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The Conservation Committee has its origin in the
Bird Group's Conservation Committee in the late '80s. In the early '90s, it
was transformed into the Nature Society's Conservation Committee, playing a
wider role within the Council of the Society, with the following functions:
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(Posted
10 April 2008) A) URA’s Punggol
Coastal Recreational Plan A Feedback on this Plan was
submitted to the CEO of URA on 3 March 2008. The objective of the Feedback is
to provide biodiversity information in that area to enhance the ecological
dimension of the Plan. The official plan includes a 2.4 km Nature Walk along
the coast facing Pulau Serangoon (Coney Island). Our proposals include among
others: 1) The creation of swale or marshy pond at one of the rivers to
attract waterbirds; 2) retaining the rocks and leaving the coastline as it is
to the west of Punggol Point; 3) having a two-toned design to the edges of
the water channel that is projected to run through Punggol from Sg Serangoon
to Sg Punggol, such that the northern edge/bank should be made more natural
while the southern edge be made neater and garden-like to cater to both the
taste of nature lovers and non-nature lovers; 4) scrapping the plan for a
vehicular bridge to cross Sg Serangoon from Punggol Central to Lg Halus and
substituting a footbridge instead to avoid disruption to the very important
wildlife (e.g. Little Grebe) found at the Lg Halus area. The Conservation Committee
would like to thank the following members of The Bird Group and the
Conservation Volunteers for the assistant rendered in the formulation of this
feedback: Angie Ng, Ben Lee, Ching Chabo, Cyril Ng, Ho Hua Chew,
Hsu Chia Chi, Julia McLachlan, Leong Kwok Peng, Serene Tang, Sutari Supari,
Willie Foo, Wing Chong, Wong Chung Cheong.
Chair, Conservation Committee |
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(Posted
18 February 2008)
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(Posted
18 February 2008) |
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ADDRESS:
89 SOO CHOW GARDEN ROAD SINGAPORE 575526 Ref:zcorr01/ Date: The Editor, The Forum Page,
Straits Times email:
stforum@sph.com.sg The Straits Times recently
carried articles concerning STB’s potential plan to create an eco-tourism
area near the Zoological Gardens. Needless to say, STB’s intention is good,
for increased tourism would mean more money for Singapore. However, the
question as raised by the Nature Society is that such a project, involving
removal of vegetation and construction of buildings, etc., would affect the
plant and animal ecology, not only of the subject site but also that of the
Nature Reserve, although the subject site, covering some 30 ha in size, is
not part of the Nature Reserve. Based on the map appearing
in the Straits Times in connection with Lim Wei Chean’s article (Dec 7, 2007)
and from the relevant biodiversity information I could gather, I would agree
with the Society that, for STB’s proposed development, it would be far better
to make use of the adjacent alternative site (hugging close to the Bukit
Timah Expressway) proposed by the Society.
I am not worried about plants in the present case, but the various
animal species still found in the Reserve, especially the rare and endangered
species. If the forest of the STB site is undisturbed, then the area would
act as a good link or fording area for these precious animals to go between
the forest on one side of the Mandai
Lake Road to the other. If the two STB proposed sites are used, then the fording link would be
lost, and this would lead to isolation of the animal populations. The alternative site
proposed by the Nature Society is quite close to the Zoo and it would not be
difficult for tourists to go from there to the Zoo and the Night Sarfari,
should this be a desirable consideration. Indeed with some planning, one
could build an aerial link between the alternative site and the Zoo or Night
Safari. With such an aerial link, visitors would cause minimal disturbance to
the animal populations, day or night, while going between the two areas. The article under “Think” –
Mandai at Risk? (ST Nov 25) has
cautioned us that Singapore is not a choiced site for such touristic
activities. I would say that if we wish to promote eco-tourism, it is better
for the tourists to have excursions from their hotels which is not far away
rather than from new chalets set up at the edge of the Reserves --- so that
there will be minimal disturbance to the
natural environment. Wong Yew Kwan Former Commissioner of Parks
& Recreation
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Reforming the Wild Animals
and Birds Act | Transview Golf Course | Gardens by the Bay | Meeting
with AVA |
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NSS
Proposal for reforming the Wild Animals and Birds Act The
review with recommendations for reforming the Wild Animals and Birds Act was
finally completed and submitted to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
(AVA) on 15 September 2007 with CC-copies
to the Minister of National Development and National Parks Board. The review is comprehensive and
covers the following topics and issues: 1)
Definition of ‘Wild Animals’. 2)
Need & scope of the ‘Offences Section’ 3)
Extending anti-poaching measures a) Possession offences; b) Vicarious/ employer liabilities; c) Hurting, disturbing, harassing &
torturing wild animals & birds; d) Protection of bird nests. 4)
Penalties 5)
Legitimate killing of wild animals 6)
The use of spring guns, engines, stakes & pitfalls 7)
Import & export of non-CITES listed species 8)
The outlawed birds --- delisting of Purple-backed Starling & Common Myna 9)
Wild Animals & Birds (Bird Sanctuaries) Order 10)
Consolidating & clarifying existing laws & practice on
licensing.
Parliament
with the assistance of both AVA and NParks has taken commendable and far
reaching steps to protect wild animals and birds by strengthening the
provisions contained in the Parks and Trees Act and the Endangered Species
Act. These enactments deal respectively with the problems relating to the
conservation of species in Singapore Nature Reserves and National Parks and
the international trade in CITES listed species.
In order to complement these provisions we believe that parliament and the
authorities should seek to strengthen the provisions of the Wild Animals and
Birds Act which remains the principal legislative enactment for the
protection of wild animals and birds in Singapore.
The recommendations contained in the proposal reflect the views of a wide
range of individuals from conservationists involved in the protection of
wild animals and birds in Singapore to nature enthusiasts and animal
(and bird) lovers who believe that Singapore's urban landscape will
benefit immensely from having an ecological element. It also represents a
year of internal deliberation and consultation by the Nature Society
where the views of various members were sought on the best way to protect wildlife
in Singapore.
The proposal not only looks at combating poaching and associated
activities in Singapore but also aims to enhance the welfare of wild
animals in Singapore, including those kept in captivity. The proposal also
stems from the very positive meeting that the Nature Society had with AVA
more than a year ago during which we highlighted our concerns in relation to
the taking of bird nests, the status of Singapore's outlaw birds and the
practice of net fishing especially in inter-tidal areas. We are grateful to
AVA for listening to our concerns and emerged with a greater appreciation of
some of the challenges they face especially in combating poaching.
We trust that this proposal will
go a long way towards assisting AVA in dealing with the many issues that
confront the protection of wildlife in Singapore. We
would like to record our sincere thanks to Alan Owyong, Ching Chabo Gloria
Seow, Hsu Chia Chi, Leong Kwok Peng, Lim Kim Seng, Margie Hall, Nick Baker
Richard Hale and Yeo Suay Hwee for taking the time to go through the proposal
and for their invaluable comments and suggestions. We
would also like to take this opportunity to thank Alfred Chia, Amy Tsang, Ashley
Ng, Cyril Ng, Ben Lee, Betty Vong, Cheong Loong Fah, James Heng, Jim Tietjen,
Kelvin Chen, Kenneth Kee, Peter T. K. Wong, R. Subaraj, Serene Tang, Sutari
Supari, Tang Hung Bun, Tsang Kwok Choong,
Ulf Remahl, Wang Luang Keng, Willie Foo and Yang Chen Lin who over the
years have brought to our attention wildlife offences committed in Singapore
and who have given an insight into the problems and challenges faced in this
respect. Finally
we would like to especially thank Dr. Astrid Yeo and her team at AVA for
taking the time to meet us and for giving us an insight into the
administrative and technical issues faced in the protection of wildlife in
Singapore. We sincerely hope that this proposal will be of assistance to AVA
in its continuing effort to tackle the protection of wildlife in Singapore
and look forward to supporting them in this respect. The proposal
was prepared by Vinayagan Dharmarajah, Lye Lin Heng & Ho Hua Chew. The Defunct Transview Golf
Course (Dover Road) A biodiversity feedback report was
prepared by the Bird Group after two bird survey sessions and submitted to
the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on 13 September 2007. SLA has kindly
forwarded our feedback to NUS which is now planning for a university town in
this area. The defunct Transview Golf Course is located between Dover Road
and the AYE and is currently under the jurisdiction of the SLA. The
area is rich in birdlife for a golf-course in the suburban zone. 42 species,
resident and migrant, were recorded. 32 species are resident, among which
are the Spotted Wood Owl, the
Changeable Hawk Eagle and the Banded bay Cuckoo. The Spotted Wood Owl and the
Changeable Hawk Eagle are nationally threatened species. We
are not against the development of the university town and has put forward
our recommendations as eco-guidelines for any forthcoming development
plans to be contributive towards the national goal of
sustainable development. We would like to thank the following for assisting in the surveys and
for providing suggestions and information to the feedback: Alan Owyong, Cyril
Ng, Ho Hua Chew, Jimmy Chew, Sutari Supari & Willie Foo.
Nature Society’s feedback on the Gardens by the
Bays Designs NSS was invited
to the Focus Study Group on the two winning designs of the international
Design Competition. Angie Ng & Hua
Chew attended the group session on 19 September as representatives of the
NSS. The areas designated for the
gardens (Marina South and Marina East), although reclaimed lands, have over
the past decade or so harboured a rich birdlife. A written feedback report was formulated
for the two winning designs and was submitted to Dr. Tan Wee Kiat, the
Project Director (Nparks) on 9 October. This report will be made
accessible on the website ConservationSingapore as soon as possible. Nature
Society’s feedback on the Gardens by the Bays Designs – Download full report.
(MSWord file) Meeting
with Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) Hua Chew
& Vina had a meeting with a senior staff together with two others of the
Import & Export Division on 25 Sep at the AVA office. In this meeting, we expressed NSS’s concerns
with the increasing problem of poaching, the designation of six bird species
as outlaws and the using & discarding of fishing nets in the inter-tidal
shore & inland waterbodies. The
following proposals were mooted and discussed.
The
discussion is pretty useful and some insights into the difficulties or
problems in implementing the legal measures mooted above are gained. We believe that these difficulties or
problems are not insurmountable. We
informed the senior staff that a formal presentation of our concerns and
proposals will be submitted later. The
senior staff assured us that AVA welcomes and will consider carefully our
feedback & recommendations to tighten and shore up the gaps or
inadequacies in the legal measures for the protection of Singapore’s
wildlife. Vina & Hua Chew is currently working on
a draft of this formal representation and it will be ready for submission
soon. Proposal
for NSS management of Kranji Marshes Park This
document was submitted to URA, PUB, & Nparks on July 2006. It makes the case that the URA-designated
Kranji Marshes Park at the end of Neo Tiew Lane 2 together with a patch of woodland
adjacent to it at the Turut Track area be awarded to the Nature Society for
the purpose of its management. The
area in total is estimated at 39 hectares and is a major freshwater marshland
habitat in Singapore harbouring a rich biodiversity in terms of its birdlife
and butterflies. As far as the Society
is aware, no organization has been assigned to manage it. There is an urgent need to implement
eco-management to this sensitive nature area given the developmental
pressures that are now existing and that are to come in the near future. Apart from the promotion of nature-oriented
recreational, educational and environmental values for Singaporeans and
foreign visitors, the Society envisages that the Park could be nurtured into
a centre for freshwater marshland management within the urban context with
the implementation of management training programmes that will be useful for
nature conservationists and related environmental professionals in Singapore
and the region. The Society’s
envisaged management of the Park will be complementary to the management work
of the National Parks while adding a new dimension to the conservation effort
in Singapore by exemplifying the Principle of the Three Ps of our Singapore
Green Plan, i.e., the involvement and harmonious integration of the People,
the Public and the Private in working towards an ecologically green
environment . We are
still awaiting the decision on this proposal. Currently,
about a quarter of the pond area will be used for a marshland pollution filter
project --- a PUB-NTU pilot study spanning two years. Part of the project involves the erection
of an earth-bund across a corner of the pond to separate the filtered from
the unfiltered water. The construction
work has begun and the birdlife using the pond are affected during the
construction.. We hope they will all
return soon when the construction work is done. Appeal
to Save the Coastal Forest at Sentosa We
understand that the Resorts World’s plan for the Sentosa integrated Resort
involves the use of the coastal forest north of Siloso Road. It appears to us that the forest is already
being prepared to be cleaned up – with only selected trees that are mature
and of botanical interest to be left standing. This will convert the area from a self-sustaining
forest to a parkland, which will be clean and neat but requiring a high
degree of maintenance. It is not clear
what the actual usage for the area is going to be but whatever is the plan to
be finalized, we strongly urged that the forest be left as it is as a forest
eco-system. Apart from alien species,
the cutting and clearing of the undergrowth and any plants that have grown
naturally over the area leaving only the old, tall or interesting specimens
standing will constitute a destruction of the forest ecosystem. Download full report.
(MSWord file) Singapore Green Plan Action Programmes Feedback to The Singapore Green Plan 2012 (2002) Download
file (MSWord file) Photographs
submitted by Tang Hung Ban taken at Kranji - link
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