Everyone was totally soaked in the rustic Malay kampong lifestyle at Sibu Island.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Old Pulau Sakeng before land reclaimation
Above are some of the photos of my parents who visited the island in 1993 before the resettlement of the residents of Pulau Sakeng to the mainland. My mum said that there was no electricity or water on the island. Fresh water suppy had to be obtained from Pulau Bukom. Residents collected rainwater for washing and bathing. Also, few households had generators to power the electricity. Majority of the households used kerosene lamps.
Posted by Cedric Chew
My personal experience at Sibu Island, Malaysia
Two years ago, I chanced upon an oyster coral at low tide during my Boys' Brigade overseas excursion at Sibu Island in Malaysia. One of my tour members pried open the oyster shells with a screwdriver. Though the oysters were very tiny, they were very fresh.
When the tide came in, we went canoeing.
Some of us tasted the coconuts that were freshly plucked from the tree by one of the villagers. His tree climbing skill was amazing.
That trip was my first experience of staying in a kelong and I had learned valuable lessons about the lifestyles of a Malay kampong.
Posted by Cedric Chew
History of Pulau Semakau landfill
The landfill was formed by joining P.Semakau to P.Sakeng with rock bunds.Both islands used to be small Malay fishing villages.Most of the villagers were subsistence fishers who made their living off a reef flat. Their wooden houses ( Kelong ) were built on stilts.
One of the oldest residents at P.Semakau continued to live on the island even after the settlers were relocated to the mainland. He eventually moved out as the jetty fell into despair. This was like a modern day condominium enbloc sale episode whereby people were forced to move out of their familar habitats to make way for development. It is a pity that the two sea villages ( Kampong laut ) no longer exist today. We can draw comfort that the public can still have access to the island for birdwatching, fishing and intertidal walks.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Everyone has a part to play.
There is HOPE !
The POWER is YOURS !
Let's get together and save our reefs for the benefits of our future generations.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Individual efforts to save the reefs
(1) Do not litter. Dispose them appropriately on land.
(2) Avoid touching corals. Extensive long-term damage can be caused by landing, standing or kneeling on corals.
(3) Never chase the marine creatures or alter their daily habits by your presence.
(4) Do not feed the fish so as not to change their feeding habits or introduce disease into their habitat.
(5) Do not collect shells, corals or animals.
(6) Anchor your boat away from the coral reefs.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Threats of our Southern Island Reefs
The Southern Islands are the last of our shores currently spared from extensive land reclaimation. There are plans to turn the Southern Island into resorts and villas for wealthy tourists and individuals.
It would be a pity if this were to happen as Singaporeans would have even fewer own nature reserves to explore and limited places for simple and cheap recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, picnic or camping under the stars.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Negative impacts on sedimentation
Sedimentation of our Southern waters due to coastal development ( land reclaimation and construction) has reduced visibility from 10m in the 1960s to 2m or less today.
Sedimentation is like the haze. It blocks out sunlight and affects growth of our hard corals. Hard corals are made up of tiny animals called polyps that harbours microscopic algae. The algae produce nutrients using sunlight, through photosynthesis and shares this food with the polyps. Sedimentation also coats the polyps.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Dire Facts about Singapore reefs
About 60% of our local reefs are already been destroyed,and another 15% is expected to be wiped out through current coastal development.
There are close to 200 species of hard corals near the S'pore harbour. There are also rich diversity of marine life such as clown anemonefishes ( also known as 'Nemo'),anemone shrimps, sea horses, giant clams
, octopus and more.There is no need to dive in order to explore the reefs. Our reefs are visible at low tides in the South-west of Singapore such as Labrador, Sentosa, Kusu Island, St John's Island, Sisters Island and Lazarus Island.
Posted by Cedric Chew
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
BIODIVERSITY
Coral reefs support an extraordinary biodiversity; although they are located in nutrient-poor tropical waters. The process of nutrient cycling between corals, zooxanthellae, and other reef organisms provides an explanation for why coral reefs flourish in these waters: recycling ensures that fewer nutrients are needed overall to support the community.
- keane
Dynamite fishing
Dynamite fishing is another extremely destructive method that fishermen use to harvest small fish. Sticks of dynamite, grenades, or home-made explosives are lit or activated and thrown in the water. Once the dynamite goes off the explosion brings about an underwater shockwave, causing the internal organs of fish to liquefy, killing them almost instantly. A second blast is often set off after the first to kill any larger predators that are attracted to the initial kill of the smaller fish. This method of fishing not only kills the fish within the main blast area, but also takes the lives of many reef animals that are not edible or wanted. Also, many of the fish do not float to the surface to be collected, but sink to the bottom. The blast also kills the corals in the area, eliminating the very structure of the reef, destroying the habitat for fish and other animals important for the maintenance of a healthy reef. Areas that used to be full of coral become deserts, full of coral rubble, dead fish and little else after dynamite fishing. With dynamite fishing especially around the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, have caused a vast majority of problems. With the rising sea level already the coral reefs act as a natural defence against flooding. With the dynamite fishing, the coral reefs are destroyed making the islands more vulnerable to flooding.
-keane
Land development and pollution
Extensive and poorly managed land development can threaten the survival of coral reefs. Within the last 20 years, once prolific mangrove forests, which absorb massive amounts of nutrients and sediments from runoff caused by farming and construction of roads, buildings, ports, channels, and harbors, are being destroyed. Nutrient-rich water causes fleshy algae and phytoplankton to thrive in coastal areas in suffocating amounts known as algal bloom. Coral reefs are biological assemblages adapted to waters with low nutrient content, and the addition of nutrients favors species that disrupt the balance of the reef communities. Both the loss of wetlands and mangrove habitats are considered to be significant factors affecting water quality on inshore reefs.
-keane
Monday, August 25, 2008
Coral reefs are one of the most beautiful things in the world,
but in recent years, their numbers have been declining.
currently, there are some divers who bring along a coral back with them,
thinking that it will not be a huge problem.
however, imagine this scenario:
if everyone who goes diving take a coral home,
then there will be no more corals left in the world in due time!!
-keane
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