal jetty in the area two years ago, said it is likely the jetties will have to go.

"The last time we were here, MPA told us we may have to move to somewhere near Yishun Avenue 6 and the Simpang area."

Should they be asked to go, some fishermen say they may take up menial jobs such as dishwashing or cleaning.

For now, they continue to fish and sell their catch to customers - mainly Yishun residents and nearby workers.

Crabs go for $18 a kilo, compared to $20 to $30 a kilo at supermarkets. Fish and prawns are also sold.

Said regular customer Lin, who paid $50 for 2.5kg of fish on Saturday: "It's cheaper and fresher than those in the market. I will order before I come, as there may not be enough for everyone if you just come.

"It's their livelihood and I hope they will still be around two to three years down the road."

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Malaysia: Twin threats to orang utan

Kristy Inus New Straits Times 24 Nov 12;

STUDY FINDINGS: Scientists say climate change, deforestation affect species' genetic pool

KOTA KINABALU: A RECENT scientific study has suggested that the dwindling numbers of orang utan in Borneo and the way the animal behaves have been affected by deforestation activities as well as pre-historic events like climate change.

In learning from the past, it highlighted the need to expand conservation measures to ensure no further drop in population.

The study was done by a team of scientists from various institutes in Portugal, Switzerland, France, Britain and Sabah's Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) between the years 2000 and 2012.

The paper, which used samples collected in six different study sites in Sabah and Kalimantan, was published in the journal PLOS ONE (Public Library of Science) last week.

The study found the Bornean orang utan experienced major changes and faced extinction since 2.5 million years ago due to climate change as well as the arrival of farmers. The recent threat comes from commercially-driven habitat loss and fragmentation.

DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens, co-author of the paper, said these results did not mean that recent forest exploitation did not leave its genetic mark on orang utan.

They hinted that older events also played a part in affecting the species genetic pool, he said.

Lead author Dr Reeta Sharma warned that recent forest fragmentation affected the genetic variability among the remaining population of orang utan.

Genetic variability in a population is important for biodiversity, because without it, it becomes difficult for a population to adapt to environmental changes, making it more prone to extinction.

Goossens said this called for stronger measures to prevent further drop in population.

"We need to expand conservation measures, such as protection of private land to connect the existing protected forest lots, corridor establishment, wildlife monitoring and law enforcement."

He added that this was also emphasised by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, who had asked for a moratorium on any new land development in the Kinabatangan floodplain.

Return of the orang utan
Muguntan Vanar The Star 26 Nov 12;

KOTA KINABALU: The orang utan population in totally protected areas (TPAs) in Sabah's Lower Kinabatan-gan has risen by 20% with the increase in the number of protected forests, said a conservationist.

“The increasing population reflects a commitment by all, especially the state government, to protect more forest areas,” said orang utan conservationist Dr Marc Ancrenaz.

The latest good news came in the wake of a recent scientific study published in the PLOS ONE journal by a team of experts, who found that the Borneo orang utan began experiencing a major demographic decline between 200 and 2,000 years ago.

However, Dr Ancrenaz, who is co-director of the Hutan-Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Programme (Hutan-KOCP), did not disclose the number of orang utan within the totally protected forest areas.

The Sabah Forestry Department had recently increased the acreage under its totally protected forest reserves to further help in the conservation of orang utan and other species, such as the Borneo pygmy elephant, the Sunda clouded leopard, sunbear, hornbills and others.

“The areas recently re-gazetted as Class I (totally protected forest reserve) are lowland forests, which are favoured for agriculture development.

“But the state government has shown that it places more value on environmental security in the long term by making them TPAs instead of going for short-term profits,” said Dr Ancrenaz, a wildlife veterinarian who has been working on wildlife issues in Sabah since 1998.

In a statement, primotologist Dr Isabelle Lackman, who is a co-director Hutan-KOCP, said the biggest issue for orang utan conservation in Sabah remained the problem of isolation and fragmentation of protected forests.

“While the Kinabatangan area has been protected by the Sabah Wildlife Department since its gazettement in 2005, the sanctuary is very broken up with some forests being totally isolated.

“This is not healthy for the long-term survival of orang utan in the area,” said Dr Lackman.

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Poaching still biggest threat to recovery of world’s tiger populations

WWF 23 Nov 12;

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Serious gaps in protection are leaving tigers exposed to poachers, a new WWF study says, but this could be reversed if more investments are made in staff, equipment, and training programs for rangers that are working to protect the scattered populations of the endangered species in the wild.

WWF released the findings today to mark the 2nd anniversary of the historic St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, a high-level meeting hosted by the Russian Government and World Bank that saw 13 tiger range governments pledge to double wild tiger numbers from the current 3,200 to 6,000 plus by 2022 (TX2).

Covering 135 critical areas within the 12 landscapes where WWF currently supports tiger conservation, the survey found many of the sites remain poorly managed and under-resourced and therefore remain highly vulnerable to poachers.

“Poaching continues to be the single-most immediate threat to the survival of the tiger in the wild and also the greatest barrier to achieving the TX2 goal,” said Mike Baltzer, leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. “If we don't work as fast as possible towards ending poaching in these places then we cannot trust that these last remaining populations of tigers, and their prey, are safe for longer term recovery of this endangered species.”

The survey also shows that the same sites are in danger of becoming “paper parks”, i.e.
parks that are legally protected but are not being actively managed and protected on the ground.

Although 90% of the sites surveyed are legally protected, less than half have protection-specific management plans (with the exception of Russia). Across South and Southeast Asia only 12% of sites had the full number of planned staff in place and over 50% were not trained or equipped to an adequate level.

"The report shows that while important government commitments have been made, and much action has been accelerated, we are still far from what is needed to establish the very basics of tiger recovery,” Baltzer added.

Moving forward: six ways to increase tiger numbers

The survey examined six key elements related to effective management and protection against poaching: legal protection status, protection management, effective patrolling, intelligence networks, arrests and prosecutions as well as training and resources for field staff.

Investments in these areas are needed to not only achieve Zero Poaching, but to demonstrate to that the commitments made at the Summit are being actively pursued and are evident in the increased efforts to protect tigers. WWF is committed to Zero Poaching and will use the survey results to help identify gaps for future investments.

Global Tiger Recovery Program and Cards4Tigers

The 2010 Tiger Summit, governments also endorsed the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, an amalgamation of national tiger conservation actions and global targets towards meeting the TX2 goal. As a follow-up to the Tiger Summit, government officials met during the 2nd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation conducted in Bhutan in October 2012, where they committed to taking immediate and specific action over the next year to strengthen protection.

Since the Tiger Summit, WWF has been working with governments, NGOs and private partners to find ways to improve the effectiveness of ranger patrols through the development of law enforcement monitoring systems across Asia, training teams and key stakeholders in the latest methods in patrolling, prevention and conservation. WWF is presently supporting protection field staff and rangers through the Tigers Alive Initiative's "Cards4Tigers"

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