Best of our wild blogs: 5 Jan 17

Oil spill near Pulau Ubin, 4 Jan 2017
wild shores of singapore

Birdwatching in Ubin - Black Hornbill ( Jan 2, 2017)
Rojak Librarian

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Oil spill affects fish farms near Pulau Ubin

Two vessels collide, causing 300 tonnes of oil spillage; one farm reports losing between 100kg and 200kg of fish
Carolyn Khew Straits Times 5 Jan 17;

An oil spill that occurred off Pasir Gudang Port in Johor on Tuesday night has affected three coastal fish farms near Pulau Ubin and left nature enthusiasts concerned about the potential impact on wildlife in the area.

A spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times yesterday that one farm had reported losing between 100kg and 200kg of fish.

"We have issued oil-absorbent pads and canvases to 11 farmers closest to the oil spill site to help protect their fish stock," said the spokesman.

On Tuesday night, a Singapore- registered container vessel, the Wan Hai 301, collided with the APL Denver, a Gibraltar-registered container vessel, off the Johor port.

Traces of oil in water off Pulau Ubin after container vessels collide near Johor

The incident occurred close to midnight and left 300 tonnes of oil spillage as a result of damage to one of the APL Denver's bunker tanks.

Oil patches were also found along the western coastlines of Pulau Ubin (OBS Jetty) and Nenas Channel, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

"The two oil patches are mainly contained and no new sightings of oil have been reported," added the MPA yesterday.

Coastal fish farmers in the East Johor Strait were alerted, said the AVA spokesman. Farmers were advised to stop feeding their fish and to use canvas skirting to prevent oil from contaminating fish stocks.

Yesterday, remnants of oil could still be seen in the waters off Pulau Ubin. Fish farmers told The Straits Times it had got into their fish nets.

One of the farmers, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ho, said he was worried that the fish would be affected as he had fed them earlier in the day. To eat, the fish would have gone up to the surface, which was contaminated by oil.

"Let's just hope the fish won't die. We have been harmed by the red tide in the last few years, and now we have an oil spill," said the 55-year-old, referring to the algae blooms that had plagued the area.

As a precautionary measure, fish samples have been collected from the farms for food safety tests.

There are about 60 farms located in the East Johor Strait, most of which provide fish for Singaporeans' consumption.

Dr Huang Danwei from the National University of Singapore's Department of Biological Sciences said oil spills can be devastating for marine life, not just in how widely they spread, but also in the amount of time they take to be cleaned up.

"On the water, oil floats and can coat anything that moves through it. Sea otters and seabirds, for example, are large animals that are most affected because their fur and feathers lose their functions upon contact with oil," said Dr Huang.

He added that the Asian small- clawed otter, which is rare in Singapore, is known to live in the mangroves of Pulau Ubin.

The National Parks Board said yesterday that the spillage had been contained off the northern and western parts of Pulau Ubin.

As the tide was expected to move eastwards yesterday night, oil-absorbent booms were set up to protect the mangroves and mudflats along the north-eastern coast of Pulau Ubin, including the Chek Jawa Wetlands. Booms to contain the oil spill have also been set up to protect the mangroves at Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park.

Since 2012, there have been six Singapore-registered vessels involved in collisions that caused casualties or oil spills, including the latest incident.

The MPA and its contractors deployed nine vessels to respond to the oil patches at OBS Jetty and Nenas Channel. The cause of the collision is under investigation.

Singapore's last major oil spill happened in May 2010, when a collision caused 2,500 tonnes of crude oil to be leaked into the Singapore Strait.

According to the New Straits Times, the incident on Tuesday reportedly occurred when the vessel, Wan Hai, suffered a power failure, causing it to become uncontrollable before it hit the APL Denver.


Slick floating towards Singapore after cargo vessel crashes into stationary ship
YEE XIANG YUN and MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 5 Jan 17;

JOHOR BARU: Some 300 tonnes of fuel oil could have spilt into the Johor Straits following a collision between two container ships at the Johor Port in Pasir Gudang.

No one was injured in the incident, but a large oil slick is heading towards Singapore, carried by the current after the collision at about 11pm on Tuesday.

More than 370 fishermen in the area are worried that the spill will affect their livelihood.

Port authorities were tight-lipped over the incident and declined to provide details on clean-up efforts.

A boat ferrying journalists to the affected area was detained by the authorities.

A power outage reportedly caused a Singapore-registered cargo vessel, which was coming in to dock, to crash into a stationary container ship.

Johor Health and Environment committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the captain of Wan Hai 301 had reported a power outage and blackout on board just before the incident.

The impact caused a bunker tank on the Gibraltar-registered APL Denver to rupture and spill its contents.

Ayub said teams from the Department of Environment and Johor Port immediately started clean-up work and were trying to contain the oil slick, adding that an investigation into the collision had started.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (southern region) First Admiral Adon Shalan said the APL Denver bunker tank has a capacity of 300 tonnes, “but we are not sure how much has spilled out”.

“A lot has floated to the waters near Pulau Ubin, off Singapore.”

Johor South Fishermen’s Asso­ciation chairman Azli Mohd Aziz said he was worried about the livelihood of the fishermen at the six villages.

“They are hesitant to go out to sea now because the oil can damage our nets and other gear.

“We are afraid that a change in the tides will shift the oil slick back into our waters,” he said.








Fish farms reeling from impact of oil spill off Johor
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 5 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE: At a fish farm north of Pulau Ubin, workers panicked on Wednesday (Jan 4) when they saw what was meant to be their Chinese New Year harvest turn belly-up in the water.

The farm, owned by Gills N Claws, told Channel NewsAsia it lost about 1,000 fish, after a nearby vessel collision the day before saw about 300 tonnes of oil spill into the sea. Gills N Claws said the oil seeped into its nets containing fish such as red snappers, pearl groupers and the silver pomfret.

"Our workers scrambled to put up canvasses outside the floating platforms provided by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)," said Gills N Claws' head of operations, Winston Siv Raj. "But 70 per cent of the fish meant to be sold in time for Chinese New Year have died."

The farm also breeds crabs and lobsters. These too were found coated in engine oil, as were the green mussels grown as food for the lobsters. Farm manager Steven Wong lifted ropes on which the mussels were growing, only to find them caked with oily sludge.

When Channel NewsAsia arrived at the farm, staff from AVA and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) were on the scene, with AVA officials packing a red snapper and some mussels for tests at their laboratory.

Mr Raj said estimates the damage could run up to S$700,000, as the company also needs to change all its fish nets and floats, as well as supporting anchor points and connecting ropes that were ruined by the oil..

"This does not include the fish and lobsters that survived. The figures could change drastically if the AVA finds that the lobsters and fish taken for lab tests are unfit for consumption," he said.

Other fish farms are still trying to assess their losses. At a farm owned by 2 Jays, the surface of the water surrounded by netting was coated with a thick layer of black oil and the air smelled of diesel.

Workers were throwing large cloth pads into the water in bid to soak up the oil, but beyond that, they were unable to do much.

Its operations manager Timothy Ng said his workers could not check their fish stocks without lifting the nets. However if they did, they would risk killing more fish, as the surviving fish could choke on the oil floating on top if they came near the surface, he said. To prevent fish from suffocating in this fashion, workers were also instructed not to feed them.

The co-owner of Farm 85 Aquaculture, Andrew Sim, meantime, was at a loss for words, gazing out at his oil-coated fish pens. “I don’t know what to do … It's too much already."

SALE OF FISH AT 3 FARMS SUSPENDED

AVA had said on Wednesday that two farms saw fish deaths due to the oil spill and that up to 200kg of fish had died.

On Thursday, it said more farms were found to have tainted nets and structures, compared to the day before due to tidal movement. It has issued oil absorbent pads and canvas to 22 farmers closest to the oil spill site to help protect their fish stock.

Aside from the two farms however, "most of the farms in the same area did not report fish mortality,” said Dr Leong Hon Keong, group director of AVA’s Technology and Industry Development Group."There is minimal impact to supply. Nevertheless, AVA will continue to monitor the situation and assist the fish farmers, including assisting in clean-up efforts."

As a precautionary measure, AVA has collected fish samples for food safety tests and will continue to do so, it said. The authority also issued orders to three farms to suspend sales of fish until food safety evaluations are complete.

A total of 17 vessels and more than 220 personnel have been mobilised for a massive clean-up in the wake of the oil spill, MPA said. Changi Beach was also partially closed on Wednesday as a safety precaution.

Additional reporting by Vanessa Lim.

- CNA/mo


Johor oil spill clean-up in high gear as fishermen rue losses
BERNAMA New Straits Times 5 Jan 17;

JOHOR BARU: Fishermen at six villages near the Pasir Gudang Port might suffer losses amounting to RM130,000 due to an oil spill following the collision of two container vessels on Tuesday.

Southern Johor Fishermen Association chairman Azli Mohd Aziz said the 137 fishermen are from Kampung Pasir Gudang Baru, Kampung Pasir Putih, Kampung Kuala Masai, Kampung Asli Kuala Masai, Kampung Asli Pasir Putih and Kampung Asli Teluk Kabung.

"When I visited the area, work to clean the oil spills was in progress... but there were still traces of oil on the sea surface which could have adverse effects on fishing equipment.

"So, I'm not sure whether they (fishermen) can go out to sea or not," he told reporters after checking a 10-kilometre stretch affected by the oil spill here yesterday.

Azli said the association is now waiting for a full report from its affected members before any action, including demanding compensation, is taken.

Meanwhile, a Johor Environment Department spokesperson said the cleaning up operation using vacuum suction of the oil spill has begun.

"This operation is carried out carefully... if it's done in a hurry, it may break up the oil patches and (for that,) we cannot clean it up thoroughly. We also cannot tell how much longer the operation will take," said the spokesperson when contacted by Bernama here.

It is learnt that the spilled oil was identified as Marine Fuel Oil (MFO) 500 CST, which is used in the shipping industry.

Meanwhile, Johor Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Ismail Mohamed said the state government will wait for a full report over the incident before helping affected fishermen.

He said the assessment report will be issued by the Malaysian Fisheries Development Board (LKIM) to determine the exact amount of losses incurred by the fishermen.

Meanwhile, an LKIM spokesperson said the affected fishermen could submit a memorandum containing their names, which would be sent to the relevant parties for insurance claims.

"The amount of losses incurred will be assessed by the parties involved and if there are no problems, the payment will be made directly to the affected fishermen," said the spokesperson.

In the 11.01pm incident, a Singapore-registered vessel, Wan Hai 301, was entering the port at about 11pm when it rammed the bunker tank of an anchored Gibraltar-registered APL Denver vessel.

Wan Hai 301 is believed to have suffered a technical failure before the collision.

It was reported that some oil patches were spotted off the western side of Pulau Ubin in Singapore. - Bernama


Johor Port confirms generator failure caused ships to collide
YEE XIANG YUN The Star 5 Jan 17;

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Port Authority (JPA) confirmed that failure of the generator set on a Singapore-registered vessel caused it to collide into another vessel on Tuesday.

JPA said in a statement that Wan Hai 301 experienced generator failure, causing it to lose control and crash into APL Denver, a Gibraltar-registered ship, that was docked at Johor Port in Pasir Gudang at around 11.05pm.

It also confirmed that some 300 tonnes of marine fuel oil had leaked from APL Denver and the Singapore authorities were alerted to contain the oil slicks that had shifted into Singapore waters.

"In an immediate response, Johor Port Bhd with the help of other agencies and the Pasir Gudang Oil Spill Task Force, contained the oil spill in a way as to prevent patches from spreading to other areas," the statement said.

JPA added that the port was now operating as usual but anchoring schedule at the container terminal might be delayed for a few days due to ongoing cleaning up works.

It was reported that large portions of the fuel had floated to Singapore's Pulau Ubin.

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Living City: At work in a kayak through the mangroves of Pulau Ubin

Basil Edward Teo, The Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE - Twice a week, kayaking leader Malvin Foo spends three hours on public transport, going from his home in Clementi to his job in Pulau Ubin.

Despite the long travel time, he enjoys every trip to the island.

"To me, going back to Ubin to kayak is like recharging. I don't feel like it's a form of work," said the 32-year-old.

As a kayaking leader for outdoor adventure company Asian Detours, Mr Foo leads an average of 10 participants at a time into the mangroves of Pulau Ubin.

"Once you enter the mangrove on your kayak, the mood and air changes. There's a drop in energy, and you can see it on the faces of my participants," he said.

The basic mangrove kayaking programme takes participants on a 2½-hour journey through mangroves in the western part of Ubin.

Another programme is the longer "bisect kayaking" trip that takes enthusiasts on a four-hour journey cutting through from the north of the island to the south.

Through the guided tours, Mr Foo hopes to raise awareness of the importance of Pulau Ubin's mangroves to Singapore's ecosystem.

"You take a short bumboat ride over, walk for five minutes, grab a kayak and then you start," he said, on the convenience of experiencing the natural beauty of the mangroves.

In this episode of Living City, which explores Singapore's little-known spaces and places, The Straits Times Video visits the mangroves of Pulau Ubin.

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Malaysia: Negri dam levels declining despite heavy rain

SARBAN SINGH The Star 4 Jan 17;

SEREMBAN: Water levels at two major dams here are going down despite heavy showers in many parts of Negri Sembilan.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said both the Sg Terip and Kelinchi dams, which supply water to tens of thousands of consumers in Seremban and other districts had about 70 days of supply left, when it should be more than double.

"For some strange reason, we have not been getting rain in the upstream areas.

"It is my hope that consumers will use water prudently and not be mistaken that the dams are full because of rain in downstream areas," he told reporters after chairing the exco meeting Wednesday.

Mohamad said consumers should not waste water simply because tariffs were low.

"I know that Negri Sembilan has the lowest water tariff in the country for households, but that does not mean one should be wasteful,"

However, he noted that the state's five other dams were full.

Mohamad said he had directed state water concessionaire Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan to find way to fill up the two affected dams.

"We need to do some kind of back pumping and fill up the dams as we will be experiencing the dry season in two to three months.

"The other option is to carry out cloud seeding in the upstream areas and get the dams filled up before it comes," he said.


N. Sembilan faces water crisis as two major dams dry up
BERNAMA New Straits Times 5 Jan 17;

SEREMBAN: Despite the rainy season, there's a looming water crisis in the state as water levels at the Sungai Terip and Sungai Kelinchi dams have dropped.

Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the current water level at the two dams is expected to reach a critical stage in 72 days.

"The water level in dams is supposed to increase during the rainy season - but it's (been) just the opposite. I am a little worried, for during the rainy season, we should have a capacity sustaining for up to 200 days.

"Usually, (at) a critical level, water levels in the two dams would be able to last for more than 150 days, instead of 72 days, as what is happening now," he said after chairing an exco meeting here today. Mohamad said he has directed Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan (SAINS) to think of ways to increase water levels in the dams, including cloud seeding in certain areas.

However, he said the situation at five more dams, namely Talang, Pedas, Gemencheh, Ulu Sepri and Teriang, is not a concern, because water levels there are at the maximum level. - Bernama

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Malaysia: Sabah to gazette forest as protected area for orang utan population

The Star 5 Jan 17;

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Forestry Department is moving to gazette a forest in central Sabah, rich in orang utan population, as a fully protected area.

The move comes in the wake of a sudden change in the ownership of the 101,000ha Forest Management Unit 5 (FMU 5), which also contains 13,000ha of flora and fauna.

Sabah Forests chief conservator Datuk Sam Mannan said the area was being classified as a first-class reserve and would become part of the Trusmadi Forest Reserve.

FMU 5, owned by logging and reforestation company Anika Desiran, was bought over by a local wood products manufacturing company, Priceworth International, for RM260mil in October last year.

Anika Desiran was apparently working with conservationists, including WWF Malaysia, during the past two to three years.

The goal was to create a model example of a conservation economy and the sudden sale of the pro­perty took the conservationists by surprise.

Mannan said the forest region had been logged a few times since the 1980s and that the Forestry Department allowed it to be parcelled out under the FMU programme in 1997 because it did not expect orang utan to inhabit such highland areas.

“I don’t know why the former owner sold it. But it has nothing to do with us,” he said.

He said that a WWF study found orang utan in FMU 5 so the high-conservation area within it would be turned into a first-class reserve.

Once done, the new owner will have to provide a development masterplan which must be approved before any kind of work can take place on the land.

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Malaysia: Customs Dept seizes RM7.2mil worth of ivory at KLIA

NOORSILA ABD MAJID New Straits Times 4 Jan 17;

SEPANG: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has seized 254 units of ivory worth RM7.2mil, believed to have been smuggled in from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Displaying the large seizure at a press conference in the Kompleks Kastam Kargo KLIA, Datuk Hamzah Sundang, the director of KLIA Customs, said the department acted on a tip-off from an informer.

“We processed the information that we’ve received and sent our officers to investigate.

“To our surprise, we discovered the ivory, packed in 17 boxes from DR Congo in the air cargo warehouse of the free-trade zone in KLIA. They were delivered via MAS Cargo,” said Hamzah.

According to him, the cargo was flown in via Turkish Airline and Turkey’s Istanbul Ataturk Airport was the transit point.

The smuggled goods weighing 846.2kg were labelled as “wood samples” on the boxes. They were supposed to be delivered to an unidentified recipient at a home address in Cheras, Selangor.

Hamzah revealed that the smugglers have used forged documents and that the address in Cheras did not exist but Malaysia is definitely their final destination.

The department has pledged a handsome cash reward for those with valuable information on this case.

In Malaysia, the import of ivory requires a special permit from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) Under Section 135 (1) (a) of the Customs Act 1967, and those found guilty of illegally importing ivory into the country can be fined a maximum of 20 times the value of the smuggled items, or face three yearsimprisonment, or both.

As of December 2016, Malaysia has recorded nine cases of smuggled ivory, totalling to RM10.9mil. Hamzah stated that the figures have gone up by RM8.6mil, or three more cases, as compared to 2015.

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Natural disaster damage hits 4-year high: Report

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jan 17;

FRANKFURT AM MAIN: Natural disasters including storms and earthquakes caused US$175 billion of damage in 2016, German reinsurance giant Munich Re said Wednesday (Jan 4), the highest level since 2012.

While the year saw a two-thirds increase in the financial impact of catastrophes around the world, casualties from natural disasters were far lower in 2016 than the previous year, at 8,700 deaths compared with 25,400.

Munich Re pointed to two earthquakes on the Japanese island of Kyushu in April and floods in China in June and July as the most devastating natural events, inflicting costs of US$31 billion in Japan and US$20 billion in China.

North America suffered its largest number of disasters since 1980, at 160 events.

October's Hurricane Matthew was the worst in the region, causing 550 deaths in Haiti alone as well as US$10.2 billion of damage.

Meanwhile Canada battled wildfires in May after spring heatwaves and droughts, costing around US$4 billion, while summer brought serious flooding in the southern US to the tune of US$10 billion.

And a series of storms across Europe in late May and early June brought flood damage costing a total of US$6 billion, with flooding hitting Germany especially badly as well as the French capital Paris.

Overall, floods accounted for 34 per cent of losses - an "exceptional" figure compared with the average of 21 per cent in the last 10 years, Munich Re pointed out.

"A look at the weather-related catastrophes of 2016 shows the potential effects of unchecked climate change," said Peter Hoeppe, head of Munich Re's Geo Risks Research Unit. But he noted that "individual events themselves can never be attributed directly to climate change."

Around 70 per cent of the losses recorded by Munich Re were uninsured.

In China, 98 per cent of the financial damage inflicted by the summer floods was uninsured, while the figure in the USA was 75 per cent and in Europe 47 per cent.

- AFP/ek

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Best of our wild blogs: 4 Jan 17

2017 Walk Dates (I)
BES Drongos

Cambodian NGO engages local law firm to bring action against Singapore statutory boards and companies
The Independent

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Singapore-registered ship involved in collision off Johor port

Channel NewsAsia 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE: A collision between a Singapore-registered container vessel and a Gibraltar-registered container vessel off Pasir Gudang Port, Johor Malaysia on Tuesday (Jan 3) resulted in about 300 tonnes of oil spillage in the surrounding waters, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday.

In a press release, MPA said it was notified of the collision between Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI 301 and Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL DENVER by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) at about 11.50pm on Tuesday.

There have been no reports of injury and traffic in the East Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remains unaffected, the Singapore authority said.

According to MPA, APL DENVER's ship master reported that one of the ship's bunker tanks had sustained damage resulting in about 300 tonnes of oil spillage.

JPA has deployed four anti-pollution craft on site and an oil boom around APL DENVER to contain the oil spill.

In Singapore, some oil patches were spotted and the spillage has been contained off the western side of Pulau Ubin, MPA said, adding that it has activated eight anti-pollution craft with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spilled oil.

MPA will be investigating the cause of the collision, it said.

- CNA


Collision of Container Vessels WAN HAI 301 and APL DENVER
MPA media release 4 Jan 17;

At about 2350 hrs on 3rd January 2017, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) of a collision between Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI 301 and a Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL DENVER off Pasir Gudang Port, Johor Malaysia.

The Master of APL DENVER reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage resulting in approximately 300 tonnes of oil spillage. JPA has deployed four anti-pollution craft on site and an oil boom around APL DENVER to contain the oil spill.

In Singapore, some oil patches were spotted and the spillage has been contained off the western side of Pulau Ubin. MPA has activated a total of eight anti-pollution craft with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spilled oil.

There have been no reports of injury. Traffic in the East Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remains unaffected.

MPA as the flag state of WAN HAI 301 will also be investigating the cause of the collision.



S’pore-registered container vessel involved in collision off Johor coast; oil spill spotted in S’pore waters
Today Online 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE — A locally-registered container vessel was involved in a collision with another ship off Pasir Gudang Port in Johor on Tuesday night (Jan 3), resulting in around 300 tonnes of oil spillage, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday.

The incident, which involved Singapore vessel WAN HAI 301 and Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL DENVER, caused some oil patches to be spotted in Singapore waters, off the western side of Pulau Ubin, said the MPA.

Eight anti-pollution craft have been dispatched with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spill, MPA added.

There have been no reports of injuries and traffic in the East Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remain unaffected.

The MPA was notified of the collision by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) at about 11.50pm on Tuesday night. The JPA had deployed four anti-pollution craft after APL Denver had reported damage to one of her bunker tanks.

As of 12pm, the two vessels were still located in the waters off Pasir Gudang Port, showed data from live maritime tracking site MarineTraffic.

MPA is investigating the accident.


Two container ships collide off Johor, spilling about 300 tonnes of oil
RIZALMAN HAMMIM New Straits Times 4 Jan 17;

JOHOR BARU: Two container vessels collided off the Pasir Gudang Port on Tuesday night, resulting in an oil spill. Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was notified by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) of a collision between Singapore-registered container vessel Wan Hai 301 and Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL Denver which occurred at about 11.50pm on Tuesday.

In a statement, MPA said the master of APL Denver reported that one of the vessel's bunker tanks sustained damage, causing a spillage of about 300 tonnes of oil.

"JPA has deployed four anti-pollution crafts on site and an oil boom around the vessel to contain the oil spill. In Singapore, some oil patches were spotted and the spillage has been contained off the western side of Pulau Ubin.

"We have activated a total of eight anti-pollution craft with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spilled oil," said MPA. It said there were no reports of injury and traffic in eastern Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remains unaffected.

Johor oil spill: Most of oil drifted into Singapore waters
RIZALMAN HAMMIM New Straits Times 4 Jan 17;

JOHOR BARU: Most of the oil spill that occurred following the collision of two container vessels in waters off the Johor Port in Pasir Gudang on Tuesday, have drifted into Singapore waters, State Health and Environment Executive Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said, according the Department of Environment's (DOE) observation, Pulau Ubin in Singapore was impacted the most from the spill.

"The collision occurred when the vessel Wan Hai suffered a power failure, causing it to become uncontrollable, and it hit APL Denver's starboard tank No 6, causing the oil spill," said Ayub. He said DOE is currently carrying out an investigation on the incident.

Pulau Ubin, located on the north east of Singapore, is one of the island republic's last nature retreats and plays host to a significant number of birds, both native and migratory.

Only about 100 people live on the island currently. The extent of the damage the oil spill could have on Pulau Ubin remains unknown for now. Earlier today, it was reported that the two container vessels, one registered in Singapore while another from Gibraltar, had collided on Tuesday night.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a statement had said that APL Denver reported that one of its bunker tanks sustained damage, causing a spillage of about 300 tonnes of oil.

Both MPA and the Johor Port Authority have deployed vessels to contain the spill and execute cleanup operations.

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PUB to step up surveillance patrols at Marina Bay after another otter injured by fish hook

Lydia Lam, Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE - A day after another otter was spotted with a fishing hook and line embedded in its body, Singapore's water agency PUB reiterated its stance against illegal fishing and said surveillance patrols will be stepped up at Marina Bay, where the latest incident reportedly happened.

In response to a query by The Straits Times on the Marina Bay incident, a PUB spokesman said on Tuesday (Jan 3) that PUB officers " carry out daily surveillance at the reservoirs and take enforcement action against illegal fishing - fishing at no-fishing areas and/or using live bait".

"Surveillance patrols will be stepped up at Marina Bay," the spokesman added.

Those caught fishing at no-fishing areas or using live bait can be fined up to $3,000.

The Straits Times on Monday (Jan 2) reported that a female otter, believed to be the mother of a new litter, was spotted by otter watchers at the floating platform on Monday morning with a fishing hook and line in its body.

Anglers were photographed fishing at a no-fishing zone along Marina Bay that same day.

PUB said it urges anglers "not to put themselves and other people or animals at risk by fishing at no-fishing areas".

It also encouraged members of the public to call the PUB hotline on 1800-2255-782 if they spot any illegal or unsafe fishing activities.

It would be helpful to provide the date, time and location of the incident, along with photos and videos, PUB added.

Legal fishing areas nearby include designated fishing areas at Marina Reservoir, two stretches of designated fishing areas at Kallang Basin.

PUB reminded anglers to "take note of the do's and don'ts as reservoirs are common spaces shared by other water sport users and the public".

"While enjoying these recreational spaces, anglers should take responsibility by practising good fishing habits such as discarding hooks and bait into bins, and not hook the otters," said its spokesman.

The Straits Times understands that the otter watching community have not managed to confirm whether or not the hook is still in the female otter.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society is not actively trying to capture the otter to remove the hook as capture can be very stressful for the animal.

An otter pup that was spotted with a fish hook in its eye in April last year (2016) recovered from the wound without any external help.

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LTA installing smarter, energy-saving street lights

Zhaki Abdullah, Straits Times AsiaOne 4 Jan 17;

All street lamps will be replaced with energy-efficient light emitting diodes (LED) in five years, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday.

The replacement of 4,000 lights at 500 low-traffic and residential roads will be completed by next year.

By 2019, 25,000 street lights in central Singapore, including areas such as Rochor Road, Kallang Road and New Bridge Road, will be retrofitted, the LTA said. A tender will be called.

There are more than 95,000 street lights islandwide to be replaced by 2022.

An LTA spokesman said the new lights, which will replace the orange glow of the conventional high pressure sodium vapour lamps with white light, are about 25 per cent more energy efficient.

Sodium vapour lamps must be replaced every three years, while LED lights have to be replaced only every decade. "This helps conserve energy and reduce maintenance and manpower costs," said an LTA spokesman.

Higher-powered street lights will be installed along expressways and arterial roads, which require greater illumination.

Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said the switch was a "fantastic" move towards energy efficiency, and could net energy savings of up to 45 per cent.

He said that even more could be saved with the introduction of smart controls that adjust light output based on road usage.

"The lights could dim at around 3am and become brighter only when a vehicle approaches," said the executive director of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU.

Other cities are also making the change to LED street lights. This year, London will replace more than 14,000 street lights.

Four years ago, Los Angeles replaced more than 100,000 street lights with LED ones. The move is estimated to save the American city $14.5 million annually.

The LTA is also developing a remote control and monitoring system that will allow street lights to be more responsive to weather conditions such as heavy rain.

While street lights currently follow a pre-programmed sunrise and sunset schedule, they can also be switched on in periods of low visibility such as during the haze.

However, this is now a process that has to be done by hand at each lamp, taking a few hours, said an LTA spokesman. The new system will allow the lights to be activated remotely.

The system, which will be implemented by 2022, will have automated fault detection and alert capabilities, making the maintenance of street lights more efficient.

The LTA gets feedback on about 800 faulty street lights per month. Checks are conducted nightly, and it takes about a month to check all the street lights here. The new system will allow the LTA to respond more quickly to faults.

The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) said it will work with the LTA to test the feasibility of using the remote monitoring system in an islandwide wireless sensor network.

The sensors will be used to collect and transmit environmental data such as temperature and humidity. This will enable "more efficient delivery of smart city services", said a GovTech spokesman.

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/lta-installing-smarter-energy-saving-street-lights#sthash.L271uXwj.dpuf

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Raffles Country Club to be acquired to make way for high speed rail developments

ALFRED CHUA Today Online 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE — The 143ha site in Tuas occupied by the Raffles Country Club will be acquired for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project, the Government announced on Wednesday (Jan 4).

The club, one of Singapore's oldest that opened in 1988, will need to hand the site over to the SLA by July 31, 2018 — 10 years before its 30-year lease is due to expire (on Oct 31, 2028). It is the second country club here to have to cease operations because of the HSR, after Jurong Country Club, which has to make way for the terminus in Jurong East.

The Raffles Country Club site — located at Tuas, and bordered by the Tengeh Reservoir and the Ayer Rajah Expressway — was deemed most suitable to run HSR tracks at ground level before it goes underground towards the Jurong East Terminus, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Land Aithority (SLA) said in a joint media briefing. They added that they came to the decision after having "undertaken extensive reviews...to carefully select and consider all options".

The site will also be used for the required HSR crossover tracks and a side track to temporarily house a train near the border for safety or operational reasons, the authorities said.

The plot of land will also be used for the Cross Island Line's western depot, as well as other transport related needs, they added.

There is also the potential of having train testing facilities at the site, although that would be dependant on engineering and feasibility studies.

Compensation will be based on market value for the acquired land as at acquisition date, with the authorities saying they would render as much help as possible to the club. The Government offered Jurong Country Club S$89.8 million for the 67ha site but the club is asking for almost double the amount in compensation.

On why the period of July 31, 2018 was given as the club's move-out date, SLA's chief executive Tan Boon Khai said this was because in the second half of 2018, engineering tests would have to be carried out at the site prior to construction.


Raffles Country Club members 'deeply disappointed' by land acquisition announcement
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE: Members of the Raffles Country Club (RCC) were surprised by an announcement on Wednesday (Jan 4) that the Government would acquire land the club sits on for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) and for a Cross Island Line depot.

“Obviously we’re deeply disappointed to hear the news. I think we will work with the authorities to make sure we deal with them fairly, if there’s any compensation," said General Committee president Paul Singh. He declined to go into specifics, saying the club needed to hold further talks with authorities.

Still, some members told Channel NewsAsia they had a sense that a land acquisition was on the cards. After news of Jurong Country Club's acquisition for the HSR project was broke, RCC member Maria Teo said she and others at the club had speculated that RCC would lose part of its two 18-hole golf courses, but not both.

Another member, Theresa Ng said she paid about S$40,000 for the membership about 20 years ago. She and Ms Teo said they had no plans to get another golf course membership after RCC closes.

A former Jurong Country Club member who wanted to be known as Arthur said he and a few others bought RCC membership in February 2016, and were "prepared" for such an acquisition. But they were not expecting the move to come so soon.

He paid about S$20,000 for weekday membership. "I will not sell my membership now. Nobody will buy. If they compensate me, I'm lucky. I won't lose that much".

He is in two minds about getting another golf club membership. "Even if you want another membership, you're scared. You know - is the Government going to acquire it too? I don't know if Sentosa or Tanah Merah or Laguna Club will be next. Will Singapore eventually end up without golf courses?"

Golf club membership broker Fion Phua said about 10 existing RCC members have contacted her for advice since they were informed of the notice. One caller had submitted an application for membership at the club on Tuesday and that it was pending approval from the club.

Ms Phua, who is sales director of Tee-Up Marketing Enterprises, said members were asking her if they should sell their membership or wait for Government compensation. “The membership is currently between S$32,000 to S$33,000. If they sell it now, minus the transfer fee of S$21,400, they might get about S$10,000 for the membership. I told them it might be better to hold out for the compensation, and in the meantime, enjoy the golf course and make more memories there until it is closed down.”

RCC has about 2,650 golfing members. Memberships are going for between S$32,500 to S$34,000 based on a check of club membership broker websites.

The club will be required to vacate its premises by Jul 31, 2018.

Additional reporting by Lianne Chia and Liyana Othman.

- CNA/ly


Raffles Country Club to make way for KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail
Lianne Chia and Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 4 Jan 17;

SINGAPORE: The 143-hectare Raffles Country Club site in Tuas will be acquired by authorities to make way for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail project.

The club announced the move on its website on Wednesday (Jan 4). The announcement included a letter from the Singapore Land Authority informing the club of the acquisition.

According to the announcement, the land is also needed for the Cross Island Line's western depot and other transport-related uses.

"We understand that many of you may have queries regarding the future of RCC," the club said in the announcement. "We would like to assure you that the club has been contacted by the relevant Government agencies and we will provide members with a more detailed update in due course."

The club will be required to vacate its premises by Jul 31, 2018, according to the letter.

BIGGEST ACQUISITION DONE IN RECENT YEARS

On Wednesday (Jan 4), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SLA said the Raffles Country Club site is the “optimal site” in terms of location, size and orientation.

Leaders of Singapore and Malaysia had signed a bilateral agreement for the high-speed rail last month, where it was agreed that the HSR will cross the Straits of Johor via a bridge with a height clearance of 25 metres above the water level.

LTA and SLA explained that as the bridge is high, it has to be continued before it can be brought down to land and into the tunnel. “So there are not a lot of options in terms of where we can site it without having to make a lot of land acquisitions”, they said.

They said the Raffles Country Club site is the most suitable location to run the HSR tracks immediately after the bridge crossing. It will then enter an underground tunnel to the HSR terminus in Jurong East.

Space is also needed for HSR crossover tracks and a siding facility that will temporarily house a train near the border for safety or operational reasons, if necessary.

The site is also needed to provide train parking and maintenance facilities for the Cross Island Line's Western Depot, LTA and SLA added, as well as other transport-related needs which may include train testing facilities. Further details of the projects will be given after detailed feasibility and engineering studies, they said.

By size, the 143-hectare site is the biggest land acquisition in recent years. The club is the second country club – after Jurong Country Club – to be acquired by authorities for the HSR project. It closed for good on Dec 31 last year, ahead of its lease expiry in 2035. The 67-hectare site it was on will be occupied by the HSR terminus, as well as mixed-use developments and community facilities.

“This is a big acquisition and we would like to reiterate that the government does not take acquisition lightly,” said SLA’s Chief Executive Tan Boon Khai. “We will consider all options including the technical and suitability details before making the acquisition.”

He added that under the Land Acquisition Act, the club will be compensated full market value, and SLA will work closely with the club’s management and assist the club throughout the acquisition process. Jurong Country Club was awarded S$89.8 million by the Collector of Land Revenue – an amount about half of what the club asked for in its claim for compensation.

ALL CLUB MEMBERS INFORMED OF ACQUISITION

When contacted by Channel NewsAsia, the club said it was given the acquisition notice just after 10am on Wednesday. It has “several direct channels” of reaching out to members, and that all have been informed of the acquisition.

The club, which was founded in 1988, has two 18-hole golf courses, and its lease was due to expire in 2028. A check on club membership broker websites showed RCC memberships going for between S$32,500 to S$34,000. It has about 2,650 golfing members.

The high-speed rail, which is slated for completion in 2026, is expected to cut travel time between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to about 90 minutes. The line will run for 350km, with 335km in Malaysia and 15km in Singapore.

There will be eight stations in total, with the two terminal stations at Jurong East in Singapore and Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

ACQUISITION THE MOST LOGICAL DECISION: ANALYSTS

Analysts told Channel NewsAsia that acquiring the site – which runs parallel to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) - was the most logical decision for the high-speed rail project.

Transport analyst Dr Walter Theseira of SIM University said that, unlike mass transit lines which can curve, the high-speed rail line cannot afford to do so in order to maintain its speed.

“If you look at the geography of the area, one very likely alignment is ... straight alongside the existing AYE for much of the length of the AYE in the Tuas area,” said Dr Theseira. “That would be a very straight alignment, and if you build it, in fact, along the grounds of the Raffles Country Club, then you don't have to take over, for example, industrial land to do that.”

He added that the authorities may also have chosen the site as the most cost-effective way to guide trains underground from above ground.

“It’s going to be a lot cheaper to do that, if for example you were to take over a stretch of land which currently doesn’t have development on it, and basically dig the tunnel there and cover the tunnel afterwards,” he said.

“If you were to build the tunnel, however, underneath existing structures, it’s generally a lot more costly and complicated and I think we want to minimise that kind of cost as far as possible. That would be unavoidable once the HSR gets into the Jurong area, but I think there’s a chance to lower the cost by taking over the Raffles Country Club.”

Neither would it be feasible to run the line below an operational golf course, said Chong Kee Sen, immediate past president of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.

He explained that a high-speed train entering Singapore would require a long strip of land for it to maintain its speed as it moves underground.

“The transition has to be smooth, the gradient has to be more gentle, so it basically affects the surface of the RCC for a certain stretch before the train really goes into the tunnel," said Mr Chong.

He added that the land that might be too shallow in parts to support golf games above it, and that the strip could stretch across much of the site’s courses.

Additional reporting by Loke Kok Fai.

- CNA/lc

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