3 Sep (Sun) - Free guided walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Kusu Island with large fish trap
wild shores of singapore
Friends of the Forest library exhibitions (2, 3 and 10 Sep 2017)
Love our MacRitchie Forest
Pulau Ubin Commonest Birds Quest 2017
Singapore Bird Group
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus malaccensis) @ Tampines
Monday Morgue
Channel NewsAsia 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: Ten sailors are missing and five are injured after a US destroyer was involved in a collision with a merchant ship east of Singapore on Monday (Aug 21), the US Navy said in a statement.
"The guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain (DDG 56) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while under way east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca on Aug 21," the statement from the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs said.
"The collision was reported at 6.24am Japan Standard Time, while the ship was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore.
"Initial reports indicate John S McCain sustained damage to her port side aft. The extent of damage and personnel injuries is being determined. The incident will be investigated," the statement added.
Search and rescue efforts are under way in coordination with local authorities: "In addition to tug boats out of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant (97), RSN helicopters and Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark (55) are currently in the area to render assistance.
MV-22s and SH-60s from USS America are also responding," the statement added.
"The ship is currently sailing under its own power and heading to port," the US Navy said in an update.
The merchant vessel Alnic MC is described as a 180-metre long Liberian flagged oil and chemical tanker on the MarineTraffic website. It has a deadweight of more than 50,000 tonnes.
Malaysia has also sent a a ship to render assistance. It's navy chief Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin told Channel NewsAsia that the KD Handalan has been deployed.
The McCain is the second US guided-missile destroyer to be involved in a collision in two months. In June, the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippines container ship off the coast of Japan, killing seven navy sailors. The two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on the Fitzgerald were removed after the incident.
Singapore navy and police coast guard aiding US warship involved in collision
Today Online 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE — A search and rescue operation is underway near the Singapore Strait after a US warship collided with a merchant vessel near the Singapore Strait on Monday (Aug 21).
10 sailors from the US Navy are missing, while five are injured, after the guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain collided with the oil and chemical tanker Alnic MC at 5.24am Singapore time, the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs said in a statement.
The warship sustained damage to the left side of its hull, towards the rear.
Two Singapore Navy warships have been deployed to aid the USS John S McCain, which was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore when the collision happened.
Besides the Republic of Singapore Navy Fearless-class patrol vessel RSS Gallant and RSS Resilience, RSN helicopters, the Singapore Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark, and tugboats are assisting the US warship.
The US Navy has also sent its V-22 Osprey aircraft and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from the amphibious assault ship USS America to render assistance.
According to a marine traffic website, the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC was heading towards Singapore from Taiwan when the collision happened. At 6.58am, the merchant ship appeared to be at underway at the mouth of the South China Sea, sailing westwards towards Singapore.
"Search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with local authorities," the US Navy said. It gave no further details on potential casualties, noting that the extent of damage and personnel injuries is still being determined.
"The ship is currently sailing under its own power and heading to port," the US Navy added.
Measuring 154m long, the 9,000-tonne USS John S McCain is smaller than the 183m-long, 30,040-tonne Alnic MC.
The USS John S McCain is based in Yokosuka, Japan. According to a 19 Aug Facebook post, the warship was last on patrol in the South China Sea in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Ten sailors missing, five injured after US destroyer USS John S McCain collides with merchant vessel near Singapore
Chris Graham The Telegraph 21 Aug 17;
Ten US sailors were missing after a US destroyer collided with a merchant vessel in southeast Asia, the second serious accident involving American Navy ships in the region in little more than two months.
Search and rescue efforts were launched after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with the Alnic MC east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement.
The accident happened at 5.24am local time as the guided-missile destroyer was heading to Singapore for a routine visit.
"There are currently 10 Sailors missing and five injured," the Japan-based 7th Fleet said.
Local authorities were coordinating with the US Navy to conduct search and rescue efforts after the warship suffered damage the port side aft, it said.
Location of the ship, the Alnic MC, just over an hour after it the collission CREDIT: MARINETRAFFIC
"The extent of damage and personnel injuries is being determined," it said, adding that the incident was being investigated.
The destroyer was currently sailing under its own power and heading to port.
Senator John McCain tweeted: "Cindy & I are keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight - appreciate the work of search & rescue crews."
The vessel was named in honour of the senator's grandfather and father, who were US admirals.
Based at the fleet's homeport of Yokosuka, Japan, the USS John S McCain has a crew of 23 officers, 24 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted sailors, according the Navy's website.
The ship it hit, the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC, is a 183 metre long chemical or oil tanker with a deadweight of more than 50,000 tonnes, according to the Marine Traffic website.
Shipping data showed it last sent a transponder signal at 2258 GMT on Sunday and has since come to a halt 6-12 miles off the east coast of the Pengerang peninsula in Johor, southern Malaysia. The ship data showed it was "ballasting", meaning that it was not loaded full of oil for cargo.
The accident comes two months after seven US sailors died when a US destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the Japanese coast.
The Fitzgerald's captain was relieved of command and other sailors would be punished after the Navy found poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to the collision, the Navy announced last week.
An investigation into how and why the Fitzgerald collided with the other ship was not finished, but enough details were known to take those actions, the Navy said.
U.S. warship collides with merchant vessel east of Singapore
Reuters 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. warship was damaged after colliding with a merchant vessel east of Singapore on Monday, the U.S. Navy said, the second accident involving U.S. Navy destroyers in Asian waters in little more than two months.
The Navy said in a statement the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while "the ship was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore".
"Initial reports indicate John S. McCain sustained damage to her port side aft," the Navy said. A search-and-rescue mission was under way.
The U.S. Navy said last week it had removed the two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on a U.S. warship that almost sank off the coast of Japan in June after it was struck by a Philippine container ship.
That collision killed seven U.S. sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer the USS Fitzgerald.
A map shows the location where the Alnic MC merchant vessel came to a halt after a collision with the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain east of Singapore August 21, 2017. REUTERS
The Alnic MC is a Liberian-flagged, 183 meter-long oil or chemical tanker of 50,760 deadweight tonnes, according to shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon.
Shipping data showed it last sent a transponder signal at 2258 GMT Sunday and has since come to a halt 10-20 km (6-12 miles) off the east coast of the Pengerang peninsula in Johor, southern Malaysia. The ship data showed it was "ballasting", meaning that it was not loaded full of oil for cargo.
FILE PHOTO - The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain sails in formation during exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in waters west of the Korean peninsula in this March 21, 2013 handout photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy. U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes/Handout/File Photo
The U.S. Navy vessel is named for John S. McCain, Sr., and John S. McCain, Jr., both Admirals in the United States Navy.
"Cindy & I are keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight - appreciate the work of search & rescue crews," their son and grandson, U.S. Republican Senator John McCain, said on Twitter.
Senator McCain is a Vietnam War-era naval aviator who was shot down and held prisoner for five-and-a-half years. He is now undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
(This version of the story corrects detail on who the USS John S. McCain was named for, paragraphs 8-10)
Reporting by Lesley Wroughton in WASHINGTON and Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Peter Cooney and Paul Tait
US destroyer collision: Four injured taken to Singapore; no oil spill detected
Straits Times 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - Singapore is leading search and rescue operations for 10 missing sailors thrown overboard after a United States warship and a merchant vessel carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of fuel oil crashed east of the Republic on Monday (Aug 21) morning.
Four of five injured personnel have been flown to Singapore.
There were no reports of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait was unaffected, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in a statement.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post on Monday that four of the injured sailors had been transferred to the Singapore General Hospital.
“I hope their colleagues will be found. My thoughts are with their families,” he said.
President Tony Tan Keng Yam said on Facebook that he was saddened by the news.
“I wish those injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
“Search and rescue operations are still underway for 10 missing sailors. I hope they will be found soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.”
The collision happened just before 5.30am, between US guided-missile destroyer USS John McCain and Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Alnic MC, in Singapore territorial waters in the Singapore Strait.
Earlier this morning, a Republic of Singapore Air Force Super Puma helicopter transported casualties from the ship to SGH.
According to the US 7th Fleet, four of the injured were medically evacuated to Singapore for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured sailor did not need further medical attention.
Close-up of the USS John S McCain near Changi Naval Base
USS John McCain was damaged in its port side and requested for tug assistance, said MPA.
Alnic MC sustained damage to its fore peak tank 7m above the waterline. No crew members were injured.
Search efforts are being carried out north of Pedra Branca.
On the sidelines of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee meeting on Monday, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen expressed his condolences to those injured or missing from the incident.
“Our agencies were activated and taking the lead in search and rescue missions, as well as assisting the disabled USS McCain,,” he said.
“Let me express our deep condolences to those who are injured or missing from this incident, but we stand ready to assist both the USS McCain and the servicemen,” said Dr Ng.
In a Facebook post, he said the SAF has been mobilised as part of a multi-agency search and rescue effort, led by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a Facebook post on Monday evening that search and rescue operations for the missing sailors of the USS John S McCain was ongoing, and that "we will not spare any effort".
He described the effort as a heart wrenching exercise, adding that "we hope for good news as we continue the search tonight".
The Singapore Armed Forces has deployed two Patrol Vessels, RSS Gallant and RSS Resilience; one Frigate, RSS Intrepid; two Super Pumas and one Chinook helicopter to assist in the search for 10 missing sailors.
MPA has also sent three tugboats to assist.
The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed four vessels.
In addition, US aircraft MV-22s and SH-60s from USS America have been deployed. Malaysia has sent vessels to help with the search and rescue, its Navy chief said in a Twitter post.
Both vessels are currently on their way to Singapore to assess their damage.
The Republic of Singapore Navy's RSS Resilience is escorting the USS John McCain back to Changi Naval Base, Mr Ng said.
The US Navy ship was making its way to Singapore for a routine visit. Its home port is Yokosuka in Japan.
Alnic MC has been listed on marine websites as a 30,040-tonne, 183m-long Liberian-flagged oil tanker. Owned by Greece's Stealth Maritime, it was en route to Singapore from Pyeongtaek in South Korea.
The US Navy said the extent of damage to USS John S McCain is being determined, and the incident will be investigated. It has set up an emergency family assistance centre for family members of the ship's personnel.
MPA is also investigating the incident.
Oil tanker that collided with US warship laden with fuel oil, but no spills
Today Online 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE — The oil tanker involved in a collision with a US warship to the east of Singapore early on Monday (Aug 21) was carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of fuel oil, but there was no oil spill, a crew member told Reuters via phone.
“We are carrying 11,987 tonnes of fuel oil. There is no oil spill. We were carrying fuel oil from Taiwan to discharge to Singapore ... We are proceeding to Raffles Reserved Anchorage where the owners will investigate the matter. There was some damage to the valve,” the crew member of the Alnic MC, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters via telephone.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) lists the Raffles Reserved Anchorage to the South of Bukom Island to be reserved for “vessels requiring emergency repairs and damaged vessels or as directed by the Port Master”.
None of the tanker's crew were injured, according to a statement from the MPA, which said the Alnic "sustained damage to her Fore Peak Tank 7m above the waterline".
Ten sailors from the US Navy are missing, while five are injured, the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs said in a statement.
According to a marine traffic website, the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC was heading towards Singapore from Taiwan when the collision happened. The merchant ship appeared to be at underway at the mouth of the South China Sea, sailing westwards towards Singapore.
"There is no report of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait is unaffected," MPA said.
AGENCIES
No oil pollution reported after U.S. warship, tanker collide off Singapore
Reuters 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - No oil spill was reported after a collision between a U.S. guided-missile destroyer and a merchant vessel in Singapore waters, authorities in the city-state said on Monday.
Ten sailors from the USS John S. McCain were missing after the collision with the oil tanker east of Singapore, the U.S. Navy said, the second accident involving U.S. Navy destroyers in Asian waters in little more than two months.
"USS JOHN MCCAIN sustained damage to her port side and requested for tug assistance. ALNIC MC sustained damage to her Fore Peak Tank 7m above the waterline, with no crew injuries," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.
"There is no report of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait is unaffected. MPA is investigating the incident," it added.
Reporting by Masayuki Kitano; Editing by Kim Coghill
Oil tanker hit by USS John S McCain laden with fuel oil; no spill
Channel NewsAsia 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: An oil tanker involved in a collision with the USS John S McCain to the east of Singapore early on Monday (Aug 21) was carrying almost 12,000 tonnes of fuel oil, but there was no oil spill, a crew member told Reuters via phone.
"We are carrying 11,987 tonnes of fuel oil. There is no oil spill. We were carrying fuel oil from Taiwan to discharge to Singapore ... We are proceeding to Raffles Reserved Anchorage where the owners will investigate the matter. There was some damage to the valve," the crew member of the Alnic MC who did not want to be identified told Reuters via telephone.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) lists the Raffles Reserved Anchorage to the South of Bukom Island to be reserved for "vessels requiring emergency repairs and damaged vessels or as directed by the Port Master".
Ten sailors are missing and five are injured from the USS John S McCain after the collision at 5.24am Singapore time, while the US guided-missile destroyer was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore, according to a statement by the US Navy.
The MPA said it was leading search and rescue operations for the collision that took place in Singapore territorial waters.
Both Singapore and Malaysian authorities have sent ships and aircraft to assist the US Navy in the search and rescue mission.
The Alnic MC sustained damage to her fore peak tank 7m above the waterline, with no crew injuries, and both ships were on their way to Singapore for damage assessment, the MPA said in a statement.
"There is no report of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait is unaffected. MPA is investigating the incident," the authority said.
The merchant vessel Alnic MC is described as a 180m long Liberian flagged oil and chemical tanker on the MarineTraffic website. It has a deadweight of more than 50,000 tonnes.
According to VesselsValue, which provides shipping and maritime data, the Alnic MC was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 11am Monday.
The vessel's position at 6.58am Singapore time was at latitude 1.42018 and longitude 104.4326, according to VesselsValue.
It added that the vessel is owned by a Greek company Brave Maritime Corporation and is reportedly worth US$17.36 million (S$23.6 million).
Source: Reuters/CNA/mz
USS John S McCain collision: Singapore will spare no effort to find missing crew members, says MPA
Channel NewsAsia 21 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: Search and rescue efforts will continue through the night for the 10 US Navy crew members missing after the USS John S McCain an oil tanker collided in Singapore territorial waters, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement on Monday evening (Aug 21).
"The Singapore authorities will spare no effort to try to find them, and render all possible assistance to our US friends," Mr Andrew Tan, chief executive of MPA said.
"Our thoughts are with the injured and families of the US Navy crew who are currently still missing following the incident in Singapore territorial waters."
Republic of Singapore Navy and Singapore Police Coast Guard vessels have been deployed for the overnight search, MPA said.
About 250 personnel from various agencies have been deployed for the Singapore-led search and rescue operations, MPA said.
Detailing its efforts so far, MPA said it was notified of the collision at about 5.30am on Monday. The RSS Gallant as well as a Police Coast Guard vessel were nearby on patrol when the incident happened, and rendered assistance.
At 6.45am, MPA activated three tugboats and a team of divers and sent them to the scene.
After being notified by the US Navy that there were missing and injured crew members, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) immediately sent its first Super Puma helicopter to the scene at about 7.40am.
MPA deployed its command vessel at 8am, and the RSS Resilience, as well as another coast guard patrol vessel arrived on the scene at about 9am.
A frigate, the RSS Intrepid, as well as another Super Puma and a Chinook helicopter were also deployed subsequently, MPA said.
In total, the Singapore Armed Forces deployed a frigate, two patrol vessels, two Super Pumas and a Chinook helicopter, and the Police Coast Guard sent two patrol vessels.
As of 6pm, five sorties have been carried out over the area, MPA said.
The agency added that it has been issuing hourly navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels of the incident, asking them to keep a lookout for any people in the water.
In a Facebook post on Monday evening, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote: "Every SAR (search and rescue) is a heart-wrenching exercise," he wrote. "We hope for good news as we continue the search tonight."
SINGAPORE ACCEPTS ASSISTANCE FROM INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES
MPA added that Singapore has accepted an offer of assistance from Indonesian authorities in search and rescue efforts. Indonesia has deployed a helicopter to search the northern coast line of Bintan island, it said.
The US has also deployed its own assets to take part in ongoing search and rescue efforts, MPA said.
Following the collision, the USS America arrived at Changi Naval Base with US Navy MH-60S helicopters and MV-22 Ospreys to support search operations.
The USS John S McCain is currently berthed at Changi Naval Base and the oil tanker, the Alnic MC is now at Singapore's eastern anchorage for inspections, MPA said.
MPA is investigating the incident, it added.
Source: CNA/dl
Jean Iau Straits Times 19 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - Pulau Zombie did not have a chance to go live.
The anticipated role-play event to have been held next month on St John's Island was planned as a 13-hour adventure set amid a zombie apocalypse. It has been cancelled because its organiser Void Deck Games has not received the necessary permits for it.
It had already sold out all its 55 tickets and the organiser will issue full refunds to ticket holders. The wait list for the event had more than 500 names on it.
Co-founder of Void Deck Games, Mr Raihan Harun, told The Straits Times that organisers made the decision to refund ticket holders as they had not received official confirmation from Singapore Land Authority, which manages the island, or a Public Entertainment License. The applications are still under review.
He explained: "We didn't want to risk having to disappoint participants at the last minute. If the result was negative and too close to the day itself it would have been a big blow so we feel it was the more responsible thing to do to cancel the event now."
The 37-year-old added that they had made phone calls to apologise to some of the 55 ticket holders and will reach out to everyone eventually.
There are plans for a sequel event, Pulau Zombie: Bad Blood, to be held in October at Sarimbun Scout Camp but tickets for it have not been released for sale yet.
Mr Harun says: "Void Deck Games will do everything possible to create an island zombie experience. It will be a series of negotiations to make this happen. The October game will be crucial test bed for our ideas.
"We are in this for the long run to create a startling immersive experience entertainment for this region."
The Star 20 Aug 17;
IN a bid to reduce plastic waste, some eateries have stopped serving single-use plastic straws with their drinks.
As an alternative, the Mockingbird Cafe in Kuala Lumpur serves their cold drinks with reusable stainless steel straws.
“Stainless steel straws not only look trendy but it is also a good start to being a bit greener. We have to start somewhere,” says the cafe owner, Elaine Lamb.
Lamb says that her customers would sometimes ask why she uses metal straws.
“Some of them ask about the hygiene of metal straws. I would tell them that we wash them very thoroughly and we soak them overnight,” she says.
“These metal straws are a great conversation starter and it is a good way to raise awareness and educate the public on the bad effects of plastic and plastic straws,” she adds.
Lamb says that she aims for Mockingbird Cafe to be plastic-free. It will soon stop giving away plastic cutlery for takeaways.
“Some people expect plastic cutlery and a plastic container with a plastic bag. They are not informed about the detrimental effects of these plastics,” she says.
Bubbles Dive Resort in Perhentian Island also stopped serving plastic straws at their restaurant on May 31.
“Earlier in March, we started promoting ‘No Straw Please’ at our restaurant by asking all our guests whether they really need a straw,” said Bubbles Dive Resort marketing director Peisee Hwang.
“In our nightly ‘turtle talk’ with our resort guests, we spread awareness of how much single use plastic product was being discarded and ended up in the ocean,” she says.
Hwang says that the staff have witnessed first-hand the amount of plastic that has been washed up ashore, besides dead sea creatures.
“We have seen how coral died of suffocation because it was covered by a big plastic bag,” she says.
Hwang says that the staff have rescued some aquatic creatures suspected of ingesting plastic.
“Our customers have been fully supportive and appreciative of our efforts,” Hwang says.
“A lot of them bought metal and bamboo straws from us so they can carry it with them on their travels.”
Hwang says that Bubbles Dive Resort would order paper straws and stocks bamboo straws from Bali. It plans to source their bamboo straws from the orang asli.
Spare that straw, please
VICTORIA BROWN The Star 20 Aug 17;
DRINK up, folks, but without the straw please.
Malaysians use up about 31 million plastic straws every day, based on conservative estimates, and these would likely end up in landfills.
Each plastic straw takes “hundreds of years” to degrade, says environment and solid waste management specialist Dr Theng Lee Chong, who estimates that one straw is used per person each day in Malaysia.
(Americans use single-use straws at an average rate of 1.6 straws per person each day. This equates to 500 million plastic straws being used every day in the United States alone.)
Last year, Malaysians produced about 38,000 tonnes of waste daily.
Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp Malaysia) deputy chief executive officer (technical) Dr Mohd Pauze Mohamad Taha says that only 0.5% of the waste is incinerated. The rest is landfilled.
“Single-use plastics represent a huge threat to the environment if it not properly managed,” he says.
Dr Mohd Pauze says that single-use plastics are known for their interference in ecosystems. They also contribute to floods as they clogged up pipes and drains.
“This threat is not only related to the sheer volume of them ending up in landfills, but also to the resources needed to produce, transport and (occasionally) recycle them, and the emissions resulting from these processes improperly disposed,” he said.
According to a National Solid Waste Management Department’s 2012 report, plastic makes up 13.2% of Malaysia’s total household waste.
As for plastic straws, it is almost an automatic practice to consume cold drinks out of them. They are given to diners without a second thought.
Mareena Yahya Kerschot, a co-founder of the “Tak Nak Straw” campaign, says this habit was harming the environment.
“You consume your drink in less than five minutes, then you throw the straw away,” she says.
These straws, she says, are among the plastics making its way into the ocean, getting eaten by fish and trapping sea creatures.
“That video of a turtle who had a straw stuck in its nose left a big impact on me,” said Kershot, referring to a YouTube video which showed researchers pulling out a plastic straw from the turtle’s nose.
The video has had 12 million views. And the turtle has inadvertently become the poster child for the anti-straw campaign.
Plastic straws are not biodegradable. Instead, it breaks down into small pieces called microplastics.
“These microplastics keep accumulating in the oceans, and it affects the food chain and overall ecosystem. And it is highly harmful to the sea animals,” Dr Theng said.
“Many so called ‘biodegradable’ or ‘degradable’ plastics in the markets are actually not fully degraded, but only visually breakdown into smaller pieces of microplastics,” he said.
The UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which works in education and training, said in a report last year that there will be more plastic waste than fish by 2050.
Most plastic straws are made from polypropylene (PP).
Even though PP plastic can be recycled, it is hardly done due to its size.
“The straw is very small and hard to pick up or segregate for recycling purposes,” said Dr Theng.
“If a recycler finds a big bundle of plastic straws, he would definitely pick it for recycling. But if he has to pick it up piece by piece from the waste stream, he would rather spend time and focus on other larger plastic products,” he says.
Should people even use straws?
“We are grown adults. Do we really need a straw? Even my kids don’t need straws,” Tak Nak Straw co-founder Claire Sancelot says.
She says that the need for hygiene should not be an excuse to use straws.
“Some people say that a straw is needed because the restaurants don’t clean the glasses well. If you’re worried about hygiene, what about the plate and the cutlery?” she asks.
She points out that most people don’t use straws at home, “so why do we use straws when we are out?” Another co-founder of Tak Nak Straw, Carolyn Lau, says the campaign is just one of many ways to develop a consciousness of what we consume and how we consume it.
“What I find with people nowadays is that we take these conveniences for granted,” she says.
Tak Nak Straw wants Malaysians to start saying no to single-use plastic straws.
If you prefer to still use straws, buy a reusable one.
“You can buy a stainless steel straw. You can carry it in your bag. It’s washable and unbreakable,” she says.
Lau says that she is also looking to work with the orang asli community to make bamboo straws.
“We want to get all that information that is out there to Malaysians so that they can make informed choices.”
“We will get there, one straw at a time,” Lau says.
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM The Nation 20 Aug 17;
SUBSIDENCE CAUSED by human activities in Bangkok Metropolitan areas is the most important factor causing shoreline erosion in the Bay of Bangkok, followed by rising sea levels, a recent study has shown.
However, experts advise against constructing hard structures to prevent erosion, which could instead intensify the problem, and instead focus on mangrove reforestation to address the problem.
Looking through a thin layer of mangrove forest along the coastline of Samut Prakan’s Phra Samut Chedi district, observers can see a small temple situated on a bizarre seaside. The temple is Wat Khun Samutchin, a relic of an old community that has sunk into the sea, a clear sign of the danger that shoreline erosion poses to Metropolitan Bangkok.
Thanawat Charupongsakul, director of Thailand Global Warming Academy, outlined the challenges of coastal erosion on a field trip last Thursday to Wat Khun Samutchin in one of the worst-hit areas of coastal erosion. The inner Gulf of Thailand, especially the 120 kilometres of the northernmost shoreline of Samut Prakan, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram, is particularly vulnerable to erosion and sinking into the sea, he said.
Thanawat added that the shoreline erosion rate of the area was as high as 30 metres per year. If no action is taken, 150,000 rai (24,000 hectares) of land could consumed by the sea over the next 50 years. With such rapid changes underway, this is a problem that everyone, especially residents of Bangkok, should consider, Thanawat said.
“From my study, subsidence contributes to 68 per cent of the current problem of shoreline erosion, along with 16 per cent due to the sea level rising, 6.8 per cent from a lack of sedimentation, and 2.4 per cent from river delta dredging,” he said.
“These factors are all the result of human activities, especially the subsidence, which is mainly a result of urbanisation of the Bangkok Metropolitan area.”
Surajit Chirawate, a former Samut Songkhram senator, said that if people were serious about preventing Bangkok from sinking into the sea, they needed to move away from using hard structures such as concrete sea walls, jetties and breakwaters. Not only would such structures fail to solve the problem, they would actually intensify the impact of coastal erosion on nearby areas, he said.
“We have a problem. Authorities do not understand nature and construct hard structures to protect the coastline, which has already proven ineffective in places such as Rayong’s Seangchan Beach and Songkhla’s Samila Beach.”
Hard structures make waves stronger, which then dig out the sediment from beneath the structure and intensify erosion, he said. However, there are alternatives including soft structural barriers such as bamboo fences that break the wave force and trap sediment behind the fence line.
“The entire coastline of Samut Songkhram uses bamboo fence as a wave breaker and we found that it is a cheap and effective way,” he said. “We found that the sediment built up rapidly behind the fence, and then we grew mangrove forests to hold together the land we reclaimed.”
Such solutions were cheaper than hard structures, he added.
“The budget for a bamboo fence is only about Bt8 million per kilometre, and we could significantly reduce the cost to Bt2 million per kilometre if authorities let local people build their own defensive bamboo fences. We just need to repair the fences every three years,” Surajit said.
According to the coastal erosion database compiled by the Thailand Coastal Spatial Database System of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, Samut Prakan’s Phra Samut Chedi district has suffered the most erosion over the past 10 years, with up to 390 metres wide of shoreline lost since 2005.
In contrast, Tambon Klong Khon of Samut Songkhram reclaimed up to 270 metres wide from the sea since 2005.
Preserving a healthy mangrove forest also helps protect the coast from erosion, which can be demonstrated by Google satellite imagery. Images show a lush mangrove forest in Tambon Klong Khon, while in contrast the coast of Phra Samut Chedi district has been left with only a thin line of mangrove forest, where there is any at all.
Ng Huiwen Straits Times 18 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - A Singaporean businessman who was acquitted twice before he was found guilty of importing rare Madagascan rosewood logs is back in court.
On Friday (Aug 18), Wong Wee Keong, 56, was able to file a "criminal reference" application at the Court of Appeal.
Wong is asking the apex court to rule on what conditions need to be met before a controlled plant or animal, for instance, is "in transit".
The application for a hearing on two questions of law was heard by the three-judge court comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, and Judges of Appeal Andrew Phang and Tay Yong Kwang.
The Chief Justice said permission should be given in this case "so that there is a clear pronouncement of what the applicable legal tests are".
In March 2014, 29,434 logs - weighing 3,235 tonnes and worth US$50 million (S$68.2 million) - were seized by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) from a ship berthed in Jurong Port. It was the "largest seizure of rosewood ever made", said a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Rosewood is a controlled species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Singapore is a signatory.
Under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, rosewood cannot be imported without a permit from AVA.
Wong and his firm were first acquitted in 2015, and the case was dismissed in the middle of the trial. The judge ruled that the logs were not being imported but were in transit, as they were headed to Hong Kong.
The prosecution appealed but Wong and his firm were acquitted.
When the prosecution appealed a second time, the judge in March (2017) said under the law, a restricted species is considered to be in transit only if it is "brought into Singapore solely for the purpose of taking it out of Singapore".
He said there must be proof the species is certain to leave Singapore at a fixed date.
However, in this case, the logs were to leave Singapore on a date that was not confirmed. In fact, their departure date depended on Wong and his firm finding a buyer in Hong Kong.
Channel NewsAsia 18 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: Hitachi Asia has completed its first tests for the urban safety and security solutions it is developing in Singapore, which involves technology that can detect intruders at sea as well as unattended items at a crowded station concourse.
The test, which was conducted at Sentosa island, achieved an accuracy rate of over 90 per cent, the company said in a news release on Friday (Aug 18).
Hitachi said that it applied its video analytics software to the existing infrastructure on Sentosa to detect intruders in the sea.
The same technique was also used to locate unattended objects in public through real-time monitoring and to alert relevant parties, for example by sending automatic alerts to command centres and security guards or to the public.
"This system minimises response time and the reduction in manual surveillance also increases productivity," Hitachi said.
"The data collected enables both analytics for investigation support, since a person's history can be traced, as well as business operation(s), given that human flow is tracked."
The tests are part of a project under the Safety & Security Industry Programme 2020, led by the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The project aims to grow Singapore into ASEAN's leading incubator for safety and security businesses, and was created in response to a call for collaboration by the Safety and Security Industry Programme Office (SSIPO) to develop safety and security solutions for agencies such as the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
"Our safety and security agencies are continuously seeking to make use of new technologies and innovation to keep up with the challenges and maintain our operational excellence," Ng Yeow Boon, the senior director of MHA's ops-tech group, said in the news release.
Kosuke Horiuchi, managing director of Hitachi Asia, said that the company believed its "cutting-edge technology and advanced IT system can further increase Singapore's security levels".
"We are very excited to collaborate with the Singapore Government to make the country a safer place to live in," he added.
Source: CNA/nc
Loh Chuan Junn Channel NewsAsia 19 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE: Plots of land spanning more than 100 hectares will be set aside for landscape nurseries use in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced on Saturday (Aug 19).
For a start, about 40 hectares of land comprising more than 30 plots, will be progressively released for tender in tranches from November this year. They will be tendered on a mix of 1 hectare and 2 hectare plots.
NParks said around half of the 30 plots of land will be released in four tranches till end 2018. The land plots will be available in two forms of tenancy: A nine years model with renewal every three years, and a 10+10 year leases model for bigger land parcels.
Under this model, nursery operators pay an upfront amount of 10 years' land lease, with a renewal option for another decade after the first 10 years.
The land parcels will also come with basic infrastructure built up to the front gate, it added. This means that things like drainage systems and electrical connections will be available for nurseries to "quickly move in, kick-start operations, and defray upfront capital investments", NParks said.
This is also the first time that land has been allocated for landscape nurseries, as part of efforts to boost plant supply-chain security and to support Singapore's garden city vision.
"Currently, we don't have land specifically earmarked for nurseries. Our nurseries are now on land that had been tendered out for agriculture generally, and they have had to compete with other farming businesses," said Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
To qualify for the land tender, bidders must be on the Nursery Accreditation Scheme. NParks said it would conduct tender proposal workshops prior to the start of the tender period.
Source: CNA/rw
More than 100ha of land to be set aside for landscape nurseries in a first
Linette Lai Straits Times 19 Aug 17;
SINGAPORE - More than 100 hectares of land in northwest Singapore will be set aside for landscape nurseries, with the first plots open for tender starting November this year.
It is the first time that land has been specifically set aside for these businesses, said Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee on Saturday (Aug 19) morning.
"Currently, we don't have land specifically earmarked for nurseries," Mr Lee said. "Our nurseries are now on land that had been tendered out for agriculture generally, and they have had to compete with other farming businesses."
He was speaking at the National Parks Board's (NParks) Landscape Industry Fair, held at HortPark.
The news comes two days after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) announced that 12 plots of Lim Chu Kang farmland are being put up for tender.
The new land parcels will be located in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, and will come with basic infrastructure in place so that nurseries can move in quickly.
For a start, about 40 hectares - comprising around 30 one and two-hectare plots - will be released. Half of these plots will be put up for tender between November and the end of next year.
The move is part of the Landscape Productivity Roadmap to develop the industry, which has been progressively rolled out since 2012.
The smaller plots will have a nine-year tenure period, with monthly payments and renewal every three years so that operators can avoid paying large sums upfront.
The larger plots will be leased out for 20 years, with businesses required to pay an upfront amount of 10 years' worth of land lease fees.
Tender proposals will be evaluated based on both price and quality.
Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 18 Aug 17;
Two foreign-registered merchant vessels collided 32 nautical miles off Tompok Utara near Pengerang, Kota Tinggi last night, causing an oil spill. Pic by NSTP/ courtesy of Marine Department
JOHOR BARU: Two foreign-registered merchant vessels collided 32 nautical miles off Tompok Utara near Pengerang, Kota Tinggi last night, causing an oil spill.
Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said there were no injuries involving crew members during the 10.30pm incident, which involved Panama-registered oil/chemical tanker Chemroad Mega and Marshall Islands-registered Sinica Graeca bulk carrier.
"The (Royal Malaysian Navy fast attack craft-missile's) vessel KD Pendekar received information on Chemroad Mega colliding with Sinica Graeca vessel on July 17 at 10.30pm.
"The position of the Chemroad Mega and Sinica Graeca were at 01 28.50 N, 104 30.30 E, 3.2 nautical miles northeast off Tompok Utara.
"Both vessels are now anchored at a location seven nautical miles southeast of Tompok Utara," said Ayub in a statement today.
He said crew on board Chemroad Mega and Sinica Graeca told authorities that there were no injury among crew members and the extent of damage has not been evaluated.
"Agents from both vessels arrived at the anchored location on Aug 18 to assess the damage on the vessel," said Ayub in a statement.
He said the Johor Department of Environment (DoE) has instructed owners of both vessels to post a total of RM5 million in bond pending completion of the oil spill clean-up works.
"The Johor DoE instructed the owners to post RM5 million in bonds to the government for both vessels.
"The two vessels will be detained until the bond is handed over and immediate action is taken for clean-up of the oil spill," said Ayub.
He said authorities were investigating the cause of the collision, adding that checks were being made on the extent of the oil spill, which was likely flowing northward to Pulau Tioman.
Oil spill off Johor after merchant tankers collide
BEN TAN Malay Mail 19 Aug 17;
The damage to the hull of the ‘Sinica Graeca’ bulk carrier which was reported to have collided with the ‘Chemroad Mega’ tanker off Johor’s eastern strait. — Picture courtesy of Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee
Read more at http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/oil-spill-off-johor-after-merchant-tankers-collide#IlHXF6Y6cgvB2VYZ.99
KOTA TINGGI, Aug 19 — Two foreign-registered merchant tankers collided near Johor’s eastern straits, 3.2 nautical miles off Tompok Utara near Pengerang, Kota Tinggi on Thursday night, causing an oil spill.
The two vessels have been identified as a Panama-registered oil/chemical tanker Chemroad Mega and Marshall Islands-registered Sinica Graeca bulk carrier. There were no injuries or death reported.
Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the Royal Malaysian Navy’s boat KD Pendekar received information of the collision about 10.30pm.
“The position of Chemroad Mega and Sinica Graeca were 3.2 nautical miles northeast off Tompok Utara.
“Both vessels are now anchored at a location seven nautical miles southeast of Tompok Utara,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Ayub said representatives from the two tankers were at the location yesterday to assess the damage.
He said the state Department of Environment (DoE) ordered both the owners to post RM5 million as bond, pending completion of the oil spill clean-up.
The maritime authorities have detained the two vessels until the clean-up is completed. It is investigating the cause of the collision, as well as the extent of the oil spill.
Ahmad Fairuz Othman New Straits Times 18 Aug 17;
KOTA TINGGI: A seven-year-old female elephant was captured and relocated to a bigger forested area in a 10-day operation conducted by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) yesterday.
Found on the fringes of the Mawai jungle, the elephant was coaxed by two other female elephants which were brought in from the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary in Pahang.
Johor Perhilitan director Jamalun Nasir Ibrahim said the female elephant was transported on a truck at about 9am with the help of a10-member team from Johor Perhilitan and the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary.
"The recent operation began on Aug 9. Operations are carried out every year as we capture and relocate elephants to better habitats. This operation led to the capture of a seven-year-old female elephant near Mawai.
"Operations are also carried out when there are complaints of elephant encroachments in human settlements," Jamalun told the New Straits Times.
He said the population of elephants in Johor currently stood between 140 to 150, and occurences of them entering human settlements were likely due to destruction at the elephants' natural habitat.
Jamalun urged residents in the area to refrain from taking any drastic action whenever they encountered the mammals and to contact the state Perhilitan to handle such cases.
A 33-year-old Indonesian plantation worker died in an incident where he was believed to have been trampled to death by elephants in Ladang Tunjuk Laut, Tanjung Sedili almost on two months ago.
Since that incident on June 21, there have other sightings of the mammals along the Kota Tinggi-Mersing trunk road.
There were another six encounters with the jumbos in nearby Kampung Lukut, Kota Tinggi.
Residents in Mawai also claimed that human conflicts with elephants were more frequent in the past three years.
Badrul Zaman Abu Samah, 51, said that while it used to be common to see herds of elephants once or twice a year in his village in Mawai, the encounters were getting more frequent now.
"When I was growing up in the area, herds of elephants will roam the village twice a year. It used to be an uncommon sight, but is now getting more common as we see elephants several times each month.
"Residents fear for their safety as the elephants destroyed banana trees, oil palms and other crops. Once, the mammals damaged a plantation manager's house till a metal beam was dented. It scared the manager's family," said Badrul Zaman who works with the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra).
He urged the authorities to look into the matter, and ensure that the upcoming elephant sanctuary slated to be built in Panti, Kota Tinggi would be able to accommodate a large number of elephants that were native to the area.
Malaysian Nature Society vice chairman Vincent Chow said there was always a risk of elephants entering human settlements if humans continued to encroach into the animal's natural habitat.
He said Mawai and its surrounding areas were known as migratory routes for elephants, while the forests along Sungai Panti were places where the mammals obtained food and water.
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