Cyrene: Desert Oasis in the Sea

Cyrene Reef, 25 April 2008. More photos at flickr


I skipped on Sand


and I stomped through Seagrass


As I searched for Stars

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Video: Monkey on Rouge TV

For those who missed the screening on TV or who do not own a TV set at home (I know a few people), here's a very low quality recording of the program. Yes, it's low quality for a reason ;) So you cannot scrutinize our complexion on the close up shots of course! *grin*

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Dialects spark new bonding

Article in TODAY "Dialects spark new bonding" (21 Apr 2008) highlighted the debate regarding teaching dialect versus mandarin chinese in schools. Personally, I would have greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn dialect in school! I actually had to go all the way downtown, pay a school fee to learn Teochew last year! Even still, it was only once a week. Now I learnt that there are lessons for Hokkien too.

For people like me who are from mixed dialect families, and not having constant exposure to any one dialect, lessons are perfect. It really helps me become closer to my family, my heritage and my culture. I actually have to practice Teochew with my Teochew PhD colleagues from China. We spent the days exploring how the dialect has evolved and comparing notes between Hokkien and Teochew. I never realized how much the dialect groups in Singapore has truly integrated until I talk to them and find out the isolation amongst the different areas in China, even within a dialect group itself.

I lament the fact that I do not know my dialects better so I can better communicate with my grandparents' generation. When I went with Jen Lee to interview Mr Tan Hai Liang, I felt frustrated that I could understand but could not communicate my thoughts and questions with him. So frustrating! What more, with each passing day, these elderly treasures trove of knowledge and information is slipping away from us. Without the right communication tool, how can we possibly connect with them?

I wish more Singaporeans would learn dialects and stay in touch with their heritage. We have such a full and interesting history and heritage that really gives a boost to our identity. Likewise, for any other ethnic group, getting to know our roots and dialects of our people (and mind you, not only Chinese have dialects!) would really spark new bonding.

Dialects spark new bonding
By Lin Yanqin, TODAY
21 April 2008

For years, English and officially-termed "Mother Tongues" ruled the classrooms, while dialects — such as Hokkien or Hakka — languished at home, in private conversations, perhaps used occasionally when communicating with one's elderly grandparents and neighbours.

Such was the result of Singapore's decades-old policy of bilingualism — launched in 1966 — where dialects were banned from use on radio and television programmes, and the "Speak Mandarin" campaign was born to create a new generation of Singaporean-Chinese who speak a common second language: Mandarin.

But with dialects in danger of becoming a lost art and a younger generation unable to communicate with their grandparents, it looks like the time has come to break the long-time taboo against dialects and start introducing it in schools.

In fact, dialects are no longer being kept away from schools when once upon a time, it was felt that they impeded the learning of Mandarin — and are showing up in the form of enrichment modules and electives.

It was Member of Parliament (MP) Baey Yam Keng who floated the idea of teaching dialects as a third language during the Budget debates in March.

Schools, he said then, could play a bigger role in educating the youth about cultures he feared would someday "become an artefact in a museum".

Yesterday, he told Today: "I just think it's a waste if we don't make some effort to preserve dialects. They are a big part of Chinese culture, so to understand our own culture and roots and to promote it to other racial groups, you have to bring in dialects."

According to the Chinese Learning Lab chief executive Chua Chee Lay, who is writing a book on the impact of Singapore's language policy, dialects were "a big problem" for the Government in the '50s and '60s.

"There was no common language, so communication was a problem. And there were also gangs — people were divided because of language ideology," said Dr Chua.

To "clean up the mess", the "Speak Mandarin" campaign was introduced in 1979. "You can say it has been successful, because dialects are a dying language in Singapore," he said. "But with the creation of a common language, dialects are no longer a threat."

Agreeing, Mr Baey said: "A lot of youths nowadays might not even know what dialect groups they are from. I don't see a danger of baggage from the past reappearing."

Some schools have started introducing aspects of traditional Chinese culture, including dialects, as electives and enrichment modules for their students.

Such modules could be one-off, special activities for students, or yearly modules conducted over a week.

At SAP school Dunman High, third-year students take a module called "Pop Song Culture", where students are introduced to dialect pop songs in the 70s and 80s to learn about pop culture in different dialect groups. They also take an elective to the different flavours and food cultures from various dialect groups.

Even so, vice-principal Low Joo Hong was cautious about departing from the long-time emphasis on bilingualism. "I think it is a sensitive issue, because on one hand you want students to keep their roots, but you don't want to overplay dialects because in our history, it has become an issue when people become over-assertive about their own identity," he said.

And even as some argue that there is value in introducing dialects in schools as an enrichment activity, others question the value of doing so and whether it will interfere with learning Mandarin.

"Culturally, I see its importance, but in the overall scheme of things, is it useful," asked MP Chan Soo Sen. "I would leave it the student – if a student wants to take, then he should not be denied the opportunity," he added.

Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan secretary Baey Teng Mong, lamenting the low level of interest in dialects, said: "People see no economic value in it."

The Education Ministry's official line reiterates: "Mandarin is the unifying spoken language for Singaporean Chinese".

But Nanyang Girls' High School's (NYGH) dean of pupil development Teo Yong Hong had this take. "I personally see no conflict in teaching dialects and Chinese; it could even enliven their interest in Mandarin," she said, adding that students might find dialects useful when doing community service, as many elderly people have problems understanding Mandarin.

In that aspect, dialects would bond rather than divide, said Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan's Tan Kian Choo, chairman of the association's education committee.

"It helps the younger generation and the educated communicate with the older generation and the less educated. Among peers, it is a natural bond," he said. - TODAY/ra

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Cyrene Carnival: Edition 1

View Larger Map

I've always wanted to go to Cyrene. No, not the Cyrene in African Libya. No, this Cyrene is one of the largest patch reef in Singapore. Because it is a patch reef, it is usually underwater and unlike an island, which has a permanently exposed landmass, cyrene reef only revealed to us at super low tide when the reef becomes exposed. If you look at the map above, you might just be able to make out Cyrene Reef from satellite images. Do you see the color near the placemarker seems a bit murkier than the sea? It's not sedimentation! It's Cyrene!

As it has no land mass, it is difficult to access Cyrene Reef as there is no jetty for easy boat landing. Thus, every time any adventurous reef-loving soul wish to visit the reef, you either have to dive or wait for low tide and wade across water (or swim!) over to the reef! Boats are generally afraid of reefs as you never know when you might miss and collide with the reef when you try to land. Boats are known to shipwreck when they collide against hidden reefs like Cyrene. They are the icebergs in tropical seas except icebergs warn you in advance with its massive tips. As such, many reefs have been blasted away to make way for the safety of ships.

But I've heard so much about Cyrene. It's mysterious organisms like the deep sea creatures in thermal vents, Cyrene has its reputation for having a wonderful array of colours and life. It has a great diversity of seagrass species on top of the weird and wild of the marine world.

For this first edition of Cyrene Carnival on 18 April 2008, I'll leave it to the wonderful photos and words of others to spell out the beauty of Cyrene to you. Here are some of my favourites.

Talking about Cyrene
I often have to live vivaciously through the words and experience of others like the following lucky souls who have experienced the beauty of Cyrene and live to tell the tale!

IYOR08Singapore presents Cyrene Reef: a special reef in Singapore's port with a nice overview of the different biodiversity and habitats found at Cyrene with even connections of our Cyrene with the Cyrene in Libya, a Greek colony with nymph of a character just like ours!

Kok Sheng shares the spectacular sunrise from Cyrene! Hopefully I would get a chance to experience one of those for myself soon!

Chay Hoon presents an ode to Cyrene, a poem serenading the wonderful diversity of life teeming between a rock and a hard place.

Biodiversity of Cyrene
One of the things that have made Cyrene the Holy Grail of reefs for me (apart from Beting Bronok which I managed to visit!) is all the tales that great voyagers bring back from the reefs. Tales of wonderful and exotic creatures big and small.

Kok Sheng presents a run down on all the stars of cyrene! These aren't the starlets of Hollywood but the bright and colourful 5 armed stars of the seas. Sometimes they grow a few additional arms just for prosperity sake!

Budak spots a never before seen sea urchin in Singapore waters at Cyrene in En Pointe. Normally recorded in Malaysian waters, this is the first time this pointy little fella was recorded in Singapore waters!

Chay Hoon and the lucky team seagrass spots the "holy grail" of nudibranch that Wild Films have been searching for on our shores - the Melibe at Cyrene!!!! She even captured it swimming on video!



Threats at Cyrene

Cyrene is located between a rock and a hard place - between Jurong Island, our industrial island and Pulau Bukom, our oil refineries. It is also right below our shipping lane.

Wild Films presents Rock filling near Cyrene with holding area off Labrador Nature Reserve from an MPA notice with maps that highlights the precarious situation which Cyrene finds itself!

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Upcoming Cyrene Carnival Editions

#1 Apr 18, 2008
Host: Midnight Monkey Monitor
Theme: Introducing Cyrene Reef

#2 Apr 22, 2008
Host: Midnight Monkey Monitor
Theme: Earth Day Special - I wish to see Cyrene Reef

#3 Apr 27, 2008
Host: Annotated Budak
Theme: I saw Cyrene Reef

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Join the Cyrene Blogging Carnival

Cyrene Reef is an elusive nymph in our seas. A mysterious submerged reef in Singapore that only appears semi-diurnally, and only if you are lucky! Only at those moment do we get a rare glimpse of its amazing beauty.

What is rare is often also unknown, forgotten, forsaken. To ensure we do not forsake our secret beauties, a blogging carnival has been started to celebrate the beauty of Cyrene in this weekly carnival.

This carnival hopes to get more people writing, knowing and exploring Cyrene. If you have never been to Cyrene, and wish to be on Cyrene, join in the carnival! If you have no idea what a blogging carnival is or have never even visited Cyrene, do not fear. Read on.

Essentially the blog carnival works like this:

1) Organizer = Midnight Monkey Monitor
I will mainly be doing the running the carnival and once in a while, I will host as well. WildSingapore will also put up a special Cyrene Carnival section. The Organizer will indicate the upcoming hosts. Each edition will be weekly with the exception of the first 2 editions.

2) Host = each week, anybody can volunteer to be a host where people will email you their blog posts submission and you post the submissions up with your own comments. For now, I'll host and any interested person can feel free to email me to be a host!

3) Submissions = that's everybody!
This is what you have to do:
1) Blog a short piece about Cyrene [read submission guidelines below]
2) Submit the link here

4) Readers = that's you and your friends, family and everybody in Singapore and the world! Show your support by putting this banner on your blogs.



Submission Guidelines
Not many of us have been to Cyrene. Personally, I haven't. But I can still write about Cyrene. Here are 3 types of cyrene related posts:

1. Talking about Cyrene
Talk about what you saw, did and felt at Cyrene. This could also be general things about Cyrene, history and what not. Never been to cyrene? write about how you wish you can go!

2. Biodiversity of Cyrene
You know those rare gems are found at Cyrene so blog about the specific plants and animals!
These are some things that can be found at Cyrene

3. Threats at Cyrene
the shipping lane is in the way of Cyrene... or more like Cyrene is in the way of those massive container ships.
Bukom and Jurong Island is just next door so who knows the next coal plant might be on a reclaimed Cyrene?
Any and everything. Oil Slicks, Reclamation, whatever you can think of!

Sometimes, different editions will have a different theme. Look out for them!

Start blogging today! Submit your posts here! Cyrene needs you!

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On Ubin with Crabs and OBS

Taken at House No 1, Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin on Sunday 13 Apr 2008.

More about the day's trip at:
"Chek Jawa boardwalk with Outward Bound Singapore: Part 3" Adventures with Naked Hermit Crabs
"Chek Jawa boardwalk with Outward Bound Singapore: Part 3" WildFilms

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Looking for Interview Respondents

招募启示

您好：

现有一项由新加坡国立大学地理系主持开展的，关于移民社区、宗教与网络的学术研究，假如您是满足以下条件的人士，我们诚意邀请您接受我们的访问。要求如下：

（1）：佛教徒或基督教徒；
（2）：来自中国大陆、台湾或香港；
（3）：来新加坡时间不超过十年（至少一年以上）；

我们的访谈时间大约持续一个小时，您可以使用英语或中文。有需要的话，我们可以将访谈的主要内容提前寄送给您。为了感谢您对我们研究工作的支持，我们为每位参与访谈者提供了一份十元礼券。诚挚邀请您的参与，谢谢！

联系人：陈冰婷 小姐，Ms November Tan
Email：tan[at]nus[dot]edu[dot]sg
电话：8278 1851

新加坡国立大学地理学
National University of Singapore
Department of Geography

RECRUITMENT NOTICE
Interview Respondents Wanted

We are looking for interested participants for a research project funded by the National University of Singapore, Department of Geography. The research project hopes to understand the potential role of media (particularly the Internet) in building communication and community ties among Buddhists and Christians who have moved to Singapore from Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China or Taiwan.

If you are:
1) Christian or Buddhist
2) From Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China or Taiwan
3) Moved to Singapore in the last 1-10 years

We would like to invite you to participate in a face-to-face interview with us. The interview will take about one hour and will be conducted in English or Mandarin (according to your preference). If you require a list of questions that will be asked in the interview, we will be happy to send this to you. A small token of appreciation ($10 shopping voucher) will be provided in appreciation.

If interested, please contact Ms. November Tan tan[at]nus[dot]edu[dot]sg or call 82781851. An interview will be arranged to the time and venue of your convenience. The study will be ongoing till enough participants are recruited.

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GE3239 Guest Lecture

Yesterday gave a talk at the GE3239 class to about 40 students. I guess most are away mugging or busy rushing assignments. I did record my talk but it was too long and full of factual errors I realized (sorry! Hopea Sangal fines were more than $30,000 - it was fined $8000 and $76000 in compensation!) so I decided not to upload it. Too embarrassing!


Here's how big the crowd was. Not very big really. Ignore the audio. This was after my talk and the lecturer was addressing the class

I got feedback from friends who attended the class that it was too overwhelming (too much to say!) and too long (1 hour 6 minutes!). I was a tad distracted during question and answer and yes, the slides are a tad repetitive because new additions were made last minute. It wasn't well structured because the talk is supposed to be on environmental groups but I'm not really sure what's my message. Sigh. Ok, poorly done. Sorry.

On the brighter side, I've a friend and junior who was in the class and told me afterwards that she's stopped using straws after what I said during the lecture. Cool :) And of course I got a very encouraging comment on this blog from a student who attended the class. Thanks! I also found a student joined the sgnatureblogger network on ning wanting to find out more! Kudos! Do post and say more about your interest on the network and see if any of the wise yodas will show you the force :P

I also had an interesting question from a student who asked if there is too much attention on shores now and not enough on terrestrial because more blogs on shore than terrestrial. Well that just mean we need more terrestrial bloggers!

TheRamblingLibrarian sums up neatly my fatal error. "I tended to ramble on when I get too enthused. End up overemphasising some examples and the audience gets bored." But he also nicely added that "each presentation is a learning experience" and I agree! Well, one never stops learning. I will definitely work towards improving. Just means I have to give more talks! :)

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Video of Tanjong Rimau, Sentosa on Flickr

Yes you heard me right and no your eyes are not deceiving you. You can now upload videos on flickr! Only short clips of 90 seconds are allowable and limited to Pro users (paying customers). Nonetheless, I feel less pressure putting short unedited clips on flickr than on youtube. So here's a good way to start my collection of videos on flickr! I've uploaded a video of Tanjong Rimau, Sentosa during the first NHC recce at Sentosa a year ago! It was also before the beacon got broken into two. A future classic in the making?

During tomorrow's guest lecture, I will try to use all my new toys and web services. Recording my talk with my new digital voice recorder, podcasting it and uploading some videos on flickr video! Not forgetting putting up my slides on slideshare! Maybe I can now make a slidecast

Update @ 1.34pm 9 Apr
For the buffaloes out there, here is what you are looking at.


View Larger Map

I could not resist using more webapps but here's google map showing an aerial view of the surrounding places that may have been spotted on the video. The placemarker (the blue tear drop) indicates where the video was taken. You can see labrador park and the port beyond. The green beacon you see is situated at the tip of Sentosa, which is also known as Tanjung Rimau. Tanjung is malay for the coastal feature of a "cape", defined as a "strip of land projecting into a body of water". To further orientate yourself around the map, Sentosa is the piece of green at the bottom of the map.


This photo is taken a few meters down from where the video was taken. Ignore the marine trash but you can see some of the coastal platform near the bottom left of the picture

Tanjung Rimau is a wonderful rocky shore and cliff habitat, totally natural and one of the last remaining ones. Of course, looking at labrador, there you have actually the last mainland cliff in Singapore. It would look similar to what you see here. What I'm standing on is actually a coastal platform which means the waves has cut it flat very beautifully. The grooves just means that some minerals within the rock is more soluble than others and thus formed the feature which you see here.



This photo is taken on the other side of the cape (tanjung), facing Indonesia and the rest of the southern islands. The video was taken on the side of the cape facing Singapore [refer to placemarker]. Yes this is Sentosa, hard to believe isn't it?

For more photos of the area, see my flickr photos.

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Giving Guest Lectures at NUS

Last Thursday, Ria of WildSingapore and Karen of NParks CCNR were at NUS giving a talk on the importance of environmental awareness. It was supposed to be a panel of three, together with Arti Mulchand of the Straits Times. Unfortunately Arti was ill and unable to attend. Still, we had a blast of a time with Karen covering the terrestrial and Ria bringing us for a walk in the inter-tidals. Read Ria's account of the talk here.



This is a module from Geography on Environmental Sustainability (GE3239). Originally I was hoping to help out in the module but instead I've been asked to do a guest lecture for the students on Community Groups in Singapore. Being the last lecture of the semester, I hope it'll be a blast. The talk will pretty much cover similar content to my previous SEC Going Beyond Green article on community groups. I hope to also give the students a few peeks at behind the scenes activities. If anybody is interested, my presentation will be this Thursday, 10am, LT13 at NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

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A chat with Resorts World

Last Friday, 28 March 2008, this monkey was invited to Resorts World for tea by Lynn Lee, the communications and corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager at Resorts World. Lynn emailed me about 2 weeks before that, saying that she's seen my previous post on the EIA of Resorts World, liked what I wrote, saying it's a balanced view and would like to invite me to tea. Unsure what she was really asking of me, I decided to go anyways.



To cut the long story short, when I arrived, Lynn greeted me together with Robin Goh, the Assistant Director of Communications. First they showed me the model of Resorts World and I felt like I've wasted $10 just to get to Resorts World (RW) only to hear a PR introduction to the "awesome" features of the integrated resort. Nonetheless, it was good to find out what is at RW.


Phase 1: Universal Studios

What you see in the above image is the future Universal Studio. This is the first phase of development and will also be the first to open. The road that used to run across this area has been rediverted. Previously the mention of transplanted trees were mainly from this road diversion and this area of development. They were moved to a nursery on Sentosa and will be replanted. Sounds more symbolic than anything else.

Logically, knowing our highly effective country, I am sure that there would be a tireless team in charge of ensuring that tax payers money are well spent; making sure that we get what we paid for. I'm sure when you order a big mac, you expect a big mac. If you get a hamburger, you would feel cheated. As such, I think this would mean to me that the chances of whale sharks and oceanarium making their way to Singapore is highly probable.


Phase 2

Nonetheless this is the second phase of development and according to Lynn and Robin, they are currently working with Louis Ng of ACRES to discuss various animal welfare and animal rights issue. I did not know enough to get any point across surely but I trust that Louis will do his best. One thing this monkey does know is that, I have hated Sea World after visiting it once when I was 13, seeing a killer whale stuck in a bathtub, I would never visit that oceanarium even if I know I'll never get to see a whale shark any other way. All I know is that whale sharks are nomadic and far-ranging as they follow plankton blooms over large areas of the eastern Indian Ocean.

What I did complain about, albeit redundant since it's already been reclaimed, is the fact that they reclaimed the coastline at the Phase 2 site, only to then dig it up to make into waterways for the Maritime Xperiential Museum and Oceanarium. What they did offer in consolation is that they will be giving lots of money away to support research in coral reefs. Considering that we only have 1 marine lab in Singapore, the chances of the money going to non-Singaporeans are oh-so-high.



However, optimistic monkey, having observed this phenomenon many times in Singapore's reclamation history, suggested that perhaps there is a chance that the reclamation may miss a few spots of corals in its reclamation. I see this as extremely improbable but the area right beneath the cable car tower has historically been left untouched. In fact, it used to be an islet, can you imagine? It has been joint to the main island of Sentosa over countless reclamation and yet there are corals there. A concern is that the area there is too steep for public walks. Nonetheless, I suggested to RW that marine groups in Singapore be allowed access to recce the area once the reclamation has been completed. That way we will be able to document and assess if walks are possible. If such, I suggested to Lynn and Robin's excitement that we can conduct free guided walks. Of course, all this is pending RW management approval. Access to various places in RW such as the promenade is free you see so people will then be given access as a collaborative move on RW's part.


Phase 3: on the right of the cable car tower

The cable car tower acts as the dividing line for Phase 3 of the development. This is the area closest to Joe Lai's heart as this is the development near the forest. Unfortunately, reclamation just started here and I could not emphasize to Robin and Lynn more about how if it's only a "small patch that will be reclaimed" as they claimed, then they better make sure they go out of their way to make sure most of the corals don't get crushed by the barge coming in and out, etc. They claim that they are now making all their contractors adhere to certain stipulations of environmentality and they apparently have a department to enforce. Ok, still, what is the guideline for environmentality is another thing altogether.


Sentosa is one of the last few rocky shores we have

But if they want to make it into a white sand beach which Sentosa is really a rocky shore habitat, then good bye corals. We'll see you in the next world. However, they claim that since this is Phase 3, there is still time for negotiation and renegotiation before work actually has to start. It would appear that this is still a grey zone.



Nonetheless, this monkey suggested that if the water slide in the forest still goes through, then at least allow the nature path to go right beneath these slides. Let me explain. There is a nature path that allows you access to these forest. You can find the entrance near Siloso Beach, beside Underwater World. However, at the moment, the path has been blocked at the point where Resorts World begins. Thus I suggested to Robin and Lynn that the path should not be blocked once the development completes so that it's an "open concept" and there is still free public access to the forest. And if we want to see (mostly) naked people swinging around down the water slide, that's what we got to "suffer" to enjoy the trees.


Phase 3: can you see the slides in the back sticking out of the trees?

Robin claims that the design of the water slide was originally meant to take out as little trees as possible anyways. I think they should contact Joe Lai to make sure each tree that's being "taken out" passes Joe's mark of standard. Ok, even I find that thought rather unimaginable. [I'm sorry I dare even let that thought crossed my mind, Joe!]

I do find it rather hard to believe when they said other than the water slide, all the other development, hotel and spa is taking place where the land was previously already developed. I had this feeling that the spa is cutting into the forest but then I don't have proof. Still, if you see the giant hole that is the RW now, we can only hope that they speak the truth. This kind of clear-everything-then-plant-back-later type of development, in academia, we called it the "scorched earth policy". Speaks for itself.



Meanwhile, RW strives to be uber green in their development even working at various "green" innovations. Whatever it is, my stand is that since the development is going to happen anyways, we have to stop wishing it'll go away miraculously. I prefer to make sure that it can only be as "green" as possible. Green not only in how much water or electricity it use but in its content and function. How it eats into the environment. Whether it allows people to access the forests and shores. Although all hope looks bleak, I remain somewhat optimistic. I like to give all a benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Or am I just too naive?

RW claims that they intend to have panels where they will consult stakeholders for their views and I can only hope that comes true. I will probably try my best to attend since it'll only serve me to know what they are planning and try my best to think of ways which will benefit both the natural environment and the development. That's what sustainable development actually means unfortunately. Development is still in the equation. Depressing as that is, we can't run away from that living in a small city state like ours. Am I too fatalistic or should I be more radical?

Update @ 4.36pm 2 April:
I got a call and decided to edit a small bit of my post and deleted my comments even though my comments were positive. *shrugs* Either way, I don't want to cause anybody to lose their jobs.

While I don't want anybody to lose their jobs, I believe in transparency. What I absolutely cannot understand is WHY I cannot even make positive statements about certain elements. This only tells me that the company is yet to be willing to adhere to those statements.

At the same time, understand my positionality. What about my "job"? Assuming I would even write a nice supportive post detailing only the positive things RW is doing, I would lose all the trust and respect from everybody in the community. In adherance to transparency, I write a critical piece. But if that results in me never being engaged or contacted ever again then, I guess, that's just too bad. If a positive reporting of efforts are needed, write a press release. If you would like a dog, please go to the pet shop. Can't blame me for being upset, can you? [Related Reads: It's not easy being green]

Read full article here

Person found drowned in driftnet

This morning a little bird told this monkey that while out on the shore, a group of police and ambulance was spotted along certain shores. It was quite a commotion as a person was found drowned in a drift net by a diver during an expedition to document harm caused by the 35-mile-long nets used to catch fish.

The drift net victim was found entangled along with other animals such as horseshoe crabs, dolphins and also a water monitor lizard. Drift nets more than 1.5 miles long were banned by the UN in international waters in the early 1990s and drift nets of any length in 2002 because of global concerns about the bycatch of dolphins, turtles and sharks. According to conservation groups, at least 12,000 turtles were killed from November 2007 till date by drift nets.

Apparently after autopsy, it was found that the victim has also ingested large amount of plastic. Plastic items including toothbrushes, children's toys, bottle caps, cigarette lighters, pipes, fishing line, and gloves were found in the stomach of the drowned victim.



Happy April Fool

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