Wild fun for kids during the December school holidays!
wild shores of singapore
Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) @ Lorong Halus
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Best of our wild blogs: 13 Nov 17
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Antimicrobial resistance threat: AVA tightens watch on use of drugs in livestock
LOUISA TANG Today Online 12 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE — Over the past three years, fewer than 800 — or 1.5 per cent of the total — food product samples failed food safety standards on average each year, such as exceeding the maximum levels of drug residues including antibiotics.
Responding to TODAY's queries, the Agri-Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said that enforcement actions were taken upon detection of such cases. It added that it is strengthening its regulatory framework on the veterinary use of human therapeutic products, such as antibiotics, hormones and insulin. These products are registered for human use and treatment, but can also be used in animals.
The agency is also looking to implement a veterinary drug registration system, and require veterinary prescription for all veterinary antimicrobials, including those used in livestock and aquaculture.
Based on its annual reports, the AVA tested about 53,540 samples in the 2016/2017 financial year, 55,160 in FY2015/2016 and 51,930 in FY2014/2015.
Globally, there is growing concern about a post-antibiotic era where people could die from simple infections, known as antimicrobial resistance. Earlier this month, Singapore launched its national strategic action plan to tackle the problem.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when disease-causing microbes, such as bacteria, viruses or parasites, grow resistant to the effects of medicine that used to be able to kill them.
Currently, farmers are allowed to administer antimicrobials to their animals without a veterinary prescription, the action plan document stated. However, the AVA has in place licensing conditions for the manufacture of animal feed, and has issued directives to farms to ban the use of certain antimicrobials in food-producing animals.
The AVA told TODAY it monitors the use of antibiotics and other veterinary drugs through veterinary drug wholesalers’ records of sales to farms and vet clinics. It has also banned the use of certain antibiotics in food-producing animals, as well as the use of antibiotics for promoting growth of animals.
Farmers who use antibiotics in their animals need to observe a minimum withdrawal period, which ranges from a few days to several weeks, before the animals or its products can be slaughtered or sold. This is to ensure the antibiotics completely pass out of the animals’ systems, and any left are at “trace levels below maximum residue levels”.
In order to reduce the use of veterinary drugs in animals raised locally for produce, the AVA works with local farmers to to implement good animal husbandry practices, such as vaccinations.
Currently, three out of five poultry farms and six out of 118 fish farms in Singapore are certified under the AVA’s Singapore Quality Egg Scheme and Good Aquaculture Practices for Food Fish scheme, respectively. These farms are subject to stringent inspections, including the checking of farm records for vaccinations, feed and antibiotics used.
In terms of imported food, the AVA regularly tests samples for a wide range of food hazards such as pesticide residues and drug residues such as antibiotics, as well as microbial contaminants such as salmonella.
“We recognise that antibiotics are necessary for the treatment of bacterial infections in animals and when used appropriately, contributes to the health of animals. To this end, AVA advises local farmers to use antibiotics prudently,” the AVA added.
For the general public, they should practise food safety habits, as food can be contaminated anywhere along the food chain, the AVA said. Meats should be thoroughly cooked to eliminate harmful bacteria, for instance.
Experts have said the excessive or improper use of antibiotics in food production is a key factor in antimicrobial resistance. For example, if livestock receive antibiotics and develop resistant bacteria in their gut, the bacteria can spread to people who eat improperly-handled food produced from such livestock.
Most people, including many health professionals, believe that hospitals and other healthcare institutions are the main generators and amplifiers of antimicrobial resistance, noted infectious disease experts Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang and Professor Paul Tambyah in a commentary for TODAY, which was published on Tuesday (Nov 7).
However, “the volume of antibiotic use in agriculture and animal husbandry far exceeds that in humans”, they added.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently urged farmers to stop using antibiotics to boost growth and prevent diseases in healthy animals.
In some countries, the animal sector accounts for around 80 per cent of the total consumption of medically important antibiotics, according to the WHO.
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Malaysia: Johor Sultan visits reservoir, water treatment plant in Gunung Pulai
The Star 12 Nov 17;
PETALING JAYA: Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar took time from his schedule on Saturday (Nov 11) to visit the Sultan Ibrahim reservoir and water treatment plant in Gunung Pulai.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, the Royal Press Office said that the Sultan of Johor made a surprise visit to the site.
"Tuanku Sultan did a walk-about of the area to inspect the cleanliness and proper upkeep of the 94-year-old facility.
"He was also given an unscheduled on-site briefing by SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd president Tan Sri Hamdan Mohamad," read the statement.
The statement also explained that the reservoir was built in 1924 and could hold up to 1,220 million gallons (4.618 billion litres) of water.
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Best of our wild blogs: 12 Nov 17
Lacewings of Singapore
Butterflies of Singapore
Morning Walk At Windsor Nature Park (11 Nov 2017)
Beetles@SG BLOG
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Hatchlings laid by endangered turtle at East Coast released
Audrey Tan Straits Times 12 Nov 17;
The clutch of eggs laid by a critically endangered hawksbill turtle at East Coast Park in August hatched last month, some 60 days after the pregnant turtle first made landfall.
The National Parks Board (NParks) had moved the eggs to a safer, unnamed location with less foot traffic and low light pollution. It was risky for the eggs to have remained at the original site, an urban beach.
Of the 141 eggs, 100 hatched on Oct 18. Some of the eggs were lost to predators such as monitor lizards, said NParks.
The baby turtles were released on a beach where they crawled towards the water themselves.
"This allows them to orientate themselves - a process called imprinting - so that they will be able to navigate back to the area when they have matured and are ready to lay their eggs," Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine division at NParks' National Biodiversity Centre, told The Sunday Times.
Prior to the release, trained NParks officers recorded the vital statistics of the hatchlings, such as their weight and carapace (shell) length, for research and data collection purposes. Each hatchling was also inspected for any deformities.
The officers had received training earlier this year at Mon Repos Turtle Centre in Australia - an established institute on turtle ecology.
While sightings of turtle hatchlings have been regularly reported, the sight of a turtle laying eggs is a rare one. If one is sighted, members of the public should not touch it as doing so could scare or provoke the animal. People should instead keep their distance, speak softly, and contact NParks on 1800-471-7300.
"Similarly, one should not handle the eggs as that might damage them," said Dr Tun.
Ms Debby Ng, from marine conservation volunteer group Hantu Blog, said it was "outstanding" that Singapore's shores could still provide a safe nesting space for globally threatened species, such as the hawksbill turtle.
"It is evidence that urbanisation and wildlife existence need not be a zero-sum game. But... will there still be suitable shores for the surviving baby turtles to return and foster the next generation? With that in mind, we can guide practices today to ensure a future for these long-lived ocean ambassadors," she said.
Mr Stephen Beng, chairman of the marine conservation group of the Nature Society (Singapore) and a member of the Marine Turtle Working Group, agreed.
He said: "We have collectively proven that when we protect our natural spaces, even amid urbanisation, biodiversity flourishes.
"So we must continue to do more for our returning sea turtles; to preserve our natural beaches as nesting sites, and to protect our coral reefs as healthy foraging grounds."
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Malaysia: Rare Bornean clouded leopards caught on camera in Malaysian reserve
Reuters 11 Nov 17;
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Bornean clouded leopard and her two cubs were captured on camera strolling through a Malaysian forest reserve last week, a rare daytime sighting of the elusive animals in the wild.
Found only on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the big cat species is known to zoologists as Neofelis diardi, with just 700 estimated to live in a habitat shrunk by poaching and deforestation.
“Seeing it in daytime is nearly unheard of, and never with its young,” said Michael Gordon, who filmed the animals cross a road and walk into bush in Deramakot in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo, where camera traps first spotted the cats in 2010.
“The Sunda clouded leopard is difficult across most of its range, but the last 3 years I have been coming to Deramakot, I have seen it a quite a few times,” the photographer told Reuters, using an alternative name for the species.
The animal’s habitat has shrunk by a tenth each year over the last two decades, the World Wildlife Fund said, hit by poaching and deforestation for commercial purposes.
It feeds on monkeys, small deer, birds and lizards, and is the main predator on Borneo, an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
In 2007, genetic studies showed the species to be distinct from its nearest relative, the clouded leopard, or Neofelis nebulosa, which was first described scientifically by British naturalist Edward Griffith in 1821, the WWF says.
The range of the clouded leopard extends from Nepal on the Indian subcontinent to southern China and throughout South-East Asia.
The island clouded leopard has small cloud markings, a double stripe down its back and its greyer fur is darker than the mainland species, the WWF says.
Reporting by Angie Teo; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
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Malaysia: Pushing empurau to save sharks
stephanie lee The Star 11 Nov 17;
KOTA KINABALU: Empurau, said to be the most expensive fresh–water fish in the country, may be the answer to the dwindling shark population if people take to its flavour as a replacement for shark’s fin soup.
Spearheading this initiative is The Crab House Seafood Restaurant at Suria Sabah.
The owner, Leonard Teh, said it is working with the Sabah Shark Protection Association (SSPA) and empurau breeder Go Seafood Sdn Bhd on this project.
“We still get orders for shark’s fin soup but we let our customers know that there are alternatives, such as empurau or lobster, which can help with shark conservation efforts,” he said.
The fish is prized for its rich, delicate flesh and firm texture, he said, adding that empurau gets its unique taste from a diet of special fruit that falls from trees into the rivers.
He said farmed empurau tastes better after being fed the fruit and bred at the right water temperature.
Empurau can be served raw as sashimi or steamed with sliced ginger.
He said its bones and skin can be made into soup while its scales can be fried and eaten – “every inch of the fish is edible”.
Teh said restaurants are prepared to remove shark’s fin soup from the menu if customers are willing to stop ordering it.
SSPA president Aderick Chong said it will hold an exhibition at Imago Shopping Mall from 11am to 6pm today to raise awareness on the need to wean ourselves off shark’s fin soup.
He said it is important for the public to know about the issues threatening the shark population and to do something about it.
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US groups honouring Paris climate pledges despite Trump
US states, cities and businesses signed up to ‘America’s pledge’ to combat global warning have a combined economic power equal to the world’s third-biggest economy
Fiona Harvey and Jonathan Watts The Guardian 11 Nov 17;
The US states, cities and businesses that have signed up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions despite president Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the Paris agreement would, if put together, have the clout of the world’s third biggest economy, after the US and China.
To date, 20 US states and more than 50 of its largest cities, along with more than 60 of the biggest businesses in the US, have committed to emissions reduction goals.
Added together, they have an economic power of about $10tn, placing this group behind only the US as a whole ($18.6tn) and China ($11tn) in terms of GDP.
On Saturday at the Bonn conference on climate change, these groups joined together to make “America’s pledge”, a commitment to combat global warming, in stark opposition to the Trump administration.
“This is very powerful,” said Paul Bodnar, a former lead negotiator at the climate talks for the US under Barack Obama. “These states and cities would be larger than 195 out of the 197 countries signed up to the Paris agreement.”
Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, led the group in vowing to take measures, such as reducing coal-fired power and investing in renewable energy and efficiency, which would substantially reduce their carbon output.
But some delegates want the companies and local governments involved to go further, by submitting reports on their progress towards their emissions-cutting goals to be subject to the kind of monitoring and accountability that is required from national governments under the UN process. They have put forward a draft text which, if accepted, would mean such voluntary commitments were made in line with UN standards, and could therefore be included in the national greenhouse gas inventories required from countries.
Kevin Conrad, of Papua New Guinea, told the Guardian: “We welcome their contributions, but they should be accountable [on their progress in meeting their voluntary goals]. Will they be willing to be reviewed on their results, not just on the blather?”
He said the draft text was aimed at giving these contributions “a legitimacy” under the UN’s rules. “They should be transparent,” he said. “We do not want to pre-judge America’s Pledge, we just want rigour on the results.”
The group’s commitments fall outside the pledges under the landmark 2015 Paris agreement, and are likely to fall short of the requirements on carbon-cutting under the pact. Trump has vowed to withdraw the US from this agreement, the first to bind developed and developing countries to a specific temperature goal.
At the Bonn COP23 talks, scheduled to continue to the end of the week, nations are discussing how to improve their pledges on cutting carbon in line with scientific advice. Under the Paris agreement, they must hold global temperature rises to no more than 2C, which scientists say is the limit of safety, beyond which climate change is likely to become catastrophic and irreversible.
Current pledges under the Paris agreement are inadequate to reach this goal and it is estimated they would bring the world to 3C of warming, which would cause drastic changes in sea level rises, bring droughts and floods to many areas of the world, and make agriculture impossible in huge swaths of the globe.
However, consensus on how to strengthen the pledges is proving elusive, and is unlikely to be finalised at these talks.
Meanwhile, the Trump White House has indicated its priorities, to the consternation of many delegates, by scheduling a meeting at the talks focusing on the future of coal and how its use can be continued with new technologies.
The America’s Pledge report will be released in the alternative US headquarters at the talks, the US Climate Action Center. The giant inflatable dome sits on the edge of the conference – which many of its supporters claim is a sign of its endorsement as a semi-official player.
Despite the geographical proximity of the “America’s Pledge” delegation, there are limits to what non-state actors can do. They are excluded from many of the technical talks and cannot tap into federal funds that states use to finance commitments to slow climate change or reduce its impacts. More importantly, it is harder for them to set a course for the country.
But while that is missing, Antha Williams, head of the Bloomberg Philanthropies environment team, said it was necessary to fill the void.
“It would be better if we saw leadership from the White House, but the overarching point is that cities, states and companies that represent more than half of the US are showing their support for climate action.”
Nick Nuttall, communications chief of UN Climate Change, said the organisers were willing to work constructively with non-state actors.
“We are extremely supportive of the whole mass of cities, states and territories who have been aligning themselves with the Paris agreement,” he said. “American cities and states have been very active, which is welcome – and it mirrors what is happening elsewhere in the world.”
His comments were echoed by several delegates.
“We don’t turn a blind eye to anyone,” said Antonio Marcondes, the chief negotiator for Brazil. “We talk to the federal government and we have been approached by non-state bodies. Our policy is that we are willing to work with anyone who can move this process forward.”
But some climate activists warned against expecting too much from the America’s Pledge team.
Thanu Yakupitiyage, of the NGO 350.org said the climate pledges by many mayors and governors were a welcome step, but she urged still greater ambition and concrete policies to phase out fossil fuels.
“America’s Pledge is a start and we’ll be holding our elected officials, including governor Jerry Brown, to his word. As we look towards the climate summit that the governor has announced for 2018, we want more than words; we want a tangible action plan and steps taken,” she said.
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Nature groups, experts weigh in on recent crocodile sightings
Lianne Chia Channel NewsAsia 11 Nov 17;
SINGAPORE: Crocodile sightings in areas like East Coast Park are an unusual occurrence, say nature groups and experts Channel NewsAsia spoke to.
But a loss of their natural habitat or small changes in the ecosystem could be some of the possible reasons for the recent increase in crocodile sightings around Singapore beaches.
On Wednesday (Nov 9), a crocodile was spotted at East Coast Park, prompting the National Sailing Centre to cease all water activities. Crocodiles were also sighted earlier in the year, with reports on Changi Beach and Pasir Ris Park in August alone.
Nature groups and wildlife experts say that crocodiles do exist as part of the natural ecosystem in Singapore. But the numbers are small and sightings outside of their natural habitats are rare.
Wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai pointed out that crocodiles have always been around in Singapore, but were almost wiped out by hunting and the clearance of habitats in the early part of the last century.
“By the time the 1970s and 1980s rolled around, most people didn’t know there were crocodiles in Singapore because the numbers were very low, and they were confined in tiny pockets of habitats that still existed in Singapore.”
The local population, he added, is generally confined to areas like Sungei Buloh and Kranji.
Nature enthusiast Ria Tan, who runs website WildSingapore, added that she has seen crocodiles in Sungei Buloh from far while standing on a bridge, but never while she was doing her work on the shore.
“I do a lot of surveys in Singapore water, more than 100 days a year and over 50 locations in Singapore, and I see all kinds of things,” she said.
“But I’ve never actually seen a crocodile up close ... no stepping on them, or being bitten by them or anything like that.”
LOSS OF HABITAT, SMALL CHANGES IN ECOSYSTEM POSSIBLE REASONS FOR INCREASED SIGHTINGS
Given this situation, Mr Subaraj noted that it is more likely that the crocodile spotted at East Coast is likely to have come from Johor.
“There is a lot of development going on like the Iskandar project, and there are multiple projects going on there that are unfortunately causing an impact on their natural habitats, and driving the animals out of there,” he said.
He explained that they live mainly in mangroves and river mouths, but these are also being cleared in Malaysia. “Take the Johor River and the mouth of the Johor River ... one side has been completely removed and turned into a port,” he said.
“That would have caused an impact on all the animals that live there, whether they’re crocodiles, dogs or dugongs.”
He added that the otters – well recognised and loved by Singaporeans – could also have come from Johor, but the crocodiles were “more secretive” about it.
“A few of them have wandered through and maybe went unnoticed, but this guy is unfortunate because he chose to go down East Coast Park,” he said.
“They are just looking for a new home and there is nothing at East Coast or the Bedok area that’s suitable for it, so they’ll just continue their journey and in a few days, they’ll just move on.”
Indeed, chairman of Nature Society Singapore’s Marine Conservation Group Stephen Beng noted that crocodiles are capable of travelling long distances, and have been known to ride currents in other countries. He added that even slight changes in their habitat could result in their displacement.
“These animals don’t appear suddenly at a beach for no reason,” he said. “More often than not, it’s because their habitats are threatened, and there are changes in the ecosystem as a whole.”
One example of this, he said, could be a change in temperature, caused by runoffs into the waterways.
“Things like our concretised drains and rivers ... water that flows over concrete as opposed to plants and natural forest would obviously be warmer,” he explained. “It can be little changes like this, but in the cumulative effect, it would then change the whole ecosystem.”
While he said his group prefers not to draw any conclusions about the current situation, he stressed the importance of conducting further studies and raising awareness of the various possibilities.
“On the one hand, we don’t want to lose the safety and enjoyment of our beaches and wetlands, but at the same time, the saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile we have, and it’s quite special that we have them,” he said.
“As conservationists and concerned citizens, we want to highlight changes to our environment that affects movement of animals, so I guess the best way moving forward is to study them more, and implement education programmes and management of habitat.”
AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE
But despite these factors, it is still uncommon for crocodiles to turn up at East Coast Park.
Mr Subaraj pointed out that the work in Johor has been going on for more than a decade, and so far, the recent sighting at East Coast is only the second crocodile that has been seen in the area.
“These crocodiles are an endangered species, so their numbers are going to be low anywhere,” he added. “So it’s a very uncommon occurrence, and people shouldn’t be worried that a whole swarm of them are going to appear one day.”
But that being said, he stressed the importance of being prudent should one really encounter a crocodile while splashing around in the waters around East Coast.
“At the moment, you should not be swimming at all,” he said. “A crocodile has just been sighted, and signs have been put up, so stay away for a few days, if not a few weeks.”
The National Parks Board had earlier said that advisory notices have been put up near the water edges in the area. It also advised visitors not to approach, provoke or feed the animal.
But should one encounter a crocodile while in the water, Mr Subaraj’s suggestion is to slowly back away and come out of the water.
“The crocodile is not going to come after you,” he said. “On the beach, they are very slow and sluggish, and they basically are just coming out to sun itself.”
WildSingapore’s Ms Tan added that in areas where there are known sightings like Sungei Buloh, it is also advisable to be alert while walking around. But she stressed that as a rule, wild animals don’t look to have interaction with people, and will do no harm if left alone.
Crocodiles, she said, are no exception.
“Like most wild animals, they just mind their own business,” she said. “And if you’re quiet, then you can observe these magnificent animals just doing their thing.”
Source: CNA/lc
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Bigger push for high-intensity, large-scale commercial farms
Lee Meixian Straits Times 10 Nov 17;
The practice of urban farming has picked up both in scale and sophistication globally in recent years, but remains nascent in Singapore, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
It is hoping to make a bigger push for commercial farms - large-scale, high-productivity, high-intensity ones, usually with restricted access and selling their produce commercially - over community farms, as the former play an additional role in boosting Singapore's food security, said a spokesman.
URA said it has received inquiries in recent years on setting up urban rooftop commercial farms, but few have materialised into actual applications.
Existing commercial rooftop farms in Singapore include Comcrop's 600 sq m farm at *Scape, and CapitaLand's rooftop farm at Raffles City which uses its produce to manufacture beauty products in collaboration with its business partner Spa Esprit Group.
But most rooftop farms are still smaller-scale community farms. There is one atop a seven-storey tower at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun, and another on the rooftop of architecture firm Woha's office in Hong Kong Street.
CapitaLand is also building a 5,300 sq ft urban farm and 6,900 sq ft edible yard in its upcoming Funan integrated development.
A spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said: "While there is growing interest from companies to develop edible rooftop gardens as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, the concept of rooftop farming in Singapore is still new and limited to small-scale community-based farming."
Small-scale community-based farms do not require URA's approval. For farming activities conducted on a commercial basis, farmers have to apply for a farm licence from AVA and can approach URA and building owners to seek support and approval for rooftop use.
A spokesman for Edible Garden City, which champions the grow-your-own-food movement in cities, said the company hopes to utilise underused places such as rooftops and office space to grow vegetables to help Singapore become more self-sufficient in its food supply and reduce its food miles - the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer.
A vegetable, fish farming system that is truly green
63-year-old veteran farmer constructs his own hybrid aquaponic system that cuts waste and saves space
Samantha Boh Straits Times 10 Nov 17;
For a year, 63-year-old Joseph Phua toiled to create his own hybrid aquaponic farm from scratch.
His back bent, he would construct his own concrete fish tanks and cut holes in rectangular wire casings to hold his vegetable seedlings.
Even the piping to circulate water in the system, which combines conventional aquaculture with hydroponics (the cultivation of plants in water) in a symbiotic environment, he set up himself.
"I'm a farmer; we farmers like to do things ourselves," he told The Straits Times from his farm, Orchidville, in Sungei Tengah, off Old Choa Chu Kang Road.
Initially, he wanted to set up a hydroponic farm to grow lettuce but the weather here was far too hot.
He then hatched a solution: a closed-loop system, where vegetable grow trays are stacked above fish tanks to bring about a cooling effect.
Water used for the fish would be piped to a filter to remove solid waste, and then pumped back into the system to water the vegetables.
Getting ideas from the Internet, he started on the arduous journey - one speckled with successes, but not the ones he had hoped for.
While altering the hydroponic system into an aquaponic system, he also set up several soil-based farms housed in greenhouses which would quickly grow to produce hundreds of kilograms of vegetables like kailan, chye sim and Chinese spinach a day.
But his aquaponic farm took longer to take off. Mr Phua reckons that he had to throw away 20 to 30 batches of vegetables as he fine-tuned the system.
"They would grow for a bit, then their leaves turned soft," he said. This was mainly due to the ambient temperature being too warm.
It was also tricky getting the water conditions right.
"You had to get the pH (acidity) of the water right for both the fish and the vegetables. The amount of nutrients in the water that goes to the plants also has to be enough," he said.
He used vinegar to lower the pH and baking powder to increase it.
And his efforts have paid off.
Today, Mr Phua's 600 sq m aquaponic system - nearly the size of six five-room Housing Board flats - can grow 8,000 rosa and romaine lettuce heads and rear 8,000 fish - tilapia, jade perch and sea bass - at any one time.
He serves the vegetables, along with those grown at his soil-based farms, and the fish, at a zi char restaurant that he operates just beside his vegetable farms.
"All the vegetables we serve are harvested on the same day," said Mr Phua proudly.
The rest of the vegetables are sold to customers on weekends.
Retired civil servant Goh Shih Yong, 68, a regular customer at the restaurant, said: "The vegetables come straight from the farm, where they are harvested and immediately cooked for the guest. You can taste the freshness and juiciness. It's different from those you buy from the market."
Coming from a farming family, Mr Phua, a grandfather of two, has been in the trade since he was just six years old, starting with simple tasks like feeding the chickens and pigs at his parents' farm.
Over more than 50 years, he has tried his hand at rearing ducks and lambs, growing papayas and, just before joining the vegetable farming trade, cultivating orchids for 17 years in Mandai.
But when he moved from Mandai to Sungei Tengah five years ago, his farm land shrank from some 43ha to just 3.3ha.
Mr Phua realised that he needed to be able to do more with less. So, hearing that the Government was pushing for consumers and businesses to buy more local produce, he applied for a permit from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, which he received last year.
Mr Phua's aquaponic system has been set up at a time when the Government is pushing for farms in land-scarce Singapore to be more productive.
He believes it is one of a kind as it was constructed completely by his own hands.
"It is actually a hybrid. Most aquaponic systems have the tanks and vegetable racks separated. Mine is stacked," he said. He aims to set up two more of these space-saving aquaponic systems in his farm next year.
He added that the system mainly uses rainwater and that 90 per cent of the water used is recycled. Just 10 per cent is lost to evaporation. Leaves that turn yellow are fed to the fish.
He aims to eventually launch his own brand of vegetables, Day-1 Farm Fresh Vegetables, which he hopes to sell at supermarkets.
"We want to sell premium vegetables at affordable prices," he said.
These days, tending to the aquaponic farm has become much more relaxing.
He needs to feed the fish only once or twice a day, and to do checks on the system.
But despite his success, he said he cannot bear to eat the fish he rears.
"They trust me - I feel guilty when I eat them," he said.
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Designing a solution to plastic bag waste that fits
Euston Quah and Zach Lee For The Straits Times 11 Nov 17;
There has been much buzz since news broke that local supermarkets are in talks to charge for plastic bags in The Straits Times (Sept 24, 2; Oct 5, 6). Civic discourse on this issue is not new - the Singapore Environment Council produced a 2013 position paper with recommendations to reduce wastage and inefficient usage of plastic bags. Charging for plastic bags was one of them. While it has been informative reading the recent public opinions on this issue, we felt a few talking points could have been better elucidated on with less emotion and more impartiality.
Plastic bags are given out freely with purchases at supermarkets. Consumers also see benefits through the reuse of these plastic bags in their daily life. The real costs of plastic bags are ignored, and overconsumption ensues. First, there is the cost of producing the plastic bags and operational cost of bringing them to consumers. Second, there are many negative externalities, including many environmental costs, associated with plastic bags. In the economic context, such a situation has led to a market failure for plastic bags.
We agree that the right pricing will correct this market failure and reduce the consumption of plastic bags. Plastic bags usage in England dropped more than 85 per cent a year after a 10 Singapore cents surcharge per plastic bag was introduced. This shows that plastic bag consumption can be price-sensitive - a small increase in prices can lead to a huge drop in demand.
A tax on plastic bags would be the most direct and effective way of correcting this market failure. Whether such a tax is palatable to consumers remains to be seen. In lieu of a tax, the Government seems to be taking a consultative approach to the issue, even letting the supermarket chains work out the implementation of a surcharge.
While an industry-determined plastic bag surcharge can be viewed as good corporate responsibility, one wonders if private firms like the supermarket chains will know enough to weigh the societal costs and benefits associated with plastic bags. If left to their own accord, firms and consumers may not capture the full externalities of plastic bags. Last year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) called for a tender to study how different types of single-use carriers compare in terms of cost and impact on the environment. The results should play a part in decisions on the pricing of plastic bags.
There is also a potential for exploitation by the supermarket chains. Are the production and operational cost of plastic bags already factored into supermarket products? If so, will shoppers see a general reduction in grocery prices when this cost is transferred to the plastic bag surcharge? Will the supermarkets aim to make a profit by treating the grocery bags like any other product on their shelves? How will the profits be treated? Transparency will go a long way in providing assurance to consumers who might, in turn, be persuaded to support the surcharge.
We would take a step further and argue for a national cost-benefit analysis on plastic bags. Considering all the costs and benefits associated with plastic bags will address the issue of asymmetric information, an economic concept of unequal information between stakeholders. Government or civic contributions, through the NEA, environmental non-governmental organisations, and even the Consumers Association of Singapore, are required to ensure that the necessary information is accounted for. This will allow for a transparent, fair and consultative approach in determining the price of plastic bags.
Earlier, we pointed out the price sensitivity of British consumers to plastic bags. Will local shoppers react similarly to a price surcharge? Miniso in Singapore has successfully implemented a plastic bag surcharge (The Straits Times, Sept 24) and Ikea has even stopped issuing plastic bags. However, successes at these retailers might not translate directly to equal successes at curbing the overall ubiquity of plastic bags. Shoppers make fewer regular visits to these retailers compared with supermarkets. Purchases at these retailers are different for groceries as well. Consumption patterns for plastic bags at supermarkets differ. We also suspect that shoppers might have compensated by collecting more plastic bags from supermarkets.
One encouraging success story is an incentive scheme offered by FairPrice. The supermarket chain has offered a 10 cent discount on a $10 minimum spend if shoppers bring their own bags. We have also, at times, avoided the use of plastic bags at the FairPrice self-checkout counters due to the prompt asking us whether we have brought our own bags. The mechanics of prompting this incentive at the self-checkout counters at FairPrice present a very interesting opportunity for a field experiment. Supermarket chains can vary between a discount or a surcharge and their amount, and enable or disable prompts to see which combination works the best for discouraging the use of plastic bags.
Traditionally in economics, either a carrot or stick approach is prescribed to correct a market failure. Behavioural economics seem to suggest that a surcharge will be more effective since people tend to overweigh losses over gains - people are loss averse. Saliency provided by prompts during the checkout process should also prove effective in getting shoppers to avoid using plastic bags. Supermarket chains are masters in eliciting and utilising consumer behavioural insights. This can be put to good use on the issue of plastic bags.
An online design community platform, OpenIDEO, recently issued a challenge on "How might we get products to people without generating plastic waste?" A Singapore-based design team won an Ideator's Award after their idea was one of the top 16 shortlisted. They came up with their solution through a process of empathising with consumers, defining the problem, and iteratively ideating, prototyping and testing solutions. Finding an effective and innovative solution to the issue of plastic bag wastage and inefficiency will require a similar process, with inputs from civil society, private firms and government bodies, plus the right dose of behavioural insights and sound economic thinking.
Euston Quah is a professor of environmental economics and cost-benefit analysis, and head of economics at Nanyang Technological University. He is also president of the Economic Society of Singapore.
Zach Lee is a research associate at NTU and Tumcreate, a National Research Foundation-funded project exploring future public transport systems.
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