Show your love for forests on International Day of Forests 21-28 Mar
People's Movement to Stop Haze
A Short History of the Jerdon’s Baza in Singapore
Singapore Bird Group
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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Mar 18
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Bottled water in Singapore meets safety standards: AVA
Tang See Kit Channel NewsAsia 16 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE: Samples of bottled drinking water in Singapore tested by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) as part of routine laboratory tests meet its safety standards, it told Channel NewsAsia on Friday (Mar 16).
AVA said it routinely takes samples of bottled drinking water for laboratory testing to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
Those that fail its inspection and laboratory tests will not be allowed for sale.
So far, laboratory results have shown that the bottled water used in Singapore meet its safety standards, said AVA.
AVA's comments were made in response to queries from Channel NewsAsia after results from a study published on Wednesday showed “widespread contamination” of tiny plastic particles in several of the world’s major brands of bottled water.
The study was commissioned by Orb Media, a US-based non-profit media collective.
Researchers had tested more than 250 bottles of water across 11 brands sold in nine countries, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Thailand.
The results showed that 93 per cent of the samples had “some sign of microplastic contamination”.
Singapore was not one of the test markets, but several of the brands tested and found to have tiny particles of plastic are available here.
Among them are Coca-Cola’s Dasani, Danone’s Aqua and Evian, which together accounted for about 39 per cent of bottled water sold in Singapore in 2015, according to data from Euromonitor International.
Elaborating on its surveillance of bottled water, AVA said it adopts a “risk-based approach in ensuring food safety”.
“Food available in our market, including bottled water, are subjected to inspection, sampling and surveillance to ensure compliance with our food safety standards and requirements.
“For imported packaged/bottled mineral and drinking water, every imported consignment must be accompanied with a certificate of analysis to indicate that the product is safe for consumption. For new brands, licensed importers must also submit a certificate of authenticity for the source.”
Meanwhile, for locally packaged or bottled drinking water, licensed manufacturers are subjected to regular inspections to ensure the adherence of good manufacturing practices, AVA added.
In its reply to Channel NewsAsia, AVA noted that while the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is aware of microplastics being “an emerging area of concern”, there is no evidence that microplastics have an impact on human health.
“As such, WHO will conduct an assessment to investigate the potential health risk of microplastics in drinking water.
“Other agencies, such as the European Food Safety Authority and Food and Agriculture Organisation also noted more scientific evidence would be needed for such an assessment.”
AVA said it will continue to monitor international scientific developments on the issue of microplastics and conduct its own risk assessment.
“We will implement appropriate measures to safeguard the health of our consumers when necessary,” it added.
BRANDS SAY BOTTLING PLANTS OPERATE AT HIGH STANDARDS
When contacted, bottled water brands said that they disagreed with the study's findings, and that their bottling plants adhered to high quality and food safety standards.
Danone said that it was“not in a position to comment” about the study given that “some aspects of the testing methodology used remain unclear”. It also cited a different study published last year by German researchers that found “no statistically relevant amount of microplastic” in single-use plastic bottles.
The French multinational food product company added that microplastic is an “emerging issue” and that there is “no applicable regulatory framework or scientific consensus" for "testing methodology or potential impacts of microplastic particles which could be found in any bottling environment”.
When asked about the production and packaging base for its bottled water sold in Singapore, Danone said that all of its water “are sourced and bottled in their country of origin”, and that its bottling process “respects the highest hygiene, quality and food safety standards."
Coca-Cola told Channel NewsAsia that all of its Dasani products sold in Singapore are packaged in and imported from Malaysia. “They comply fully with all laws and regulations in Singapore, including the Sale of Food Act.”
The spokesperson added that the company stands by the safety of its products and welcomes continued study of plastics.
“We have some of the most stringent quality standards in the industry, and the water we use in our drinks is subject to multi-step filtration processes prior to production,” Coca-Cola said in an emailed response.
“As Orb Media’s own reporting has shown, microscopic plastic fibers appear to be ubiquitous, and therefore may be found at minute levels even in highly treated products."
Over at Nestle, its spokesperson said in an emailed response: “To date, we have not found microplastics in our bottled water products beyond trace level”.
The Swiss food and beverage giant added that its bottled water products, such as locally-available brands San Pellegrino and Nestle Pure Life, are tested for the presence of microplastics using “state-of-the-art devices and techniques”. “We assure consumers that our bottled waters are safe to drink."
Meanwhile, PepsiCo said its brand Aquafina “maintains rigorous quality control measures, sanitary manufacturing practices, filtration and other food safety mechanisms which yield a reliably safe product”. Aquafina is not available in Singapore at the moment.
The study has drawn stern remarks from the International Bottled Water Association, which said that it was “non-peer reviewed” and "not based on sound science”.
To that, the study’s lead researcher Sherri Mason from the State University of New York said the methodology used was “simple” and “very clearly stated” on the report.
She referred to how the screening for plastic involved the addition of a fluorescent dye into the bottles of water. This dye, called Nile Red, sticks to free-floating plastic pieces and makes them visible under certain wavelengths of light.
After filtering the dyed samples, researchers counted the pieces that were larger than 100 microns. Those smaller than 100 microns were counted using a technique developed by a former astrophysicist to calculate the number of stars in the night sky.
“I don't think it can get any simpler than that, so this idea that it’s a complicated and unclear methodology is not based on reality,” Prof Mason told Channel NewsAsia. “This is a very sound scientific study and I stand by it.”
Following the release of the report, the WHO told the BBC on Thursday that it will launch a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water.
Prof Mason described that as an unexpected but “pleasant surprise”. She added that she hoped the study would get consumers “to re-think” habits involving single-use plastic.
“Something as simple as drinking tap water, as opposed to bottled water, can have a huge impact on your personal exposure to plastic, which permeates our lives with other habits like the use of plastic bags, straws and food wrappers. Yet, we don't understand the implications of that.”
Source: CNA/sk
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Living the plastic life: Experts say straw usage in Singapore 'excessive'
While there are no official figures, one eatery finished 10,000 plastic straws in two months before switching to metal alternatives for dine-in customers.
Jalelah Abu Baker Channel NewsAsia 17 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE: A lunchtime visit to any hawker centre makes it apparent - people here love plastic straws. On tables are straws in cups with lids, poked into plastic film-sealed cups, and even in mineral water bottles.
In fact, if you are having a cold drink in a coffee shop, cafe or food court while reading this, you are probably sipping it through a straw. It is hard to imagine Singapore without single-use straws, since they are so entrenched in the city's dining scene, but that is what some authorities around the world are moving towards.
Internationally, anti-plastic straw sentiment has been picking up, with Scotland planning to ban them by end-2019, and lawmakers in some American states passing orders that limit or prohibit restaurants from using them.
Nearer to Singapore, Taiwan, which can be considered the world's bubble tea capital, will be banning single-use plastics, including straws, by 2030.
Environmental experts said that straws are a good starting point in encouraging the reduction of plastic use, but some businesses who spoke to Channel NewsAsia felt otherwise.
STRAWS USED FOR STIRRING, TO PREVENT SPILLAGE: BUSINESS OWNERS
In fact, Wiltian Ang, owner of The Matcha Project, believes that people are more likely to get comfortable cutting back on other plastics first.
“Once consumers are fully comfortable with bringing their own cups and bags, they might just be keen to bring their own straws or not using straws at all,” he said.
To encourage them, he gives a S$0.50 discountfor those who bring their own reusable cups. He said that it would be difficult to stop providing straws freely at his shop, given that his cafe only sells take-away drinks.
When people drink on the go, a straw is best to avoid spillage, he said. He added that the straw doubles up as a stirrer.
“Imagine buying an iced takeaway beverage without a straw. With the ice melting, the drink will be diluted and sediment will settle,” he said.
Mr Ang, who sold 700 iced drinks in January, adding that the low price of straws also decreases the incentive to minimise their use.
Barista Chris Chew echoed Mr Ang’s sentiments. She said that because The Hangar Coffee Express, where she works, does not provide a stirrer, those who add sugar syrup to their drinks use the straw as one.
“If we don’t provide it, and let people request for it, I wouldn’t have time because I’m here alone, I wouldn’t be able to entertain the requests,” she said.
She said that there are customers - about one in every 100 - who bring their own metal straws.
Another drinks seller, who did not want to be named, said that he seals his drinks with plastic film, and that means customers would definitely need a straw to pierce through it. He added that those who get drinks to takeaway prefer their cups sealed, to prevent spillage.
TAKING STRAWS “UNTHINKINGLY”
Patrons Channel NewsAsia spoke to said that they take straws “unthinkingly” and that it was convenient to use straws.
Student Manushri Rajesvaran, 17, said: “I use the straws because they give them. If they didn’t, I probably wouldn’t.” She added however that having a lid, which has a hole for a straw is also a good thing for her because she would spill the drink otherwise.
Another patron, who wanted to be known as Ms Foo, felt the same way.
“I don’t think when the stall owner gives it to me, but if he doesn’t, I wouldn’t fight for it,” said the 35-year-old public servant.
Another customer, Ms Lucy Wynn, 42, who works in the corporate finance industry, said that she usually uses straws to keep her lipstick intact and to avoid getting a “milk moustache” when she has iced coffee.
She added that she feels safer using a straw with canned drinks, as she fears the cans would get dirty at some point during the transportation process. The straw users said they knew the environmental harm the small cylindrical plastics could do.
STRAWS DAMAGING TO ANIMALS AND ENVIRONMENT: EXPERTS
Environmental experts Channel NewsAsia spoke to said that straws are damaging both to animals that end up eating them, to people, and to the environment.
They are often eaten by seabirds and sea turtles, causing starvation and death. In the ocean, plastic straws break down gradually into microplastics, which are eaten by fish and shellfish, said head of “eateries outreach” at non-profit group Plastic-Lite Singapore, Mr Pek Shibao.
“When these fish are caught and eaten by humans, these microplastics wind up entering our bodies as well, which may cause serious negative health effects,” he said.
He added that straws are often not disposed of properly in Singapore.
“As they are small and light, they often get blown into our drains and onto our beaches or into the sea,” he said. Even when they are properly disposed of and incinerated, the burning of plastic generates toxic gases and creates poisonous ash which must be sent to the landfill, he added.
Singapore has only one landfill, which at current rates will be full by 2030, he said.
President of Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) Tay Kae Fong said that the key problem is pollution from the sheer volume of single-use plastic straw waste generated.
“People may think it's a small straw, but these seemingly harmless straws add up very very quickly,” he said. Plastic straws are made from petroleum and the petrol industry is inherently damaging to the environment.
The institute aims to empower people to make a difference for all living things.
EDUCATION NEEDED TO CHANGE MINDSETS
Mr Pek, who defined straw usage in Singapore as “excessive”, said that one of Plastic-Lite’s successful initiatives is getting schools to sign up to stop using plastic straws every Tuesday.
“We visit schools to conduct talks about the impact of disposable plastics, so that students become more environmentally aware from a young age,” he said.
At roadshows, the organisation also gets people to calculate how much plastic waste they generate every year using its plastic footprint calculator.
Mr Tay said that it has “become clear” that the convenience that these straws bring are not worth the harm they do to animals, people, and the environment. To patrons’ worries about hygiene drinking from the mouth of a cup or can, he said it is not established that these are dirty or not washed properly.
“I don't think it's a situation that justifies a switch to single-use plastics as the solution. Isn't it better for us to look into better washing of reusable cups instead?” he asked.
The experts said that businesses could spur change by not offering straws as a default with drinks. One such business that is doing so is Common Man Coffee Roasters.
CAFE COMPANY SAVES BY MAKING SWITCH
Since the beginning of this year, the company, which has two outlets, has been providing stainless steel straws.
“This was a move we made to try and reduce our environmental footprint, and was an easy yet effective swap for us to make,” said its brand manager Sarah Rouse.
Prior to the switch the firm, which just opened its second outlet last year, would go through a box of 10,000 plastic straws every two months. Now, the same box lasts more than six months, she said.
All guests who dine in are provided with a metal straw, while takeaway drinks come with plastic ones upon request. Ms Rouse estimated that about half of to-go drinkers take a plastic straw.
“I think it does take some adjusting to, drinking your iced beverage without one,” she said.
Common Man is doing its part by replacing paper napkins with a more sustainable bamboo alternative to reduce paper waste, and encouraging cutting down of use of plastic, with a discount for people who bring reusable takeaway cups, she said.
“The hospitality industry can help in spearheading this as we are positioned well to educate the market and advocate for better choices, a positive move for an industry previously linked to excessive wastage and throw-away consumption,” she added.
Source: CNA/ja
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Best of our wild blogs: 16 Mar 18
Saving horseshoe crabs in Singapore
wild shores of singapore
18 Mar (Sun): FREE screening of "Birth of a Marine Park"
wild shores of singapore
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Dramatic Photos Show How Sand Mining Threatens a Way of Life in Southeast Asia
Vietnam is a prime example of a little-known global threat: the mining of river sand to build the world’s booming cities.
By Vince Beiser, Photographs by Sim Chi Yin National Geographic 15 Mar 18;
One afternoon last year, Ha Thi Be, 67, was sitting with her son in her tiny coffee shop in the town of Hong Ngu, looking out on the lazy Tien River, the main branch of the Mekong in Vietnam. Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way. The river bank was crumbling into the water. “We shouted out loud and ran,” she says. “It crashed with a huge sound, boom, boom, boom.”
Be and her son escaped unharmed, but the coffee shop and her nearby house were destroyed. “It took all of what we owned to build the house, and now it's all gone,” she sighs. Still, Be counts herself lucky. “If it had happened at night, I and my grandsons would have died. We used to sleep in that house,” she says.
The main causes of the collapse can be seen floating in many places on the Tien’s murky waters: dredging boats, using rackety pumps to raise from the river bed enormous quantities of sand. In recent years, that humble substance has become an astonishingly hot commodity. Sand is a key ingredient in concrete, the essential building material of Vietnam’s fast-growing cities. Demand for it is surging—and that is wreaking havoc not only on Vietnam’s rivers, but also on the all-important Mekong Delta.
In towns and villages all along the Mekong River and many other rivers around the country, banks undermined by dredging are collapsing into the water, taking with them farm fields, fish ponds, shops, and homes. In recent years, thousands of acres of rice farms have been lost, and at least 1,200 families have had to be relocated. Hundreds more have evacuated in-stream islands that were literally disappearing beneath their feet. Government officials estimate some 500,000 people in the Mekong Delta area alone need to be moved out of such landslide zones.
River sand mining isn’t only a problem for people: It also muddies waters and scours riverbeds, killing the fish, plants, and other organisms that live there. “When I was a child, we'd catch fish and snails to eat,” recalls Ha Thi Be. “Since the sand dredges came, the fish and snails are no more.”
Vietnam is far from the only place where sand mining is inflicting such damage. All over the developing world, cities are growing at a furious pace, devouring sand in unprecedented quantities. The number of Vietnamese living in cities has doubled in the last twenty years, to some 32 million. Worldwide, the urban population is rising by about 65 million people annually; that’s the equivalent of adding eight New York Cities to the planet every single year. Nearly 50 billion tons of sand and gravel is extracted annually to create all the concrete office towers, apartment blocks, highways, and airports those people need. (Some Vietnamese sand is also sold to nearby Singapore, which uses gargantuan amounts to build artificial land.)
Why, you might ask, don’t we simply mine sand from the Sahara and other deserts? The answer is desert sand doesn’t work in concrete—the wind-eroded grains are too smooth and rounded. As a result, from China to Jamaica, from Liberia to India, sand miners are plundering riverbeds, floodplains, and beaches for the precious grains.
In Vietnam, sand mining poses an additional danger: It’s contributing to the slow-motion disappearance of the Mekong Delta, home to 20 million people and source of half of all the country’s food and much of the rice that feeds the rest of southeast Asia.
Climate change-induced sea level rise is one reason the delta is losing the equivalent of one and a half football fields of land every day. But another, researchers believe, is that people are robbing the delta of its sand.
For centuries, the delta has been replenished by sediment carried down from the mountains of central Asia by the Mekong River. But in recent years, in each of the several countries along its course, miners have begun pulling huge quantities of sand from the riverbed. According to a 2013 study by three French researchers, some 50 million tons of sand were extracted in 2011 alone—enough to cover the city of Denver two inches deep. Meanwhile, five major dams have been built in recent years on the Mekong and another 12 are slated for construction on the Mekong in China, Laos, and Cambodia. The dams further diminish the flow of sediment to the delta.
In other words, while natural erosion of the delta continues, its natural replenishment does not. “The sediment flow has been halved,” says Marc Goichot, a researcher with the World Wildlife Federation’s Greater Mekong Programme. At this rate, he says, nearly half the delta will be wiped out by the end of this century.
The problem is made more complicated by the fact that much of Vietnam’s sand mining is completely unregulated and illegal. The sand trade is so lucrative that it has spawned a thriving black market, with hundreds of unlicensed boats plying the rivers. In 2016 alone, Vietnamese police caught nearly 3,000 people dredging without permits or in protected areas around the country.
Many of the miners—legal and otherwise—are ordinary Vietnamese just trying to make a living. Some of them bring their families along on their boats as they travel up and down the rivers.
Nguyen Van Tu, 39, used to mine sand from the Tien near Ha Thi Be’s home town, until police cracked down. “The business was so good,” he says. At times he pulled in as much as $13,000 US per month. “Such easy money. Think, you just suck sand out, and you got money. Simple.”
Vietnamese officials regularly declare their determination to end illegal sand mining—but as in many other countries, some of them prefer taking a cut of the action to shutting it down. In 2013, three local government officials in the Hong Ngu area were charged with taking bribes in exchange for ignoring illegal sand mining on the Tien River. Last March, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình acknowledged that large-scale illegal sand mining continues partly because local administrations have “loosened their management, covered up and offered protection” to the miners.
In some cases, illegal miners have resorted to violence to keep their businesses going. In India and other countries, “sand mafias” have assaulted and even murdered police officers, environmentalists, journalists and others who got in their way. During a crackdown in Vietnam last spring, according to local media, illegal miners tried to sink a police boat by dumping sand onto it.
Fed up with official inaction, dozens of Vietnamese fishers took matters into their own hands last year, attacking sand miners they blamed for destroying their livelihoods. Last June, scuffles between miners and villagers put two people in the hospital.
As the tensions rise, the Mekong Delta keeps eroding—and so does the ground beneath the feet of villagers like Ha Thi Be.
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Using insect army to fight food waste
Black soldier flies are bred to eat discarded food, their larvae turning waste into plant fertiliser
Samantha Boh Straits Times 16 Mar 18;
An army is being amassed in the war against food waste.
Black soldier flies, armed with voracious appetites as larvae, are being bred here to eat discarded food, at the same time creating a rich fertiliser for plants. When their job is done, the larvae themselves are turned into nutritious animal food.
As an added bonus, the insects remove that typical rubbish stench, and they represent a zero-waste product.
The battle is being waged here on two fronts: At the National University of Singapore (NUS), scientists are hoping to breed the fittest, hungriest insects; while an outfit on the fringes of Queenstown has opened Singapore's first fly farm.
Black soldier flies are found all across Singapore. While the adults do not eat as their sole purpose is to mate, the larvae eat almost any organic matter and can stomach up to four times their weight a day.
They convert the waste they eat into plant fertiliser - making them efficient food-waste recyclers.
At NUS, a couple of 30cm-wide square containers line a biological sciences laboratory shelf as part of an experiment to find insects which can mate in small spaces.
Come April, the scientists will start a second experiment to separate out the fastest-growing larvae - an indication that they are the most voracious eaters - to breed.
The experiments are part of a two-year project funded by Temasek Foundation Ecosperity.
"We are trying to optimise their mating system so that we get these super egg layers, fast growers and efficient recyclers," said Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy from NUS' Department of Biological Sciences.
Meanwhile, in Jalan Penjara near Queenstown, Singapore's first insect farm - Insectta - was set up in March last year.
About 500kg of food waste from food suppliers, stalls and homes is recycled each day by about 100kg of black soldier fly larvae.
The fertiliser produced is used to grow kale, lettuce and other vegetables, while the team at Insectta is studying how the larvae can be turned into pet food, for instance.
"Insects are the biggest farmers in the world. And they work for free, so why not harness them," said Insectta founder Darren Ho, 29.
Mr Ho and his team will start to build a three-storey unit by the end of the month to combine recycled food waste, hydroponics and a chamber to grow mushrooms into a closed-loop system - a project also funded by Temasek Foundation Ecosperity.
A main concern has been that the recycling method will introduce flies to the environment, noted Professor Rudolf Meier, from NUS' Department of Biological Sciences. "But it is the larvae of the insect that is used to recycle the food waste, not the adult. Breeding is also tightly contained in a separate facility," he said.
Food waste is already recycled this way in China and parts of Europe. And after the larvae have done their job, they are killed with heat or frozen, and sold as fish feed.
About 100,000 tonnes of food waste can be converted into some 10,000 tonnes of feed.
Prof Meier said about $300 to $400 can be earned from a tonne of food waste - about $200 from selling the larvae and $100 from selling the fertiliser. "Instead of having to pay to get rid of food waste, you are actually making money," he said.
Since its inception in 2016, Temasek Foundation Ecosperity has provided close to $16 million worth of funding to 16 projects.
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6 animal-smuggling attempts via Woodlands Checkpoint detected in February: AVA
Ng Huiwen Straits Times 15 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE - Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) uncovered six attempts by travellers to import live animals without permits via the Woodlands Checkpoint in February.
Among the creatures detected included a live Jambul bird kept in a drawstring pouch inside a Singaporean woman's handbag on Feb 9, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said in a Facebook post on Wednesday night (March 14).
The following day, on Feb 10, ICA officers found two small plastic aquariums containing live mealworms and insects in the back seat of a Singapore-registered car.
While officers were conducting checks, a live oriental white-eye songbird, or mata puteh in Malay, flew out from the car's window. It was captured with the help of an AVA officer.
On Feb 26, ICA officers again detected 121 live birds in 10 boxes, concealed in a compartment of a Malaysia-registered tour bus.
The driver, a 30-year-old man, had also tried to smuggle in 4,500 sachets of chewing tobacco in another luggage compartment.
The authorities have also found wildlife being smuggled into Singapore on three occasions through the Woodlands Checkpoint last month.
A Greek tortoise kept in a plastic container was concealed in the car jack compartment of a Singapore-registered vehicle on Feb 9.
And on Feb 14 and 17, ICA officers detected three live sugar gliders.
Two were kept in a pouch hidden under the driver's seat of a Singapore-registered car, and the other was hidden in a sling pouch of a Singaporean woman.
All the offenders were referred to AVA for further investigations, it said in the Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the animals have been placed under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
In the post, AVA and ICA issued a reminder for travellers on the regulations Singapore has on the import of animals to safeguard public and animal health.
Anyone found guilty of importing any animal or bird without a licence may be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to a year, or both.
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Malaysia: FRIM scientists to reap profits from discoveries
MARTIN CARVALHO and HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM The Star 16 Mar 18;
SOME 200 local scientists with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) may soon get to reap profits from their discoveries, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The Natural Resources and Environment Minister said a mechanism was being drafted to implement the new incentives to spur commercialisation of research under FRIM Incorporated, which was set up last year.
“For some scientists, it is not about how much money they can get.
At present, he said only FRIM and the Government were entitled to royalties from discoveries.
He said new incentives were allowed under the FRIM Act 2016.
Dr Wan Junaidi was replying to a question raised by Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) as to what measures were being taken to offer local scientists adequate rewards for their hard work.
On a separate matter, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said some 1,600 operators were involved in Sabah seaweed farming, covering some 1,000ha out of 38,000ha of land reserved for algae cultivation, near Tenom.
Ahmad Shabery said Sabah seaweed was considered a superfood with some 206 metric tonnes harvested annually.
He was replying to a question by Datuk Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom).
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Indonesia: Special team formed to catch tiger in Riau
Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 15 Mar 18;
Local authorities in Indragiri Hilir regency, Riau, have formed a special team to catch a female tiger that has killed two locals in Tanjung Simpang village, Pelangiran district, since January.
The Indragiri Hilir administration decided to form the team in response to local people’s threats to take action if the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) failed to capture the tiger within a week.
“We hope we can soon capture the tiger peacefully so local people can continue their daily activities without fear,” Indragiri Hilir Police chief AKBP Christian Rony Putra said on Thursday.
The team comprises government officials, Indonesian Military and National Police personnel, BKSDA officers and NGO activists, as well as local people and representatives of plantation companies.
The team has erected two camps in Sinar Danau village and in a palm oil plantation owned by PT Tabung Haji Indo Plantation in Tanjung Simpang village, Pelangiran. They have also prepared four snipers to anticipate potential tiger attacks against locals.
BKSDA personnel and conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia activists believe the animal’s behavior is unusual because tigers are nocturnal and afraid of people. It was further revealed that the tiger was not lured by a goat staked inside a trap.
“We tried to catch the tiger in a box trap, which was equipped with tools containing liquid anesthetics but it didn’t work,” BKSDA head Suharyono said. The team has urged all locals to remain on alert. (sha/ebf)
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Thais weigh merit of Mekong dam
Andrew Nachemson Phnom Penh Post 15 Mar 18;
Environmental watchdogs expressed hope on Wednesday that the Thai government’s announcement that it will delay a decision to purchase power from the controversial planned Pak Beng Dam could signal a shift in the country – and possibly the region – towards renewable energy.
The dam, which is in Laos but is partially funded by Thailand – with 90 percent of generated power expected to be sold to Thailand – has faced significant opposition from civil society, local communities, and environmentalists who warn that it could have devastating downstream impacts in Cambodia and Thailand. If it goes forward, construction is expected to be complete in 2024. It is also the subject of an ongoing lawsuit by Thai villagers worried about the downstream impacts.
According to a Tuesday press release from International Rivers (IR), Thailand issued a letter in mid-February saying the decision would be postponed until after the country completes its Power Development Plan later this month. “The current review of the PDP was reportedly spurred by the … recognition that renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are swiftly becoming mainstream in the global energy market,” the statement says.
Pianporn Deetes, Thailand director for the organisation, is quoted in the press release as saying the review is “an opportunity to seriously rethink Thailand’s investments in environmentally destructive energy projects”.
“What’s more, alternatives – including renewables and energy efficiency measures – are available, pose much less risk to the environment and local people, and must be properly considered in the power planning process,” she continued.
Brian Eyler, with the Stimson Institute in Washington, DC, said the move shows a “window of opportunity” is opening for Mekong countries to switch to renewable energy. “To drive this process forward, the region needs local sustainability leaders to work within mainland Southeast Asia and ASEAN,” he said in an email.
Eyler praised Thailand’s “broad re-examination of its national energy policy”, but said so far Thailand seems to be concerned with domestic reform, not regional solutions.
IR director Maureen Harris said that while the organisation hopes the delay is “a positive sign with broader implications”, it is not definitive. “It is still possible that the [agreement] will be signed once the review of Thailand’s PDP is complete. It is therefore still too early to say what effect this delay will have on the project overall,” she said via email.
Harris did say the delay “indicates that campaigning by Mekong communities and environmentalists … has had some impact”.
Te Navuth, secretary-general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, said the delay was “not bad news indeed”.
Navuth said if the dam is to go ahead, it would need further consultation with relevant stakeholders like Cambodia both before and during the construction process.
Meanwhile, the MRC held meetings with Thai authorities on Tuesday to discuss findings from a comprehensive Council Study, a five-year study of impacts of hydropower development on the four MRC member countries, but it did not discuss “any specific dam, nor on the Pak Beng hydropower project”, a MRC spokesperson said.
The study predicted too many dams along the Mekong could have catastrophic consequences for Cambodia’s fisheries, which sustain millions of people.
Additional reporting by Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
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Babies of critically endangered Singapore Freshwater Crab hatched in captivity
For the first time, Johora singaporensis crablets have been successfully hatched outside of their natural environment, as part of efforts to repopulate the critically endangered species
Vanessa Lim Channel NewsAsia 15 Mar 18;
SINGAPORE: For the first time, Johora singaporensis crablets have been successfully hatched outside of their natural environment, as part of efforts to repopulate the critically endangered species.
Led by the Crab Working Group, which includes members from the National Parks Board (NParks), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), the effort resulted in more than 40 crablets being hatched and subsequently growing into healthy juveniles.
They are the offspring of one pregnant female crab that was among a few of the crustaceans collected by researchers in December last year.
"If we manage to bring all these 40-plus crablets to full maturity, it will represent a fairly significant proportion of crabs out there in total,” said Mr Lim Liang Jim, group director of NParks' National Biodiversity Centre.
Typically found in fast-moving streams in hills, the Johora singaporensis, commonly known as the Singapore Freshwater Crab, is one of three known species of crabs that can only be found in Singapore.
However, with researchers estimating the current adult population of the species to be in the hundreds, the pebble-sized freshwater crab is on the brink of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers it critically endangered and among the 100 most threatened species worldwide.
To ensure the successful hatching of the eggs, researchers modified tanks to be similar to the crab’s natural habitat. This includes using water taken from the streams, as well as installing pumps to mimic the fast-flowing current and oxygen-rich water it lives in.
Additional measures, such as separating the crablets from each other as well as the mother crab, were also taken to increase their chances of survival. This is because Johora singaporensis are known to be a relatively aggressive species, with past cases of cannibalism and fights leading to death.
With very little known about the species, researchers hope to learn more about the ecology and biology of the crabs by observing them. Going forward, the researchers will be looking at getting male and female crabs to mate and breed.
“Our ultimate aim is to build up the pool of specimens to where we can release and repopulate the wild population," said Mr Lim.
Source: CNA/ec
Crab hatching in captivity a breakthrough for NParks
It spells hope for the endangered Singapore freshwater crab
Audrey Tan Straits Times 15 Mar 18;
At first glance, the tiny, colourless baby crabs kept in tanks at the National Parks Board's (NParks) Botanic Gardens headquarters are hardly impressive.
But looks are deceiving: These crablets, each barely the length of a fingernail, will play a crucial role in helping to ensure the survival of their kind.
The brood of more than 40 crablets represents a glimmer of hope in the future of the critically endangered Singapore freshwater crab (Johora singaporensis).
They hatched in January, the first time this has occurred in captivity, under the watchful eye of Dr Daniel Ng, manager of NParks' National Biodiversity Centre and one of the scientists involved in the conservation of the Singapore freshwater crab.
NParks now plans to closely study these elusive crustaceans before releasing them into the wild, in a bid to boost populations. Currently, there are only an estimated few hundred mature individuals out there, according to NParks.
As scavengers, crabs play important roles in the ecosystem, helping to clean up the environment by feeding on waste material.
The Singapore freshwater crab, found only in certain areas in the Republic and nowhere else in the world, was discovered in 1986 by crab expert Peter Ng, now the head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at National University of Singapore (NUS).
In 2014, a freshwater crab working group led by NParks and comprising experts from institutions such as NUS and the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) was formed to look into a long-term population enhancement, monitoring and breeding programme for the Singapore freshwater crab. NParks' latest breakthrough is part of this effort.
NUS Assistant Professor Darren Yeo, who studies crabs, said the brooding and hatching of juvenile crabs in an individual female Johora singaporensis was a "very positive development". Captive breeding of these freshwater crabs is tricky because the biology of these animals is relatively poorly understood.
He added: "An important next step would be to try to ascertain and understand the environmental conditions that led to the successful brooding... to hopefully replicate or apply them to facilitate breeding of these crabs in captivity."
Indeed, little else is known about the crab, except that it is a fussy creature, starting with where it lives. The crab can be found only in the hilly streams of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak, nutrient-rich rivulets formed from ground water and rain.
"These crabs seem to thrive in oxygen-rich waters, and hilly streams are usually fast-flowing, which helps to aerate the water," said NParks' Dr Ng.
Conditions also have to be just right before they decide to have their babies. The latest batch of baby crabs was the first successful hatching after some three years of work by the researchers.
In earlier attempts, the mother crab simply would not carry the eggs to term, Dr Ng said.
Freshwater crabs such as Johora singaporensis carry their eggs under their abdomen until the crablets - baby crabs that look similar to adults - emerge, unlike marine crabs which release eggs as tiny larvae that drift through the currents.
Scientists were left scratching their heads as to why the eggs would not hatch. But nature knows best, they decided, and tried to ensure that the tanks the crabs were kept in were kept as similar to their natural environment as possible.
One change in the successful brooding attempt, for example, was to ensure that water in the tanks came from the streams in which the crabs were found. Previously, the scientists had mixed nutrients with treated tap water. The "au naturel" strategy seemed to work, with the crablets hatching after about a month.
A spokesman for WRS said: "Water and substrate from the stream, although not critical for growth and survival of the crabs, seem to be essential for the successful hatching of crablets. The working group will continue to learn more about the various requirements for this species to ensure a safe and healthy population for them in Singapore."
Being able to observe the baby crabs up close also gave the scientists the opportunity to collect valuable information. For example, they found that the crabs grew very slowly. When they hatched in January, the crablets measured about 3mm. Now, two months later, they are about 4mm. Adults grow to 2-3cm in size and live for about three years.
On NParks' latest breakthrough, NUS' Prof Ng, told The Straits Times: "I am heartened to know NParks has managed to get these animals to cooperate. I congratulate them and the people who have made this happen - it's good news.
"I discovered this critter over 30 years ago by chance - my job is long since done - it's now up to the next generation of biologists to make sure it is around for another million years!"
Tiny treasures: Five other types of freshwater crabs native to Singapore
JOHNSON'S FRESHWATER CRAB (IRMENGARDIA JOHNSONI)
This endangered crab can be found only in the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment nature reserves, and nowhere else in the world. Growing up to 2cm, it feeds on leaf litter and small invertebrates.
SWAMP FOREST CRAB (PARATHELPHUSA RETICULATA)
This endangered crab usually buries itself in leaf litter during the day, and emerges at night to forage for food. It can grow up to 4cm and can be found only in Singapore, in places such as the Nee Soon Swamp Forest.
LITTLE LAND CRAB (GEOSESARMA NEMESIS)
Found in Singapore and Johor, Malaysia, this crab has been observed to be semi-terrestrial, digging burrows or taking shelter under rocks on the stream bank. It can be found at Bukit Timah Hill, in areas which get plenty of shade and with heavy leaf cover. It was named after the mythical Greek goddess of divine anger and retribution, Nemesis, for the adult crab's bright red colours and fierce disposition.
LOWLAND FRESHWATER CRAB (PARATHELPHUSA MACULATA)
This nocturnal crab is commonly found in Singapore, in streams across the island and in nature reserves. It can also be found in Malaysia and the southern part of Sumatra, Indonesia. It can grow up to 6cm.
PERACCA'S LAND CRAB (GEOSESARMA PERACCAE)
This crab, which can grow up to 1.15cm, is considered vulnerable to extinction here. It is semi-terrestrial. It has reportedly been found around pitcher plants and, on occasion, inside the pitcher itself.
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