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NEA advises licensed food stall holders to temporary stop the sales of raw fish dishes using Song fish, also known as Asian Bighead Carp and Toman fish, also known as Snakehead fish, as a precautionary measure.
Channel NewsAsia 24 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE: Some samples of raw fish were tested and found to have traces of the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria, the Ministry of Health (MOH), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a joint news release on Friday (Jul 24).
This comes after MOH launched an investigation into the link between GBS and raw fish after it saw an increase in GBS cases.
From Jan 1 to Jun 30, authorities received reports of 238 GBS cases from public hospitals. This is up from an average of 150 cases per year in the past four years. More than half the cases were over the age of 55, similar to previous years.
Authorities earlier said there is no proven link between eating raw fish and serious GBS disease in healthy humans, but interim analysis of MOH's investigation on a limited number of identified cases found an association between the consumption of raw fish and GBS infections. More cases will need to be studied for a more definite conclusion, authorities noted.
NEA has advised licensed food stall holders to temporarily stop the sales of raw fish dishes using Song fish, also known as Asian Bighead Carp, and Toman fish, also known as Snakehead fish, as a precautionary measure. Stall holders will also be reminded to adhere to high standards of personal hygiene and adopt proper food handling practices to prevent cross contamination and bacterial growth, the agencies stated.
Earlier, MOH had asked all hospitals to submit their case listings of patients with GBS infections for this year as part of its investigation. Doctors in the private sector were also asked to report new cases of GBS infection to MOH as well, to assist in its probe.
Authorities added that GBS is a common bacterium found in the human gut and urinary tract of about 15 to 30 per cent of adults without causing disease. However, it may occasionally cause infection of the skin, joints, heart and brain. GBS can be found in fish, but it does not pose an issue if the fish is well-cooked before consumption, MOH said.
Some GBS patients told Channel NewsAsia after consuming yusheng, their joints swelled to the point where they required surgery.
While investigations are ongoing, vulnerable groups of people - especially young children, pregnant women or the elderly, or people with chronic illness such as diabetes - should exercise caution by avoiding raw ready-to-eat food, authorities said.
- CNA/dl
Eateries to halt sales of two types of raw fish containing GBS
REGINA MARIE LEE Today Online 24 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE — The authorities will be asking eateries to suspend the sale of raw-fish dishes that use Song fish and Toman fish as a precautionary measure after tests on samples of these species found traces of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria.
A message that was widely circulated last Monday claimed that there has been a surge in the number of GBS infection cases in Singapore. And today (July 24), the authorities confirmed that the number of such cases in public hospitals from January to last month is nearly 60 per cent higher than the full-year average for the past four years.
A limited number of these patients, who typically suffer from fever and pain in the joints, had consumed the Song and Toman fish raw, said the joint statement from the Ministry of Health, the National Environment Agency, and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.
But the authorities stressed again that there is “no proven link between eating raw fish and serious GBS disease in humans to date”, adding that while the bacteria can be found in fish, cooking it well before eating it does not pose issues.
The authorities also said they would need to study more cases for a more definite conclusion on the link between the consumption of raw fish and GBS infections.
There were 238 cases of GBS infection in public hospitals in the first half of this year, compared with the average of 150 cases per year from 2011 to 2014. As in previous years, more than half of the cases involved patients over the age of 55.
The joint statement said GBS is a common bacterium found in the human gut and the urinary tract of about 15 to 30 per cent of adults, without causing disease.
“However, GBS may occasionally cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain. The risk factors for GBS infection include underlying chronic or co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes,” it added.
While the authorities are temporarily halting the sale of Song and Toman, which are also known as the Asian Bighead Carp and Snakehead respectively, they also advised vulnerable groups of people, especially young children, pregnant women and the elderly, as well as those with chronic illness such as diabetes, to avoid raw ready-to-eat food such as raw oysters and sashimi.
Meanwhile, businesses told TODAY that customers have been staying away from raw fish, resulting in a 30 to 80 per cent drop in their sales of yusheng, a raw fish dish typically sold with porridge in hawker centres throughout the year.
Mr Kiang Chong Tong, 68, who runs Soon Heng Pork and Fish Porridge at Amoy Street Food Centre, said customers were ordering porridge without the fish. “We used to sell about 20 to 30 bowls a day, but that number has fallen by half,” he said.
“It’s not just raw fish,” said Mr Teo Ah Buo, 52, a sales assistant at Ah Chiang’s Porridge. “People are scared of even cooked fish now.”
Its average daily sale of 100 yusheng dishes has plunged to 20.
But some diners are not averse to eating raw fish. Ms Maria Lee, 21, said she would continue to eat sashimi because she did not think she had a high chance of becoming infected.
Stallholders told to stop serving raw fish for now
Kok Xing Hui The Straits Times AsiaOne 25 Jul 15;
Foodstall holders have been asked, for now, not to sell dishes containing two types of raw fish found to have traces of the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria.
The two types of fish are: Song fish, also known as Asian Bighead Carp; and Toman fish, also known as Snakehead fish.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it has found a link between the consumption of raw fish and GBS infection in a "limited number" of cases. But more cases will have to be studied before a definite conclusion is made, it added.
If the fish is well-cooked, GBS will not pose a problem, said a joint statement by MOH, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) last night.
Public hospitals have reported 238 cases of GBS infection in the first half of the year, up from an average of 150 cases in the last four years.
GBS bacterial infection 'unusual' for healthy adults: Doctors
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos.
(Photos: ST, TNP, Shutterstock)
GBS is a common bacterium found in the gut and urinary tract of 15 to 30 per cent of adults without causing disease. However, it may occasionally cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain.
Those with chronic or multiple conditions are at a higher risk of getting GBS infections.
There has been no previous proven link between eating raw fish and serious GBS disease in humans, added the joint statement.
Last Monday, MOH said it was investigating the link between GBS and the consumption of raw fish with the NEA and the AVA. This was in response to WhatsApp messages warning of a bacteria outbreak from eating contaminated raw fish.
Yesterday, the authorities again urged vulnerable groups - young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses - to avoid eating raw food such as oysters or sashimi while investigations are ongoing.
GBS bacteria found in two types of fish: What you need to know about them
Jalelah Abu Baker The Straits Times AsiaOne 28 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE - Foodstall holders have been asked to temporarily stop selling raw fish dishes using two types of fish which have been found with traces of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria.
The two types of fish are: Song fish, also known as Asian Bighead Carp; and Toman fish, also known as Snakehead fish.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) also found a link between the consumption of raw fish and GBS infections in some cases it investigated.
From Jan 1 to June 30 this year, MOH received reports of 238 cases of GBS infections from public hospitals - compared with an average of 150 cases per year in the past four years. More than half the cases were over the age of 55, similar to previous years.
GBS is a common bacterium found in the human gut and urinary tract of about 15 per cent to 30 per cent of adults without causing disease. However, GBS may occasionally cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain, said MOH.
The bacteria can also be found in fish, but this does not pose an issue if the fish is well cooked before consumption. Here are some facts about the two types of fish in the spotlight.
GBS bacterial infection 'unusual' for healthy adults: Doctors
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos.
(Photos: ST, TNP, Shutterstock, Wikimedia/Dezidor)
Song fish, also known as Asian bighead carp
How much does it cost?
In Hokkien, it is known as "songhe". It costs about $6 per kilo, according to Mr Khor Chin Puang, who owns fresh fish wholesaler Pan's Fish and has been in the fish retail business for eight years.
How popular is it?
While it is cheap, demand from consumers is "almost non-existent", and it is usually hawker stalls and restaurants that buy this type of fish. Mr Khor said that several shops in Chinatown sell steamed Song fish in black bean sauce. It is also used in raw fish porridge.
Why is it eaten?
Dr Tan Heok Hui, a fish expert from the department of biological sciences in National University of Singapore (NUS) said that the Song fish is highly esteemed for its head region, used in steamed dishes. There is a section of fish fats and oils below the cranium which is "highly delectable", he said.
Where is it from?
The Song fish is originally from riverine and lacustrine waters in northern Indochina and southern China, Dr Tan said. It has been imported usually as young fishes to be cultivated or to be grown out in mud ponds for aquaculture and for food fish purpose. The Song fish is a filter feeder, feeding mainly on suspended plankton.
Toman fish, also known as Snakehead fish
How much does it cost?
In Hokkien, it is known as "loyhe". It costs about $24 per kilo, according to Mr Khor.
How popular is it?
It is highly esteemed for its firm white flesh, Dr Tan said. It is used for tonic food, San Lao hor fun and steam boat. The fish is now often available as chilled or frozen fillets.
Why is it eaten?
Mr Khor said that the Chinese believe that the fish has medicinal properties. It is usually given to people who have undergone surgery or just given birth.
Where is it from?
It is originally from the South-east Asia region, found in rivers and lakes. It is a highly territorial and predatory species feeding on smaller fish and other organisms. It is usually cultivated as a cage fish or in mud ponds, and imported as fillet for the food market.
Yusheng sales plunge on bacteria warning
Alert is for Song and Toman fish, but hawkers using other types of fish report poor business
Melissa Lin Straits Times 31 Jul 15;
Sales of yusheng, a raw fish dish, have taken a hit after news broke that two types of fish were found to have traces of a bacterium that can cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain.
Hawkers told The Straits Times that consumers are spooked and are avoiding the dish even if it is made from other types of fish with no links to the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacterium.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has asked more than 70 raw fish porridge stalls to temporarily stop selling raw fish dishes made from Song fish, also known as Asian Bighead Carp, and Toman fish, also known as Snakehead.
The yusheng sold at hawker centres consists of thinly sliced strips of raw fish mixed in sesame oil and topped with ginger and chilli.
Maxwell Food Centre's Zhen Zhen Porridge, famed for its Song-fish yusheng, has stopped selling it for now. This, coupled with renovation near the food centre, has caused business to fall by 20 per cent, said owner Kiang Joon Chin, 60. About half of the 40kg to 50kg of Song fish he used to order daily were sold as yusheng. He has cut his supply to about 20kg and sells the fish fully cooked in porridge.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement last Friday that it had found a link between the consumption of raw fish and GBS infection in a "limited number" of cases. It is carrying out further studies before reaching a definite conclusion.
Public hospitals have seen 238 cases of GBS infection in the first half of the year, up from an average of 150 cases in the last four years.
GBS is a common bacterium found in the gut and urinary tract of about 15 to 30 per cent of adults without causing disease. But it may occasionally cause infections of the skin, joints, heart and brain.
GBS does not pose a problem if the fish is well-cooked, said the joint statement by MOH, NEA and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).
Yusheng lovers can still get their fix at Amoy Street Food Centre's Soon Heng Pork & Fish Porridge and Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre's Hwa Yuen Porridge stalls.
Both use the ikan parang - also known as wolf herring - which is pricier than the Song fish.
At Soon Heng, the smallest serving of raw fish costs $5, compared to $3 for the Song fish version.
Hwa Yuen's second-generation owner Clement Yip, who is in his 60s, said: "We used to sell more than 100 servings a day. Now, not even 50. Nobody dares to eat raw fish now."
Soon Heng's owner, Mr Kiang Choon Tong, 68, used to sell more than 50 plates of raw ikan parang daily but that has fallen to 10.
"We're more particular about hygiene now," he said. "I make sure the fish is cleaned properly and the container holding it is closed tightly before it goes into the freezer."
Other stalls are dropping the dish totally. Mr Teo Kiang Yong, 56, who owns Rong Teochew Fish Porridge at Amoy Street Food Centre, will not sell yusheng again. "It's too much trouble," he said. "I'd rather not take any chances."
Fishmonger Ang Yeow Leng, 60, said demand for the Song fish and Toman fish from consumers at wet markets is generally low as the fish are usually bought by hawkers for yusheng dishes. The fish also often have a bitter taste, he added.
Supermarket chain FairPrice, which carries both fish sourced from the Jurong Fishery Port, has not seen any major impact on sales.
"We are working closely with our suppliers and AVA to ensure high standards of food safety are maintained," said Mr Victor Chai, director of fresh and frozen products at FairPrice's purchasing and merchandising department.
Businessman Vincent Low, 53, who used to eat yusheng weekly, has stopped doing so temporarily, saying: "It's better to be safe than sorry."
The authorities have urged vulnerable groups - young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses - to avoid raw fish for now.
The Jakarta Post 24 Jul 15;
Forest fires have continued to take place in Jambi province, with the NOAA satellite detecting 22 hotspots on Thursday.
“Two hotspots have been detected in state forests in West Tanjung Jabung and Tebo regencies,” said Jambi Forestry Office head Irmansyah Rahman.
He added that seven of the hotspots are in Tebo, five in Muarojambi, three in East Tanjung Jabung, three in Sarolangun, and one in Merangin, Batanghari and Bungo.
“A team has gone to the field to inspect the situation,” said Irmansyah.
The detected hotspots are located in forested areas, plantations, farms, and in community and state forests, he added.
Irmansyah also urged residents living close to peatland to refrain from carelessly throwing cigarette butts because peatland is highly flammable.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/24/island-focus-fire-razes-state-forests-jambi.html#sthash.9GHcUvVJ.dpuf
Fire spots flare up across dry RI
thejakartapost.com 24 Jul 15;
Environment and Forestry Ministry Siti Nurbaya said on Friday that the number of fire spots in Indonesian territory had increased rapidly over the last few days, as the country had seen little rainfall.
“On the 22th, there were 70 spots. Yesterday, we detected 153 and today, we found 158 spots,” Siti said as quoted by kompas.com
The spots were found in Bengkulu, Central Java, South Sulawesi and South and East Kalimantan, she added.
High temperatures and the lack of rainfall had contributed to the rapid increase in the number of fire spots detected, she went on.
Siti also said that the government would take precautionary measures to avoid further fires, such as water bombing.
Indonesia is slated to lead a meeting between environment and forestry ministries from ASEAN countries tomorrow to discuss measures to prevent smoke from Indonesia entering neighboring countries. (ika)(++++)
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/24/fire-spots-flare-across-dry-ri.html#sthash.pVoLUGkj.dpuf
N. Adri, The Jakarta Post 25 Jul 15;
The East Kalimantan provincial administration has officially banned tugboats pulling coal barges from traversing the Kedang Kepala River in Muara Siran subdistrict, Muara Kaman district, Kutai Kartanegara regency, which serves as a natural habitat for the highly endangered Mahakam porpoise, in a policy highly applauded by environmental activists.
“I have requested the dock head of the Transportation Office in Kota Bangun district and the Samarinda port master [KSOP] to no longer issue sail permits for tugboats traveling along the river,” East Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek said on Friday.
Awang’s request has also been conveyed in East Kalimantan gubernatorial letter No. 660.2/3925/B.12/BlH/2015, issued on Tuesday. The governor has requested both officials to review coal-barge activities on the river, a tributary of the 900-kilometer-long Mahakam River, one of the country’s largest watercourses.
In Indonesia, the porpoise can only be found in the Mahakam River’s Muara Kaman estuary and at times in the waters of the Kutai Kartanegara regency capital of Tenggarong. In the 1980s, they could still be seen near the provincial capital of Samarinda.
Besides the Mahakam River, the porpoise is also found in the Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers of Myanmar.
Coal barges and tugboats have become a threat to the porpoise due to their noise on the water’s surface and under the water, according to Aquatic Species of Indonesia Conservation Foundation (RASI) advisor Danielle Kreb.
The noise, according to Kreb, disturbs the porpoise’s sense of hearing, which it relies on for orientation due to poor visibility in the murky river water that contains lots of sediment.
A porpoise, she said, could be hit and killed by a passing coal barge due to poor orientation, or could be unable to seek food and eventually die of starvation.
Besides that, large waves caused by the passing barges could also damage breeding grounds for fish and shrimp — the porpoise’s main source of food.
Like dolphins in the open sea, fresh-water porpoises like to play and leap into the air. With their color and appearance, they also resemble the dolphin, which is light grey and has small eyes, but the porpoise has an extended forehead and does not have a long snout.
For this reason, said Kreb, who has conducted studies on porpoises since 1997, the mammal has been known as the “fresh-water dolphin”.
“The presence of the porpoise is [part of the] natural equilibrium. As a predator, it stabilizes the number of certain fish species in nature. If it is extinct, natural equilibrium will definitely be disturbed,” said Kreb, whose organization is concerned with the conservation of the Mahakam porpoise.
Based on RASI’s 2005 estimations, the porpoise population at Muara Siran stood at a stable 90 individuals.
Kreb said she welcomed the governor’s decision to ban coal barges from passing along the Kedang Kepala River.
“We deeply appreciate the governor’s policy,” she said.
Industrial-scale vessels require sail permits to be able to traverse rivers. To sail along the Kedang Kepala River and other waterways within Muara Kaman, vessels must obtain permits from the Transportation Agency’s dock head in Kota Bangun, located 70 kilometers west of Tenggarong. Another permit from the Samarinda KSOP is also required to sail the Mahakam River.
Coal-barge traffic on the Kedang Kepala River starts from a terminal belonging to coal miner PT
Bayan Resources, located in Senyiur subdistrict, Muara Ancalong district, East Kutai regency. The barges take the Kedang Kepala River as a shortcut to reach the Mahakam River.
NGO Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), meanwhile, called on local officials to comply with and implement the gubernatorial circular.
“Before issuing a sailing permit for barges, especially coal carriers, their routes must be thoroughly assessed,” said Jatam coordinator Merah Johansyah.
In a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, Muara Siran subdistrict chief Uhay said the villagers had faced difficulties in spotting porpoises on the Kedang Kepala River.
Uhay said that as of March this year, the porpoises could be seen congregating in the Kedang Kepala River delta, the section of the river that connects it with Lake Siran. However, due to busy coal-barge traffic, the porpoises have likely relocated to more isolated sections of the river.
“Usually, they are easily spotted in the morning or afternoon,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/07/25/new-policy-issued-protect-rare-porpoise.html#sthash.iyEpWIwy.dpuf
Carolyn Khew Straits Times 23 Jul 15;
A popular aquarium pet, the red-claw crayfish has made its way into the wild.
It is among a growing number of alien species taking over reservoirs in Singapore. But unlike most invasive fish which cannot leave the water, it has crawled up into freshwater streams, home to our precious native crabs found nowhere else in the world.
Since the crayfish can outgrow and out-eat the local crustaceans, it could well wipe them out.
"Native species likely play important ecological roles in our local natural ecosystems that non-native species may not necessarily be able to replace," said Assistant Professor Darren Yeo, a freshwater ecology expert at the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences.
"They are part of our natural national heritage, so they deserve our appreciation and effort, as custodians of the land, to protect them."
Prof Yeo, 43, and his graduate student, Mr Zeng Yiwen, 28, have therefore stepped up to study how extensive the crayfish are, and the potential damage they could cause.
Mr Zeng is pitting crab against crayfish in the laboratory, to see which emerges the victor.
He places the crayfish, which are more than double the size of lowland crabs - the most common of the country's freshwater crabs - and the lowland crab in tanks containing only one burrow.
"The crab usually retreats into the burrow slightly, before both the crayfish and the crab start jostling for ownership of the burrow," said Mr Zeng.
Preliminary data shows the larger crayfish is more likely to secure the shelter, but its status as an invasive species, one that harms native populations, is still not fully known.
Said Prof Yeo: "A competition experiment under controlled laboratory conditions is one thing; the real test is in the field where other factors might affect the outcome differently.
"The invasive effects (of the crayfish) could be seen in other ways, such as modifying or disturbing the habitat by burrowing or foraging in the bottom sediment."
This is why Mr Zeng is also trying to find out where the crayfish have spread to, and to understand the environmental conditions of the streams where they can be found.
Also known by the scientific name Cherax quadricarinatus, the crayfish, which can grow up to 25cm from head to tail, are native to freshwater habitats in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The first record of this species from a reservoir in Singapore dates back to 2001, and it was most likely to have been released illegally by people who bought them from the aquarium trade.
"Now it seems that they're spreading into the streams, with reproducing populations in several streams," said Mr Zeng.
Prof Yeo, who is supervising Mr Zeng's research, added: "A lot of non-natives are in the reservoirs while a lot of the natives are in the forest streams and freshwater swamps. They tend not to mix and we tend to assume that it's the environmental differences that keep them apart.
"But now, one of the things that we are learning is that it may not be just environmental differences. Other factors such as interactions between native and non-native species also need to be considered."
Unlike fish which cannot swim out of the reservoirs into streams, these crayfish are able to make their way there.
This despite challenging conditions such as higher acidity levels and lower calcium concentrations in streams, which could hinder their ability to create strong shells, grow and reproduce.
So far, the crayfish have been spotted in four streams in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve which, at 3,000ha, is the largest of its kind in Singapore, encompassing the Nee Soon Swamp Forest.
These streams contain native crabs such as the lowland freshwater crab and the Johnson's Freshwater Crab, listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Like the swamp forest crab, the Johnson's Freshwater Crab is found in Singapore and nowhere else.
The National Parks Board lists 88 freshwater fish species in local reservoirs alone.
Among them, 52 are alien species, a marked increase from the 31 recorded in 2007, out of 68 species in total. These include large predators such as the Peacock Bass and Giant Snakehead or Toman.
However, the fish list is by no means complete.
NParks, national water agency PUB and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore said in a joint reply to The Straits Times: "This list is not exhaustive as it includes only records reported from reservoirs and does not account for alien species in other freshwater water bodies, such as forest streams and urban canals.
"With increasing ornamental fish trade and cases of public release of unwanted fish, it is expected that there will be more of such non-native species out there."
Prof Yeo has a word of warning: "The more alien species there are in the reservoirs, the higher the chances that eventually one or more might be able to penetrate natural forest streams and potentially cause impacts."
Invasion of the aliens: The marine chapter
The red-claw crayfish (above) is adaptable.PHOTOS: ZENG YIWEN, TAN HEOK HUI
Straits Times 23 Jul 15;
Singapore's native fish are no longer masters of their inland domains - they have been overwhelmed by invasive species, which make up over half the country's freshwater denizens now.
And few local fish stand a chance against voracious predators lurking in reservoirs such as giant snakeheads, arowana and peacock bass.
Of 88 freshwater fish species here, 52 are alien, compared to 31 alien species out of a total 68 in 2007.
"If a native fish encounters any of these large predatory non-native fish, they will not stand a chance," said ichthyologist (fish specialist) Dr Tan Heok Hui, museum officer at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
Alien species refer to animals or plants which are not native to a particular ecosystem.
Many of the fish that first made their way into reservoirs here were released by aquarium hobbyists.
And the figures may represent the tip of the iceberg.
The National Parks Board, national water agency PUB and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore say the list is by no means exhaustive - it does not account for aliens in other freshwater bodies such as forest streams and urban canals.
Examples of alien fish species include the highly adaptable African sharptooth catfish, which was first spotted in the 1990s and seems to have displaced smaller native catfish in habitats such as ponds, reservoirs and canals.
There is also the freshwater stingray, which is capable of injecting venom through a sting at the base of its tail. The authorities say its establishment in Singapore was confirmed in 2010 when a qualitative survey was conducted of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.
Most alien species are known to be hardy and are capable of establishing quickly in new environments, the three agencies say.
They multiply in large numbers and compete with the native species for food and shelter.
These alien species can also upset the ecosystem balance by altering the vegetation structures and aquatic community composition, and posing a threat to the endemic creatures which tend to have "more specific niches".
For instance, freshwater streams with a large number of the invasive Barcheek goby have significantly fewer of the native Bigmouth Stream goby.
Experts say regular monitoring of freshwater habitats would be useful in detecting newly introduced species quickly, so that management measures, for instance, can be implemented fast.
Beyond their numbers, there is also a need to consider other factors like the "persistence" of alien species, the scientists add.
Assistant Professor Darren Yeo of the National University of Singapore's department of biological sciences pointed out: "In some cases, certain alien species may disappear or decline after a few years for any number of reasons... They may get replaced by another alien species, or become less popular as pets and so fewer are released, or simply not be able to thrive here in the longer term."
Others, such as the golden apple snail, seem to be thriving.
The authorities have for years been promoting public awareness of this issue. An annual campaign "Operation No Release", for instance, aims to discourage the release of animals or unwanted pets into parks and nature reserves.
First-time offenders caught releasing animals may be charged under the Parks and Trees Act and could be fined up to $50,000, jailed up to six months, or both.
Carolyn Khew
IN THEIR WATERY ELEMENT
RED-CLAW CRAYFISH
First spotted in Singapore in the 2000s, this crayfish can grow up to 25cm in length and is found in places such as reservoirs, ponds and, more recently, natural streams. It is established here and seems adaptable. The northern Australian and Papua New Guinea native is omnivorous and, while it looks similar to a lobster, it is from a different family. Crayfish are freshwater species and are usually smaller than saltwater-loving lobsters when fully grown. (Lobsters are marine species.)
GOLDEN APPLE SNAIL
First spotted in the 1980s, it can be found in habitats such as reservoirs, ponds and canals.
It feeds on algae and aquatic plants, is highly adaptable and could have displaced native apple snails around South-east Asia.
There are reports overseas of such snails carrying disease-causing parasites, but they are not harmful to humans unless eaten raw or improperly cooked.
GIANT SNAKEHEAD
This large, ferocious fish species can reach over 1m in length. It can be found in many reservoirs - which resemble its native habitats in large lakes and rivers in parts of Africa and the surrounding region.
It is very protective of its young and will attack anything that it perceives as a threat.
FRESHWATER AND INVASION BIOLOGY LABORATORY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
•For more information on other alien species, look up the Web special on http://str.sg/ZNtu
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 23 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU: Singapore has put a dampener to a suggestion to conduct cloud seeding over two Malaysian dams here which are experiencing critical water levels.
The island will not allow for any cloud seeding to be carried out at Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang because the activities have been deemed to be encroaching into its territory.
Both dams supply water to some 760,000 people.
Johor would have to find other alternatives following Singapore’s refusal, said state public works, rural and regional development chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad.
He added that another suggestion would be to transfer water from Sungai Johor to the Sungai Lebam dam, and from the upper Sungai Layang to the Layang dam.
He said the two rivers would act like the feeders for the two dams but if the water levels at the dams were to drop drastically, operations at the dams would be shut down immediately.
Hasni added that the present dry spell was also causing the water levels in Sungai Johor and Sungai Layang to fall.
SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd may have to start scheduled water supply if water levels at the two dams did not improve over the next few weeks.
SAJ corporate communications head Jamaluddin Jamil said water levels at the two dams had dropped drastically in the past two months.
“There are 14 dams in Johor but only the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams are the ones facing the critical situation,” he said.
Jamaluddin said the water level at the Sungai Lebam dam had dropped to 9.87m (which is the critical level) from 12.27m, and Layang dam from 23.50m to 19.72m.
The Sungai Lebam dam supplies water to about 160,000 consumers in Pengerang, Bandar Penawar, Desaru and Gugusan Felda Air Tawar.
The Layang dam channels water to 600,000 users in Pasir Gudang mostly industrial users and also parts of Johor Baru.
Singapore refutes claim that it refused to allow cloud-seeding in Johor
The Star 25 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU: Singapore has refuted claims that it does not allow cloud-seeding operations over the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams in Johor.
Instead, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has always cooperated with Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate flight activities including for such operations.
The Consulate-General of Singapore here, in a statement Friday, said Singapore had not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agency.
"Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell, and has previously offered to assist in efforts to fight forest fires," it added.
It also said that Singapore's water agency PUB also cooperated closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts.
Both sides have also been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor.
It said claims that Singapore had refused to allow cloud-seeding operations because such activities were deemed to encroach into Singapore's territory, were baseless.
Singapore was responding to a news report which quoted Johor Public Works, and Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad saying that Johor would have to find other alternatives following Singapore's refusal.
The two dams, which serve some 760,000 people, are currently experiencing critical water levels.
The water level at the Sungai Lebam dam has dropped to 9.87m from 12.27m and the Layang dam to 19.72m from 23.50m.
If the water levels at the two dams do not improve in the next few weeks, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd may have to start scheduled water supply, according to the news report. – Bernama
We support Johor cloud seeding, says S’pore
The Star 26 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU: Singapore says it is surprised by Johor state exco member Datuk Hasni Mohammad’s claims that the republic did not allow cloud seeding operations over the Sungai Lebam and Layang dams.
In a media statement released yesterday, the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore here said the claim was baseless.
It also rubbished another claim by Hasni on Thursday that cloud seeding was not allowed as it was deemed to be encroaching into Singapore’s territory.
Consul Gavin Yap said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had always worked closely with Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation to facilitate various flight activities.
“Singapore has not been approached recently on the cloud seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies.
“If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter,” he added.
Yap said Singapore fully supported cloud seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell, and had previously offered to assist in such efforts to fight forest fires.
He said Singapore’s water agency PUB also cooperated closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts.
Singapore refutes claims that it blocked cloud-seeding operations in Johor
Today Online 25 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE — The Consulate-General of Singapore in Johor Baru has refuted claims that the Republic had refused to allow cloud seeding over two dams in the southern Malaysia state which are experiencing critical water levels.
Malaysian media reports on Thursday cited Johor state public works, rural and regional development chairman Hasni Mohammad as saying that Singapore had refused to allow cloud-seeding operations at Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang as the activities would purportedly encroach into Singapore’s territory.
He added that Johor would have to find other alternatives to top up the dams’ water levels following Singapore’s alleged refusal. Both dams supply water to some 760,000 people.
In a statement issued on Friday evening (July 24), the Consulate-General said that Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations.
“Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor, especially during this dry spell.
“We are surprised by Johor State Exco member Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni bin Haji Mohammad’s claims,” said the Consulate-General in its statement.
“Such claims, including his assertion that this is because such activities are deemed to encroach into Singapore’s territory, are baseless.”
The Consulate-General added that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has always coordinated closely with Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate various flight activities.
“Both sides have also been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor.
“Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies. If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter.”
Singapore disputes Johor official's cloud seeding claim
AsiaOne 26 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU - Singapore has disputed a Malaysian official's claims that it refused to let Johor carry out cloud seeding above two dams due to territorial concerns.
Water levels at the dams have dipped below critical marks in the Malaysian state.
State public works, rural and regional development chairman Hasni Mohammad reportedly said Singapore would not allow cloud seeding at the Sungai Lebam dam in Kota Tinggi and the Layang dam in Pasir Gudang as it would encroach into its territory. As a result, Johor would have to find alternatives, said Datuk Hasni, according to The Star in a report on Thursday.
In a statement issued the following day, the Consulate-General of Singapore in Johor Baru expressed surprise at the claims which it dismissed as "baseless".
"On the contrary, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has always coordinated closely with Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to facilitate various flight activities," it said.
"However, Singapore has not been approached recently on cloud-seeding operations, whether by DCA or any other Malaysian agencies. If Datuk Hasni has information indicating otherwise, he should share it with Singapore so that we can look into the matter."
The Consulate-General stressed that Singapore fully supports cloud-seeding efforts in Johor and has previously offered to assist in such efforts to fight forest fires.
It added that Singapore's national water agency PUB also cooperates closely with its Malaysian and Johor counterparts. Singapore and Malaysia have been working together on projects such as the Johor River Barrage to increase water resources in Johor, it noted.
The two dams supply water to some 760,000 people. SAJ Holdings, which is responsible for water supply services in Johor, said that if the water levels at the dams were to drop drastically, operations would have to be shut down immediately.
Johor seeking flight regulators' permission to conduct cloud seeding
ZAZALI MUSA The Star 27 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU: Johor submitted a formal letter to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) on Sunday to seek permission to conduct cloud-seeding operations.
State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the DCA would then forward the letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
He said it would normally take at least two weeks for the CAAS to respond to the request.
"The water level at the Sungai Lebam is dropping day by day, so we hope Singapore will speed up the approval, " said Hasni.
He said this in a press conference after attending the Hari Raya open house celebration organised by Johor Petroleum Development Corporation on Monday.
Hasni said if no cloud-seeding operations were to take place within the next two weeks, SAJ Holdings Sdn Bud would have to start scheduling water supply.
Johor hoping for a quick OK from S’pore
The Star 28 Jul 15;
JOHOR BARU: Johor hopes Singapore will give fast approval to its request to conduct cloud seeding over Sungai Lebam and Layang dams in view of the critical water levels at the two dams.
Yesterday Johor sent a letter to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) in Kuala Lumpur. Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the DCA would then submit the formal request to its Singaporean counterpart, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), on Johor's intention to conduct cloud seeding operations.
“Normally, it takes two weeks for the CAAS to get back to DCA. But in view of the current situation, we hope to start the operation as soon as possible,” said Hasni at a press conference yesterday after attending the Hari Raya open house organised by Johor Petroleum Development Corporation.
He added that the cloud seeding should be conducted within the next 14 days, adding that Johor did not want to miss the window period deemed a good time to conduct the exercise.
He said the water level at the Sungai Lebam dam had dropped to 9.72m (which is the critical level) from 12.7m and Layang dam from 23.50m to 19.43m.
Simon Pollock Jakarta Post 24 Jul 15;
The annual burning of Indonesian rainforests is an example of the increased clouding of regional-global divides when it comes to environmental problems.
Many Southeast Asians wonder if they will have to withstand another blanket of haze as Indonesia enters its annual dry season. Signs of an impending El Niño weather pattern mean the country’s traditional dry period this year could extend from May to August into September.
In the past, Indonesia’s dry season has often coincided with extensive fires — many deliberately lit — resulting in palls of smoke that recognize no borders and threaten to foul the lungs of Indonesians and their neighbors, while exacerbating climate change concerns.
The most recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2013 estimates the conversion of forests to other land uses is responsible for around 10 percent of net global carbon emissions. Indonesian forest fires are thought to be responsible for about a third of global emissions from tropical deforestation.
While the future effects of untrammeled climate change are projected to be devastating on a global scale, Indonesia’s leaders realize they must address this problem in the here and now to assuage regional concerns.
Two years ago, Indonesian forest fires set off the region’s worst pollution crisis in a decade, while sparking regional tempers.
While regional efforts continue to search for a coordinated fix to this perennial problem, the potential remains for further disruptions to the famed, polite pursuit of consensus among ASEAN states.
In March this year, Vice President Jusuf Kalla issued a broadside against other ASEAN countries’ complaints about the haze. “For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us,” Indonesian press quoted him as saying. “They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.”
It is obvious amid the vagaries of shifting politics and regional wind patterns, the haze problem must be tackled at its core, at the sites of ignition. As in many cases though, trying to find an equitable path through the sometimes uneasy balance between environmental protection and development is not easy.
Indonesia is a developing country, so any measures that alleviate local poverty and feed into trade-generated national economic growth should not be dismissed out of hand.
Developed countries, many of which have already destroyed the majority of their own virgin forests, should account for international balances of equity in calling for developing countries to avoid similar fates.
The intrusion of climate change concerns into the haze problem is actually advantageous, at least in terms of providing a catalyst for attracting international financing. During the past few years, the concept of REDD+ has emerged to promote development and environmental protection simultaneously by providing a financial value for carbon left stored in forests.
REDD first saw light in 2005 to help generate payments from outside sources to assist developing countries in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The + was added in 2007 to signify safeguards that ensure a drive for REDD profits did not come with social and environmental costs.
Indonesia has naturally been a frontline country in aid donors’ attempts to introduce REDD+ because of its large forested areas and past, strong climate change stance — as the first developing country to voluntarily pledge emission reductions in 2009.
In another first, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed an agreement with Norway in 2010 to reduce forest-based gas emissions, including a moratorium on forest clearing licenses, in return for financial REDD+ support of up to US$1 billion. At the end of 2013, Yudhoyono established the independent National REDD+ Agency, known in Indonesian as BP REDD+.
Ironically, the inauguration mid-last year of Yudhoyono’s successor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo — hailed as a progressive political figure — has been followed by a questioning of how serious Indonesia is in reducing deforestation and tackling climate change.
While President Jokowi extended the moratorium on forest clearing in May this year, his earlier decision in January to abolish BP REDD+ has raised eyebrows.
In the stated interests of streamlined bureaucratic efficiency, the functions of BP REDD+ have been subsumed into a new government department, based on the merging of the formerly separate ministries of environment and forestry.
The jury is still out on whether the restructuring of Indonesia’s government agencies dealing with forest management will prove to be advantageous to REDD+.
Some point out the new Ministry of Environment and Forestry will inject further environmental oversight over the management of Indonesia’s forests.
Others are concerned the traditionally strong power of Indonesian forestry officials will continue to overshadow decisions made in far flung provinces on whether to clear or preserve tracts of rainforest.
What is clear is that governance reform will remain a crucial issue in curtailing the destruction of Indonesian rainforests.
A University of Maryland study of satellite data last year by an Indonesian forestry employee found that 40 percent of forest clearing in Indonesia was illegal.
But gaining a true appraisal of the extent of illegal logging is always going to be problematic as these activities are clandestine.
What is less contested is that a central part of the solution must involve finding profitable ways to keep trees in the ground. While there have been few indications of new REDD+ funding offers recently, major countries may choose to make strategic announcements around the seminal Paris climate change meeting starting from November.
Whether the regional haze sets a pall over Indonesia’s ties with its neighbors this year or not, the imperative of preventing a warming world will continue to focus international attention on ways to help Indonesia keep its forests intact.
The author is an Australian-based climate change writer and journalist
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times 23 Jul 15;
A total of 250.21 sq km along India’s coast was lost over 15 years because of the rising sea level, according to a study by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Water Commission (CWC).
A team of 10 scientists from the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad -- a key unit of ISRO -- and the CWC under the water resources ministry studied changes along the country’s 8,414km shoreline, including those of islands such as Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
The team compared satellite pictures taken between the periods 1989-1991 and 2004-2006. During this time, the coastline was battered by several natural disasters such as the 1999 super cyclone, the 2004 tsunami and the 2013 severe cyclone Phailin.
The Nicobar Islands lost the maximum area of around 94 sq km. States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and the Lakshadweep and Nicobar Islands too lost land to sea erosion.
However, a total of 177.15 sq km was accreted or accumulated along the coast during the same period, the study revealed. After taking the accretion into account, the net loss of land because of erosion was 73 sq km.
“The results show that 3,829 km (45.5%) of the coast is under erosion, 3,004 km (35.7%) is getting accreted, while 1,581 km (18.8%) of the coast is more or less stable in nature,” said AS Rajawat, a senior scientist with the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad who led the study.
The rising sea level was one of the major reasons for the erosion along the coastline, while other factors responsible for the phenomenon were unbridled and unplanned human activities, local coastal subsidence, storm surge and the 2004 tsunami.
It was seen that the Andaman and Nicobar islands lost a significant amount of land in the tsunami.
On the other hand, the building of new beaches and sand and silt deposits were the main reasons for the accretion of land. Some states such as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala accreted huge areas of land due to deposition. West Bengal accreted the least area while it lost around 11 sq km.
Though there are studies and an inventory of erosion along the Indian coast, they are region-specific and inadequate for planning requirements at the national level. This is probably the first time that shoreline changes for the entire Indian coast were mapped in detail.
“While West Bengal has lost around 11.63 sq km, it has gained around 1.52 sq km. The net loss for West Bengal is around 10 sq km. Out of the total shoreline of 282 km in West Bengal, 115 km is getting eroded,” said Rajawat.
The study was undertaken on the recommendation of the Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee, the apex body for planning coastal protection measures in India.
Earlier, studies by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management under the union environment, forests and climate change ministry have shown that more than 40% of India’s coastline is eroding at a much higher rate than previously estimated.
In a recent study based on satellite data and tidal observations, scientists at the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa showed that the sea level is rising by 3.2 mm every year since the early 1990s. The sea level along the northern and eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, which includes the Sunderbans, has risen at an even faster rate at about 5 mm a year over the past two decades.
Todd Woody, Takepart.com Yahoo News 24 Jul 15;
The news about the world’s oceans seems to be unrelentingly bad—predictions of terrifying sea-level rise, increasing acidification that threatens to wipe out the phytoplankton that supports nearly all marine life, and starving whales.
Now, a new study offers hope that some coral reefs will survive rising temperatures and oceans. As water temperatures increase and the oceans become more acidic, coral reefs around the world are dying. Others face death by drowning as sea levels rise. But scientists studying coral reefs surrounding Palau, an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, have found that they are managing to grow at a rate that keeps pace with sea-level rise. As long as sea-level and temperature increases remain moderate, the coral reefs, also called micro atolls, are likely to survive until the end of the 21st century, the researchers concluded.
So, Why Should You Care? The oceans are absorbing growing amounts of carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels, and the resulting acidification could cost the global economy $1 trillion a year by 2100 as coral reefs disappear, according to a United Nations report released last October. Tropical coral reefs and the plethora of fish and marine life that depend on them provide jobs and sustenance to some 400 million people.
In Palau, scientists measured 570 micro atolls in 10 locations around the archipelago and found “vertical skeletal extension” of the reefs over the past six to eight years. That growth rate matched recent sea-level rise, which created the space for the coral reefs, called Porites, to expand.
“Despite recent declines in calcification over the past decades, massive Porites are relatively resilient to both decreasing pH and increasing temperature, representing ‘winners’ under future climate-change scenarios,” the scientists wrote in the study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
There is a limit to that resilience, however. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, the result will be the “complete impairment of micro atoll growth by 2050…and reef flats will not be able to keep up with rising sea levels,” according to the paper.
Robert van Woesik, lead author of the study and a professor of biological science at the Florida Institute of Technology, said it was uncertain whether the findings would apply elsewhere.
“I have no evidence from other locations in the Pacific Ocean, but I will say that Palau has an exceptional conservation history, and local protection certainly matters,” he wrote in an email.
The micro atolls play a crucial role in protecting Palau’s low-lying archipelago from tropical storms, as well as providing habitat for fish and other marine life.
“If coral reef growth cannot ‘keep up’ with sea-level rise, these natural island storm barriers will disappear, resulting in inundation and reductions in the habitable land for millions of people throughout the Pacific Ocean,” van Woesik and his colleagues wrote in the study.
Green Drinks: Shifting Towards a Haze-Free Society
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Trilogy of Pulau Semakau (17072015 - 19072015)
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The Jakarta Post 22 Jul 15;
PEKANBARU: The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru detected on Tuesday 42 hotspots in Riau province. Pekanbaru BMKG Data and Information Division head Slamet Riyadi said that the hotspots, which indicate the presence of land or forest fires, had been found in eight regencies and cities.
The most hotspots, 11, had been found in Siak regency, followed by nine in Kampar regency, six in Bengkalis and Kuantan Singingi regencies, four in Dumai city and three in Pelalawan regency.
The remaining three hotspots, meanwhile, were found in Indragiri Hulu and Meranti Islands regencies. He further explained that satellite reports indicated a 70 percent likelihood that 29 of the total hotspots in Riau were fires.
“Nine have been found in Siak, six in Kampar, five in Kuantan Sengingi, four in Dumai, three in Bengkalis, and one in Meranti Islands and in Pelalawan,” he said as quoted by Tribunnews.com. — Tribunnews
Raging Peat Fire Approaches Jambi Village
Jakarta Globe 24 Jul 15;
A peat fire raging through the forests of Jambi province is inching closer to Gambut Jaya Kumpeh village in Muarojambi district. (EPA Photo/Azwar)
Jakarta. A peat fire raging in Jambi province has reportedly spread and is inching dangerously closer to Gambut Jaya Kumpeh village in Muarojambi district, according to a local official.
Villagers are cooperating with officers from the Farmers Group Fire Brigade (KTPA) to prevent flames from reaching plantations and residential areas, said Gambut Jaya KTPA chairman Basir.
“The fire is getting bigger and moving closer to people’s homes. It is reaching our village. Yet, at the same time, villagers are on guard to prevent flames from reaching their plantation and houses,” Basir said on Friday as quoted by Antaranews.com.
Basir added that both local residents and firefighters have attempted to extinguish the blaze but their efforts have been unsuccessful due to lack of equipment.
“We are unable to stop the fire entirely. Our equipment is very limited. This is a bad situation because we know most people can’t stand the haze,” Basir said.
The Manggala Agni forest fire brigade were en route to the fire’s point of origin at the time of writing.
Bestari, head of the Jambi Forestry Agency’s forest protection unit, said the team was equipped with the proper equipment to stop the blaze from spreading further.
“One team consists of 15 members. They are on their way to the location at this time. They will be there for three days or even longer, until the fire stops,” Bestari said.
“However, should this team be unsuccessful in extinguishing the fire within three days, we may replace them with another team,” Bestari said.
The fire has destroyed some 200 hectares of land since it erupted earlier this month in the forests located between Jambi and Palembang, South Sulawesi.
Jambi’s Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chairman Dalmanto said the BPBD along with five district governments within the province were in the process of preparing a regulation on handling peat fires that will later be proposed to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
“We need help from the central government. We need them to provide equipment for operations such as water bombing and weather modification,” Dalmanto said.
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