Hi-tech punch on nose for sharks could keep swimmers safe

Yahoo – AFP, Lawrence Bartlett, 12 Nov 2014

Experts are testing a device that could repel sharks using electricity, which

would protect humans without harming sharks

A high-tech version of the reputedly life-saving punch to a shark's nose is being tested in an effort to protect humans without harming the toothy predators or other sea creatures.

In the blue waters of a small bay in Cape Town, a revolutionary experiment with an electronic barrier seeks to exploit the super-sensitivity of a sharks' snout to keep swimmers and surfers safe.

The technology has been developed by South African experts who invented the electronic "shark pod" for use by surfers and divers -- now marketed by an Australian company -- and could be applied globally if successful.

Experts are trying to find ways of

 keeping sharks away from humans 

without harming the sea creatures

The pod and years of research have shown that sharks will turn away when they encounter an electrical current -- and that has prompted this experiment on a much larger scale.

A 100-metre (328 feet) cable with vertical "risers" designed to emit a low-frequency electronic field is in the process of being fixed to the seabed off Glencairn beach, and will remain there for five months.

"If successful, it will provide the basis to develop a barrier system that can protect bathers without killing or harming sharks or any other marine animals," says the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, which developed the shark pod.

As for humans, "if someone touched the small part of an electrode that is exposed, they might experience a tingling sensation" but would suffer no harmful effects.

The barrier would mark a major shift away from the shark nets used in KwaZulu-Natal on South Africa's east coast for the past 50 years, which also kill other animals and have been criticised as environmentally destructive.

'Doing our damndest'

Research has shown that sharks have a gel in their noses which makes them more sensitive to electrical currents than other species, and thus ordinary fish and sea life such as seals and dolphins should not be affected by the barrier.

"We are doing our damndest to do something environmentally friendly," sharks board project specialist Paul von Blerk told AFP.

But the challenges are huge.

"It is easier to design things to put in space," said Claude Ramasami, project manager at the Institute for Maritime Technology, which is helping the sharks board put its plans into practice.

This is because of the relentless power of the sea, shifts in the seabed, undersea structures and marine life -- and simply using electricity in water.

One reason that Glencairn in the Cape was chosen as the site for the experiment is that it is relatively protected compared to the often pounding surf on the tourist beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, where Durban is the provincial capital.

A couple stands on the beach near a sign reading "Caution Sharks" in 

Etang-Sale, a region of the La Reunion island French territory

The clear waters will also enable fixed cameras and shark spotters on nearby cliffs to monitor the movements of the predators within the bay and see whether the barrier turns them away from their usual cruising routes.

There should be no shortage of action -- in a 25-day observation period, 53 sharks were seen off the beach.

Environmentalists have welcomed the experiment.

Alison Kock, a biological scientist and research manager for Shark Spotters in Cape Town told AFP it was "a really good idea".

"It's an exciting opportunity to look at new technology with the ultimate aim of replacing lethal control methods like shark nets and (baited) drum lines.

"The technology is really specific in that it targets a sense that only sharks and rays have. Mammals like dolphins and whales don't have a sense like this, so they are not going to be affected," she said.

The gel in the noses of sharks allows them to detect minute electrical fields such as a heartbeat to find prey in murky water, but as they approach within a couple of metres of the barrier the power should be enough to turn them away.

The senior manager for WWF's marine programme in South Africa, John Duncan, said the organisation was "absolutely supportive of interventions which attempt to manage human-animal interaction in a non-fatal and non-impactful way.

"And at the moment it is a growing challenge with the white shark attacks in South Africa."

Sharks have killed 13 people in South Africa over the past 10 years, Kock said. 

Li confident South China Sea issue 'can be handled properly'

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-11-12

Li Keqiang. (File photo/CNS)

China's premier, Li Keqiang, has expressed confidence that differences on the South China Sea issue can be handled properly as long as relevant parties maintain dialogue and consultation and strengthen maritime cooperation.

"These differences should not affect regional stability or overall China-ASEAN relations nor will they ever hamper freedom and safety of navigation in the South China Sea," Li wrote in Tuesday's edition of the Jakarta Post.

Since the start of the year, China and relevant countries have had effective communication and dialogue on the South China Sea issue and reached a lot of important common ground, Li noted. "We have identified the 'dual track approach' in handling the South China Sea issue, outlining the ideas that specific disputes be addressed by countries directly concerned through negotiation and consultation and that peace and stability in the South China Sea be jointly upheld by China and ASEAN countries," he said.

"We are fully confident that as long as we stick to the right track, maintain the momentum of dialogue and consultation and strengthen practical maritime cooperation, we will be able to handle the South China Sea issue properly," he added.

Li, who will be in Myanmar on Wednesday to attend an annual meeting of East Asian leaders, has lauded the cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a positive force for regional cooperation and envisioned a bright future for the ties.

"China and ASEAN countries are neighbors sharing land and sea borders. We have a common land boundary of over 4,000 km. For hundreds of years, our cultural interactions and close bonds have represented a fine model of exchanges, mutual learning and common development of different ethnicities, religions and cultures in the history of East Asia," Li wrote.

"China is a staunch force for peace in East Asia and China supports ASEAN in playing a positive role in regional stability," he said.

Li will attend the 17th China-ASEAN summit, the 17th ASEAN Plus Three Summit (ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea), and the 9th East Asia Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, from Wednesday to Friday. He will pay an official visit to Myanmar after the meetings.

The Chinese premier said he looks forward to seeing more solid steps and fruitful outcomes resulting from China-ASEAN cooperation. "China was the first to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the first to establish strategic partnership with ASEAN and the first to propose the signing of a treaty on good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation with ASEAN," Li wrote.

He labeled the China-ASEAN cooperation "a positive force driving regional development."

China is ASEAN's largest trading partner and its third largest source of investment and was the first country to launch free trade area (FTA) negotiations with ASEAN, Li noted.

In 2013, trade between China and ASEAN hit US$443.6 billion. Accumulated two-way investment totaled US$120 billion and about 18 million visits were made between the two sides.

The cooperation initiatives China put forward in the past year included plans to build a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road together with ASEAN and to strengthen the China-ASEAN 2+7 cooperation framework: deepening strategic mutual trust, focusing on economic cooperation, plus deepening cooperation in the seven key areas of political affairs, economy and trade, connectivity, finance, maritime cooperation, security, and people-to-people exchanges, he wrote in the article.

On the sidelines of the meetings, Li and leaders of ASEAN countries will continue discussions on the signing of a treaty of good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

In addition, the third action plan of the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity will be jointly formulated and cooperation in defense and non-traditional security areas will be promoted.

Efforts will be made to conclude regional FTA negotiations regarding the upgraded China-ASEAN FTA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) by the end of 2015.

Li said China will launch the fundraising for the second phase of the China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation and the China Development Bank will also set up a China-ASEAN special loan for infrastructure development.

Maritime cooperation has become a new highlight in China-ASEAN cooperation, said Li, adding that China proposes that next year be designated as the "Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation" to strengthen cooperation in marine economy, marine science and technology, protection of marine ecology and maritime connectivity.

According to Li, China will scale up investment in underdeveloped ASEAN countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with countries along the Mekong River in key areas like poverty reduction, social development and other areas with a view to helping narrow the development gap within ASEAN.

China welcomes the establishment of the ASEAN Community next year, the first time in Asia's history that a regional community is established, Li said.

China will continue to take ASEAN as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and firmly support the unity and growth of ASEAN, the building of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN's centrality in regional cooperation, Li said.

China and ASEAN both stand to benefit from East Asia's prosperity and stability, and both stand to uphold such prosperity and stability, he said.

The Chinese premier proposed that the two sides strengthen dialogue and coordination, broaden convergence of interests and lead countries in the region toward an East Asian Community.

"We also welcome countries from outside the region to join East Asia cooperation and contribute positively to peace and development of Asia and the Asia-Pacific as a whole," Li said.

Related Articles:

Philippines, Indonesia Sign ‘Model’ Maritime Border Accord

Germany and the Netherlands end centuries-old border dispute

Seminar on Israel water technology to be held in Taipei

Want China Times, 2014-11-12

A K. B. Recycling Industrials booth at a new energy and technology expo
in Air port city, Israel, Feb. 19. (File photo/Xinhua)

A seminar on Israel's water technology will be held in Taiwan later this month to promote exchanges in the area, the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei said in a recent statement.

The seminar, slated to take place Nov. 28 in Taipei, will bring together representatives of eight Israeli companies who will share their technologies and products with Taiwanese firms in an effort to seek potential cooperation, said the office, which is co-organizing the event with Taiwan's Water Resources Agency.

The agenda will include discussions on desalination, waste water management, quality management of drinking water and recycled water, the office said.

As the government is planning to begin collecting water pollution control fees starting December, how to effectively handle waste water has become an important issue.

Israel has developed advanced technologies to deal with its waste water, 97% of which is reused for irrigation. It has also been exporting its water technologies, including desalination, waste water recycling and drip irrigation, to other countries, the office said.

Business meetings will also be arranged for Israeli and Taiwanese companies to explore cooperation opportunities, it added.

Related Article:

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much.

Water

We've told you that one of the greatest natural resources of the planet, which is going to shift and change and be mysterious to you, is fresh water. It's going to be the next gold, dear ones. So, we have also given you some hints and examples and again we plead: Even before the potentials of running out of it, learn how to desalinate water in real time without heat. It's there, it's doable, and some already have it in the lab. This will create inexpensive fresh water for the planet. 

There is a change of attitude that is starting to occur. Slowly you're starting to see it and the only thing getting in the way of it are those companies with the big money who currently have the old system. That's starting to change as well. For the big money always wants to invest in what it knows is coming next, but it wants to create what is coming next within the framework of what it has "on the shelf." What is on the shelf is oil, coal, dams, and non-renewable resource usage. It hasn't changed much in the last 100 years, has it? Now you will see a change of free choice. You're going to see decisions made in the boardrooms that would have curled the toes of those two generations ago. Now "the worst thing they could do" might become "the best thing they could do." That, dear ones, is a change of free choice concept. When the thinkers of tomorrow see options that were never options before, that is a shift. That was number four. ….”

We Are Waiting for You to Invest in Indonesia, Jokowi Tells APEC in Speech

Jakarta Globe, Nov 11, 2014

President Joko Widodo delivers a speech at the APEC CEO Summit as part of the
 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit at the China National Convention
Center in Beijing on Nov. 10, 2014. (AFP Photo/Pool/Andy Wong)

Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko Widodo addressed business leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO summit in Beijing on Monday, where he put out a call for greater investment in the archipelago and promised a friendlier climate for doing business in the country.

The following is his speech:

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and CEOs.

First, on behalf of Indonesian government and the people of Indonesia I would like to thank you for coming to my presentation. Today I am very happy to be among with you because you know I was a businessman years ago. So this morning I am very happy because we can talk about business, about investment with all of you.

This picture shows you our map of Indonesia. We have a population of 240 million and the distance is like from London in the UK to Istanbul in Turkey. And imagine, we have 17,000 islands.

Our national budget in 2015 is $167 billion and the fuel subsidy [allocation] is $27 billion. It’s huge. So we want to channel our fuel subsidy from consumption to productive activities. We want to channel [the money] to farmers for seed, for fertilizers, and also for irrigation. And we want to build dams — 25 dams in five years from our fuel subsidy to maintain the water supply to farming areas.

Some subsidy [funds] we want to channel to fishermen, to give them boat engines [and] refrigerators. We want to increase the income of the fishermen. Some fuel subsidy [funds] we want to [give to] micro and small enterprises in the villages. We want to help them raise working capital. And some subsidy [funds] we want to channel to the health program [and] the education program. And the subsidy [funds] we [also] want to channel to infrastructure.

In five years we want to build 24 seaports and deep seaports. We have 17,000 islands, so we need seaports and deep seaports. And this is your opportunity: 24 seaports and deep seaports.

This picture shows our Jakarta port, Tanjung Priok Port. In 2009, the capacity was 3.6 million TEUs a year. And our plan in 2017 is around 15 million TEUs a year. This is the potential [for] ports in Indonesia. This is your opportunity. We want to build in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, also in Papua. And we plan to build our [railway network]. We already [have railway lines] in Java and we want to build in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua. This is your opportunity.

Now we talk about mass transportation. We want to build mass transportation in six big cities in Indonesia. We started in Jakarta last year, and we want to build in Medan, Makassar, Semarang, Bandung [and] Surabaya. So, this is also your opportunity. Because you know our national budget is limited.

Now we [will] talk [about] our maritime agenda. We want to build [a] sea toll. What is [a] sea toll? [A] Sea toll is [a] maritime transportation system to make our transportation costs lower [and] more efficient. We want to build from the west to the east. We hope not only the vessels can enter our sea toll but also mother vessels can enter the sea toll. So the price, the cost of the transportation, [becomes] more efficient.

For example, the price of [...] one sack [of] cement in Java is $6 [...] But in Papua the price is $150 [...] Imagine, 25 times [as much]. So we hope with our sea toll the price in our islands [will be] the same.

Electricity. We need power plants. We need around 35,000 [megawatts] to build our industries, projects, industrial zones, [manufacturing] zones. So we need power plants. This is also your opportunity to invest in this project. Because we need our power plants for manufacturing, for industrial zones.

Many investors, a lot of investors, when they come to me most of them [...] always complain about land acquisition. I will push my ministers, my governors, my mayors to help clear this problem. I have experience with land acquisition when I was a governor. We [had the] Jakarta Outer Ring Road [project that] started 15 years ago but stopped eight years ago, because we had a problem. One point five kilometers [was] unfinished because there [were] 143 families [who did] not accept [...] the compensation price. So last year I invited them [...] to lunch and dinner. Four times. Ah, this is me. I invited them and then we talked about the problem. Four times. And the problem [was] cleared.

And now the toll road has been [in use since] seven months ago.

Now [let’s] talk business permits. We have a national one-stop service office that can help you, that will serve you, that will facilitate you, that will give you your business permit. For example, [a] principle business permit [will take] three days to process.

Finally, again on behalf of the Indonesian government and the people of Indonesia I would like to thank you for your listening my presentation. We are waiting for you to come to Indonesia. We are waiting for you to invest in Indonesia. Thank you.

Related Articles:

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Jakarta to Start With Ambitious $34b Giant Sea Wall Project

Draft of the Master Plan for National Capital Integrated Coastal Development. 
(JG Screen Grab courtesy of the website of the Coordinating Ministry of
Economic Affairs)

Captain sentenced to jail in Sewol ferry case

The captain of a South Korean ferry which sank in April has been sentenced to 36 years in prison. A court found Lee Joon-seok guilty of negligence.

Deutsche Welle, 11 Nov 2014

The 36-year prison sentence was handed down by a court in South Korea on Tuesday, after a five-month long trial.

According to the AP news agency, the court said Lee was professionally negligent and abandoned his passengers, but he was acquitted of the most serious charges of homicide. If convicted on those charges, he could have received the death penalty.

"We find it hard to conclude that the defendants...were aware that all of the victims would die because of their actions and they had an intention to kill them," the trial's three judges said, according to the AFP news agency. "Therefore the murder charges are not accepted."

Lee, 69, has apologized for abandoning the passengers but said he didn't know the actions would lead to so many deaths.

The captain, along with three other senior crew members, was charged with homicide and willful negligence. Eleven other crew members faced lesser charges.

Search for bodies stopped

South Korean officials also announced Tuesday that the search for the bodies still missing after the April sinking was called off.

The bodies of 295 people have been recovered, but nearly seven months after the accident, nine are still missing.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Lee Ju-young told reporters there was only a remote chance of finding those bodies.

"The government deployed as many resources as possible ... to bring the last missing person to the families," Lee said. "But the situation in the ship has become too difficult for search operations to continue."

On April 16, the Sewol ferry capsized while en route from the South Korean mainland to the holiday island of Jeju. Of the 476 people on board, 325 were high school students on a field trip. Only 75 of the students survived.

se/lw (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Migratory birds, fish and mammals get new UN protection

Yahoo – AFP, 10 Nov 2014

Polar bear cubs with their mother Huggies in the Ouwehands Dierenpark zoo
in Rhenen on February 29, 2012 (AFP Photo/Erik van 't Woud)

Quito (AFP) - Polar bears, whales, sharks and gazelles were among 31 new species granted new protection status by the UN conservation body, following six days of "intense" talks by leading conservationists.

The UN Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) said on Sunday that six days of "intense negotiations" led to new protection for scores of bird, fish and mammal migratory species.

A record 21 species of shark, ray and sawfish were added to the list.

The polar bear, which is found in the Arctic, and the widely-distributed Cuvier's beaked whale made the list too.

Also newly protected are the red-fronted gazelle, common in Africa, and the great bustard, found in Europe and Asia.

Protecting these animals is key for overall environmental conservation.

"Migratory animals have become the global flagships for many of the pressing issues of our time," said CMS executive secretary Bradnee Chambers.

"From plastic pollution in our oceans, to the effects of climate change, to poaching and over-exploitation, the threats migratory animals face will eventually affect us all."

More than 900 experts from 120 countries met for the six-day meeting, approving all but one proposed species to be included on the protected wildlife list.

The African lion did not make the final cut because there was not enough information from the countries where it lives.

The conference was the best-attended in the body's 35-year history, and CMS hailed the "unprecedented" level of attention to the topic.

The director of the UN Environment Program, which administers CMS, said global interest in animal protection was crucial.

"The responsibility for protecting wildlife is a shared one, and that the threats to wildlife can be tackled most effectively through global cooperation," said UN Undersecretary-General Achim Steiner, who heads the UNEP.

The next CMS meeting will be held in the Philippines in 2017.

Dead fish in Rio Olympic bay baffle scientists

Yahoo – AFP, Claire de Oliveira Neto, 8 Nov 2014

Thousands of dead fish have begun mysteriously washing up in the polluted Rio

 bay that will host sailing events at the 2016 Olympics -- and experts are at a

loss to explain why (AFP Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Thousands of dead fish have begun mysteriously washing up in the polluted Rio bay that will host sailing events at the 2016 Olympics -- and experts are at a loss to explain why.

Guanabara Bay has already been the subject of concern amongst sailors who are to compete in Rio because of the human sewage that gets pumped into its waters.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed confidence that Guanabara will be fit for purpose by the time of the games.

A fisherman weighs fish in Paqueta Island,

 located at Guanabara bay in Rio de

 Janeiro, Brazil, on November 5, 2014

(AFP Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

But the recent appearance of thousands of dead fish, and the foul stench of their rotting carcasses, has attracted further scrutiny with the Olympics less than two years away.

Scientists are baffled by the phenomenon but say there is no evidence so far to suggest pollution is the cause.

The foul odor first took over the usually peaceful Paqueta Island, where cars are banned and the population of 4,500 people travels on horseback or bicycle among the only baobab trees in Brazil.

With the help of a bulldozer, a municipal company has removed 20 tonnes of dead sabalo fish -- from the Clupeidae family of herrings and sardines -- as well as four dead sea turtles.

"Tests showed that this is not a matter of chemical or toxic water pollution," Rio do Janeiro State University oceanographer David Zee told AFP.

Leandro Daemon of the National Institute for the Environment, or INEA, agreed that water testing had not identified any toxic chemicals or any unusual change in the water's pH (potential of hydrogen), salinity or oxygen.

"We have no answer yet about what happened, but we can certainly exclude the hypothesis of a chemical pollution killing the fish," he said.

'Don't go in'

But not everyone is so sure.

Worried fishermen and islanders are pointing the finger at the petrochemical activities of state giant Petrobras.

"We want to know why so many fish have died. The rotten smell is horrible and there are many flies on the island. The authorities tell us nothing," said Vilma Leocadio of the Paqueta citizens' association.

"We are afraid, we do not bathe in the sea any more and do not buy fish here."

Rosimere Figueiredo, 52, said Paqueta was in distress.

"I do not encourage you to step in the water with all those dead bodies of fish. We see them dying," she said.

Five of the fish were sent Tuesday to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's biology department for analysis, and the results will be announced in a week.

Experts want to know if there are any signs of pollution or disease in the entrails or gills.

High temperatures to blame?

One hypothesis is that the culprit is predatory fishing.

At this time of year, fishing is prohibited, but it is common for fishermen to still work, catching fish like sabalo that have a lower market value, Zee said.

But the expert said the likeliest scenario was that the deaths are caused by "thermal pollution" of the water.

Worried fishermen and islanders are

 pointing the finger at the petrochemical

 activities of state giant Petrobras (AFP

Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

"Sabalo are very sensitive to any lack of oxygen. Warm water temperatures such as those recorded several days ago -- ranging from 27 to 30 degrees Celsius (81 to 86 Fahrenheit) -- in shallow water decrease the solubility of oxygen," Zee said.

He noted that Paqueta is located at the bottom of the Rio bay, where water circulation and exchange is more difficult, a phenomenon exacerbated by the low tide.

"What is striking is the duration of this mortality and also the high temperature of the water," said biologist Mario Moscatelli, who has studied the bay's waters for 20 years.

"I flew over the area in early October, and fish were floating. At first, we thought they were thrown into the sea by fishermen. But before too long, I saw them dying in a way that seemed they were missing oxygen."

He said the sabalo, being more sensitive, are the first fish to die in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, which contains sea water carried through a canal in Rio's southern zone.

"But in case of chemical contamination, other species will die," he said. "We have more questions than answers. We must wait for the results of the analysis."

High levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in Asian farmed fish

DutchNews.nl, Friday 07 November 2014

(NOS)

Spot checks of fish and prawns which have been farmed in Asia found that half contain bacteria which is resistant to antibiotics, according to animal rights organisation Wakker Dier.

The foundation had 43 samples of Asian fish and prawns tested for bacteria. One prawn sample was even found to have ESBL, an enzyme which prevents many antibiotics from working. It has previously been detected in meat but never before in fish, Wakker Dier said.

Campaign leader Hanneke van Ormondt says fish such as tilapia and pangasius are raised in giant tanks in Vietnam and Thailand and given huge amounts of antibiotics to combat illness. Antibiotics are also used to stimulate the fish to grow more quickly, she said.

Checks

If the fish is not properly cooked, the bacteria can also have an impact on human health by stopping antibiotics from working.

The Dutch food safety body NVWA said in 2009 there should be a proper system of checks on fish but this has not yet been developed, broadcaster Nos says.

A spokesman for the food retailers' association CBL said this is now a priority. ‘We are going to increase our checks on fish farms and make it clear they should use fewer antibiotics,’ a spokesman told Nos.

Jokowi Cancels Sunda Strait Bridge Project

Jakarta Globe, Nov 04, 2014

Hundreds of motorists wait to board ferries at Merak Port in Banten on the western tip
 of Java to cross to Lampung in Sumatra. The government has halted an ambitious plan to
build a bridge that would have addressed the crowding at the port. (AFP Photo)

Jakarta. The administration of President Joko Widodo will not pursue an ambitious plan to build a bridge between the islands of Java and Sumatra, senior officials have said.

“Joko has reviewed the project [and] I’m sure that the project is not an option for at least the next 10 to 15 years,” Andrinof Chaniago, the minister for national development planning, said as quoted by Kompas.com.

He said Joko preferred instead to focus on improving boat services between the country’s two most populated islands, as part of his wider effort to leverage Indonesia’s maritime potential.

“We’ll opt for improvements in [the existing] sea transportation. We want comfortable ships, more docks if needed. When we’re done with those, then we can go ahead with the Sunda Strait bridge project,” Andrinof said.

Plans to build a bridge have been mooted since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the administration of Joko’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, that the idea got more serious attention.

A pre-feasibility study was kicked off in October 2007, and in January 2010 Yudhoyono issued a regulation on the formation of technical teams for the development. The whole project was expected to take eight to 10 years to complete, at an estimated cost of at least $10 billion.

However, chief economics minister Sofyan Djalil denied that the Yudhoyono administration had any expectation of starting the project this year.

“There was never any fixed decision on the Sunda Strait bridge,” he said on Monday as quoted by Detik.com. “There were problems about the money and the local governments involved. Even when Yudhoyono’s term was up there was no decision on this. It remained an idea. Now, it’s not in line with [Joko’s] maritime concept, so that’s the problem.”

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said separately on Monday that the cancellation was prudent, given that the bridge would serve only the economic development of Java and Sumatra, and not that of the less-developed regions in the country’s east.

The scrapping of the project is not without its critics, though. Marwan Cik Asan, a legislator from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, questioned the lack of an open discussion leading up to the decision.

“There are no good reason behind the scrapping,” he said as quoted by Antara. “The people have been waiting for this project. Citing the maritime aspect and development inequality as reasons [for not continuing] isn’t good enough.”

'Great Garuda' wall to save Jakarta from rising sea level

A plan to build a billion-dollar dam to stop Indonesia's capital Jakarta from sinking into the sea has been launched. The project will take 30 years to complete, and create housing and jobs for almost a million people.

Deutsche Welle, 3 Nov 2014

The Garuda is a powerful, mythical creature, and the emblem of the Republic of Indonesia. It originally comes from an Indian myth, in which the creature – half-man, half-eagle - steals an elixir from the gods that promises immortality. The Jakarta metropolis is now trying to ensure its own future, by building the "Great Garuda" – a 35-kilometer-long protective wall in the shape of its namesake. The wall is placed on the country's coastline a few kilometers out to sea, designed to protect Indonesia's capital from the rising sea level.

Sinking metropolis, rising sea

The situation for the bustling metropolis is alarming. Built on a former swamp, Jakarta is serviced by drains largely left over from the Dutch colonial area. There is virtually no functioning waste disposal system, and clean water is in constant demand. So much groundwater is pumped into the city that the soil level sinks by about seven centimeters per year – in some districts this doubles to 14 centimeters. Meanwhile, ongoing climate change is seeing sea levels rise around the world. "This combination means that in 10 to 15 years large parts of Indonesia will be underwater," says Victor Coenen, team leader with Dutch construction company Witteveen + Bos' Jakarta office, who is the main contractor on the construction of the wall. At least half a million people will be directly affected by the wall's construction.

 A graphic of the finished Garuda
dam project

The Garuda dam project will help provide clean drinking water for Jakarta's residents

Now, in a joint initiative between the Indonesian and Dutch governments, a rescue plan has been formulated – one that will radically change the entire city's coastline. Behind the gigantic protective wall several lagoons will be built, acting as catchments for the thirteen rivers that flow into the Java Sea, while hopefully also helping to stop the annual flooding of parts of the capital during the rainy season. "All these rivers are so dirty we thought we should try tackle this problem at the same time," Coenen told DW. So that the lagoons don't also become polluted, sewage and water treatment plants, as well as garbage disposal infrastructure, will be built throughout the city. In addition, the dam is equipped with large pumping stations, helping to provide drinking water for the city's residents.

Integrated into the cityscape

During the project's implementation, both governments will rely on the expertise of several Dutch construction companies who already have experience with similar projects along the Dutch coast – though not on a scale like this. "Various components of this plan have already been implemented elsewhere in the world," says Coenen, referring, for instance, to the 30 kilometer-long Afsluitdijk, which has separated the IJssel River from the North Sea in his homeland since the 1930s. "What has not been done," the engineer continued, "is to completely integrate such a mammoth dam into a cityscape. There we are definitely entering uncharted territory."

Furthermore, behind the dam, on several artificially- created islands, a whole new neighborhood will rise, with housing for around 300,000 people and 600,000 new jobs. For this to happen the current coastline will have to be extended seven kilometers out into the sea. "This housing is desperately needed for a rapidly expanding Jakarta," says Coenen. "At the same time, the wall will have to be integrated into the new coastline. The difficulty lies in running the wall through the city, so that's it not easily recognisable."

A mammoth task

The "Great Garuda" wall in Jakarta is truly a mammoth project. It will cost up to 40 million US-dollars to construct, and is estimated to take around 35 years to complete. "It will be one of the three largest dams ever built in the world," says Victor Coenen. But he is confident the purely technical side at least will not be too problematic. "Many construction companies can handle a project like this. They have already proven they can do it."

More difficult is the financing, and the management of the project, which the Indonesian government is looking after. "If you just build a dam, that's no problem. Just sign a contract with a building contractor, you pay, and he delivers," said Coenen. "But if you are essentially building an entire new city, then there are so many contractors that it can be almost impossible to keep all the finances under control" – especially in a country like Indonesia, where rampant corruption remains a major problem.

"Large projects always involve large risks," said Coenen. But Jakarta is running out of time, and the engineer believes in the success of the project, even if he will not be in office when it is completed. By 2030 the dam will be standing, "but only in the middle of the century," said Coenen, "will the entire project be completed." This means it could take another 40 years for Garuda to lay his protective wings around Indonesia's capital.

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Australia confident of Antarctic marine reserve in 2015

Yahoo – AFP, November 1, 2014

Australia confident of Antarctic marine reserve in 2015

Sydney (AFP) - Australia said on Saturday it was confident its plans for a marine reserve to protect biodiversity in East Antarctica would succeed next year, after international talks in Hobart failed to agree on the measure.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting closed late Friday with the 25 members unable to reach consensus on two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Australia's joint proposal with France and the European Union for reserves in East Antarctic waters was blocked by China and Russia, as was another put forward by New Zealand and the United States for the Ross Sea, environmental campaigners said.

"While Australia is disappointed consensus was not achieved, we are pleased about the constructive nature of the discussions we have had over the last two weeks," Australian delegation leader Tony Fleming said.

Fleming said while some members had supported the changes to the East Antarctic bid, which had been reduced in size from 1.9 million square kilometres (760,000 square miles) to one million square kilometres since 2011, others felt more changes were needed.

"Some countries had reservations about the area covered in the MPA and the process for determining when activities need to be managed in the multiple use areas, but we are confident we will be able to address these issues before the next meeting," he said in a statement.

"Australia is optimistic CCAMLR will be ready to adopt the East Antarctic MPAs when we next meet in 2015."

Conservationists slammed the failure of the meeting to agree to marine reserves in the remote and wild Antarctic waters, saying the Southern Ocean needed to be protected from fishing.

"Another year of inaction means another year that these near-pristine waters and their remarkable biodiversity are open to the threat of industrial fishing," said Andrea Kavanagh, from the Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-governmental organisation.

"The proposed designations would have ensured the long-term protection of many species, including penguins, seals and whales."

The Ross Sea proposal would have included a roughly 1.34 million square kilometre reservation, in the area often referred to as the "Last Ocean" due to its pristine condition.

Environmentalists say the Southern Ocean is home to more than 10,000 unique species, including penguins, whales and colossal squid, as well as a region critical for scientific research, including studies on climate change.