Tampines residents worry over missing neighbourhood chickens but town council assures just 4 were removed

Derek Wong and Tee Zhuo Straits Times 4 Sep 18;

SINGAPORE - The apparent disappearance of many wild neighbourhood chickens in Tampines has perturbed some residents, but the town council and the authorities have clarified that just four of the birds have been removed.

On Saturday (Sept 1), Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that residents of Housing Board flats in Tampines Street 21 had complained about many chickens being removed, leaving only about 10 in the garden area of Blocks 266 and 267.

But the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and Tampines Town Council told The Straits Times that only four chickens were relocated.

On Monday, Tampines Town Council said there was an arrangement made to relocate the chickens on Aug 17, adding that there have been no additional attempts to trap the birds since.

"Four chickens were removed using cage traps and transferred to the AVA," said a town council spokesman.

She also explained that the town council had acted because of "increasing complaints of noise disturbances of late by the early morning crowing (of the chickens), and the leftover pellets or feed for these chickens (that) have been observed to attract pests such as rats".

But some residents, such as 70-year-old Madam Xie, feel the morning crowing gives a sense of nostalgia.

She told Lianhe Wanbao: "I miss the times in the kampung when I had chickens in the backyard, and the chickens make me feel very at home."

Another resident, retiree Madam Yun, 68, told the Chinese newspaper: "As an elderly person who lives alone, these chickens lift my spirits. When I see them go missing, my heart aches and I can't sleep well."

AVA said that Tampines Town Council had approached the authority for advice on guidelines for the proper handling of chickens, and confirmed that four chickens had been sent to it.

The authority said that town councils can decide whether to trap or remove chickens within their jurisdiction.

But trapping operations should not result in any form of cruelty to the birds and the tools used to trap the chickens need to be "appropriate and humane", the authority added.

When taking such caught chickens to AVA, "the town council should ensure that sufficient food, water, shelter and space are provided for the chickens during transportation", it added.

As for the four Tampines chickens, AVA said that it is exploring options to rehome them, and is working with animal welfare groups to find homes for the birds.

It also clarified that the chickens are not jungle fowls. The red jungle fowl is native to Singapore and is nationally endangered.

Tampines Town Council's spokesman said that it "understands that the chickens have brought joy to some residents within the community", but she added that the population of the birds had grown substantially due to natural reproduction and illegal feeding.

She also noted that "the increased (chicken) population has gradually led to the migration of some chickens to two other neighbouring residential zones".

"We wish to assure (residents) that the purpose is not to remove the chickens completely from the neighbourhood. The town council is doing our best to achieve a balance within a common living space," the spokesman added.


Tampines residents in a flap over vanishing chickens
Residents upset birds were removed, but town council says it got complaints about noise
Derek Wong and Tee Zhuo Straits Times 6 Sep 18;

Some residents in Tampines are crying foul after several chickens, which had been roaming free in their neighbourhood, disappeared.

But the Tampines Town Council said just four of the birds were removed after some residents complained about the noise they made. The chickens were then handed to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

On Saturday, Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that residents of Housing Board flats in Tampines Street 21 had complained that many chickens had been removed, leaving only about 10 in the garden areas of Blocks 266 and 267.

Tampines Town Council said an arrangement was made to relocate the chickens on Aug 17, adding that there have been no additional attempts to trap the birds since.

"Four chickens were removed using cage traps and transferred to the AVA," a spokesman for the town council said.

She said the town council acted because of "increasing complaints of noise disturbances of late by the early morning crowing (of the chickens), and the leftover pellets or feed for these chickens (that) have been observed to attract pests such as rats".


But some residents, such as 70-year-old Madam Xie, liked the morning crowing. She told Lianhe Wanbao: "I miss the times in the kampung when I had chickens in the backyard, and the chickens make me feel very at home."

AVA said Tampines Town Council had approached the authority for advice on guidelines for the proper handling of chickens. The authority said town councils can decide whether to trap or remove chickens within their jurisdiction.

A spokesman for Tampines Town Council said it acted because of "increasing complaints of noise disturbances of late by the early morning crowing (of the chickens), and the leftover pellets or feed for these chickens (that) have been observed to attract pests such as rats".

But trapping operations should not result in any form of cruelty to the birds and the tools used to trap the chickens need to be "appropriate and humane", AVA added.

Trapped birds should also have sufficient food, water, shelter and space during transportation.

As for the four Tampines chickens, AVA said that it is working with animal welfare groups to rehome them. It also clarified that the chickens are not the nationally endangered red jungle fowl that is native to Singapore.

The Tampines Town Council spokesman said it "understands that the chickens have brought joy to some residents within the community". But she added that the population of the birds had grown substantially due to natural reproduction and illegal feeding.

"The town council is doing our best to achieve a balance within a common living space," she added.

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6 wild animals sold illegally at Sungei Tengah farm seized by AVA

Tee Zhuo and Jan Lee Straits Times 5 Sep 18;

SINGAPORE - Six wild animals, including an endangered slow loris, were rescued from a farm in Sungei Tengah by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

They were put up for sale illegally at the farm when the AVA seized them in July, the authority told The Straits Times on Tuesday evening (Sept 4).

The other animals found were an ornate pacman frog and four false map turtles.

AVA said it seized the animals and handed them over to Wildlife Reserves Singapore for rehoming. The farm is assisting AVA with investigations, the authority added.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said that it had alerted the AVA after receiving a tip-off.

Commercial trade of the endangered slow loris is strictly prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).


Under the same convention, the false map turtle, native to the United States, can only be traded with either Cites permits or certificates of origin.

The ornate pacman frog is not listed under Cites.

Those convicted of keeping wild animals here can be fined up to $1,000 and have to surrender the illegally kept wildlife.

If the wildlife species is protected under Cites, offenders in possession of such animals or found selling the illegally imported protected species can be fined as much as $500,000, jailed up to two years, or both, and will also have to forfeit the concerned animals.

In its reply, the AVA said that all of the speciesseized in the operation are not allowed to be kept as pets in Singapore.

"Wild animals are not suitable pets as they are not domesticated. The welfare of the wild animals would be affected as they are subjected to unsuitable living conditions, as well as poor diet and care," the authority said.

It added that some may also transmit zoonotic diseases to humans and can be a public safety risk if not managed well.

Non-native wild animals would pose a threat to our native biodiversity if released into the environment, AVA said.

The authority said that the public can help reduce demand for such animals by not buying illegal wildlife and their parts or products.

"The public can also alert AVA via our online feedback form regarding any suspected cases of illegal wildlife trade, and provide information," AVA said.

Such information may include the suspected person or company involved, or the type of products that are suspected to have been smuggled, advertised or offered for sale.

Information shared with AVA will be kept strictly confidential, it added.

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Farm features to be part of first HDB homes in new Tengah town

The ‘Plantation’ district will provide about 10,000 homes in Tengah, which is being developed as a “Forest Town”.
Fann Sim Channel NewsAsia 4 Sep 18;

SINGAPORE: The first district in Tengah to be launched by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will reflect the agricultural roots of the area, with community gardens and farming features.

The Plantation District will cover about 90 hectares in the southern part of Tengah, and will have about 10,000 new homes when fully completed, HDB said on Tuesday (Sep 4).

Among the features will be a 700-metre by 40-metre of strip of land called the Plantation Farmway. This will weave through housing precincts, serving as a green connector to link residents to other key facilities such as the town centre. Void decks will be oriented to face the greenery.

The Farmway will include about 2,000 sq m of space for community gardening and farming. HDB said there is potential for a farmers’ market for residents to sell their own produce. Playgrounds will be built with designs inspired by fruit and vegetables, in line with the overall plantation theme.

Two green pockets, each about 1,100 sq m, will be located within the Plantation Farmway as spaces for residents to relax under the shade of trees. In addition, an open green space with a small stage will be situated adjacent to the Farmway as an extended area for community events.

Water features in the district will also be developed to attract birds, butterflies and dragonflies, which will help control the mosquito population.

TWO MRT STATIONS, CYCLE PATHS

To help realise the vision of making Tengah a "car-lite" town, two MRT stations along the future Jurong Region Line will be developed in the Plantation district, connecting residents to Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang and Boon Lay. More MRT stations for the rest of the town are planned. Furthermore, most bus stops will be 300m or less from homes.

To make it easier for residents to cycle, all roads in the district will feature cycling paths that are 2m wide.

Tengah will also be the first HDB town to be planned with smart technologies town-wide from the outset.

Across the whole of Tengah town, there will be features such as smart lighting and systems to collect rainwater for irrigation and to wash common areas. Such initiatives will help save energy and water. Additional power points and data points will also be installed in homes to enable the adoption of smart home devices.

The first housing parcel in Plantation District is expected to comprise more than 1,500 flats ranging from two-room Flexi flats to 3-Gen flats. They will be available in the November Build-to-Order exercise.

Plans for Tengah’s Plantation District will be exhibited at HDB Hub from Tuesday.

Source: CNA/cy

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Indonesia: Wildfires raze hectares of land in Sukabumi nature reserves

The Jakarta Post 4 Sep 18;

Wildfires engulfed hectares of land in the Cikepuh and Cibanteng nature reserves in Sukabumi, West Java, between July and August.

The West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) recorded that at least 27 hotspots, which were located on the savannah, had scorched about 232 ha of the two nature reserves’ total area, kompas.com reported.

Kusmara of the BKSDA said the savannah was prone to fires during the dry season.

The fires, he added, were also found inside the buffer zones close to land owned by local residents.

"We are still investigating the cause of the fire because there is suspicion of illegal activities in the area,” Kusmara said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com, without giving more information.

Cikepuh and Cibanteng are part of the Ciletuh-Pelabuhan Ratu National Geopark, which gained global recognition as a UNESCO Global Geopark earlier this year.

In September last year, fires razed at least 19 ha of forest in Cikepuh.

Kusmara said the authorities were continuing to work to prevent further fires, including encouraging local residents to take part in wildfire prevention campaigns.

During this year’s dry season peak between July and August, the country saw an increase in the number of land and forest fires in several provinces, with West Kalimantan becoming the region with the most hotspots to date. (kuk/ipa)

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Asia's rising appetite for meat, seafood will 'strain environment'

Michael Taylor Thomson Reuters Foundation 4 Sep 18;

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Asia’s growing appetite for meat and seafood over the next three decades will cause huge increases in greenhouse gas emissions and antibiotics used in foods, researchers said on Tuesday.

Rising population, incomes and urbanisation will drive a 78 percent increase in meat and seafood demand from 2017 to 2050, according to a report by Asia Research and Engagement Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based consultancy firm.

“We wanted to highlight that, because of the large population and how fast the population is growing, it is going to put a strain on the environment,” said co-author Serena Tan.

“By recognising this and where it comes from, we can tackle the solutions,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

With supply chains ramping up to meet demand, greenhouse gas emissions will jump from 2.9 billion tonnes of CO2 per year to 5.4 billion tonnes - the equivalent of the lifetime emissions of 95 million cars - the researchers said.

A land area the size of India will be needed for additional food production, according to the report, while water use will climb from 577 billion cubic meters per year to 1,054 billion cubic meters per year.

The use of antimicrobials - which kill or stop the growth of micro-organisms, and include antibiotics - will increase 44 percent to 39,000 tonnes per year, said the report, which was commissioned by the Hong Kong-based ADM Capital Foundation.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food is rife in Southeast Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said this year, warning of serious risks for people and animals as bacterial infections become more resistant to treatment.

Growing urban areas contribute to the rising demand for meat and seafood, because people there usually have better access to electricity and refrigeration, said David Dawe, a senior economist at the FAO in Bangkok.

“But income growth is the big driver,” he added.

Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Pakistan are among nations likely to contribute most to the rise in meat and seafood consumption, while countries with ageing populations, like China, will likely limit growth, Tan said.

Food producers can increase efficiency by implementing rainwater harvesting, using sustainable animal feed and capturing biogas from cattle, Tan said.

Regulators, consumers and investors can also pressure restaurant chains and producers to limit the use of antibiotics in meat supplies, she added.

At meal times, consumers can also choose plant-based foods made to look like meats as an alternative, Tan said.

“You have a lot of people in Asia who don’t get that great a diet so animal-sourced food intake will increase,” said the FAO’s Dawe.

“In many ways it’s a good thing for nutrition, but it does raise environmental issues.”

Reporting by Michael Taylor, Editing by Jared Ferrie

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Eight bird species are first confirmed avian extinctions this decade

Most of the extinctions were caused by deforestation in South America, a new study of endangered birds shows
Patrick Barkham The Guardian 4 Sep 18;

Spix’s macaw, a brilliant blue species of Brazilian parrot that starred in the children’s animation Rio, has become extinct this century, according to a new assessment of endangered birds.

The macaw is one of eight species, including the poo-uli, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl and the cryptic treehunter, that can be added to the growing list of confirmed or highly likely extinctions, according to a new statistical analysis by BirdLife International.

Historically, most bird extinctions have been small-island species vulnerable to hunting or invasive species but five of these new extinctions have occurred in South America and are attributed by scientists to deforestation.

Stuart Butchart, BirdLife International’s chief scientist, said the new study highlighted that an extinction crisis was now unfolding on large continents, driven by human habitat destruction.

“People think of extinctions and think of the dodo but our analysis shows that extinctions are continuing and accelerating today,” he said. “Historically 90% of bird extinctions have been small populations on remote islands. Our evidence shows there is a growing wave of extinctions washing over the continent driven by habitat loss from unsustainable agriculture, drainage and logging.”

More than 26,000 of the world’s species are now threatened, according to the latest “red list” assessment, with scientists warning that humans are driving a sixth great extinction event.

Four of the eight newly identified bird extinctions took place in Brazil, once home to Spix’s macaw. The attractive parrot was caged and traded for 150 years before any wild populations were discovered but in 1985, three birds were found in a Brazilian forest. Two were illegally captured for the pet trade, and attempts to breed the final male were unsuccessful. A 2016 sighting in the wild is now thought to have been an escaped caged bird, leaving the last known sighting in 2000.

The poo’uli was last seen in 2004
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The poo’uli was last seen in 2004. Photograph: Paul E Baker
While captive populations of Spix’s macaw are being bred for reintroduction into restored woodland habitat there is no second chance for the poo-uli, the cryptic treehunter and the Alagoas foliage-gleaner: they have disappeared from the skies forever.

According to the new analysis, published in Biological Conservation, the Alagoas foliage-gleaner, a small gingery forest bird which picks invertebrates from leaves, became extinct in 2011, disappearing from a heavily logged patch of Brazil.

The cryptic treehunter was only discovered in two patches of forest of Murici in north-eastern Brazil in 2002 but has not been seen since 2007 after these small forests were felled and replaced with sugar cane plantations and pasture.

The poo-uli, or black-faced honeycreeper, was found on the island of Maui in Hawaii but was last sighted in 2004. Attempts to breed the bird in captivity failed.

The study by BirdLife International assessed 51 species judged “critically endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list using a new statistical method to analyse and assess search efforts and the validity of sightings of species on the brink of extinction.

It found just one species that was less endangered than feared, and recommended removing the “possibly extinct” classification from the Moorea reed warbler of New Caledonia. Of the eight species to be reclassified as extinct, four are “critically endangered (possibly extinct)”.

They include the glaucous macaw, once found in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil before the clearing of its palm grove habitat for farming saw it dwindle to one population in Paraguay. Another is the Pernambuco pygmy-owl, a 15cm-tall owl that eats insects and hasn’t been seen in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco since 2002, with much of its habitat destroyed by illegal logging.

Accurate assessments of the moment of extinction are difficult to make with many elusive species but according to Butchart, the “possibly extinct” classification is an extremely cautious judgment which almost certainly means that the species has vanished.

Butchart said it was important not to prematurely declare a bird extinct because abandoning conservation efforts could hasten its demise but accurate assessments of extinction were vital for efficient conservation work. “We’ve got limited conservation resources so we need to spend these wisely and effectively. If some of these species have gone we need to redirect these resources to those that remain.”

“Obviously it’s too late to help some of these iconic species but because we know birds better than any other taxonomic class we know which other species are most at risk. We hope this study will inspire a redoubling of efforts to prevent other extinctions.”

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Best of our wild blogs: 4 Sep 18

Owlsome day out at Pasir Ris Park!
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Where to recycle electronic waste?
Little Green Men

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AVA looking into allegations that 18 cats were removed from St John's Island

Jan Lee Straits Times 3 Sep 18;

SINGAPORE - The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is looking into allegations that 18 community cats have been removed from St John's Island.

The authority also urged members of the public with information on the cats to come forward.

The cats' apparent disappearance is understood to have happened about a week ago on Aug 26, said Ms Angela Ling, who set up the Facebook page St John's Island's Cats and is a regular caretaker of the cats.

Ms Ling, 41, who has been taking care of the stray cats on the island since 2014, told The Straits Times that a follower of the cats' Facebook page who had been fishing on the island told her that she saw a group of people armed with 18 carriers take the cats away.

They told the Facebook group follower that they were bringing the cats to the mainland for treatment.

But four of these cats were found on Monday (Sept 3), abandoned near Sembawang beach.

Ms Ling, who works in the service industry, was informed about three of the abandoned cats through a private message and recognised them when shown pictures of the cats.

She found one more cat after she rushed to the scene. Aside from the four cats, the remaining 14 cats lost are unaccounted for.

Ms Ling said the four cats she found showed some signs of dehydration. One appeared to be suffering from a gum issue and "clearly wasn't well-taken care of in the week it went missing", she said.

"I really don't know what their intent is," Ms Ling said of the people who took the cats away.

"These cats are very old strays so even if the people who took them have good intentions and want to rehome the cats, it's very difficult to find people willing to adopt the cats."

She reported the missing cats to AVA and plans to make a police report as well.

Ms Ling said St John's island used to have some 100 cats. Many domestic cats born on the island were left behind when former residents of the island moved out. As many of the cats were not sterilised then, the population of the cats increased.

Most of the cats, which Ms Ling said are old cats aged between eight and nine, have now been sterilised due to efforts by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She visits the island about once every two weeks. She helps to appeal for cat food for the felines and has engaged workers on the island to help with feeding them. She also brings the cats to veterinarians when they need medical treatment.

On the disappearance of the cats she has cared for over the past four years, she said: "Of course I'm very worried about the missing cats. I'm choosing to believe that whoever took them had good intentions. I just want to know that the cats are okay."

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Not so green, NTU stores give out plastic bags freely despite initiative to cut down usage

KENNETH CHENG Today Online 3 Sep 18;

SINGAPORE — It was the first day of a campus-wide movement to hand out plastic bags only on request, but it appeared that some businesses at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) did not get the memo.

Caught off guard, some of them continued to distribute plastic bags to students and staff on Monday (Sept 3) although patrons did not ask for them.

TODAY's visit to the NTU campus on Monday found that crew at fast-food outlets KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway, and Long John Silver's, as well as food court stalls at the North Spine Plaza, continued to give out plastic bags freely.

At KFC, for instance, staff members were seen packing all takeaways in plastic bags. Students and staff members who patronised these food outlets said the crew did not ask if they needed the bags.

The initiative to cut the use of plastic bags comes about a month ahead of a wider move to halt distribution at the university's more than 50 food and retail outlets, as well as at campus events. From Oct 1, retailers — including supermarkets Prime and Giant — will charge 20 cents for each plastic bag.

The North Spine food court's manager, who declined to be named, said he had not received word on the initiative from the university, but had learnt about it through the news.

When queried about the lack of awareness among some outlets, an NTU spokesperson said notices have been posted at the cashier counters of the two supermarkets and two convenience stores to inform customers and "give them time to adjust to the change".

"The other retailers and food outlets will be roped in progressively in the coming weeks," added the spokesperson.

At Prime supermarket, cashiers were seen telling customers about the 20-cent charge that will kick in next month.

Most of the students approached by TODAY were aware that they would have to fork out money for a plastic bag from next month, and said they would bring a reusable bag or store their purchases in their backpacks. Others said they would not mind paying for a plastic bag if they really needed it.

Some students, however, felt that a 20-cent charge would not be enough to wean customers off plastic bags.

Second-year business student Low Zi Qing, 21, said charging 20 cents was "too little", adding that the fee could be increased to 50 cents a bag.

Biological science student Vartika Goenka, 19, said that while any fee levied on plastic bags would hurt, charging 40 cents a bag would make it so "outrageous" for patrons that they would not want one. A third-year chemical engineering student, who gave her name only as Ms Varsha, 21, said patrons should be charged "no more than S$1 (a bag)".

Other students suggested that the university could do more to help save the environment.

Mr Darren Lou, 22, who went on a student exchange programme to Finland last year, noted that NTU's halls of residence could take a leaf from how recycling points at Finnish supermarkets provide a 40-cent rebate for returning a used 1.5-litre bottle, for instance.

This would incentivise students to recycle plastic bottles, aluminium cans and glass bottles, and could be administered by the hall's office or student committee, he said.

"I hope such initiatives can be implemented for each hall cluster," said the chemical-engineering student.

NTU's move to do away with free plastic bags, announced last week as its president Subra Suresh unveiled the university's five-year plan, is expected to save nearly 10 million plastic bags a year.

This is based on a household's daily average of 1.6 plastic bags and the NTU's community of about 17,000 households in its student hall rooms and staff residences, said the university's spokesperson. Proceeds from the sale of plastic bags will go into the university's student assistance fund.

Even before the NTU's scheme kicks off next month, at least one campus retailer is already charging patrons for plastic bags. Gift and lifestyle shop Mini Toons levies 10 cents on each plastic bag requested by patrons, a move rolled out across its stores islandwide in May.

Its operations manager Nicholas Yong said he would discuss with his management team whether it would revise its fee to 20 cents, but said the store would most likely stick to its original fee. "It is the same goal, which is to reduce plastic bags," he added.

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Malaysia: Eli, the mutilated baby elephant, melt hearts at Kuala Gandah conservation centre

NAZIRUL ROSELAN New Straits Times 3 Sep 18;

TEMERLOH: A female elephant calf is getting all the attention it needs at the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Lanchang.

Meet Eli, the ‘princess’ of the centre, who was rescued after suffering injuries caused by wire snares trap installed by illegal poachers in Jeli, Kelantan, two years ago.

Her name, by the way, was derived from the place she was discovered.

The two-year-old calf, that had found shelter here since early last year, is coping well from the injuries that left her right front leg mutilated and is now one of the attractions at the centre.

Eli is a natural when it comes to interacting with people and seemed to enjoy the star treatment given by visitors.

Her caretaker, Mohamad Suri Aziz, 41, said it was initially difficult for the calf to warm up to the new surrounding and a prosthetic leg donated by Universiti Malaya (UM).

“She actually loves to be pampered and caressed. As Eli is still young, she would spend a lot of time playing and her favourite fruit is watermelon,” he told reporters when met at the centre today.

Mohamad Suri said the calf received much attention from over 2,000 visitors who were present in conjunction with the World Elephant Day celebrated yesterday.

He said Eli drank 20 litres of milk daily, prepared using enamel milk formula and red sugar.

“We also feed her with napier grass,” he said.

The conservation centre was opened in 1989 had so far provided shelter to 30 elephants.

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Indonesia: Bromo national park probes cause of 65-hectare wildfire

Aman Rochman The Jakarta Post 3 Sep 18;

The management of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in East Java is investigating the cause of a wildfire that burned at least 65 hectares of the park's savannah and vegetation on Saturday.

The fire had been extinguished by Sunday afternoon, but local residents said on Monday morning that fire had again broke out in the area.

TNBTS head John Kennedie said the park was continuing with its investigation.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” he said on Monday. “It is estimated that the fire burned 65 hectares [of savannah],” he added.

The fire, which burned through the Pentongan Block of the Laut Pasir (Sand Sea) Tengger Resort, reportedly broke out around 9:45 a.m. local time on Saturday.

Initially, the park deployed 15 personnel to put out the fire. The team was later joined by officers of Malang regency's Poncokusumo Police and 83 local residents.

But the fire continued to spread, said John, and that around 320 people from the area joined the firefighting effort.

John said that the park management temporarily closed on Saturday the Jemplang entrance on its Malang side. The entrance was reopened after the area was deemed safe for visitors.

“We reopened the [Jemplang] entrance on Sunday afternoon. Tourism activities are normal,” he said.

By Sunday evening, most of the fire had been extinguished except for several hot spots on Mount Watangan. (sau)

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Japan killed 50 whales in Antarctic protected area, data shows

The disclosure of the cull, conducted under a legal loophole, comes as Japan seeks to further weaken a global ban on commercial hunts
Damian Carrington The Guardian 4 Sep 18;

Japanese whalers have killed more than 50 minke whales in an Antarctic marine protection area this year, WWF has revealed.

The disclosure comes on the opening day of the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting in Brazil, which Japan is chairing as it seeks to restart commercial whaling. Killing whales for profit was banned in 1986, but nations including Norway and Iceland have granted themselves exemptions.

Japan allows itself to hunt whales under a “scientific” programme which still sees the meat go on sale. The 2018 hunt led to 333 minke whales being killed in the Southern Ocean, including 122 pregnant females.

Now analysis of an IWC scientific committee paper by WWF shows that three Japanese ships killed dozens of minke whales in part of the Ross Sea marine protection area (MPA) in January and February 2018. All fishing is restricted in that section of the MPA in order to protect marine life, including blue, humpback, minke and killer whales, emperor penguins and Weddell seals.

However, the 24-nation body that agreed the MPA – the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources – does not control whaling in the region. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan should cancel all existing “scientific whaling” permits in the Southern Ocean but Japan simply issued itself a new permit for the killing of hundreds of Antarctic minke whales each year until 2027.

“Thousands of other species are protected in this part of the Ross Sea, so it is shocking and absurd that minke whales are not,” said Rod Downie, polar chief adviser at WWF. “The banner of so called ‘scientific whaling’ needs to stop once and for all. The IWC and CCAMLR must work together and take immediate action to close these loopholes currently being exploited by Japan to ensure this ocean sanctuary is protected for future generations.”

At the IWC meeting, Japan wants to allow the hunting of whales whose populations are assessed as high and create a “sustainable use” committee. “There couldn’t be a better opportunity,” a Japanese government official said. Japan has previously labelled opposition to its whaling as “eco-imperialism”.

Previous attempts to weaken the existing ban have failed and Japan appears unlikely to succeed in changing the rules. Conservationists have called on other nations to reject the proposals.

“If Japan gets its way, it would be a massive victory for those rogue whalers who have time and again defied the international ban on commercial whaling and an absolute disaster for the world’s whales,” said Clare Perry, at the UK’s Environmental Investigation Agency.

“Japan, Iceland and Norway have collectively killed at least 38,539 great whales since 1986,” she said. “Many whale species have not yet recovered from massive overhunting in the past and are also facing mounting existential threats ranging from climate change to marine pollution by chemical, plastics and noise.”

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