Marine conservation in Singapore: a look at general legislation protecting the Sisters’ Island Marine Park
ELSA@NUS Law
Heart our mangroves!
Celebrating Singapore Shores!
A month of Pesta Ubin in 2018!
Pesta Ubin 2018
23 Jun (Sat): Basic Mountain Biking Skills Session by Mountain Bike Association (Singapore)
Pesta Ubin 2018
Hidden amid the bustling hotels and modern attractions is a quiet world of century-old trees and creatures that delight nature lovers
Audrey Tan Straits Times 14 Feb 18;
Snazzy bars dot its beaches. Luxurious hotels fan out across the island. An integrated resort boasting a casino and theme park sits at the entrance of Sentosa, welcoming people to the State of Fun.
This is how the resort island located south of mainland Singapore describes itself.
But Sentosa has a different kind of luxe as well - the kind that speaks of the richness of the natural world, which is more in line with its name. Sentosa, after all, means tranquillity in Malay.
Earlier this month, to mark World Wetlands Day on Feb 2, photojournalist Kua Chee Siong and this reporter visited Sentosa to experience the natural wonders thriving on the island - including its only mangrove patch, located in the middle of Serapong golf course.
The mangrove patch is just one of eight different types of habitats on the 500ha island.
Sentosa is also home to rarer habitat types, such as rocky seashores and coastal forests which are fast disappearing on the mainland.
Hidden within their folds are rare specimens of flora and fauna, including a tree that is the last of its kind in Singapore.
While preening peacocks and cheeky macaques are commonly sighted on Sentosa, the island has a lot more to offer visitors.
MANGROVES
During our visit, Sentosa Development Corporation's (SDC's) senior executive for environmental management Tammy Lim, 32, told us a rare great billed heron native to Singapore, for one, had been spotted at the 1.5ha mangrove patch.
To get there, we rode in a buggy across the golf course and tried not to disturb the golfers.
But wildlife is unpredictable.
The bird, which can grow up to 1.2m tall, did not show up that day.
We did see a flock of more than 10 grey herons which are commonly found in wetland habitats.
Even though the mangrove patch is in the middle of a golf course, one of the herons appeared to be building a nest there. It was holding a twig as it flew overhead.
Mangroves once used to cover Singapore's coasts. But today, they are among the rarest habitats here, covering less than 1 per cent of the country's total land area.
While muddy mangroves may not be as attractive as colourful coral reefs, they are as important.
They support a large diversity of life, serve as fish nurseries and help with coastal protection, as they reduce erosion from wave action.
In 1819, the total area of mangrove forests in Singapore was estimated to be 75 sq km. But a 2010 scientific study by Singapore researchers showed that this had been whittled down to 6.59 sq km - just 0.95 per cent of Singapore's total land area - due to various factors, including urban development and land reclamation.
Most of the mangrove forests that remain are found along the northern coast, in places such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and offshore Pulau Ubin.
Naturalist Ria Tan, who runs the wildsingapore.com blog, said the "mangrove haven" on Sentosa is likely to be Singapore's largest patch of the rare, native bakau pasir mangrove trees.
The bakau pasir (Rhizophora stylosa) is native to Singapore, and is considered one of the most hardy mangrove tree species.
Singaporean mangrove expert Jean Yong, who is an eco-physiologist at the Australian Research Centre for Mine Site Restoration, said the Singapore Strait - the body of water south of Singapore - is characterised by sea and rocky substrate.
These are harsher conditions compared with the mud and stiller waters of the Strait of Johor up north, said Dr Yong.
"This is why only the resilient Rhizophora stylosa can establish and thrive in the south," he told The Straits Times.
A few other bakau pasir trees can be found in places such as Pulau Ubin, the Western Catchment, Pulau Pawai and Berlayer Creek.
There are also some growing on Pulau Semakau.
But Dr Yong said these had been replanted using propagules from Indonesia, adding: "The patch growing in Sentosa's golf course represents the last bastion of a sustainable and healthy population of the original bakau pasir for Singapore."
SENTOSA'S SENTINELS
Before it was developed into a resort island in the 1970s, Sentosa was known as Pulau Blakang Mati - which means "the island behind death" in Malay. It was a fishing village, a military base and even a prisoner-of-war camp during the Japanese Occupation.
Throughout its history, nature has had to battle with the forces of development.
The island was once covered with rainforests. Today, the protected nature areas make up about 40ha in total - less than 10 per cent of Sentosa's total land bank.
Still, living relics of the past thrive.
Trees, some of them more than a century old, lie within the two designated nature areas on the island - Imbiah and Serapong.
These witnesses of the island's evolution have guardians.
As director for environment management, Ms Grace Lee, 49, leads SDC's conservation team of three.
She is fiercely passionate about nature, reeling off facts about the trees, shrubs and flowers we encountered during our visit.
Pointing to a heritage tree at the foot of Mount Serapong, she said the Bhesa robusta -usually found in primary rainforests - dates back more than a century. There are 26 heritage trees on Sentosa.
Said Ms Lee, whose background is in horticulture: "Heritage trees on Sentosa can be found not just in nature areas. They are also scattered in the open areas on Sentosa. Our job is to protect them, so future generations get the chance to see them."
Plants are also a passion for another member of Sentosa's conservation team, senior arborist Daniel Seah, 63. He has been inspecting the trees on the island for the past 40 years. He even did his National Service on Sentosa, serving as a combat engineer in the barracks on Mount Serapong in 1971.
He explained how he came to make the study of trees his life.
He said: "During my army days, the only comfortable place to lie down was under a tree.
"When the sun was hot, when I was building bridges, the only place to lie down was under the tree."
We spotted other unique plants in Sentosa, like the dragon blood tree (Dracaena maingayi) which bleeds a crimson red sap used in traditional Chinese medicine for pain relief and to heal wounds.
A number of these trees can be found in Sentosa, including at the bustling Imbiah Walk.
There was also the Fagraea ridleyi. The tree on on the island is the last of its kind in Singapore, and is one of the plants that the SDC is targeting to restore through its species recovery programme.
The Straits Times is not revealing the exact location of the tree to help protect it.
WEIRD, WONDERFUL WILDLIFE
Sentosa has plenty of accommodation options for humans, but it is also home to many animals.
At low tide, sea creatures such as hairy crabs and snails can be seen emerging from their hideouts at their rocky shore habitat, next to the luxury Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa.
There is also a "condominium" of swiftlet nests on Sentosa.
In other parts of the world, these nests are harvested for the birds' nest delicacy, which command extremely high prices.
But in Sentosa, the more than 200 birds are safe, as their nests are located in a part of the island inaccessible to the public.
Mr Alan Owyong of the Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group said the flock on Sentosa is the largest nesting flock of swiftlets in Singapore.
Over the years, at least 110 species of birds have been recorded on the island, he said.
In comparison, there are 392 species of birds listed in last year's bird checklist of Singapore.
Mr Owyong said: "This is quite a good number, although development has reduced the number of species we see in recent years."
Geographically, Sentosa's position south of the mainland has made it a good stopover point for migratory birds making their way down south to Indonesia to escape the winter chill in the north, said Mr Owyong.
Last December, a few species of migratory cuckoos, such as the chestnut-winged and Indian cuckoos, were spotted around a particular tree at Sentosa's Fort Siloso.
Sentosa is a microcosm of Singapore, and faces the same challenge of balancing conservation and development.
And just like how nature areas on the mainland are nestled within the nooks and crannies of urban areas, the habitats on Sentosa are just a stone's throw from the bustling attractions.
Many of them can be explored for free.
Yet, many people may not know they exist.
The next time you visit Sentosa, take the opportunity to soak up the essence of a natural world sitting right in the midst of modernity.
With the large variety of walking and cycling trails on the island, you could find yourself taking a closer look at all the nature areas the island has to offer.
26: Number of heritage trees that can be found on Sentosa island.
110: Number of bird species recorded on the island.
40: ha Size of the protected nature areas on the island, which is less than 10 per cent of Sentosa's total land bank.
FREE NATURE ACTIVITIES ON SENTOSA
HERITAGE TREE TOUR
Learn about some of the 26 carefully conserved heritage trees on the island from Sentosa Development Corporation's officers.
WHEN: The last Saturday of every month, 10am to 11am.
WHERE: Sentosa Nature Discovery, Imbiah Lookout.
HOW TO SIGN UP: Register and find out more at nature@sentosa.com.sg
BIRD WALK
What types of birds can be found on Sentosa? Learn more from the avian experts at the Nature Society (Singapore).
WHEN: Twice a year, 8am to 10am.
WHERE: Sentosa Nature Discovery, Imbiah Lookout; Imbiah Nature Area; Siloso Skywalk.
HOW TO SIGN UP: Get updates on the walks at www.sentosa.com.sg/ State-Specials/Events/ Sentosa-Nature-and-Bird-Walk
BIODIVERSITY WATCH CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMME ON SENTOSA
Do your part for science by helping to spot and take notes on four types of animals - herons, garden birds, butterflies and dragonflies.
This is a programme organised by the National Parks Board (NParks).
Sentosa has collaborated with them to include nature spots on the island.
WHEN: Twice a year for each animal group.
WHERE:
•Serapong mangrove (Heron watch )
•Imbiah Nature Area or Skywalk (Garden bird watch)
•Siloso Eco Pond (Butterfly watch)
•Serapong/Ficus/Siloso/ Palawan Eco Ponds
•Siloso Spring (Dragonfly Watch)
HOW TO SIGN UP: Find out more on NParks' website at www.nparks.gov.sg/ biodiversity/community-in-nature-initiative
SILOSO HEADLAND INTERTIDAL PROGRAMME
This year is being celebrated around the world as the International Year of the Reef.
Sentosa will be conducting free guided walks along the Tanjong Rimau rocky shores in the later half of the year.
Learn more about the critters that can be found in this habitat on these tours.
WHEN: May to August.
WHERE: Siloso headland.
HOW TO SIGN UP: Details will be announced later.
Check Sentosa's website for more information.
WALKING, CYCLING TRAILS
Those who prefer to explore the island in their free time can do so along its multiple walking and cycling trails.
There are six walking trails in Sentosa that add up to a total of about 7.5km.
They are the Sentosa Boardwalk Trail, Resorts World Sentosa Trail, Merlion Trail, Imbiah Trail, Coastal Trail and Palawan Trail.
The Marang Trail and the Southern Ridges are now connected to the Sentosa Walking Trail via VivoCity and HarbourFront.
There are signboards to guide guests along the trails.
There are also three cycling routes stretching 12km.
For more information on Sentosa's cycling tracks, visit www.sentosa.com.sg/ Plan-Your-Visit/ getting-around
Antara 14 Feb 18;
Lumajang, E Java (ANTARA News) - A critically endangered black Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas) was spotted on the camera trap installed by the rangers at the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in Lumajang District, East Java.
"The camera traps have been set in several spots at the national park, and the devices have recorded the presence of a big Javan leopard," the chief of the conservation area, Budi Mulyanto, said in the district, Wednesday.
The Mounts Bromo, Tengger, and Semeru are homes for the protected animal, but the national park authority has not yet found out the total population of the species in the wild.
Mulyanto stated that the authority was yet to conduct a comprehensive survey to count the animal population.
"According to the rangers` observations and the images recorded by the camera trap, there are only 10 Javan leopards left at the national park," he noted.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Javan Leopard has been listed as a critically endangered animal, and based on the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the animal is not allowed to be traded in any form (Apendiks I).
"In accordance with the Law No.5 Year 1990 on the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation, the Javan Leopard is part of the protected wild animals," he noted.
The Government Regulation No.7 Year 1999 also has called on people to stop hunting and trading this critically endangered species.
In order to protect the Javan leopard, the national park authority will regularly check the animals` footprints, while intensively supervising the records.
"The rangers will regularly patrol the national park to prevent Javan leopard trophy hunting," he added.
In mid-2015, the TNBTS rangers recorded an image of a Javan leopard in the state-owned plantation sites at Coban Trisula.
According to the data retrieved in 2015, some 38 protected wild animals, including 24 birds, 11 mammals, a reptile, and two insects, have inhabited the national park.
Some protected mammals that were captured by the camera including, Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica), Javan leopard (Panthera pardus), Ebony leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus), as well as other species, namely Hystryx branchyura, Laricus sp., and Muntiacus muntjak.
Reported by Zumrotun Solichah
(UU.KR-GNT/A/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
N.Adri The Jakarta Post 14 Feb 18;
Conservation activists have warned the government about the danger air rifles pose to wildlife in Indonesia, following the recent discovery of an orangutan killed with hundreds of shots in the Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan.
“This incident is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) director Jamartin Sihite on Tuesday.
At least 130 shot wounds, several cuts and bruises were found on the body of the East Kalimantan orangutan discovered by the national park’s rangers last week.
A doctor performing a necropsy on the orangutan found no fewer than 72 air rifle projectiles in the head of the endangered species.
Sihite said it was time for the government to tighten rules on the ownership of air rifles.
Although the projectiles released from an air rifle would not instantly kill an orangutan, they could severely wound the animal, he went on.
He said small caliber bullets could kill birds and small mammals, such as slow lorises, pangolins and monkeys.
“Possibly there has been a much sharper decline in the number of birds in the national park than we have [assumed] all this time. Such a rapid decline may also affect protected species, such as slow lorises,” said Sihite.
Ownership of guns, including air rifles, is regulated in National Police Chief Regulation No. 8/2012, which stipulates that anyone wanting to buy a gun must obtain a permit from the National Police. (ebf)
The Jakarta Post 14 Feb 18;
A female Sumatran elephant was found dead on Monday in Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, one of the species' 25 fragmented habitats on Sumatra island.
Way Kambas National Park is also home to critically endangered Sumatran tigers, Sumatran rhinos and endangered Asian tapirs.
"We strongly denounce illegal poaching and ask for your prayers for the immediate capture of the perpetrator," Way Kambas National Park agency head Subakir told kompas.com on Tuesday.
Forest patrol officials found the body of the elephant, believed to be 20 years old, with five bullet wounds in its chest and head, and suspected that it had been dead for two days before being found.
The discovery in Lampung has further highlighted the fragile lives of Sumatran elephants. Scientists believe the elephants are at risk of becoming extinct within decades, due to rampant poaching to supply the illegal ivory trade as well as a dwindling habitat due to deforestation for plantations.
It came just one month after a male Sumatran elephant believed to be around 10 years old was found dead with its tusks removed in a community plantation inside the Mount Raya protected forest in South Sumatra.
In last December, a pregnant elephant was found dead in an oil palm plantation in Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province on Sumatra island, in what authorities suspected was a deliberate poisoning.
The elephant was carrying a fetus of 13 months gestation and was due to give birth in about six months.
In total, there are only an estimated 2,400 Sumatran elephants left in the wild on Sumatra island. The species was given critically endangered status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2012 after assessing that 69 percent of its habitat had been lost over more than two decades. (mos/ahw)
Lydia Lam Straits Times 14 Feb 18;
SINGAPORE - On Tuesday (Feb 13), Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah shared a "sneak preview" of the Budget statement on Facebook.
However, instead of hard numbers and dry facts, the 1min 47sec clip, titled An Otterly Singaporean Budget, is filled with photos and videos of otters.
"To prepare for the future, we must see what's ahead," read the subtitles in the video. "Three big things are coming our way. Economic action is shifting to Asia. Technology is changing everything. Our population is ageing. What do we do? We have a plan... starting with Budget 2018!"
The video goes on to talk about various steps to be taken, including embracing technology, keeping Singapore green, building strong families and keeping the country secure.
Ms Indranee, who is also MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, told The Straits Times that she came up with the concept for the video after professional photographer Hilarion Goh shared with her some pictures and videos of otters that he had taken.
"I thought the pictures were great and the otters were so cute," she said. "However, I have obviously been immersed in the Budget process for too long because every time I looked at the images, these Budget themes kept popping into my head! This kept happening so much so that in the end I decided that I might as well make a video out of it."
Ms Indranee asked Mr Goh for permission to use his pictures and requested one of the PAP media team members to help edit the video.
An otterly Singaporean budget
The video editor declined an interview as he was "very shy", Ms Indranee said.
In her Facebook post, she clarified that it was not an official Budget video done by the Ministry of Finance, although MOF later shared it on its Facebook page.
Mr Goh, 60, told ST that he has been an adviser to the Tanjong Pagar Photography Club for 13 years.
He only recently took up photographing otters. His forte is in fashion photography.
"I know Ms Indranee is quite an animal lover," he said. "After I shot some otters I sent one to her and she fell in love."
Mr Goh is also a grassroots volunteer at Tanjong Pagar. He was not paid for his photos and videos.
Ms Indranee said she likes "pretty much all animals, and of course the otters are so cute, anyone would find it hard not to like them".
"Why otters? There wouldn't have been a video but for the fact that Hilarion sent me those pics and the Budget themes kept buzzing around in my head," she said.
"But I think it also has to do with the fact that the otters have such human expressions and their activities so easily correlate to the things we do. I think of the otter in the deterring threats picture as the Ministry of Defence otter!
"And course, they are very much part of the Singapore landscape. It helped a lot that they seem to really get around the island with lots of interesting backgrounds."
The video, which Ms Indranee wrote the text for, was produced in just over a week.
Asked for her thoughts on this year's Budget, which is set to be unveiled on Feb 19 by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, Ms Indranee said: "The thoughts on this year's Budget that I would like to share at this point in time are all in the video."
Colombo Gazette 13 Feb 18;
Rare turtles are being smuggled out of India to Hong Kong and Singapore through two routes including one via Sri Lanka, investigations have revealed.
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) has sent intelligence inputs to wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh regarding the alleged wildlife crimes of Manivannam Murgesan, accused of being an international turtle smuggler who was arrested by MP’s special task force (STF) wildlife crimes from Chennai earlier this month, The Hindustan Times quoted senior STF officials as saying.
STF will now write to the Interpol to get a red corner notice issued against the Murgesan, accused of being the kingpin of India’s illegal turtle trade market so that he could be prosecuted in Thailand where he is wanted in alleged wildlife crimes, said STF officials.
The communiqué sent by Interpol environmental security program states, “We would like to congratulate India on the arrest of Manivannan Murugesan. Manivannan Murugesan is suspected to be a big turtle smuggler. He has been under review for a few years…”
Confirming the development, Ritesh Sirothia in-charge STF (wildlife crime) said after they arrested Murgesan from Chennai and brought him to MP, they wrote to Interpol, urging it to provide details about his wildlife crimes in other countries.
“We didn’t want that he should get a bail and abscond like has happened in some earlier cases with us. So to make our case more strong before the judge, we wrote to Interpol about our big catch and asked them to provide us details about his crimes in other countries. They not only provided us with the details of his crimes, they also lauded us for the big catch, who operates in many countries”, he said.
In October 2016, Interpol’s environment crime wing had issued a red corner notice against international wildlife smuggler Jaiy Tamang alias Passang Limi, who hails from Tibet, following a request by MP’s wildlife department in a case pertaining to smuggling of pangolin and tiger bones. STF had arrested the 42-year-old Jaiy Tamang from Delhi in October 2015, but he absconded after securing bail in MP later. STF officials said as he operates in the entire South Asia, especially Nepal, Tibet, China, Myanmar, they were not sure about his whereabouts now.
The ongoing investigation by STF has unveiled a pan-India poaching and trafficking network that smuggles rare turtles out of the country to Hong Kong and Singapore through two routes-one via Madras-Sri Lanka and other through Kolkata-Bangladesh route.
Sirothia said Murgesan was a Singapore based businessman and had illegal trade links in Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, China and Madagascar besides Singapore.
On February 1, four-member STF team led by Ritesh Sirothia had brought Murgesan to MP after arresting him in Chennai and presented him before the Special Court at Sagar. According to STF officials, Murgesan was wanted by STF, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Uttar Pradesh STF for a long time. (Colombo Gazette)
stephanie lee The Star 13 Feb 18;
KOTA KINABALU: The endangered but highly sought after Sunda pangolin is now a totally protected species.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the state cabinet had approved for a proposal to elevate the status of the animal.
Previously, the Sunda pangolins which are only found in Sabah were protected under Part 1 Schedule 2 of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment, allowing for them to be hunted with permits.
Now, this new status would see pangolins being listed under Schedule 1 of the Enactment, which means the hunting this animal is prohibited.
His speech was delivered by Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Kamarlin Ombi.
He said though pangolins were under the protected species list, the selling of these meat was still rampant, even in local markets known as Tamu.
Speaking on the launching of the Sunda pangolin replica, Masidi said it was a good effort taken by various organisations including the Future Alam Borneo, Danau Girang Field Centre and Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad to raise awareness on this critically endangered species.
He said the replica made using recycled items such as advertisement boards, plastic bottles and plastic was a fun way to let visitors and locals know the need to protect this species.
The programme was held in conjunction with the World Pangolin Day which falls on the third Saturday of February every year.
In the global context, Masidi said the numbers of pangolins were declining in Asia and Africa, due to the increasing demands as exotic food and medicine or supplements especially from China nationals.
"Here in Sabah, we are also told of restaurants secretly serving the meat to rich guests and tourists," he said.
Critically Endangered Sunda Pangolins finally receives the highest protection it deserves
TRAFFIC 13 Feb 18;
Sabah, Malaysia, 13th February 2018—There’s a little good news for the world’s most trafficked mammal ahead of World Pangolin Day this year.
The state of Sabah in Malaysia, which has seen some of the country’s biggest pangolin seizures, has given the Critically Endangered Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica the highest level of protection under national legislation.
Sabah’s cabinet approved the listing of the pangolin in the “Totally Protected” category of its wildlife law which bars hunting, collection or trade in the animal and provides significantly higher penalties for traffickers.
The decision to elevate the status of the species was announced earlier today by a state official who delivered a speech on behalf of Sabah’s Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, which was quickly picked up by media.
This higher protection for Sunda Pangolins comes 20 years after Sabah’s Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 came into place and brings protection for pangolins in line with the rest of Malaysia. Sabah has since revised the 1997 Enactment and it is now known as Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Enactment 2016.
The Sunda Pangolin has been considered Totally Protected in Peninsular Malaysia since 1972 and in Sarawak, since 1998. In Sabah, however, the species had been listed as “Protected”, allowing for them to be hunted with permits, though these were rarely issued.
Sabah’s move now makes it the only place in Malaysia where Sunda Pangolin traffickers are likely to receive a six-month stay in jail upon conviction.
This is due to the 2016 amendments to Sabah’s wildlife law, establishing higher fines for many offences including a fine of up to MYR250,000 (USD60,000) or a minimum imprisonment term of 6 month to 5 years, or both for anyone caught in possession of a Totally Protected species.
“Sabah’s commitment to saving the Sunda Pangolin is to be commended and couldn’t come at a better time with World Pangolin Day just ahead of us,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Acting Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia.
“The species is under incredible threat from illegal trade with the unyielding demand for its scales and meat. Upping the risks for poachers and traffickers sends a clear message that they’ll have to pay for their crimes,” said Krishnasamy.
In 2011, customs officers seized closed to five tonnes of skinned pangolins from a boat off Sabah waters. TRAFFIC’s analysis of record books seized from a warehouse in Sabah showed 22,000 pangolins trafficked from that one location over a period of 14 months between 2007 and 2009.
Sabah has also been in the spotlight for recent large-scale interceptions of pangolin scales where custom officers seized a whopping 13 tonnes from just two shipments. In both seizures, two local men, including one who owned the company that was reportedly shipping the scales to China, were arrested to aid with investigations. Over a seven month period, Royal Malaysian Customs intercepted a staggering 15 tonnes of pangolin scales.
Tempo 13 Feb 18;
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Terra and Aqua satellites detected 15 hotspots indicating forest and plantation fires in Riau Province, Monday. The 15 hotspots emerged in four districts of the province, Slamet Riyadi, head of the data and information section of the Pekanbaru meteorology station, stated.
"The hotspots, with a confidence level of above 50 percent, were detected in Meranti Islands, Indragiri Hilir, Pelalawan, and Bengkalis districts," he remarked.
Nine of the 15 hotspots were confirmed to have arisen from wildfires, he noted. Of the nine hotspots, five were found in Meranti Islands, two in Pelalawan, and two in Indragiri Hilir.
Senior Commissioner Guntur Aryo Tejo, spokesman of the Riau Provincial Police, urged local farmers to not use fire to clear land for farming area. Those found violating the rule will face 10 years' imprisonment and have to pay a fine of up to Rp10 billion, he remarked.
The Pelalawan police have arrested a farmer identified by his initial as M in early February for using fire to clear land for starting a chili farm. Several provinces on Sumatra Island had in the past borne witness to forest fires that produced smoke or haze shrouding several cities.
However, over the past couple of years, the Indonesian authorities have managed to significantly reduce the number of wildfires, thereby preventing the occurrence of haze.
Despite the success, the Indonesian government remains vigilant and is currently implementing preventive measures to ensure that forest fires will not occur during the implementation of the 18th Asian Games to be co-host by Jakarta and Palembang in South Sumatra.
"This year, we will host the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. I remind you to not let the smoke from forest and land fires arise during the implementation of the event," President Joko Widodo noted during a briefing to participants of the National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control in 2018 at the State Palace in Jakarta on February 6, 2018.
He pointed out that haze from forest and land fires will tarnish the image of Indonesia and disrupt flights during the Asian Games.
ANTARA
Syafrizaldi THE JAKARTA POST 13 Feb 18;
One afternoon, local farmer Sri Poniyem, 43, was gathering cow dung mixed with urine in her backyard’s concrete tub measuring two by four meters, which would be turned into liquid manure. Using a hose, she connected the tub to a jerrycan and patiently waited for it to fill with liquid manure.
Despite its bad odor, the mixture of urine, manure and water is a farmer’s best friend that gives valuable nutrition to the soil, which is more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizer.
Poniyem, the head of the Women’s Farmer Group of Pandan Sejahtera village, Geragai district, Tanjung Jabung Timur regency, Jambi, said later in the afternoon the group members would collect the jerrycans to be used in their respective fields.
The villagers in the area have for the last two years realized the need to maintain a natural balance.
“Illegal logging used to prevail here. My husband was also involved,” Poniyem said.
Poniyem’s spouse, Tasyono, was arrested by the police in 2006 for his illegal activity and has since made no such violation, but his past actions have harmed the environment as seen in the damaged peatland in the regency. Today, the greater part of the peatland has been converted into oil palm plantations.
Several peat fires have also affected the lives of the locals. The worst blaze, noted Poniyem, was in 2015 when residents were forced to flee their homes as they couldn’t bear the thick smoke, which also brought economic losses and reduced biological diversity.
The disaster changed the course of their lives.
“Since the big fire, we’ve been thinking of maintaining a natural equilibrium,” she said.
Poniyem and her family own some hectares of oil palm plantations. She plans to grow more productive crops instead.
“Almost one hectare of my oil palm trees were decimated. I want to grow plants that are more compatible with peat soil,” she said.
Her motivation to experiment with new crops on peatland is thanks to the Mitra Aksi (Action Partner) field school, which has helped change the farmers’ mindset.
Poniyem and her group are now trying to plant dragon fruit trees, the seedlings of which have been obtained, while also growing kapok trees to provide supporting columns for the fruits. She is also developing perennial crop agriculture, such as cacao and areca palm trees.
“If fertilizer is needed, the group has prepared compost from the cow excrement,” she said.
Mitra Aksi has received a grant from the Millennium Challenge Account Indonesia, which is restoring peatland in eastern Sumatra. This region is adjacent to Berbak National Park, Orang Kayo Hitam Forest Park (Tahura OKH) and Berbak Protected Peat Forest.
The environmentally friendly pattern of farming, said Poniyem, should rely on farmers’ ability to utilize the natural resources available around them. As well as promoting the family economy, this farming method causes no damage to the soil.
Two kilometers from Poniyem’s home, another local, Rusmilan, 43, was building what he called a canal partition, which raises the depth of the water.
“The principle is that peat soil will be wet, which will prevent fire,” Rusmilan said.
He and his group were constructing partitions by filling sacks with sand and gravel. The sacks were then piled up to form canal dams, which were covered with thick black plastic sheets before being shielded with wooden planks.
The partitions looked like bridges connecting both sides of the canal. There was a hole on each partition to regulate the release of water.
“When it rains, water can be released. But in the dry season, water is retained to ensure the peat remains wet,” he said.
Fish are put into the partitions so as to draw the group’s attention to the water level.
“We’re developing the principle of the 3Rs: re-wetting, re-vegetating and revitalizing the economy. Re-wetting is carried out through the canal partitions. In some places they build hydrant wells to wet the soil,” he said, adding that Mitra Aksi assisted them in building 15 canal partitions and 30 drilled wells.
Southeast of Poniyem’s village, Ahmad Baihaki was planting jackfruit trees in the Tahura OKH restoration area. From Saponjen village, Kumpeh district, Muaro Jambi regency, Ahmad sailed aboard a small boat for almost two hours to reach the peat restoration site.
“Besides, we’ve grown jelutung [Dyera costulala], duku [lanson], durian and mango trees,” he said.
No less than 30,000 trees have filled the 250-hectare restoration area. “But only 24,876 of them are growing well,” Ahmad said.
He hopes that these plants could be productive and benefit at least three villages involved in the restoration effort, namely Saponjen, Gedong Karya and Sungai Aur.
Controlling water: A man inspects a canal partition in Pandan Sejahtera village, which is used to regulate the release of water onto the peatland.
Controlling water: A man inspects a canal partition in Pandan Sejahtera village, which is used to regulate the release of water onto the peatland. (JP/Syafrizaldi)
The villagers are assisted by Gita Buana (natural resources management organization) in the peatland revitalization program. Gita Buana program coordinator Lambok Panjaitan described community involvement as the key to peat restoration.
“The government and local people have been restoring peatland since 2016 under the coordination of the Peat Restoration Agency, with a target to cover 2.5 million hectares in 2020 in seven priority provinces, namely Jambi, Riau, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Papua,” he said.
As a part of the peatland restoration, locals also monitor hot spots. Villagers can access peat areas for planting and harvesting, at the same time monitoring environmental conditions including hot spots and canal partitions.
“We don’t want the 2015 peat fire to happen again. Growing trees helps speed up peat restoration, which motivates us to continue this activity,” Ahmad said.
Seth Borenstein Associated Press 13 Feb 18;
WASHINGTON (AP) — Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of sea level rise, new satellite research shows.
At the current rate, the world’s oceans on average will be at least 2 feet (61 centimeters) higher by the end of the century compared to today, according to researchers who published in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
Sea level rise is caused by warming of the ocean and melting from glaciers and ice sheets. The research, based on 25 years of satellite data, shows that pace has quickened, mainly from the melting of massive ice sheets. It confirms scientists’ computer simulations and is in line with predictions from the United Nations, which releases regular climate change reports.
“It’s a big deal” because the projected sea level rise is a conservative estimate and it is likely to be higher, said lead author Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado.
Outside scientists said even small changes in sea levels can lead to flooding and erosion.
“Any flooding concerns that coastal communities have for 2100 may occur over the next few decades,” Oregon State University coastal flooding expert Katy Serafin said in an email.
Of the 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) of sea level rise in the past quarter century, about 55 percent is from warmer water expanding, and the rest is from melting ice.
But the process is accelerating, and more than three-quarters of that acceleration since 1993 is due to melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the study shows.
Like weather and climate, there are two factors in sea level rise: year-to-year small rises and falls that are caused by natural events and larger long-term rising trends that are linked to man-made climate change. Nerem’s team removed the natural effects of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption that temporarily chilled Earth and the climate phenomena El Nino and La Nina, and found the accelerating trend.
Sea level rise, more than temperature, is a better gauge of climate change in action, said Anny Cazenave, director of Earth science at the International Space Science Institute in France, who edited the study. Cazenave is one of the pioneers of space-based sea level research.
Global sea levels were stable for about 3,000 years until the 20th century when they rose and then accelerated due to global warming caused by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, said climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute in Germany, who wasn’t part of the study.
Two feet of sea level rise by the end of the century “would have big effects on places like Miami and New Orleans, but I don’t still view that as catastrophic” because those cities can survive — at great expense — that amount of rising seas under normal situations, Nerem said.
But when a storm hits like 2012′s Superstorm Sandy, sea level rise on top of storm surge can lead to record-setting damages, researchers said.
Some scientists at the American Geophysical Union meeting last year said Antarctica may be melting faster than predicted by Monday’s study.
Greenland has caused three times more sea level rise than Antarctica so far, but ice melt on the southern continent is responsible for more of the acceleration.
“Antarctica seems less stable than we thought a few years ago,” Rutgers climate scientist Robert Kopp said.
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