news from Thailand and Malaysia

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The Star - 5th Jan. 02.

 

Plan to end strays in Bangkok.

In a bid to end a scourge of stray dogs and wandering elephants, Bangkok

authorities plan to pass a law punishing with fines or jail terms people who

abandon their pets. The regulation would require owners of dogs, cats,

elephants, cows, water buffalo and " wild animals " not to leave their

animals unattended in public places. Bangkok residents will soon no longer

be able to let their dogs or elephants wander the streets or disturb their

neighbours with their odour or noise. The law to take effect on March 1.

Owners who want to walk their animals on the street will be required to

chain them and clean up their waste along the way. Under the draft law, the

penalty for offenders would be a 2 000 - 10 000 baht fine, possibly with a

jail term of up to six months.

 

 

The Star - Impact of visitors on Pulau Ubin in Singapore -

With Pulau Ubin to be left untouched for at least 10 years, Singapore nature

lovers think it is time to conduct a full survey of the island's varied

wildlife.

They are also asking for a study on the impact of visitors on Chek Jawa's

delicate ecosystem and for a visitor centre to educate people about its

marine life. These suggestions on how to manage the island and Chek Jawa

came in the wake of news that the Government will not reclaim the island for

as long as it is not required for development. The Chairman of the nature

Society's conservation committee, Dr. Ho Hua Chew said a comperhensive

bio-diversity survey should be done of the whole of Pulau Ubin, not just

Chek Jawa.

Currently, the island has recreational facilities, but as more people head

there for leisure activities, such as camping or cycling, there may be

demand for more facilities, which could erode the natural habitat for the

wildlife, said Dr. Ho.

 

 

 

Habitat destruction from heavy logging - New Straits Times -

Kuala Lumpur - Habitat destruction from heavy logging near protected areas

is the top reason for loss of biodiversity and species extinction,

Department of Wildlife Division Director, Dr. Ebil Yusof said. In his paper

titled " Overview: Issues, Threats and Challenges to Protected Areas

Management " at a workshop he said lowland dipterocarp forests (below 100m)

were under extreme pressure. Forest conversion threatened up to 81% of

mammalian species living in the habitat. Other threats included

de-gazettement, illegal encroachment and hunting, the last two factors being

major problems in areas, where wildlife populations were on the brink of

extinction.

Listing recommendations for better management, he said a protected area

policy should be developed to cover all individual reserves with a standard

policy, objectives, planning and management across state and institutional

boundaries.

Agencies in charge of terrestrial and maritime sites should also review the

status of forests, wildlife reserves, sanctuaries, national parks and state

parks, as it would lead to improving or reclassifying the protected area

system to cover 10 per cent of the original ecosystem or biodiversity

hotspots.

Danish Co-operation for Environment and Development chief, Kim Worm Sorensen

said the rate of extinction today was comparable to, if not worse than, the

periods of mass extinction. Six species became extinct every hour. In

rainforests, the extinction rate is 50 000 species a year, he added.

Malaysia, which is one of the world's 12 mega diversity areas, has 2.12

million ha of national and state parks, wildlife sanctuaries, turtle

sanctuaries and wildlife reserves. Some 3.43 million ha are also protected

as water catchment areas.

 

 

New Straits Times -15 Jan 02 -

 

Wildlife reserves degazetted.

Several states have de-gazetted their wildlife reserves without consulting

the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry.

The ministry was looking into the matter as wildlife reserves were under the

ambit of the Federal Government. The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 required

State authorities to refer to the ministry when seeking to change the

functions of wildlife reserves.

Without the ministry's agreement, such projects should not proceed and would

be considered illegal. Minister Law Hieng Ding urged that more state parks

be gazetted to conserve biodiversity and for water catchment areas. State

Government that degazetted protected areas should replace them by gazetting

other areas, preferably with similar or better biodiversity.

Malaysia's 40 wildlife parks, beginning with Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang

will manage protected areas in a holistic way.

Krau Wildlife Reserve the second largest in the country (close to 63 000ha)

is to follow a five year management plan which introduces buffer zones and

an emphasis on local community participation.

The management plan was drafted by the Danish Co-operation for Environment

and Development (DANCED) and the Department of Wildlife.

Danced chief technical adviser Kim Worm Sorensen, said the management plan

recognised the skill and knowledge of the indigenous people (Orang Asli).

A new scheme of service for the Orang Asli had yet to be introduced despite

widespread support from government agencies. Wildlife Reserve Manager Mohd

Salleh said without a scheme of service, it was difficult for Orang Asli to

be hired as they did not have formal education, though the " forest is their

playground and they know 90 per cent of Krau. "

 

 

 

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