abandoned fish trap @ semakau 07Feb2009

long abandoned fish trap @ semakau 07Feb2009 from BeachBum on Vimeo.
Came across this long abandoned fish trap on the reef edge. The reef and seagrass lagoon should not be a place to dump unwanted fishing equipment.

West Coast Park beach

West Coast Park has re-opened the beach access after a long long wait.

The beachfront is actually in three sections, two of which are divided by a pier looking out at the RSYC berths and the Poly Marina.







It even has a small rocky shore habitat!...very small though.




A small section of mangrove trees....


Local fishermen use the beach for boat maintenance.

West Coast fishing - 7 bags full and scubatanks even

Was at WCP and saw a group of fishermen sharing an amazing catch... they had an assortment of fish and about 10 huge cuttlefish (rugby ball sized). They must have caught about 100 fish.

Wasn't able to sneak pics of the fish but they had lots of colourful fish like the copper banded butterfly fish(who would eat this?), and large coral angelfish...in bright yellows and blues. (see link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_angelfish_group).

They has so many fish that some were thrown back into the water. They fishers also had some scuba tanks, full wetsuits and gear....looks like they dived as well!...or maybe used the scubatanks to help them catch the fish...?


da boat...


Sharing the catch...about 7 large bags full.




Looks like fishing is taking on a more deeper (pun intended) level... even scuba gear is now part of the fishing gear.

over-indiscriminate fishing?

Friday 21st March 2008 - came across a group of rod/line fishermen surveying their catch from the night before...







Note the size of the stingrays...rather small (about 20cm across) ...perhaps juveniles...(see pic above, the rays are at the top right)


The catch included another unusual ray...a spotted eagle ray! It is actually rarely seen in Singapore waters. This was also rather small (about 40 cm across) . (The largest specimens can grow up to a maximum wingspan of 3 m (10 ft) and a mass of 230 kg)!!!


If the local fishing scene does not realise that removing juvenile fish will impact reproduction and future generations...then we will see fewer and fewer fish in local waters. And then people will get bored with fishing seeing that they catch nothing....the demise of the fishing scene beckons.

Know your fish! If a small fish is caught, then please throw them back alive and well so that they can be a part of the replenishing team for future generations. Take a picture with your phone camera and release the small ones. Only take the much larger ones if you have to!

This will ensure that local fish stocks survive.

links on eagle rays :-
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SERay/SERay.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_ray
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_eagle_ray
http://www.elasmodiver.com/spotted_eagle_ray.htm

The rays get even... (an unfortunate incident)...
Eagle Ray kills woman!
http://cbs4.com/local/marathon.stingray.woman.2.681445.html


Another eagle ray incident :-
http://cbs4.com/pets/Sting.Ray.Attack.2.681910.html

Marine rubbish .. .the problem is getting bigger....and bigger.

The world's rubbish dump: a garbage tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

Why plastic is the scourge of sea life http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/steve-connor-why-plastic-is-the-scourge-of-sea-life-778017.html

Sea change
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-sea-change-778041.html

Chek Jawa's Great Fishnet Graveyard

Clearing of fish nets at Chek Jawa. These are nets which have been left behind by former kampung residents or by fishermen or both. A Quick estimate : about 20 nets (at least) within a 50m stretch of intertidal. Bear in mind that most of these nets are themselves over 25metres long...some over 50 metres! All curled up and stuck in the mud, mangrove tree roots etc. Some of the nets already have thriving colonisers and we therefore leave them as is...so as not to disrupt the dependant organisms.

Abandoned nets continue to trap and kill indiscriminately reducing the biodiversity of the area. Commercially valuable species such as the Horseshoe crab frequently find themselves caught and soon starve to death. In other parts of the world, such nets have caused the deaths of larger animals such as dugongs. See http://teamseagrass.blogspot.com/2007/12/dugong-drowned-in-gill-nets.html

Short clip of some of the team doing their best early in the clean-up...before the mud, and slime, and other stuff got to us. One of the group even forgot to bring a change of clothes...he brought back some of the mud with him. Things got a bit too much muddy with mud flying all over (we all had some fly into our mouths! - bleah). Point to note : Keep mouth shut when messing about with abandoned nets!


In the meantime, Sekudu had some unscheduled visitors...
...there were some chaps who decided to fish in the *Chek Jawa Wetlands area ...

SZ18514H


... and also some canoeists and sailors ...


... (SZ18709D) ...


... and a pair of noisy jetskis ...


...and also Mr Regular Poacher who could be seen dragging behind him a basket of some kind. Possibly filled with clams or mussels. Who knows what else he made off with? Imagine the destruction he would have caused by dragging his basket all over the intertidal, back and forth, to and fro, back and forth....

The CJ Wetlands area was notified to the marine community on 15 Aug 2007.
The following is an extract of that notification issued by NParks :-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*DESIGNATION OF CHEK JAWA WETLANDS

With effect from 15 Aug 2007, the area bounded by the following coordinates is designated as “Chek Jawa Wetlands” and is managed by the National Parks Board (NParks), under the Parks and Trees Act 2005 and the Parks and Trees Regulations 2005:

WGS 84 Datum

Point Latitude (N) Longitude (E) Description

1 01°25.109¢ 103°59.316¢ Tanjong Balai, Pulau Ubin

2 01°24.700¢ 104°00.000¢ Chek Jawa Wetlands Buoy

3 01°24.102¢ 103°59.338¢ Malang Papan Beacon

4 01°24.420¢ 103°58.600¢ Sungei Saban, Pulau Ubin

2 Chek Jawa Wetlands is a nature conservation area and the community is advised to observe the provisions of Parks and Trees Act 2005 and the Parks and Trees Regulations 2005. In particular, except where a permit has been obtained, the following regulations are to be observed by crew and passengers of all vessels:

i. No vessel or craft shall enter or remain in Chek Jawa Wetlands.

ii. No vessel or craft shall berth or moor at the jetty or floating pontoon or any other structure within Chek Jawa Wetlands.

iii. No vessel or craft shall land at Pulau Sekudu or anywhere within Chek Jawa Wetlands.

iv. There shall be no collection of any organism (including remains of an organism) or use of rods, lines, hooks, nets and traps within Chek Jawa Wetlands.

v. No person shall swim, bathe, snorkel or scuba dive within Chek Jawa Wetlands.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The irony of it all was that the Police Coast Guard boat was not far away bobbing up and down in the channel between CJ and Tekong. Whose job is it to monitor our coastal areas? If the coast guard does not pay attention, then who will?

********************************************************************************
Dear sailors and canoeists, please don't use Sekudu as your playground.

Dear Mr Fishermen, lain kali tidak boleh pancing di sana.

Dear Mr Poacher....your days are numbered.

Dear Mr Coast Guard, please take an active part to deter unscheduled visitors to Pulau Sekudu. Thank you!
********************************************************************************
Further links :
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2008/01/chek-jawa-cleanup.html
a more detailed look at the size of the net problem....sigh. The fishing industry should be embarassed with this kind of dumping behaviour!

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071229/SPORTS06/712290454/1002/SPORTS
Read abotu Ghost Traps and the damage that they do.

Last sunset of 2007 for Labrador

It was a magnificient sunset at Labrador for the last day of 2007.
What a wonderful place to be for the last sunset!
Let's hope 2008 will be a better year for Labrador Park.
May all park visitors appreciate and respect it's beauty and preserve it for others to cherish.
:)

turtle terror @ labrador

A young couple came by whilst the Labrador spirit tormented the buoy. The new high fence was no match for the chap carrying a plastic (which i later found out to be filled with 2 turtles) bag.

The chap easily (whilst carrying the bag of turtles) climbed over and made his way along the outside of the fence and down to the beach where he promptly released both turtles. One dived headlong into the water and whilst the other hesitated before running into the waves.

Strangely, the one which dived headlong decided that it did not like the water after all and crawled it's way back up to the beach.

(spot the turtle...where is it?)





It headed for the shadows of the overhead walkway. The couple got up to leave and then I asked them if the turtles were sea turtles....to wit they said 'yes'. I replied that sea turtles do not walk but haul themselves around on 'flippers'. Most likely what they released were fresh-water turtles.

I then asked where they had bought the 'sea turtles'...and they said 'Chinatown market'.
A short explanation was offered about why the turtles being released (for prayer purposes) at a beach was not a good idea...as they would most surely die in such saline conditions given that they were not sea turtles.

And why buy and release turtles anyway? 'Traditionally, it's for good luck.' was the answer.

I can't imagine good luck being derived from releasing non-native animals to an ecosystem to which they are not suited to. The only good luck was that accruing to the person who sold the turtles and the monitor lizard or fish which was going to eat the turtles

The chap was keen to listen and agreed to rescue the released animals...After much looking around, he did locate one of the turtles. He bagged it and climbed back out. On closer view, it was a greenish clawed turtle with distinctive legs (not flippers) and a slightly long neck. Definitely not a sea-turtle with flippers.

The couple headed off to West Coast Park's Marsh Garden to release the re-captured turtle. At least Marsh Garden was brackish and not as saline as the open sea at Labrador Beach. Hopefully, they re-consider this practice and give it up without buying another turtle to bring them good luck.

Ghost Traps - carry on trapping and killing : (

"Ghost" traps on reefs are killing machines

Link here :
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071229/SPORTS06/712290454/1002/SPORTS

Legislation which may be applicable to the dumping at Labrador's intertidal zone.

PARKS & TREES ACT
Restricted activities in respect of trees, plants, etc., in national parks and nature reserves
8. —(1) No person shall, except with the approval of the Commissioner granted under section 12 and in accordance with the terms and conditions of
such approval, carry out any of the following activities within any national park or nature reserve:
(a) cut, collect or displace any tree or plant or any part thereof;
(b) affix, set up or erect any sign, shrine, altar, religious object, shelter, structure or building;
(c) clear, break up, dig or cultivate any land;
(d) use or occupy any building, vehicle, boat or other property of the Board; or
(e) wilfully drop or deposit any dirt, sand, earth, gravel, clay, loam, manure, refuse, sawdust, shavings, stone, straw or any other matter or thing from outside the national park or nature reserve.
(2) No person shall carry out any activity within any national park or nature reserve which he knows or ought reasonably to know causes or may cause alteration, damage or destruction to any property, tree or plant within the national park or nature reserve.
(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000; or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of $500 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction.
(4) Subsections (1) and (2) shall not apply to —
(a) the Commissioner, an authorised officer or a park ranger acting in the performance of his duty under this Act;
(b) any other officer or employee of the Board acting in the performance of his duty under this Act or any other written law; and
(c) any police officer or workman assisting a person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) to carry out his duty.


ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH ACT
Prohibition against throwing refuse, etc., in any public place
17. —(1) No person shall —
(a) deposit, drop, place or throw any dust, dirt, paper, ash, carcase, refuse, box, barrel, bale or any other article or thing in any public place;
(b) keep or leave any article or thing in any place where it or particles therefrom have passed or are likely to pass into any public place;
(c) dry any article of food or any other article or thing in any public place;
(d) place, scatter, spill or throw any blood, brine, noxious liquid, swill or any other offensive or filthy matter of any kind in such manner as to run or fall into any public place;
(e) beat, clean, shake, sieve or otherwise agitate any ash, hair, feathers, lime, sand, waste paper or other substance in such manner that it is carried or likely to be carried by the wind to any public place;
(f) throw or leave behind any bottle, can, food container, food wrapper, glass, particles of food or any other article or thing in any public place;
(g) spit any substance or expel mucus from the nose upon or onto any street or any public place; or
(h) discard or abandon in any public place any motor vehicle whose registration has been cancelled under section 27 of the Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276), any furniture or any other bulky article.
(2) No person shall drop, deposit or throw any refuse or any other matter or thing in any channel, drain, lake, reservoir, river, stream or watercourse or upon the bank of any of the same or in any part of the sea abutting on the foreshore.
(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Labrador - hope & rebirth..... and waiting

A Christmas day surprise.... the cofferdam walls are coming down!












But there is sooooo much debris..... I hope MPA and their main contractor do a good cleanup job! (hint : remove all foreign objects). I wonder where these concrete chunks will be dumped? Will they be totally removed from Labrador or will they merely be dumped 'out of sight'? After all, concrete is supposed to be 'good' for reefs (refer to the reefbuilding project at the other end of Labrador Beach).


There were a quite a few 'new' tires on the beach... these were most likely abandoned by the contractors from their boats/barges as they were all within a few metres of each other and not spread out over the whole length of the beach (which would imply that they floated in from far and away).

Loose tires are a constant feature on Singapore's shores. Commonly used by local marine craft as a cheap and effective bumper, these are frequently cut away or thrown overboard by boatowners/operators just so that they do now have to dispose of them on their own. Perhaps could insist that boatoperators print their boat registration numbers on all such tires so that errant litterbugs can be identified and prosecuted. MPA are after all in charge of marine pollution concerns.








This looks newly put up. Sumitomo Corp are the main contractors. I wonder what their environmental policy is. Construction-site first and Environment later or vice versa...or a quirky balance of both depending on who's looking and asking questions?




It was thought that some of the items and rubbish seen earlier had already been removed. Eg. the outboard motor. (see : https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iOTtxe8Qc4UgHBqVM8eInyB6Wsmomyn__yuk7i76b5sQgf2vSKAfHfo4mL3uO6rqfiN4rv3GWqBatGHs9i2RpYA7FuFESHnmo0FgZHyXzmMogUwi8NSxjfVMrulQcuL4CYuf-9tm8vg/s1600-h/d7881m6.jpg)

Correction : the outboard motor is still there. Something that heavy could not have been floated in with the tide.


The poorly thought out reefbuilding ($145,000) project
Things are still gloomy for the more visible beach end of Labrador Nature Reserve.

Here's a pic showing what's left of the "experiment in progress' sign.....sigh!
Building a reef is good...but the methods used must support the ecosystem as a whole and not carelessly or inadvertently harm one part whilst showing that effort was expended to improve another part. This especially so when the methods used do not exhibit any signs of adequate planning. (How else can one explain the abandonement of at least 3 seacil structures all over the intertidal zone?).


Close-ups of the some of the concrete seacils




What an EYESORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




More plastic.


A disintegrating corner of one of the abandoned seacil structures. Plastic piping is good for our nature reserves?






More plastic bits.


A shot from above...



And more plastic....which will break off and form part of our shores forever...all because some educational institution decided to abandon their unwanted seacil structures on the shore. Why did they not want so many structures which they had painstakingly built? ... Could it be because of improper planning? Or the team got tired? And did not want to deal with removing the monstrousity they had created?




Probably one of the seacil pipe sections...moving off to 'start life' on it's own.


Another long pipe section...
Wait a minute...these pipe sections mean that the seacils deposited on the seabed must have broken up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These pieces must have been washed ashore. So all may not be well for the project.








Another piece which may have broken up from the deposited seacils. Sigh.

The standard of execution is wanting.....actually it is embarassing that an institution of higher learning can justify (and continue to ignore calls to remedy the situation) the dumping of unwanted structures on the shores and filled with all kinds of plastic bits to break off. A generation of students is going to graduate with this in mind...that it is ok to do so. Sigh.

Some Questions :-

1. What sort of planning was made?
2. Who was involved in approving the project?
3. Did the planning involve the use of the foreshore within the nature reserve to use as a construction site? Bear in mind that the foreshore area would have been heavily trampled on during the construction phase.
4. Were experts consulted on the project and in particular the exact way in which the materials were going to be used and assembled (and abandoned)?
5. Why were so many (up to 4 separate pieces are visible) structures abandoned on the shore?
6. Was there any approval from the authorities that the structures could be abandoned?
   
7. Is there any of the $145,000 left to handle the remediation of the foreshore due to the abandoned structures? If no, how was the $145,000 all spent?
   
8. Despite knowing about the abandonment of the structures for so many months now (about 1.5 years in fact), are there any concrete (pun intended) plans to remove the concrete structures?

"Our Environmental Policy

^{(Since 19 May 2005)}

[--] will protect, care for and continually improve our environment by complying with relevant legislation and requirements, and maintaining an effective Environmental Management System that enables us to create a cleaner and healthier environment for ourselves and future generations."

Well, this school is in likely already in breach of at least 2 legislative provisions in the Parks and Trees Act and the Environmental Public Health Act. Sigh.

Come on! Clean up your mess. It's about time. There is simply NO excuse to delay further.

links :-
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/12/labrador-nature-reserve-trashed.html
http://jus-dive.blogspot.com/2007/12/labrador-speaks-thousand-words.html
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070910/071029-1.htm
http://wildfilms.blogspot.com/2007/10/debris-on-labrador-explained.html