The Babbler 39 by BirdLife International

The Babbler Number 39 - November 2011

Edwards’s Pheasant Lophura edwardsi (© Brendan Wenzel)

Number 39 - November 2011

CONTENTS

Working together for birds and people

BirdLife International in Indochina is a subregional programme of the BirdLife Secretariat operating in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It currently has two offices in the region: Vietnam Programme Office Room 211-212, D1 building, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound; 298 Kim Ma street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, Vietnam P.O. Box 89 6 Dinh Le, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: +84-4-3 514 8904 Cambodia Programme Office #9, Street 29 Tonle Basac, Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia P.O.Box: 2686 Tel/Fax: +855 23 993 631 www.birdlifeindochina.org

• Comment • Features • Regional News

• IBA News • Rarest of the rare

Myitsone dam, Myanmar suspended Rhino horn openly traded in Vietnam Business boom depletes forests Weak enforcement allows tiger trade to flourish How to fight organised wildlife crime in East Asia Experts warn hydropower plants will kill Cat Tien national park New population of rare gibbon discovered in Pu Mat National Park, Vietnam White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri

• Project Updates

CEPF- Regional Implementation Team updates Climate Change Impacts on the Conservation of Birds in Asia New Hope from Nan Thar Island and Bay of Martaban, Myanmar

• Reviews

Burma’s Environment: People, Problems, Policies ElefantAsia’s new book ’32 Souls’

• Publication

White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri: Vietnam’s rarest endemic passerine? Observations on the spread and extent of alien invasive plant species in six protected areas in Cambodia Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis

• Photo spot • Profile

Belinda Stewart-Cox - British conservationist in Thailand receives OBE • From the archives The birth of an ecological vision in art

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Comment

wo shocking revelations this quarter: the Edwards’s Pheasant, a Vietnamese endemic may be extinct in the wild and the Myitsone dam in Myanmar has been postponed. Work undertaken by the World Pheasant Association together with BirdLife as part of a BirdLife/ CEPF small grant failed to find any evidence of the species, despite a major camera trap effort at two sites from which it was reported, including Dakrong Nature Reserve. Snaring effort was so great at the two survey sites almost no terrestrial vertebrates were recorded. Further survey effort will be required next year to clarify the picture but the first global pheasant extinction looks closer.

The Babbler is the quarterly newsletter of BirdLife International in Indochina. This quarter The Babbler was compiled by Tran Thi Thanh Huong Huong@birdlife.org.vn and edited by Jonathan C. Eames, Eames@birdlife. org.vn. The views expressed are those of contributors and are not necessarily those of BirdLife International.

The postponement of the Myitsone dam by the President of Myanmar was a surprise turnaround. Whether this decision remains permanent only time will. However, the decision is a victory for civil society in Myanmar. The Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, the BirdLife Affiliate in Myanmar, lead the team that produced the environmental impact assessment for the project (download here) and they can take pride in knowing their work informed the public debate and contributed to this outcome. It should be noted though that the Myitsone dam was only one of a number of cascade dams planned as part of the scheme and the decision does not effect the construction of the remainder. This decision surely also send a signal to the governments of the United States and the European Union that Myanmar will not always do China’s bidding and wishes to reach westward. Time for the west respond by relaxing sanctions further in key areas like environmental assistance. The abolition of controls relating to transfer and receipt of donor funds arising in the USA would be a good start. Lastly I would like to congratulate my colleagues Belinda Stewart-Cox and Stephen Rumsey who both recently and much deservedly were awarded OBEs in The Queen’s birthday honours list

Jonathan C. Eames OBE Programme Manager BirdLife International in Indochina Photo credit: Andrew Huntley 3

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Feature

Myitsone dam, Myanmar suspended By Rachel Harvey “There’s a widespread perception that China has taken advantage of Myanmar’s situation over these past decades,” according to Thant Myint-U, author of Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia. “Myanmar can benefit enormously from Chinese trade and investment, but there is almost bound to be a backlash if Chinese projects are undertaken with zero transparency and little concern for their impact on local communities.”

The dam on the Irrawaddy would have created a reservoir slightly bigger than Singapore

n a rare concession, the Myanmar government has suspended a long planned and highly controversial hydroelectric dam project in the face of growing public opposition. The campaign against the construction of the Myitsone dam brought together conservationists, scholars, and political activists including Aung San Suu Kyi, and had become a serious test for the new civilian-led, military-backed government. Myitsone was being developed jointly by the state Myanmar Ministry of Electric Power, the privately-owned Asia World Company of Myanmar and the China

Power Investment Corporation. Scheduled for completion in 2019, the dam would have created a reservoir some 766 sq km (296 square miles) - an area slightly bigger than Singapore. The vast bulk of the electricity generated - some reports say as much as 90% - was destined for export to China. Myitsone had become something of a cause celebre for those who fear China’s growing influence in Myanmar. Beijing, exploiting the void created by international sanctions, has moved rapidly to harvest Myanmar’s rich natural resources.

Myitsone is, or rather was, being built at the head of the Irrawaddy - the confluence of the Mali and N’Mai rivers - in Kachin state. It’s an area of rich biodiversity, less than 100km from a tectonic fault line. Or to put it another way, Myitsone was a huge construction project in an environmentally sensitive, earthquakeprone area where armed ethnic minority Kachin fighters are battling the Burmese army. The Kachin Independence Organisation saw the dam as a direct threat to its “They are flooding, quite literally, the birthplace of Burma. That’s why so many are opposed.” Grace Mang, International Rivers

people and their livelihoods. Thousands of local villagers have already been resettled to make way for the dam; thousands more would have been forced to move as the project developed. But there was no public consultation.

Myanmar’s birthplace The potential environmental impact is harder to gauge. There is no legal obligation in Myanmar to conduct any assessment, though the China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) did commission a study by Chinese and Burmese experts. The report has not been made public, but parts have been leaked to activists. It is understood to have recommended two smaller dams be built instead of one, but that advice was ignored. Campaigners outside Myanmar launched street protests to oppose the project According to Grace Mang, from lobby group International Rivers, the CPI instead said it would study the impact of the dam during its construction. “The whole point of conducting an impact assessment is to prevent or mitigate impacts before they occur,” she said. “If it’s found that the environmental or social impact is unacceptable, then the project shouldn’t be going ahead.” In the event, it may have been cultural 4

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Feature

Myitsone dam, Myanmar suspended (continued) and political calculations that led to the project being suspended. The Myitsone dam resonated well beyond the conservationist or Kachin communities because of its location, at the birthplace of the Irrawaddy. “The Irrawaddy is the Burmese people’s heritage, lifeline and civilisation,” said Aung Zaw, editor of the Irrawaddy news website. “Everyone feels attached to it. That’s the reason the campaign [against the dam] gained such support.” Outside Myanmar, activists from both environmental and human rights groups threw their weight behind the campaign. As Grace Mang put it: “They are flooding, quite literally, the birthplace of Burma. That’s why so many are opposed.”

‘Bold decision’ Despite the fact that the man responsible for the project, Myanmar’s minister of electric power, Zaw Min, only recently vowed that “we will never back down”, other government figures began to waver. A diplomatic source based in Yangon told the BBC: “There are signs of increasing unease among some ministers in Nay Pyi Taw. Maybe some political leaders do not want their legacy to be one of irreparable damage to the Irrawaddy.” This is, after all, a government that has been trying hard to convince a sceptical public at

home and abroad that it is different from its military predecessor and serious about reform. Speaking ahead of the announcement that the Myitsone project was to be put on ice, Burmese author Thant Myint-U put forward the view that the dam could be a perfect opportunity for the new administration to prove itself. “Suspending work on the dam would be the best sign so far that the new government is serious about taking popular concerns into account.” It seems Myanmar President Thein Sein agrees. The government will point to this decision as concrete evidence of its willingness to listen and to work in the interests of the people. Its critics will interpret the move as a cynical piece of public relations which can easily be reversed - the Myitsone project has, after all, only been suspended, not cancelled. Aung Zaw thinks the suspension of the Myitsone project may encourage Myanmar’s long-suffering activists. “It is a bold decision to stand up against China but there are several dams [due to] be built along the Irrawaddy,” he said. “What about other mega-projects with China, including the gas pipeline? I predict there will be more campaigns in the future.” -------------Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The dam on the Irrawaddy would have created a reservoir slightly bigger than Singapore

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Flooded forest protected by decree Sen David

ugust 31, 2011 - Almost 650,000 hectares of ecologically-rich flooded forest surrounding the Tonle Sap lake has been protected by a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday. The 647,406 hectare area spans sections of Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom provinces. The sub-decree orders the governors of each of the six provinces as well as the Tonle Sap authority and relevant ministries to preserve the area. “Each provincial governor has a duty to protect their own [seasonally] flooded forest area and [permanently] flooded forest,” the sub-decree read, adding that failure to take responsibility would result in government action. Pursat provincial governor Khoy Sokha said yesterday the sub-decree was an important step to protect against the exploitation of fish stocks in the Tonle Sap. “It is very necessary to demarcate flooded forest and protect it ... I’ve already had to order local authorities and watchdogs to protect [flooded forests] against offences in my area,” he said. The flooded forests that surround the Tonle Sap lake are a crucial source of nutrients sustaining its enormous populations of fish. Minh Bunly, a coordinator of Fishing Action Collision Team , which works to preserve the biodiversity of the Tonle Sap lake, said the sub-decree would benefit both the environment and the people who depended on it, provided it was enforced. “When there is more fish and forest, it improves human living standards,” she said..” -------------Source: Phnom Penh Post

regional news

Fisheries move may net gain for Tonle Sap By Meas Sokchea and Daniel Sherrell

ugust 17, 2011 - Prime minister Hun Sen announced yesterday that 35 privately owned fishing lots in the Tonle Sap lake had been seized by the government due to their widespread destruction of fish resources. The enclosed lots, often measuring several square kilometres, are surrounded by netting. The operation of the lots will be suspended for at least three years, “in order to increase fish populations”, Hun Sen said. Non-commercial “family fishing” will still be allowed in the lake, he said, adding that some of the seized lots would be set aside as protected areas. Speaking out strongly against fishing-lot owners during an inauguration of an upgrade of National Road 1 in Kandal province, the prime minister said that many had been using banned gill nets, harvesting fish under the legal size limit, and using the poisonous chemical acetylene to drive fish out of flooded forests and into their lots. “The owners of the fishing lots and local fisheries officials are lucky that they’re not being taken to court,” Hun Sen said, adding that the 35 lots were spread over Battambang, Siem Reap, Pursat, Kampong Thom and Kampong Chhnang provinces.

The prime minister said he had ordered Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chan Sarun to confiscate all illegal fishing gear from the Tonle Sap lots. “If the owners complain that they can’t fish while Hun Sen is prime minister, then they can vote against me,” he said. Om Savath, deputy director of NGO Fisheries Action Coalition Team, welcomed the decision, saying, “we have been urging political decisionmakers to do this for years”. “This is a good opportunity for fishermen to be able to better manage Tonle Sap fisheries and it will facilitate more sustainable fishing practices that support local community livelihoods,” he said, adding that it could also help protect threatened aquatic species. Ly Savuth, the owner of a fishing lot in Pursat province, said “this is the government’s policy, so let them do it”, declining to comment further. -----------Source: Phnom Penh Post Photo: Tonle Sap river. Pochanak.webs.com 6

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Chinese Rhino Cups Set ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Record By Jill Serjeant, Reuters

Three episodes produced from the Tulsa event will air on the program, which is broadcast on PBS, sometime in 2012. The second highest-value U.S. appraisal

Forest on the auction block By May Titthara

uly 25, 2011 - A collection of Chinese cups carved from rhinoceros horns has become the most valuable find in the 16-year history of the television program “Antiques Roadshow” in the United States. The five cups, believed to date from the late 17th or early 18th century were valued at $1-$1.5 million on Saturday after being brought to the TV show at a stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The owner, who prefers to remain unidentified, told Asian arts expert Lark Mason he started collecting cups inexpensively in the 1970s and had no idea of the collection’s current value. Chinese antiques have been fetching strong prices in recent years, dramatically increasing the value of the collection. “As we continue our 16th season production tour here in Tulsa, we couldn’t be more excited about such an extraordinary, rare treasure, and we look forward to sharing it with the nation,” executive producer Marsha Bemko said in a statement on Monday.

regional news

recorded by “Antiques Roadshow” was of a collection of Chinese carved jade bowls, estimated to be worth as much as $1.07 million. They were discovered in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2009. “Antiques Roadshow” started as a TV series in Britain in 1979 and has several international versions -----------Source: Reuters Photo: Chinese cups carved from rhinoceros horns WGBH/PBS

ugust 9, 2011 - Almost 30,000 hectares of a wildlife sanctuary in Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces have been reclassified as state private land for agricultural development, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups.

diverse species that were protected by law.

Four sub-decrees signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 22 reclassify land in the Kulen Promptep sanctuary, paving the way for its development.

“In the government, they do focus on land concessions; they increased them last month and this month. It’s very strange,” Wutty Chut said.

They cover 12,820 hectares in Preah Vihear and Siem Reap provinces and 15,450 hectares in Oddar Meanchey’s Anlong Veng district.

During the past year, land concessions amounting to tens of thousands of hectares have been granted to companies.

Thuk Kreun Vutha, secretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, said the government had conducted environmental impact assessments and deemed wildlife would not be affected. “Now, this wildlife sanctuary has no more wildlife. It is eroded land,” he said. But Wutty Chut, director of the Natural Resource Protect-ion Group, said that although Ministry of Environment officials had failed to curb illegal poaching and logging in the sanctuary, the area still contained areas of healthy forest and

Businessmen developing agriculture in other forest areas reclassified recently, such as the Phnom Oral wildlife sanctuary, had planted token crops to conceal their real activity, which was logging , he said.

Concessions signed by Hun Sen in February and April gave more than 55,000 hectares of national park to private companies under 99-year leases for agricultural development. Ouch Leng, head of the land programme at rights group Adhoc, said villagers in protected areas that were sold to companies rarely received adequate compensation. “We don’t understand government policy. Why does it give land to private firms, but not consider the impact on people?” ------------Source: Phnom Penh Post 7

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Protected forest ‘is finished’

regional news

By May Titthara and Daniel Sherrell

ugust 11, 2011 - In the latest government-backed appropriation of protected land, nearly 20,000 hectares of the Boeung Per wildlife sanctuary have been reclassified as state private land for agro-industrial development. Two sub-decrees, obtained by The Post this week and initialed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 22, officially reclassified the 19,829 hectares located in the Romny commune of Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district without naming the companies that had been approved to develop the site. It follows an additional four sub-decrees that reclassified almost 30,000 hectares within the Kulen Promtep wildlife sanctuary, north of Boeung Per. The decision came less than a month after community representatives convened in Rovieng district to express concern over a series of large economic land concessions they claim are decimating the wildlife sanctuary and the people who rely on its natural resources. Many residents in and around the sanctuary, including members of the Kui ethnic minority, have been unable to collect the resin and other non-timber products which sustain their livelihood, said Chhut Vuthy, director of the Natural Resources Protection Group. “The people are trying to protect the forest, they’ve asked the government for help, but all their complaints are ignored,” he said yesterday. Established by Royal Decree in 2003, the sanctuary is believed to encompass 242,500 hectares of forest stretching over four districts in Kampong Thom province and one district in Preah Vihear province. Chhut Vuthy added that, along with the valuable resin

trees, Boeung Per supports populations of fishing cat, muntjac deer, and other threatened species. Thuk Kroeun Vutha, secretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, said yesterday that the government had assessed the impact and concluded that the reclassification did not affect the wildlife sanctuary. “This area is a degraded forest,” he contended. Noun Skun, 60, a representative of the Preah Vihear Community Network for Action, claimed that at least eight companies have received concessions within the sanctuary. “With this latest 20,000 hectare reclassification, Boeung Per is finished,” he said. Four of the companies - Mekong Rubber Co, Sovanpaum Co, Try Pheap Import Export Co Ltd and An Mady Group Co Ltd, - have already begun clearing concession land to make way for large rubber plantations, said Chhut Vuthy. “At least six trucks filled with timber are leaving the site per day,” he said, adding that, “some of the companies have cleared nearly 100 percent of their land”. Two of the companies involved may be linked by more than business. Lim Heng, a representative of An Mady Group Co Ltd, confirmed that company owner, Okhna An Mady, is the father of the Sovanapaum Co’s owner. Neither Oum Mara, the provincial governor of Preah Vihear province, nor deputy governor Sar Thavy could be contacted. cted land, nearly 20,000 hectares of the Boeung Per wildlife sanctuary have been reclassified as state private land for agro-industrial development. Two sub-decrees, obtained by The Post this week and initialed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on July 22, officially reclassified the 19,829 hectares located in the Romny

A tree in Boeung Per Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo source: Photo Supplied

commune of Preah Vihear’s Rovieng district without naming the companies that had been approved to develop the site. It follows an additional four sub-decrees that reclassified almost 30,000 hectares within the Kulen Promtep wildlife sanctuary, north of Boeung Per. The decision came less than a month after community representatives convened in Rovieng district to express concern over a series of large economic land concessions they claim are decimating the wildlife sanctuary and the people who rely on its natural resources. Many residents in and around the sanctuary, including members of the Kui ethnic minority, have been unable to collect the resin and other non-timber products which sustain their livelihood, said Chhut Vuthy, director of the Natural Resources Protection Group. 8

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regional news

Damning revelations

Protected forest....(continued) “The people are trying to protect the forest, they’ve asked the government for help, but all their complaints are ignored,” he said yesterday. Established by Royal Decree in 2003, the sanctuary is believed to encompass 242,500 hectares of forest stretching over four districts in Kampong Thom province and one district in Preah Vihear province. Chhut Vuthy added that, along with the valuable resin trees, Boeung Per supports populations of fishing cat, muntjac deer, and other threatened species. Thuk Kroeun Vutha, secretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, said yesterday that the government had assessed the impact and concluded that the reclassification did not affect the wildlife sanctuary. “This area is a degraded forest,” he contended. Noun Skun, 60, a representative of the Preah Vihear Community Network for Action, claimed that at least eight companies have received concessions within the sanctuary. “With this latest 20,000 hectare reclassification, Boeung Per is finished,” he said. Four of the companies - Mekong Rubber Co, Sovanpaum Co, Try Pheap Import Export Co Ltd and An Mady Group Co Ltd, - have already begun clearing concession land to make way for large

rubber plantations, said Chhut Vuthy. “At least six trucks filled with timber are leaving the site per day,” he said, adding that, “some of the companies have cleared nearly 100 percent of their land”. Two of the companies involved may be linked by more than business. Lim Heng, a representative of An Mady Group Co Ltd, confirmed that company owner, Okhna An Mady, is the father of the Sovanapaum Co’s owner. Neither Oum Mara, the provincial governor of Preah Vihear province, nor deputy governor Sar Thavy could be contacted. ------------Source: Phnom Penh Post

ugust 5, 2011 - An environmental group has accused the Lao government of “unilaterally” pushing forward with construction on the controversial US$3.8 billion Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River, despite serious concerns about the project and an incomplete regional decision-making process. In a statement released yesterday, conservation group International Rivers said that a field visit to the proposed dam site late last month revealed that construction on an access road and work-camp was proceeding in spite of commitments from Laos to temporarily suspend the project. “By building this dam, Laos is disregarding its regional commitments and robbing the future of millions of people in the region who rely upon the river for their livelihood and food security,” Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia Program Director for International Rivers, said. The release also stated that a meeting of the four lower Mekong countries – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – in Phnom Penh today to discuss further steps in the Mekong River Commission’s consultation process had been postponed “without explanation”. Following a special meeting in April of the MRC – a regional body established under a 1995 agreement to manage the Mekong River – the four countries said they would delay a decision on whether to conclude discussion on the project until a ministerial meeting later this year.

By Mary Kozlovski MRC communications officer Surasak Glahan said yesterday that the Lao National Mekong Committee had not responded to a letter sent by the MRC requesting clarification on media reports about construction at the proposed dam site. “At present Laos PDR is still committed to the formal [MRC] consultative process,” he said, adding that today’s meeting had been postponed to accommodate the new head of the Lao NMC.Te Navuth, secretary general of the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, could not be reached. In June, International Rivers accused the Lao government of going “rogue” after documents obtained by The Post revealed that the director general of the department of energy promotion and development at the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines claimed that Vientiane had already met its obligations under the MRC consultation process. At an informal donor meeting later that month, development partners requested that the Lao government clarify reports that its Ministry of Energy and Mines considered the decision-making process “already complete”. Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam have expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed dam. International Rivers believes that the project would forcibly resettle more than 2,000 people and could impact the livelihoods of millions of people in the region. -------------Source: Phnom Penh Post 9

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

regional news

Three new bat species discovered in Indochina

hree new bat species have been discovered after an international team of scientists from the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) embarked on a study in southern Indochina. Nocturnal and secretive, bats are often overlooked components of tropical diversity. The study, commissioned to address this lack of knowledge, has turned up three new bat species. Among these is the aptly named Beelzebub’s tube-nosed bat, a diminutive but demonic-looking creature known only from Vietnam. The etymology of the species is explained in the Journal of Mammalogy, in which the citation appears: “Beelzebub commonly appears as a high ranking personality of the underworld in Christian texts, in both Old and New testaments, although one of the presumed original meanings of the name is ‘Lord of the Flies’.” Dr Gabor Csorba of the HNHM further clarifies, “We chose the name Beelzebub to reflect the dark ‘diabolic’ colouration of the new species and its fierce protective behaviour in the field.”

The Indochinese Silvered Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus germaini in Lao PDR

Murina beelzebub © Gabor Csorba/HNHM.

racing to document the poorly known bat fauna of the region. “Though bats already represent nearly a third of South-East Asian mammals, recent genetic research suggests that the true number of species in the region may be twice that presently known,” noted Professor Paul Racey, FFI Vice Chairman and IUCN Bat Specialist Group representative.

“Discovering these new species, while exciting, really represents just the beginning,” added Dr Furey. “We know very little about the ecology of the group and the effects of forest degradation in particular, though some species are relatively common in secondary forest and roost in banana, a classic feature of such forests.” Read full paper “As with Beelzebub’s, the other two new -------------species belong to a distinctive group known Source: Gabor Csorba, Nguyen Truong as tube-nosed bats”, said Dr Neil Furey of FFI. Son, Ith Saveng and Neil M. Furey. Revealing “These species are highly adapted to forest cryptic bat diversity: three new Murina environments, a fact which renders them especially vulnerable to ongoing deforestation and redescription of M. tubinaris from in the region.” Surrounded by myth and facing Southeast Asia. Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 92, No.4, pages 891–904, 2011. Doi: a litany of threats, scientists are currently 10.1644/10-MAMM-A-269.1

he Indochinese silvered leaf monkey Trachypithecus germaini (perhaps comprising two species, T. germaini [sensu stricto] and T. margarita) is probably the rarest and most threatened monkey in Lao PDR. It has received less conservation-related attention in the country, however, than have the primates endemic to Indochina east of the Mekong because until recently it was generally considered conspecific with the widespread T. cristatus of Sundaic Southeast Asia. All Lao records with firm locality details are from south of 16°23’N (in Dong Phou Vieng National Protected Area) and in lowland forests (up to 550 m above sea level), with many from near waterbodies. The predominant habitat seems to be semi-evergreen forest as patches and strips within a mosaic of more deciduous forest types, especially semi-evergreen forest in riparian and other waterside situations. Occupied semi-evergreen forest seems generally at the dry end of its spectrum, with a high deciduous tree component (this is the predominant type in interior plains-level Indochina), where this forest type grades to what some call mixed deciduous forest. Few if any records come from the interior of extensive unbroken semi-evergreen forest, or from highly-deciduous mixed-deciduous forest. Occupied areas include narrow stands flanking watercourses in deciduous dipterocarp forest, but there are no records from the more extensive

deciduous dipterocarp forest matrix itself. Vague reports suggest occurrence up to 1,200 m, but given the high survey effort in such habitat, the species is at best very rare above the lowlands. Lao villager reports, and comparison with its status in similar habitats in adjacent Cambodia, suggest steep declines in Lao PDR. Suitable habitat (as profiled above) naturally covers only a small part of the southern Lao landscape, is among Lao PDR’s most threatened habitats, and bears heavy hunting. Hence the great rarity of Indochinese silvered leaf monkeys compared with sympatric monkeys and gibbons, which inhabit the more extensive hill forests. There are records of the Indochinese silvered leaf monkey from only one Lao site since 2001. Although appropriate surveys during the 2000s have been limited, the species may now be extremely rare in the country and should join other, better publicized, bird and mammal species of these southern lowland plains landscapes as in need of urgent conservation action. Read full paper -------------Source: R. J. Timmins, R. Steinmetz, M. K. Poulsen, T. D. Evans, J. W. Duckworth and R. Boonratana. The Indochinese Silvered Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus germaini (sensu lato) in Lao PDR. Primate Conservation 2011 (26) 10

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regional news

Rhino horn openly traded in Vietnam No dearth of rhino horns in Vietnamese stores despite moves by Vietnam and South Africa to prevent poaching and trade.

he pharmacist at Ky Ba Linh Store was very helpful and very clear.

To the Thanh Nien Weekly reporter posing as a customer looking for rhino horn to treat his father’s cancer, Nhung (last name not given) said: “I can get an Asian horn right away for you just with a phone call. But if you want an African one, you have to wait.”

September this year, 284 had already been poached. Some Vietnamese, especially the nouveau riche, are fueling the local demand for rhino horns, believing it can cure life-threatening diseases like cancer. International health experts and organizations have tried to dispel this notion by saying that the rhino horn, which - like fingernails - is composed of agglutinated hair and contains proteins like

status symbol, a means for people to flaunt their wealth. Rich people and well-to-do government officials have been known to gift rhino horns to each other. The demand for rhino horns in China and Vietnam has driven poaching to a 15-year-high and pushed the animals perilously close to extinction, a report by the WWF, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC said in July 2009. Vietnamese authorities have, however, shrugged off allegations that most of the rhino horn poached in South Africa is destined to Vietnam. Vietnam may be used as one of the transit points to much bigger Asian market[s], they maintain.

“African horns have run scarce over the past years so I cannot promise you anything.” The price was firm, no room for bargain: VND85 million (US$4,100) for one hundred grams of a rhino horn from Africa, and VND50 million for the same amount of an Asian horn. Nhung works for the Ky Ba Linh Store, one of the largest, if not the largest traditional Chinese medicine outlet on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, the hub for such stores in Ho Chi Minh City.

International trade in rhino horn was banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1993.

Bilateral bugbear

Black rhinoceros seen at the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. Both South Africa and Vietnam have a stake in addressing illegal trade in rhino horns that is driven by the false belief in its curative properties, conservationists say.

The African rhinos are confronting a conservation quagmire. Between 2000 and 2007, South Africa, where the international conservation group WWF said 90 percent of all rhinos live, about 12 rhinos were poached each year, according to national park authorities. But it has skyrocketed since. Last year 333 rhinos were killed in South Africa and almost all of them had their horns hacked off. There has been no slackening since. As of mid-

keratin, has no medicinal value. But many Asians are not swayed by such arguments and have maintained their faith in traditional Chinese medicine, which holds that rhino horn is an important restorative. Shaved or ground into powder, the horn is immersed in hot water and used to treat fever, arthritis, or high-blood pressure. Among affluent Vietnamese, the horn is also a

The growing horn demand in Vietnam and the continued hemorrhage of rhinos in South Africa has elevated the issue to such an extent that government delegations from the two countries have taken turns to visit each other to discuss solutions.

A delegation from Vietnam will visit South Africa towards the end of this month to discuss ways to stem the growth rhino poaching, AFP reported. “Of concern is that a lot of arrests of poachers in South Africa ... have been linked to criminal syndicates that 11

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regional news

Rhino horn openly traded in Vietnam....(continued) have links to Vietnam,” AFP quoted environment ministry spokesman Albi Modise as saying. The aim of the upcoming meeting is to “arrive at some sort of mechanism” to address rhino poaching, he said.

from their rhinos,” he said. “What is expected is that both countries will make a mutual effort to tackle the problem that involves their citizens.”

The forthcoming exchange follows a visit by South African officials with a stake in rhino conservation in Hanoi last October to address the growing illicit trade between the two countries.

Poachers from China and Vietnam have exploited a loophole for obtaining rhino horns by participating in legal trophy hunts in South Africa to re-sell the horns to smuggling rackets. Since 2008, South Africa has imposed various Conservationists in the field have been divided on whether restrictions, including allowing a single individual to conduct a single hunt over a 12 month period of time. the meeting would deliver results. Some believe this will again be all talk and no action, while others see hopeful “But those bent on illegal trade keep finding loopholes or signs. work with criminal elements in the sport hunting industry to evade controls,” said Tom Milliken, elephant & rhino program “The meeting and the mechanism to be developed coordinator at the wildlife trade monitoring network will not, in itself, resolve the problem, but it will advance TRAFFIC. collaborative efforts between source and consumer states, which can only serve to enhance the fight against this illegal trade,” said John E Scanlon, the secretary general of CITES. “There is now growing pressure to push for a total hunting ban,” Milliken said. “Any dialogue will help. The Vietnamese need to learn more about the crisis of rhino conservation in southern In August, the Kempton Park Magistrate Court sentenced Africa, while African conservationists and law enforcement Chu Duc Manh and Nguyen Phi Hung to 12 and 8 years in jail officials need to learn more about the cultural, economic respectively for illegal possession of rhino horns and fraud. and criminal aspects of rhino horn trade in Asia,” said Raoul The ruling was the stiffest penalty given for rhino-related du Toit, a Zimbabwean environmentalist who has won the crime in South Africa. Last year, before the football World prestigious Goldman Prize in recognition of his efforts to Cup festivities, three Vietnamese rhino horn smugglers were conserve critically endangered black-rhino populations. arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for attempting to transport rhino horn from South Africa to Vietnam. ‘Mutual effort’ Du Toit, who is also the Africa program coordinator for the International Rhino Foundation, stressed that the current calls for Vietnam to do more to curb illegal trade in rhino horn is not a matter of pointing fingers at the Vietnamese as being the culprits. “Many people in South Africa are also to blame for the poaching crisis, including a number of rhino owners who have illegally sold horns that they have derived

Most notably, in 2008, Vu Moc Anh, First Secretary of the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa, was filmed buying rhino horns from a known trader in front of the embassy building. Anh was summoned home by the government but it is not clear what action was taken against her. After the most recent jail terms were handed down to

two Vietnamese last month, Nguyen Trung Kien, counselor of the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa, reiterated that as a member of CITES, Vietnam doesn’t brook any illegal possession and trade in endangered species. “We have been educating all Vietnamese citizens in South Africa and those who travel to the country to adhere to the CITES regulations and domestic laws. We will not tolerate any participation by Vietnamese in the illegal rhino horn trade,” Kien said. However, back home in Vietnam, websites and traditional medicinal dealers still offer rhino horn publicly and appear to cater to every single need of consumers. The Moon Light Gold Company offers an unusual machine used to hold and pulverize chunks of rhino horn by rubbing them against dishes with rough interiors. The electronic grinders and ceramic bowls are on sale at a shop on Cong Hoa Street in HCMC’s Tan Binh District, fetching up to VND5.3 million. “If you want to place an order, just give us a call and two hours later, we will have it delivered to your place,” said Vu Duc Hiep, the shop manager. “Our people will also guide you to use the machine properly.” In April last year, the corpse of probably Vietnam’s last Javan rhino was found at Cat Tien National Park in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The animal’s horn and upper jaw bone had been removed. “The death and probable extinction of the rhino in Vietnam could have been a watershed moment for wildlife conservation in Vietnam, a wake up call to the government that previous and current approaches have failed and a catalyst for positive changes to how wildlife and habitats are conserved,” said Scott Roberton, Vietnam representative of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society. 12

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Rhino horn openly...(continued) “Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have made that impact. The proposal to build two dams in Cat Tien National Park, the last known home of the Rhino in Vietnam illustrates this perfectly,” Roberton said. “Perhaps it is the apparent lack of accountability for wildlife conservation that these lessons weren’t learnt – no-one looked at the systemic causes of the rhino’s extinction in Vietnam that has been in play for the last few decades, instead the focus was on why the last individual died which is in many ways is irrelevant as the species had effectively become extinct the moment there was only one animal anyway” ---------News and photo source: Thanh Nien News

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Vietnamese sentenced to 20 years for trading rhino horn

ugust 11, 2011 - South Africa’s recent ruling against two Vietnamese rhino horn smugglers caught in that country could deter other Vietnamese involved in the trade, an expert in anti-wildlife smuggling said. On August 4, the Kempton Park Magistrate Court sentenced Chu Duc Manh and Nguyen Phi Hung to 12 and 8 years in jail respectively for possession of rhino horns and fraud, the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa told Thanh Nien Weekly via email. The ruling was the stiffest penalty given for rhino crime in South Africa, said Tom Milliken, Elephant & Rhino Program Coordinator at the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC. “These are very strong sentences against people who were basically used by the criminal syndicates behind the illegal trade in rhino horns,” Milliken said. The duo was arrested at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Airport on June 11 in 2010. “As a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Vietnam doesn’t tolerate any illegal wildlife smuggling,” said Nguyen Trung Kien, Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa, adding that the embassy has taken action to ensure the duo was tried in accordance with local laws. According to TRAFFIC, ten years is the maximum prison term for violating South Africa’s National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 (NEMBA) and the sentence is to date the highest penalty handed out in the country for a wildlife crime. Milliken said the two men were only couriers and that hopefully the strict verdict would deter others involved in wildlife smuggling. “They probably would have been paid something like 5-10 percent of the value of the horns, so others were making the

In Asia, rhino horn is rumored to be able to cure anything from headaches to gout, fevers to rheumatism, according to CWI director Mark Jones.

greatest profits. Thus, these are very strong sentences against people who were basically used by the criminal syndicates behind the illegal trade in rhino horns,” he said. Milliken said he would not give black market rhino horn prices as he believes their publication can lead to further crime or have a corrupting effect upon law enforcement personnel. By July 15, a total of 218 rhinos had been poached in South Africa so far this year - one every 21 hours - an even faster pace than the rhino slaughter in 2010 that killed 333 animals, TRAFFIC said in a statement on August 4. A total of 20 poachers have been killed in shootouts in South Africa so far this year, and another 11 poachers injured. A total of 123 individuals have been arrested in South Africa for rhino crime, TRAFFIC said ---------News and photo source: Thanh Nien News 13

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Weak enforcement allows tiger trade to flourish NGOs can provide information if authorities are brave and willing to take action against well-known criminals.

uly 29, 2011 - Ten days before the world observes International Tiger Day (July 29) the frozen carcasses of three big cats were seized from a house in northern Vietnam. Police in Quang Ninh Province Tuesday announced the launch of a criminal probe into the case. The mature tiger carcasses were found in a house in the border town of Mong Cai. Tipped off by local residents, police raided the house of Hoang The Vinh in Ninh Duong Ward. Vinh told the police a Chinese man had asked him to temporarily store [them]. The July 19 raid is seen by experts as evidence that illegal trade in the endangered species continues unabated in Vietnam. In another case, a rare Sumatran tiger died after being caught in a boar trap in Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, AFP reported Tuesday. The 18-month-old tiger died within three hours of being tranquillized by local conservation officials in a failed effort to save it seven days after being trapped, said Greenpeace media campaigner Zamzami, who witnessed the incident.

“Across Asia, tigers are being illegally killed and traded to meet various consumer demands, pushing the species close to extinction,” international conservation group WWF said in a press release expressing concern over the rampant illegal trade in tiger parts. In Vietnam, tigers are trafficked mainly for parts used in medicinal tonics (tiger bone glue and wine), as well as for their meat, decorative skins, and for curios and souvenirs. Nick Cox, WWF’s Manager of Protected Areas, Species and Wildlife Trade, said Vietnam remains a major trade hub for tigers from other Southeast Asian countries into China, as well as a consuming country for tiger products itself. “As top predators, tigers keep populations of prey species in check, which maintains the balance and health of ecosystems. This, in turn, provides innumerable benefits to other species, including humans, who depend on ecosystems for livelihoods and ecological security such as clean drinking water and forest fruits and nuts,” he said. Pauline Verheij, tiger trade program manager for the wildlife trade monitor network TRAFFIC, said organized crime networks in Vietnam and beyond are facilitating the cross-border smuggling of tiger parts. She hailed Vietnam’s active participation

An Indochinese tiger, Mi, carries a cub at the Hanoi Zoo. Experts say Vietnam continues to be a regional hub for illegal trade in tiger parts, pushing the creature close to extinction.

in the development of the Global Tiger Recovery Program and Vietnam’s adoption of the Vietnamese National Tiger Recovery Priorities (NTRP) saying it showed the political will to take necessary measures to combat the illegal killing of and trade in tigers. “However, illegal trade in Vietnam still continues unabated,” she told Thanh Nien Weekly, urging Vietnamese agencies to conduct thorough investigations and take strict measures against every individual involved in the trade.

“What we would like to see is for this political will to be translated into the arrest and prosecution of the key people in Vietnam involved in the illegal trade,” she said. Steven Galster, director of the conservation NGO Freeland Foundation and Chief of Party at ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN) Support Program, also urged strict punishment against the actual people behind the tiger trade. “Unfortunately, some wildlife traffickers are quite rich and influential. In order to go after such powerful people, strong, 14

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Weak enforcement... (continued) interagency task forces, like the WENs are necessary. Otherwise, fear of Gosling and other experts called revenge or corruption wins the day,” he for the closure of tiger farms as they said. could worsen the illegal trade and push the endangered species closer to Instead of giving an example of extinction. where this happens, Galster said it is easier to note that hardly any major Pauline of TRAFFIC said there is wildlife trafficker in Southeast Asia has ample evidence that the tiger farms ever gone to jail. in Vietnam and neighboring countries are supplying the illegal tiger trade and “Vietnamese officials should fuelling demand for tiger parts. demonstrate bravery and love of their nation by arresting well known “If Vietnam is serious about clamping wildlife criminals. NGOs in Vietnam down on the illegal tiger trade, the and abroad are ready to provide tiger farms in Vietnam would be closed information to officials who are willing down,” she said. to take this bold step,” he wrote to Thanh Nien Weekly in an email. In May, the Vietnamese government ordered a survey of the tiger Meanwhile, Justin Gosling, Criminal population in Vietnam as well as an Intelligence Officer for Interpol assessment of tiger farming as part Environmental Crime Programs, called of efforts to protect the endangered for an increase in the salaries of species. government officials to prevent their collusion in illegal tiger trade. The WWF estimates that there are fewer than 30 wild tigers left in “The trade in tigers is highly lucrative Vietnam.. with some estimates reaching tens of ---------thousands of US dollars for a single News and photo source: By An Dien animal. Bearing in mind the relatively and Khanh An, Thanh Nien News low salaries of government officers engaged in fighting wildlife crime, and the acknowledged high level of corruption which fuels wildlife crime, it is quite possible for a tiger trader to take advantage of this situation,” he said.

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Vietnam observes International Tiger Day countries will attend a workshop in Hanoi to discuss implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP) – an overarching plan among the countries to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. All 13 countries are expected to implement a National Tiger Recovery Program under the GTRP.

uly 31, 2011 - Vietnam observed the International Tiger Day for the first time on Friday in Hanoi’s Thong Nhat Park. Activities included exhibitions, a film screening, performances by youth groups and school pupils and workshops to raise awareness of tiger conservation and calls to stop poaching of tigers and the consumption of tiger products. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the World Wildlife Fund, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, and the Global Tiger Initiative. Despite laws protecting them, tigers in Vietnam are still facing the threats of domestic hunting and illegal cross-border trade, a Friday seminar heard. Vietnam is now home to less than 30 tigers, and the big cat is on the verge of extinction, speakers said. Following the event, on August 2-4, international experts from the 13 tiger range

The focus on tiger conservation in Hanoi will continue on August 5 with a roundtable conference held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the GTI, where discussions will focus on wildlife trafficking and trade in Vietnam. July 29th was first declared International Tiger Day last year preceding the 2010 St Petersburg Tiger Summit, which brought together leaders from 13 tiger range countries to commit to doubling the tiger population by 2022. “Tigers are integral to maintaining healthy, balanced forest landscapes, yet they remain at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. “Vietnam has lost most of its wild tigers, so it’s most important contribution at the moment is to play a part in halting the illegal international tiger trade, and domestic consumption of tigers. It’s as simple as that,” said Nick Cox, Regional Manager of WWF’s species program. --------------News source: thanhniennews.com Photo source: www.worldsdaily.com 15

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How to fight organised wildlife crime in East Asia

rganised criminal syndicates are wiping out some of the world’s most charismatic wildlife to feed a growing appetite for animal parts in East Asia#8212;and so far governments and law enforcement are dropping the ball. This is the conclusion from a new paper in Oryx, which warns unless officials start taking wildlife crime seriously a number of important species could vanish from the Earth. “We are failing to conserve some of the world’s most beloved and charismatic species,” Elizabeth Bennett, author of the paper, said in a press release. “We are rapidly losing big, spectacular animals to an entirely new type of trade driven by criminalised syndicates. It is deeply alarming, and the world is not yet taking it seriously. When these criminal networks wipe out wildlife, conservation loses, and local people lose the wildlife on which their livelihoods often depend.”

Organized criminals are decimating some of the world’s favorite species: rhinos, elephants, and tigers are all imperiled by the bloody trade. However, the trade has also hit lesser-known species, such as pangolins, saiga, slow lorises, sun bears, and any number of bird and reptile species. The consequences of this trade are massive: tigers are down to a few thousand survivors, two species of rhino are now dubbed Critically Endangered, the saiga antelope has seen its population drop by 95 percent in two decades, and many forests in Southeast Asia have been described as eerily quiet due to a lack of wildlife. In the struggle to save these species from the illegal trade, officials are being out-witted and out-funded by sophisticated smugglers who employ the newest technology, clever techniques, and corruption to avoid arrest. Perhaps, even more importantly, wildlife crime is simply not seen as a priority in many parts of the world, where enforcement is lacking and laws are out-of-date. “The trade is large-scale and commercialized: elaborate and costly hidden compartments in shipping containers or below wholesale shipments of sawn timber, fish or scrap products, in which are concealed massive quantities of wildlife products from ivory to bear paws and frozen pangolins. The traders are also light on their feet, frequently changing routes and modes of operation as enforcement commences in any one place, and continually working through the routes and means of least resistance. [...] Trade through e-commerce from web sites whose location is difficult to detect and who operate beyond the current realms of wildlife legislation and enforcement is a further challenge,” Bennett, who began her career in conservation more than 25 years ago in Asia, writes in the paper. She now works for Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Slow lorises, like these caged individuals, are imperiled in Southeast Asia for the illegal pet trade. In the wild, traders kill loris parents to take their babies. Pet lorises have their teeth pulled out to make them appear ‘cuter’. Photo courtesy of the Wildlife Conservaiton Society (WCS).

Bennett says the ultimate responsibility for this wholesale decimation of species is due to rising demand for wildlife products in countries like China, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Dealer shows off coats of wild cats in market in China. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

In many cases consumers are paying high prices for illegal wildlife products which they believe are curatives. However scientists have shown that animal parts such as rhino horns have no medicinal benefits whatsoever. According to Bennett there is only one way to stop the criminal activity in time to save species from extinction: law enforcement. “Enforcement is critical: old fashioned in concept but needing increasingly advanced methods to challenge the ever-more sophisticated methods of smuggling. When enforcement is thorough, and with sufficient resources and personnel, it works,” she writes. Although ‘old-fashioned’ Bennett says tools such as DNA testing kits, smartphone apps for species ID, and high-tech software for Internet crime need to be employed. Currently enforcement is especially lacking along trade routes and in markets. In many parts of Southeast Asia one can finds illegal wildlife parts sold openly with no fear of punishment. 16

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How to fight....(continued) “We must dedicate the intellectual, funding and personnel resources needed to supersede those of the criminal organizations involved,” she writes. “This requires greatly increased numbers of highly trained and well equipped staff at all points along the trade chain: most especially in core sites where the species are being hunted but also along key transportation routes and in end markets.” Laws that were crafted before the current crisis of the illegal trade also must be updated. Bennett says that changing the cultural beliefs that prop up this illegal trade should pursued, but laments that such changes ‘is likely to be on a generational time scale.’ “We do not have that luxury of time for many of the species currently targeted by trade,” she explains. “In the short-term the only practical way to reduce demand is through enforcement, both acting as a deterrent and also demonstrating that this is not a socially acceptable norm,” Bennett writes. In the end, the survival of elephants, tigers, and rhinos, along with innumerable other species, depends on law enforcement, the judiciary, governments, NGOs, and the public coming together to tackle the below-the-radar problem. “Unless we start taking wildlife crime seriously and allocating the commitment of resources appropriate to tackling sophisticated, well-funded, globally-linked criminal operations, population of some of the most beloved but economically prized, charismatic species will continue to wink out across their range, and, appallingly, altogether,” Bennett warns. -------------CITATION: Elizabeth L. Bennett. Another inconvenient truth: the failure of enforcement systems to save charismatic species. Oryx. doi:10.1017/S003060531000178X. Source: www.mongabay.com

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Seasonality of Group Size, Feeding, and Breeding in Wild Red-Shanked Douc Langurs in Lao PDR

n Asian colobines, small one-male groups (OMG) seem to predominate alongside all-male groups (AMG), while larger multimale groups (MMG) are rare, but are reported for Hanuman langurs and redshanked douc langurs. Recently, however, it has been speculated that the genus Pygathrix could have multilevel societies based on (1) a theoretical extension of the multilevel societies found in Rhinopithecus to all oddnosed colobines and (2) ﬁrst data for blackshanked douc langurs. This assumes bands composed of small OMG with a skewed adult sex ratio. Band size may vary with seasonal food availability resulting in smaller bands when feeding competition is increased. To investigate the social organization of redshanked douc langurs and potential seasonal inﬂuences, we observed 2 unhabituated groups at Hin Namno National Protected Area, Lao PDR from March 2007 to August 2008 for 803 hr. We recorded births and performed group counts and scan sampling of feeding behavior. Most births (79% of N 5 15) occurred from June–September, indicating a 4-month peak conception season from November to February. Group size averaged 24.5 individuals (range 17–45) with 2.45 adult males (range 1–4). Although the smaller group remained at a stable size (about 18 individuals), the larger group reduced from about 45 to 25 individuals during the 7-months long lean season, when less than 50% of the feeding time was spent on fruits. This suggests feeding competition as a potential cause of seasonal variation in group

size. With 1.9 females per male the skew in adult sex ratio was much lower compared with Rhinopithecus, indicating MMG rather than multilevel societies. However, data on the spacing and interaction patterns between recognized individuals need to be collected and analyzed before the social organization can be determined. Detailed ecological data are furthermore required to investigate the basis for the seasonal changes in group size found. Read full paper. ---------Source: Phaivang Phiapalath, Carola Borries and Pongthep Suwanwaree. Seasonality of Group Size, Feeding, and Breeding in Wild Red-Shanked Douc Langurs (Lao PDR). American Journal of Primatology 73:1–11 (2011)

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Business boom depletes forests wood shavings scent the dusty outdoor workspace. Several Cambodian and Bonong carpenters chisel meticulous designs into rosewood benches that the owner says will sell for upwards of US$500. “The police and the army don’t give us problems. We are a small business. We are far away from people,” she explained. Removed from the nearest town by a four-hour motorcycle ride through rivers, dry creek beds and swathes of mud, her operation is far from the reaches of authorities – which experts believe are failing to stem the illegal wood trade.

Photo by: Don Weinland

eptember 6, 2011 - Above the hum of wood sanders and electric saws, conversations in Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer and Bonong can be heard in a factory producing furniture made from illegally felled trees. The Vietnamese-owned business lies in a remote Mondulkiri village and deals exclusively in exotic timber: beng, th’nong, and two types of rosewood. These rare trees are protected by Cambodian law, Forestry Administration officials say, yet the Vietnamese owner says her factory has

produced and marketed luxury furniture without interference for about a year. The factory owner said she buys wood from loggers who work mainly at night. Some furniture from her shop, which she operates with her Chinese husband, appears in storefronts in Vietnam, but most of it is sold to shops in the provincial town of Sen Monorom in Keo Seima district. Business appears to be thriving. Blocks of precious timber are stacked beside unpolished tables and bed frames. Fresh

During the past four years, Cambodia has seen drastic decreases in rare species of trees due to illegal logging, community research from the National Resource Protection Group indicates. In 2008, the Kingdom retained more than 30 percent of its pre-Khmer Rouge luxury wood resources, Chut Wutty, the group’s director, said. Today, that number has fallen to a staggering 3 percent in Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear and four other heavily forested provinces. “The situation is getting worse and worse. In some places, all of these kinds of trees have been cut down,” he said.

responsible for the regulation of illegal logging. Yet the vastness of the Kingdom’s forests greatly limits its protection efforts, David Emmett, regional director of Conservation International’s Greater Mekong programs, said. “It is next to impossible for the Forestry Administration to have people visiting every remote village. The main issue then comes down to the implementation of forestry law by local police,” Emmett said, adding that Conservation International has not seen the same level of deforestation reported by the NRPG because it operates only in protected forests. The NRPG is active in protected and non-protected areas. Song Kheang, Forestry Administration director in Mondulkiri, said that although his department has banned furniture factories from doing business in the province, the illegal logging industry continues to grow. Criminal networks that move timber are increasingly sophisticated. Loggers evade administration efforts with new greater cunning, such as transporting timber in luxury vehicles as opposed to traditional logging trucks, he said. Rampant corruption could account for many of the shortcomings in police enforcement. Bribes taken by local police and forestry officials – a much sought after source of income – stymies the already scant level of regulation, Chut Wutty said.

Cambodia’s Forestry Administration is 18

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Business boom depletes forests (continued).... “[Officials] get two salaries: one from the government, one from the shops that sell the wood,” he said, adding that border police will receive bribes for as much a $1,000 per cubic meter of timber as it crosses into Vietnam. Middlemen, who acquire a cubic meter from wood cutters for about $1,000, sell to Vietnamese buyers often for more than $7,000, he said.

Ung Sothearith said his store buys pre-made furniture at Chatham House in London. from Ratanakkiri and Preah Vihear provinces, and maintains that his sales are legal as long as the shop If continued unabated, illegal logging threatens to doesn’t make the furniture. wholly deplete Cambodia’s rare tree species, Chut Wutty said. Once the region’s most florally intact Laws regulating luxury wood sales are complex. country, several species face extinction. The loss of Mondulkiri Forestry Administration director Song one tree species can cause an unhealthy chain reaction Kheang said such furniture sales were legal as long throughout the environment as a whole, Mulligan said. More than 85 percent of Cambodia’s illegally felled as the wood was purchased via government auction “Removal of one species may not have an immediate timber is sold into Vietnam or Thailand, Chut Wutty of confiscated timber. For consumers, no method of effect on the entire ecosystem but contributes to the said. The remaining 15 percent is sold domestically in determining the legality of Cambodia’s luxury furniture gradual unravelling of ecological relationships that have the Kingdom’s more than 2,000 furniture shops, he said. exists because no certification system is in place, evolved and stabilised over millennia,” he said. Emmett said. Further complication arises from the origin of the wood. In Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district, Ung The damage is not yet irreversible and incentives for Sothearith sells luxury wood products for thousands of leaving Cambodia’s rare trees standing are increasing, dollars at his furniture store. Customers in the capital In 2010, a government decree allowed for the cutting Mulligan said. The value of forest carbon projects, pay $4,000 to $5,000 for a finely polished four-piece of flora in flood plains produced by newly built dams, which mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon bench-and-table set made of beng, he said. Chut Wutty said. Although rare tree species grow in dioxide, may one day compete with logging revenues. the Kingdom’s highlands, far from flood plains in river Future funding for carbon stock projects will rely on Demand for beng has increased in tandem with basins, the announcement gave rise to a slew of illicit intact high-biomass trees such beng and offer potential Cambodia’s rapidly multiplying hotels, mansions and felling. Loggers can simply claim the timber was cut in a revenue sources for forest communities and the office boardrooms, Berry Mulligan, Cambodia program dammed area in Kampot and Pursat provinces, he said. government, Mulligan said. manager at Fauna and Flora International, said. “The decree is a contradiction of all the laws from the ----------past,” Chut Wutty said. Vague logging regulations such Source: Phnom Penh Post The timber, known for its flame-like hue, is as these continue to challenge countries with depleting Background photo: Globalvoiceonline.org considered one of the world’s most threatened trees forest reserves. by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “The demand for beng and rosewood timber A lack of clarity and consistency between land and far exceeds the supply and will wipe out these species forest laws, as well as between national and local unless stronger protection measures are put in place in laws, often give rise to illegal logging and land disputes the forest,” he said. worldwide, said Alison Hoare, a senior researcher fellow with the Energy, Environment and Research Programme

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Effectiveness of Action in India to Reduce Exposure of Gyps Vultures to the Toxic Veterinary Drug Diclofenac

ontamination of their carrion food supply with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac has caused rapid population declines across the Indian subcontinent of three species of Gyps vultures endemic to South Asia. The governments of India, Pakistan and Nepal took action in 2006 to prevent the veterinary use of diclofenac on domesticated livestock, the route by which contamination occurs. The authors analysed data from three surveys of the prevalence and concentration of diclofenac residues in carcasses of domesticated ungulates in India, carried out before and after the implementation of a ban on veterinary use. There was little change in the prevalence and concentration of diclofenac between a survey before the ban and one conducted soon after its implementation, with the percentage of carcasses containing diclofenac in these surveys estimated at 10.8 and 10.7%, respectively. However, both the prevalence and concentration of diclofenac had fallen markedly 7–31 months after the implementation of the ban, with the true prevalence in this third survey estimated at 6.5%. Modelling of the impact of this reduction in diclofenac on the expected rate of decline of the oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) in India indicates that the decline rate has decreased to 40% of the rate before the ban, but is still likely to be rapid (about 18% year 21). Hence, further efforts to remove diclofenac from vulture food are still needed if the future recovery or successful reintroduction of vultures is to be feasible. Read full paper here -----------Source: Richard Cuthbert, Mark A. Taggart, Vibhu Prakash, Mohini Saini, Devendra Swarup, Suchitra Upreti, Rafael Mateo, Soumya Sunder Chakrabortt, Parag Deori, Rhys E. Green. Effectiveness of Action in India to Reduce Exposure of Gyps Vultures to the Toxic Veterinary Drug Diclofenac. PLoS ONE 6(5): e19069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019069

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Assessing the on going threat from veterinary non-steroidal anti-inﬂammatory drugs to Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in India

se of the veterinary drug diclofenac is responsible for bringing three species of Gyps vultures endemic to South Asia to the brink of extinction, and the Government of India banned veterinary use of the drug in May 2006. To evaluate the effectiveness of the ban we undertook surveys of .250 veterinary and general pharmacies in 11 Indian states from November 2007 to June 2010. Twelve different classes of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were purchased from 176 pharmacies. Other than meloxicam (of negligible toxicity to vultures at likely concentrations in their food), diclofenac and ketoprofen (both toxic to vultures), little is known of the safety or toxicity of the remaining nine NSAIDs on sale. Meloxicam was the most commonly encountered drug, sold in 70% of pharmacies, but 50% of the meloxicam brands sold had paracetamol (acetaminophen) as a second ingredient. Diclofenac and ketoprofen were recorded in 36 and 29% of pharmacies, respectively, with states in western and central India having the highest prevalence of diclofenac (44–45%). Although the large number of manufacturers and availability of meloxicam is encouraging, the wide range of untested NSAIDs and continued availability of diclofenac is a major source of concern. Circumvention of the 2006 diclofenac ban is being achieved by illegally selling forms of diclofenac manufactured for human use for veterinary purposes. To provide a safer environment for vultures in South Asia we recommend reducing the size of vials of diclofenac meant for human use, to increase the costs of illegal veterinary use, and taking action against pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacies flouting the diclofenac ban. Read full paper here -----------Source: Richard J. Cuthbert ,Ruchi Dave ,S oumya Sunder Chakraborty, Sashi Kumar ,Satya Prakash, Sachin P. Ranade and Vibhu Prakash. Assessing the on going threat from veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in India. 2011 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 45(3), 420–426 doi:10.1017/ S0030605311000135

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Sarus Crane census results 2011

ynchronized counts were conducted, on a monthly basis, in Cambodia and Vietnam from January-April 2011 to monitor regional populations of Sarus Crane Grus antigone. The count held in late March forms the longest running part of the census, stretching back as far as 2001, with additional counts in January and February introduced in 2008 and a late April count conducted for the first time in 2010. The highest count for 2011 was recorded in February with a total of 869 cranes counted across eleven sites. This is almost a record count, with the current record being 878 cranes counted in 2001. Peak counts for previous years have fluctuated between 700900 birds, and there is no evidence of a clear trend since 2001 (figure 1). This suggests the total regional population has remained broadly stable over this period. However, there is an issue of cranes being missed during the main late March/early April counts. These counts are presumed to give the closest estimate of the true crane population, with the majority of cranes being confined to relatively few suitable sites at the height of the dry season, but for the last two years the late March count has been lower than a preceding count. In 2010 the January, count exceeded the March count by 149 cranes, and this year the February count had 133 more cranes than were counted in March. The Mekong delta is suspected to be the location where cranes are being missed

in March and more work needs to be done to try and find further locations used by cranes and ensure an as complete census as possible in this bio-geographical region. In the mean time it is important to keep conducting multiple counts within a single season. Sarus Cranes use many different sites during the non-breeding season, so it is crucial to maintain a trans-national network of well managed protected areas to allow flexibility in movements as water conditions and feeding opportunities change. This is evident from the changing distribution of cranes from counts held in 2011. In January 53% of all cranes counted (579) were concentrated at Boeung Prek Lapouv (BPL), while 22% had already arrived at Ang Trapeang Thmor (ATT). In February almost all had left BPL, ATT held 31%, while Anlung Pring and Phu My held 30%. A new site was found in the Kieng Luong area and combined with the “traditional” site, Kien Luong had a record 212 cranes or 24% of February’s total count. By March ATT held 49%, while Anlung Pring had 34% and Tram Chim held 13% of the total. In April distribution had shifted slightly again (and given that only 505 cranes were counted part of the population may have already started the return journey to their breeding grounds), with 28% at ATT, 24% at Anlung Pring and Phu My, 20% at Hon Chong, 10% at Tram Chim and 10% in the Tonle Sap grasslands.

Figure 1. Chart showing number of Sarus cranes counted end March/early April in Cambodia and Vietnam from 2001 – 2011. points show the January 2010 and February 2011 total counts Intensified land use and hydrological development is impacting the suitability of feeding sites in the non-breeding season. For example, within the last decade increasing irrigation needs for dry season farming around Boeung Prek Lapouv has led to the drying out of this wetland to such a degree that cranes now leave the site by the middle of the dry season and at Hon Chong, conversion of wetlands for intensive farming and shrimp production as well as the continued expansion of a clay pit for cement production has caused the numbers of cranes visiting this site to decline dramatically. In addition, intensified use of the Ang Trapeang Thmor Reservoir for irrigation needs to be understood as

this may have large impacts on the wetland ecosystem and the cranes ----------Source: van Zalinge, R., Tran Triet, Evans, T., Hong Chamnan, Seng Kim Hout and Barzen, J. (2011) Census of non-breeding Sarus Cranes in Cambodia and Vietnam, 2011. Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Cambodian Lower Mekong Wetlands Project, Phnom Penh.

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

regional news

Taxonomy of the Pacific Swift Apus pacificus complex

his paper considers the taxonomic implications of morphological differences within the Pacific Swift Apus pacificus complex. Specimens of the four currently recognised subspecies (nominate, kanoi, cooki and leuconyx) were examined, plus kurodae (currently treated as a synonym of pacificus) and salimali (currently treated as a synonym of kanoi). Consistent plumage and structural differences indicate that the current taxonomy of the complex is untenable. It is proposed that salimali is a valid taxon but that kanoi is not (and should be treated as junior synonym of kurodae) and that pacificus, salimali, leuconyx and cooki merit species status. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus is widely distributed, breeding from Siberia east to Kamchatka and Japan, south through China to Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, and

Tibet, the outer Himalayas and Assam Hills (Chantler 1999). Four subspecies are generally recognised (Chantler and Driessens 1995, Chantler 1999, Dickinson 2003): A. p. pacificus Latham, 1845. This paper reviews structural and plumage differences material and considers the taxonomic implications of these differences. Comparison is made with Dark-rumped Swift A. acuticauda where relevant. Read full paper -----------Source: Paul J. Leader. Taxonomy of the Pacific Swift Apus pacificus Latham, 1802, complex. British Ornithologists’ Club 2011 131 (2) 81-93 Photo: Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus, Photo © Tim Edelsten

Organochlorine insecticide poisoning in Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei

he Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei, an old world monkey, is found on the Indian subcontinent mainly in the foothills of the Himalaya, along the Assam-Bhutan border inhabiting mainly areas with high trees. The species is classified as Endangered (IUCN 2011). The herbivorous animal’s diet consists of ripe and unripe fruit, mature and young leaves, seeds, buds and flowers. In one area of Kokrajhar District of Assam the animals have also adapted to feeding on dry rubber seeds (Medhi et al. 2004). Srivastava (2006) found in a census a total of 943 individuals of Golden Langur in 96 groups in Assam. This population had also adapted to feeding on dry rubber seeds (Medhi et al. 2004). Chakrashila

Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is one of the 14 fragmented habitat pockets, where Golden Langurs occur in Assam and is located in the districts of Dhubri and Kokrajhar covering an area of 45.58km2. At present 474 Golden Langurs in 66 families are present in CWS (Chetry et al. 2010). In Kokrajhar District there is a rubber plantation covering about 750 bighas (100ha approx.) of land bordering CWS on the north eastern side. A strip of agricultural land of about 100m wide separates the CWS from the rubber plantation. Golden Langurs frequently visit the plantation area in search of food. The present report is a record of organochlorine insecticide poisoning in three Golden Langurs in CWS. Read full paper

-----------Source: Pathak, D.C. (2011). Organochlorine insecticide poisoning in Golden Langurs Trachypithecus geei. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(7): 1959–1960.

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

regional news

Vietnamese army named as timber smuggler

angkok - A new report released on July 28, 2011 exposes the pivotal role played by the Vietnamese military in a multi-million dollar operation which is smuggling threatened timber over the border from the shrinking forests of neighbouring Laos. Laos has some of the Mekong region’s last intact tropical forests, but the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report Crossroads: The Illicit Timber Trade Between Laos and Vietnam reveals its export ban on raw timber is routinely flouted on a massive scale to feed the ravenous timber processing industries of Vietnam, China and Thailand. During undercover operations in 2010 and 2011, EIA agents posing as timber buyers tracked a trail of corruption and inadequate enforcement back from the busy furniture factories and ports of Vietnam to its border with Laos and beyond. The forests of Laos support the livelihoods of millions of rural and indigenous people but are seriously threatened by over-exploitation; such is the volume of illegal timber flowing through Laos’ porous borders that its furniture manufacturing industry is finding it cannot supply orders due to a lack of raw materials,. Through investment in logging, plantations and CROSSROADS hydropower projects, The Illicit Timber Trade Between Laos and Vietnam Vietnamese firms have appropriated large swathes of Lao forests, yet the only winners in Laos are corrupt Government officials and well-connected businessmen. Meanwhile, Vietnamese logging companies and furniture factories are booming on the back of the illegal trade, exporting billions of dollars worth of finished wood

products to the major markets of the USA and European Union. And EIA’s investigations revealed that one of the biggest loggers in Laos is a company owned by the Vietnamese military. Investigators first encountered the Vietnamese Company of Economic Cooperation (COECCO) in October 2010 during a visit to Qui Nhon port, documenting huge piles of logs bearing green paint marks and tagged with yellow labels bearing a Vietnamese name which translated into Company of Economic Cooperation – Ministry of Defence (or COECCO). A port worker said 95 per cent of the logs had come from Laos and most were owned by the Vietnamese military; specifically Military Zone 4. Similarly marked logs were observed in a huge storage area between the two formal checkpoints at the Bo Y border crossing and EIA was eventually able to confirm that most of them had come from logging operations linked to the construction of a nearby hydropower dam. To uncover more details of the company’s operations, EIA investigators travelled to COECCO’s headquarters in Vinh City, Vietnam, in May 2011 and learnt COECCO has been in the timber trade and logging business in Laos for more than 20 years, that it sources most of its logs from Lao dam clearance sites and that it is one of a handful of companies permitted to carry out logging in these areas. A well-connected Lao company is also making a fortune trading logs to Vietnam; the Phonesack Group, the boss of which is connected with the Lao Government, prefers to send logs across the border while its own wood processing struggles to get supplies of raw material. EIA Head of Forest Campaign Faith Doherty said: “EIA first exposed the illicit log trade between Laos and Vietnam in 2008, and our latest investigations reveal that sadly nothing has changed. “The governments of Vietnam and Laos urgently need to work together to stem the flow of logs and curb the overexploitation of Laos’ precious forests before it’s too late, and the Vietnamese military must be excluded from logging

operations in Laos. “With a new Timber Regulation coming into force within European markets in 2013, both Vietnam and Laos have a lot at stake and urgently need to work with the European Union.” URGENT CALL TO ACTION – FROM EIA 1. THE GOVERNMENT OF LAOS SHOULD: • Enforce its log export ban • Publish details of all logging quotas and the selection process • Clarify rules for converting forest land for plantations 2. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM SHOULD: • Respect the policies of the Lao Government by blocking log imports from the country • Hold bilateral talks with the Government of Laos over illicit wood trade between the two countries • Work with Vietnamese wood industry associations to exclude Lao logs from its supply chain • Exclude military businesses from carrying out logging operations in Laos 3. THE EUROPEAN UNION SHOULD: • Ensure that any VPA discussions with Vietnam and Laos address the issue of log trade between the two countries • Ensure that VPA talks include the full range of stakeholders • Promote forest governance lessons from FLEGT into the development of REDD+, specifically in terms of displaced deforestation 4. COMPANIES AND CONSUMERS SHOULD: • Obtain proof that wood products sourced from Vietnam are not derived from logs imported from Laos. Read full report -----------Source: Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). CROSSROADS - The illicit timber trade between Laos and Vietnam. July 2011 23

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

iba news

Experts warn hydropower plants will kill Cat Tien national park government, environmentalists have warned, collude with illegal loggers to damage the forest?” Thanh said. the 370 hectares of Cat Tien’s forest would be eliminated, while the other environmental “Both state management agencies and consequences will be very big. private economic sector need to respect the laws, respect scientists and their Tran Van Thanh, Director of the Cat Tien assessments,” he added. “It would be too National Park, has many times stressed that late if you only can find out later that the it is necessary to conduct research works hydropower plants cause damages and want to have scientific reports on the possible to afforest again”. environmental impacts when building hydropower plants in the national forest While the story about Cat Tien remains area. However, it seems that Thanh now “has to a hot topic on local newspapers, on July 13, Saigon Tiep Thi released other stunning pay the penalty” for telling the things which are contrary to the viewpoints of the Ministry information: it quoted Nguyen Viet Dung, Deputy Director of the Center for People and of Agriculture and Rural Development’s the Nature, as saying that “the report on the (MARD) leaders. environmental impacts of the Dong Nai 6 hydropower project is just a copy.” Thanh has been put under hard pressure. In an interview given recently to Saigon Tiep Dung said that it is quite a surprise that Thi, Thanh said that he was instructed to the report contains information about Quang explain why he spoke against the ministry’s Nam. leaders. The Dong Nai river flows through Cat Tien National Park. Photo: www.bee.net.vn

uly 20, 2011 - There is a stir in public opinion about the fate of the Cat Tien National Park after Cat Tien’s director has warned that the park would “die” because of the two hydropower plants to be built in the region, and an expert has pointed out that the reports on possible impacts on the environment are just “copies”. The Duc Long-Gia Lai Group is awaiting the government’s approval for the two hydropower projects Dong Nai 6 and Dong

Nai 6A, expected to be located on Cat Tien forest area. The project has been rejected by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, but it has been advocated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which acts as the consultancy unit for the government. If the projects get approvals from the

Though the dam of the hydropower plant’s reservoir only covers 375 hectares out of the 372 hectares of forest, it would still have big impacts on the ecosystem. For example, animals will have to leave their familiar places to search for food and give birth in other places, which will disrupt the natural balance. “About ten hydropower plants have been set up around the Cat Tien forest. Who can say for sure that the plants’ officers do not

“I believe that the research on the environmental impact was not carried out in a serious way. This could be seen as a big threat to the integrity of biodiversity and ecosystems of Cat Tien National Park,” Dung said. The problem is that the reports on possible environmental impacts were made by an agency of MARD – the Southern of Institute For Water Resources Planning (SIWRP). Building hydropower plants is not a bad 24

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

iba news

Illegal logging for charcoal threatens national park

Experts warn.... (continued) thing, but the way of making reports which is not based on serious research, will make Cat Tien die, step by step. The wrong reports, obviously, aim to push up the taking shape of the hydropower plants Dong Nai 6 and Dong Nai 6A which serve the economic benefits of investors rather than the benefits of millions of people.

the Nature, which conducted a survey on the forests and hydropower plants, Vietnam lost 2.35 hectares of forest in order to create 1MW of electricity. In reality, the total lost forest area has reached 62.63 hectares. ---------------Source: Saigon Tiep Thi and Vietnam Net

According to the Center for People and

Leopard Density in Mondulkiri Protected Forest, Cambodia

ffective conservation of large carnivores requires reliable estimates of population density, often obtained through capture–recapture analysis, in order to prioritize investments and assess conservation intervention effectiveness. Recent statistical advances and development of user-friendly software for spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) circumvent the difﬁculties in estimating effective survey area, and hence density, from capture– recapture data. The authors conducted a camera-trapping study on leopards (Panthera pardus) in Mondulkiri Protected Forest, Cambodia. They compared density estimates using SECR with those obtained from conventional approaches in which the effective survey area is estimated using a boundary strip width based on observed animal movements. Density estimates from Chao heterogeneity models

(3.8 +/- SE 1.9 individuals/100 km 2) and Pledger heterogeneity models and models accounting for gender speciﬁc capture and recapture rates (model-averaged density 3.9+/- SE 2.9 individuals/100 km 2) were similar to those from SECR in program DENSITY (3.6 +/- SE 1.0/100 km 2) but higher than estimates from Jackknife heterogeneity models (2.9 +/- SE 0.9 individuals/100 km 2)......Read full paper ----------Source: Thomas Neill Edward Gray and Sovanna Prum, Leopard Density in PostConﬂict Landscape, Cambodia: Evidence From Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapturce. The Journal of Wildlife Management 9999:1– 7; 2011; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.230

CM CITY 2 September 2011— Illegal logging of mangrove trees for producing charcoal in Ca Mau Cape National Park, a UNESCO world biosphere, has worsened this year and forest protection authorities could not control the situation. Mangrove forests in the park in the southernmost Ca Mau Province’s Ngoc Hien District, especially those close to residential areas, have become denuded because of illegal logging for coal kilns set up right in the park. Tran Quoc Tuan, director of the park, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that the forests had never seen such destruction before and the logging had gone out of control. The forest protection forces have found and destroyed more than 300 kilns so far this year. Each kiln has a capacity of 40-60 kilo a day, meaning hundreds of trees are cut down every day for producing charcoal. Tran Van Le, a resident of the district’s Dat Mui Commune, said: “We have witnessed illegal logging of forests for producing charcoal for very long. “This area seems to have an abundance of trees when seen from outside but most large trees have been cut down and there are only small trees left.” Forest protection forces pulled down illegal kilns when they discovered them, but that did not resolve the situation, he said. Illegal loggers, who work individually or in groups, often cut down mangrove trees in an area and set up the kilns right

there, he added. The loggers have become sophisticated while the forest protection staff are too few in number in relation to the size of the park. The park has an area of 41,000ha, including 8,000ha of mangrove forests, but has only eight forest protection stations with four rangers each and one mobile inspection team. Le Quoc Chon, head of the Cai Doi Forest Protection Station, said loggers had switched from axes to power saws now. They lived mostly in the park and quickly got information about raids by rangers and moved their charcoal out in time, he said. Huynh Thanh Sinh, deputy head of the park’s Forest Protection Force, said competent agencies should adopt measures to protect forests, like creating jobs for people living in the park and keeping out migrants. ______ Source: Vietnam News

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

iba news

Establishing baseline ungulate densities in Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary

onitoring ungulate populations is an essential part of wildlife management with ungulates performing essential ecosystem roles including structuring populations of large carnivores. A number of ungulate species in eastern Cambodia are also globally threatened and are therefore important conservation targets in their own right. The authors estimated large (>15-kg) ungulate densities in two protected areas (Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary) in Cambodia’s Eastern Plains Landscape using distance-based line transect sampling. During the 2009/10 and 2010/11 dryseasons 110 line transects (randomly distributed across 3,406-km2) were surveyed for a total of 1,310-km generating 325 encounters with large ungulates (Gaur Bos gaurus, Banteng Bos !"# $%&'"(&)*!$ +!'*

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Establishing baseline ungulate densities in Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary

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javanicus, Sambur Cervus unicolor Eld’s Deer Cervus eldii, Red Muntjac Muntiacus muntjak, and Wild Pig Sus scrofa). The Banteng population estimate, of between 2,700 and 5,700 individuals (95% confidence interval range), is the first robust population estimate from anywhere within the anima’s global range. This suggests that Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary support the majority of the global population and that previous estimates of Cambodian and global population may be too low. Although Red Muntjac and Wild Pig densities are within the range of estimates reported from ecologically similar protected areas in South and South-East Asia overall large ungulate density is much lower than the intrinsic carrying capacity of deciduous dipterocarp forest. This appears largely due to the scarcity of large deer (Sambar and Eld’s Deer)..... Read full report here. -------------Source: C. N. Z. Coudrat, L. D. RogersandK. A. I. Nekaris. Abundance of primates reveals Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia as a priority area for conservation. Fauna & Flora International 2011 DOI: 10.1017/ S0030605310001080

Abundance of primates reveals Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia as a priority area for conservation

ugust 2, 2011 - Information on the distribution and status of Cambodia’s wildlife is limited (Long & Swan, 2000), although information from surveys undertaken since the end of the 1990s has led to improved conservation plans for many species, including tigers and elephants (Daltry & Momberg, 2000; Long et al., 2000). For primates, however, despite 10 of Cambodia’s 11 taxa being categorized as threatened on the IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2010), few studies have quantiﬁed their abundance (Long & Swan, 2000; Traeholt et al.,2005). In particular, the Cardamom Mountains, west of the Mekong River, were inaccessible for c. 20 years because of the Cambodian civil war, and there have been only a few wildlife surveys in this region (Momberg & Weiler, 1999; Long & Swan, 2000). Primates in South-East Asia are declining at a dramatic rate (Mittermeier et al., 2007) and up-to-date information on their populations is essential for determining their national and global conservation status. Six primate species are reported to occur in the Cardamom Mountains (Table 1; Long & Swan, 2000). In Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary the pileated gibbon Hylobates pileatus, with an estimated 3,100 groups, is the only species that has been studied in detail (Traeholt et al., 2005). Simulations predict a dramatic decline of the population in the Sanctuary in the next 40–50 years because of habitat loss from illegal logging (Traeholt et al., 2005). In developing countries such as Cambodia infrastructure expansion and logging are major threats to forests and wildlife (Smith, 2001). The authors therefore carried out the ﬁrst survey of all primate species in the Sanctuary since 2000, reporting novel data on their abundance in the rainy season. Because the distribution of primate species in Cambodia is still poorly known the authors also provide a review of their distribution, status and threats. Read full report here. -------------Source: C. N. Z. Coudrat, L. D. RogersandK. A. I. Nekaris. Abundance of primates reveals Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia as a priority area for conservation. Fauna & Flora International 2011 DOI: 10.1017/S0030605310001080 26

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

New population of rare gibbon discovered in Pu Mat National Park, Vietnam

IBA news

uly 20, 2011 - Conservation International (CI) has discovered a population of the Critically Endangered northern white-cheeked crested gibbons in remote Vietnamese forests, near the Vietnam-Laos border. Scientists from the CI said that a substantial population of 455 northern white-cheeked crested gibbons were found living at high altitudes and far from human settlements in the Pu Mat National Park in the central province of Nghe An. The community represents two thirds of the total number in Vietnam and the only confirmed viable population of the taxon worldwide. “This is an extraordinarily significant find, and underscores the immense importance of protected areas in providing the last refuges for the region’s decimated wildlife,” CI president Dr Russell Mittermeier told the AFP.

They are believed to be functionally extinct in China and while there could be significant numbers in Laos, CI said a lack of research means the situation in the country is unclear.

Gibbons, which are threatened across the world, are considered the “most romantic” of primates as they mate for life and serenade their partners with song.

But CI said, plans to build a road through the Pu Mat area to increase patrols on the Vietnam-Laos border pose a serious threat to the future of the rare primates.

Habitat loss and hunting for the pet trade, and the assumed medicinal value of primate body parts are among the major threats to the creatures in Vietnam, the CI statement said. White-cheeked gibbon numbers are thought to have declined by as much as 80 percent in the last 45 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Mittermeier, who also works with the IUCN, described the species as “on the brink of extinction”.

“The major issue will be the hunting of these gibbons that were previously protected by the harsh terrain; so gun control will be vital,” said primatologist Luu Tuong Bach, a consultant to CI who led field surveys for the research. “Without direct protection in Pu Mat National Park, it is likely that Vietnam will lose this species in the near future.” -------------News source: Vietnam Net

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

iba news

Homes torched in wildlife sanctuary MAY TITTHARA

ugust 31, 2011 - Government officials and armed police burnt down 25 homes in Oddar Meanchey province’s Anlong Veng district yesterday claiming they were in the protected Kulen Prumtep Wildlife Sanctuary, villagers and a rights group investigator said yesterday.

attempted to obstruct them. “We are not afraid. We carried knives to protect ourselves because we bought that land from them,” she said.

“Why did they come to burn down our homes and accuse us of living in a protected area? We will still live there even though we don’t have homes The houses, which are part of larger because we don’t have anywhere else to community of about 150 homes in Anlong go,” Loeum Pheay added. Veng commune’s O’Ampil village, were Kheng Socheat denied setting any burnt down by a joint committee of homes alight yesterday, claiming his officials from the Ministry of Environment, officers had merely attempted to tear police and the army, resident Chhorm their cottages down but had been repelled Chhoeun said. by knife-wielding villagers. He said the land had been sold to the He dismissed the villagers’ claim that families by an official from the ministry Ry Heng had sold them the land as named Ry Heng who had charged an unfounded reaction to authorities between US$1,000 and $1,500 for the 30 arresting six members of their community. by 200 metre plots and said nothing about Srey Naren, provincial coordinator for the area being protected. “Early in the rights group Adhoc, said burning down morning soldiers, police and environment homes was not a good approach for officers came to burn down the villagers’ environmental officers to take. homes without telling us anything. They “Authorities should choose a peaceful just poured petrol on the homes and way to talk with villagers. That’s better burned them,” he said. “We were so than using violence,” he said. surprised when we saw the homes were In May last year, more than 100 houses on fire that some of us did not take any of were burnt down in the same village by our possessions in time. Everything was provincial authorities who also accused destroyed in the fire.” the home owners of settling on protected land. ---------Villager Loeum Pheay said armed Source: Phnom Penh Post police and soldiers lead by the director of Kulen Prumtep sanctuary, Kheng Socheat, had threatened to arrest anyone who

Notes on mammals of the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Vietnam

he Mount Ngoc Linh (ca. 2,598 m above sea level) situated at the northwestern margin of Kontum Massif is the highest point of the Truong Son (or Annamite) Range in central Vietnam. The Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve was established in 1986 for conservation of the montane evergreen forest. This part of the Central Highlands includes a complex masic of volcanic basalts, granites and sedimentary substrates with wet montane evergreen hardwood and conifer forests. Ngoc Linh is actually split up into two nature reserves: one in Quang Nam Province and another in Kon Tum Province. These two reserves cover the peak and slopes of Mount Ngoc Linh (Kon Tum) Nature Reserve over 41,240 ha in Dac Glei and Dac To districts, Kon Tum Province. Ngoc Linh (Quang Nam) Nature Reserve covers 18,430 ha, in Tra My district, Quang Nam Province. Recent biological surveys showed that this high altitude has also provided the conditions for evolving a unique community of animal and plant species that is completely confined to the Ngoc Linh high Mts. Extensive surveys of mammals by the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute (Hanoi) in cooperation with the BirdLife International in Ngoc Linh (Kon Tum) Nature Reserve were conducted in 1996 and 1998. In total of 52 mammals species were recorded for Ngoc Linh (Kon Tum) Nature Reserve, of which 20 are redlisted (Le Trong Trai et al., 1999). Two complex biodiversity surveys of the Ngoc Linh (Kon Tum) Nature Reserve were

carried out in 2004 and 2004 by the RussianVietnamese Tropical Centre. One of their aims was an inventory of small mammal species diversity of the region at hand. Read full paper ---------Source: Abramov A.V., Rozhnov V.V., Morozov P.N. Notes on mammals of the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province). Russion Journal of Theriology 5 (2): 85-92 Photo: Kon tum tourism and commercial trade company

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Rarest of the rare

White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri

he White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri has been recorded recently on Mount Fansipan and is currently known from only two other sites in Vietnam. All three sites face a high level of threat and its continued presence at two of these sites beyond a few further years seems doubtful. We were recently able to observe and photograph it at Mu Cang Chai Species and Habitat Conservation Area, Yen Bai province, where the level of threat is currently low but rapidly increasing owing to the construction of a new road providing improved access to the forest, and to the prospect of a hydroelectric scheme which would inundate land adjacent to the site and provide still greater access to the forest. Thus, although currently classified as Least Concern this cannot truly reflect its conservation status and an urgent reassessment is required to guide conservation management at what is potentially its one remaining site. Read more ----------Jonathan C. Eames, BirdLife International in Indochina 29

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

CEPF-RIT Updates

Project updates PROJECT UPDATeS

Tran Thanh Huong, CEPF-RIT Administrator

With thanks to all grantees who provided information for this update.

ew small grants

contracted. The list of funded projects and map showing their locations is available here.

In this quarter, three new small grants were made, making the total of small grants in the region up to 55 and large grants now is 44. In total, over US $ 9.4 million has now been Organiza(on

Project Title

Loca(on

Start date

End date

Total grant

Bird Conserva-on Society of Thailand (BCST) (2)

Developing a Conserva-on Data Management Tool for the Inner Gulf of Thailand

1 Sep 2011

31 Aug 2012

20,000.00

People Resources and Conserva-on Founda-on (PRCF) (2)

Community‐based planning of the Lam Binh Forest Area Francois’ Langur Conserva-on Landscape, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam.

1 Oct 2011

31 Mar 2012

19,994.40

Lao Wildlife Conserva-on Associa-on (Lao‐WCA) (3)

Par-cipatory survey, assessment and conserva-on of Green peafowl (Pavo mu-cus) in Dongkhanthung Provincial Protected Area of Champasak, the south‐western Lao PDR. It lies in the site and corridor outcomes for Lao PDR.

1 Oct 2011

30 Sep 2012

19,930.00

National and regional consultation workshop to update the CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot The Indo-Burma Hotspot spans mainland Southeast Asia, including all or most of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam and parts of southern China. Indo-Burma is the largest of the 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world and supports high levels of endemism. However, it is also one of the most threatened, with only 5 percent of its natural habitat remaining. The extreme pressures on Indo-Burma’s natural ecosystems have major implications for the 300 million people who live in the hotspot, the vast majority of who depend, for their livelihoods, on ecosystem services. CEPF has been making grants in the Indo-Burma Hotspot since July 2008, following an investment strategy developed through an extensive stakeholder consultation process conducted in 2003. This strategy is presented within the Ecosystem Profile http://www. cepf.net/Documents/final.indoburma_indochina.ep.pdf, which sets out a situational analysis, based upon a review of biodiversity

priorities, threats, policy environment, civil society context and patterns of conservation investment by other funders, and presents a consensus-based investment strategy, with broad stakeholder buyin. Much has changed in the eight years since the Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot was prepared. While the biological priorities defined in the document have generally stood the test of time, there have been major changes to the nature and relative importance of threats to biodiversity, and several new challenges have emerged, not least hydropower development, economic land concessions, mining and climate change. In addition, there have been major shifts in patterns of conservation investment, with several traditional supporters of biodiversity conservation reorienting their programs to other priorities or leaving the region altogether. Moreover, the operating environment for civil society has ameliorated in most countries, creating new opportunities to engage civil society organizations in biodiversity conservation. Finally, investments by CEPF and other funders have built a strong platform of conservation results, good practice, information and

he Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (www.cepf.net) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. CEPF began a $9.5 million five year investment plan in Indochina in July 2008, in partnership with BirdLife International, who provide the Regional Implementation Team (www.birdlifeindochina.org/ cepf). As the RIT in Indochina, BirdLife International will: raise awareness of CEPF; solicit grant applications and assist organisations to make applications; review applications; give small grants and jointly make decisions with CEPF on large grants; and monitor and evaluate progress with the investment strategy.

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capacity that can be built upon. There is a need, therefore, to update the Ecosystem Profile, through a participatory process, to create a platform on which funders interested in making investments in the region over the next five years can build shared goals and strategies that address the highest priorities, take advantage of emerging opportunities, and align well with existing investments by governments and other donors. There have been six national and one regional consultation workshops held to update the CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot, as a guide for potential future investment in the region by funders interested in engaging civil society in biodiversity conservation. The first national workshop one was organised in Bangkok, Thailand on 20-21 July 2011, following by that in Kunming, China (25-26 July), in Hanoi, Vietnam (2223 August), in Vientiane, Lao PDR (25-26 August), in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (29-30 August) and in Quangzhou, China (12-13 October). Three provincial meetings also took place in Kratie, Ratanakiri and Siem Riep, Cambodia with the same purpose. A total of over 270 people from government agencies, academic institutes and civil society organisations have participated in these meetings and provided valuable contributions to update the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile. Over 60 representatives from Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to join the regional meeting on two days of 10-11 October. Another national consultation meeting is planned to happen in Yangon, Myanmar in December. Presentations and participant list of these workshops can be seen here. We thank all participants for their attendance and useful contributions in all national and regional meetings. A new draft Ecosystem Profile will be circulated in December 2011 for review and comments

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Daily exercise for the Elephant Conservation Center’s residents. Photo source: ElefantAsia

lefantAsia (www.elefantasia.org): “Securing and Increasing Asian Elephant Populations in Laos through the Microchipping of Core Populations.” With wild and captive Asian elephant populations depleting across the Lao PDR, all new baby elephants born in Lane Xang or ‘the Land of a Million Elephants’ are cause for major celebration, however ElefantAsia is presently awaiting one very special delivery at their newly developed Elephant Conservation Center. Situated on the banks of the Nam Tien Lake, ElefantAsia has created a tranquil

natural retreat for pregnant and nursing elephants, as well as the occasional ambling traveller. The first of its kind in Laos, the Elephant Conservation Center encompasses an elephant hospital and laboratory, elephant nursery, botanical gardens and ecotourism facilities in 106 hectares of undisturbed natural elephant habitat in Sayaboury province. With marked reduction in reproduction within captive populations primarily due to the financial implications of breeding and subsequent loss of income during pregnancy and nursing, together with a growing demand for captive elephants

within the logging industry and tourism sectors, temptation to illegally capture and tame wild elephants is significantly increased. ElefantAsia’s concept works to alleviate such pressure by combining the conservation of the Asian elephant and ecotourism: thus creating a unique opportunity for elephants and tourists alike. Introduction of the Conservation Center’s elephant breeding programme will work to promote an increase in numbers within captive populations, whilst free veterinary care available to mothers and babies throughout gestation and nursing, as well as other domesticated elephants needing medical attention will ensure the health and wellbeing of elephant populations within the province. Visitors to the Conservation Center staying one day through to a whole month will not only support the conservation of the Asian elephant, but have opportunity to observe this magnificent species in their

Mae Boungnor and her baby. Photo source: ElefantAsia

natural environment, while also sharing the life of the Mahout and learning the basics of this age old craft. Whilst the Center will be open for visitors later this year, several elephants have already settled into their new abode, these include Mae Boungnor and her one year old baby, and pregnant Mae Thongkhoun. Freely translated to ‘Precious Gold’, Mae Thongkhoun is 21 months into gestation and expected to give birth next month, for ElefantAsia this will mark the first of hopefully many successful new babies born at the Conservation Center and be cause for a double ellie-bration as the organisation works toward the Centers’ opening. Note: ElefantAsia newly released its latest October newsletter that can be seen here --------------By Tracy Brookshaw, Communications Consultant, ElefantAsia

Elephants in front of Conservation Centers newly built reception. Photo source: ElefantAsia

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Conservationists concerned for future of White-shouldered Ibis

ambodia, 1 September 2011 - One of the rarest birds in the world just became a little less rare as a result of new research, but rampant habitat loss cast serious doubt on whether the species can be saved from global extinction.

Borneo (previously estimated at 30-100 individuals) has also declined. Cambodia now supports at least 95% of the global population of this species and is therefore a vital last stronghold. In the wet season, the ibises flock together at roosting sites making it possible to count them. Roost counts took The first 2011 Cambodian census of the place across north and east Cambodia, at White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni) Western Siem Pang, Stung Treng province; has found a larger number of birds than ever Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary in Ratanakiri before, but celebrations are muted, as this and Mondulkiri provinces; Kulen Promtep species’ survival is imminently threatened by Wildlife Sanctuary, Preah Vihear province; serious habitat loss. The total of 543 birds, and the Mekong River between Kratie to counted concurrently in four key sites, was Stung Treng town. Loss of its remaining a record exceeding the 428 individuals at habitat in Cambodia is now the biggest the same time last year. Nevertheless, the single threat to White-shouldered Ibis. PhD larger number provides little extra long-term student, Hugh Wright, at the University security for this species, as up to 85% of of East Anglia UK, explains: “The species these birds are at risk of losing their habitat needs a mixture of habitat types including from change in land use in the near future. open forest, seasonal waterholes known as trapaengs and other open habitats. Further White-shouldered Ibis is classified as habitat loss will leave them with nowhere Critically Endangered by IUCN (International to go. Despite the welcome news that the Union for the Conversation of Nature), of population is larger than originally thought, which Cambodia is a member. This means the latest threats to the species dictate that there is a high probability that the species it will remain Critically Endangered for the will go extinct in the near future – a route foreseeable future.” already trod by Cambodia’s national animal, the Kouprey. As a signatory to the Although nationwide counts of WhiteConvention on Biological Diversity, Cambodia shouldered Ibis have provided higher has an international duty to conserve this estimates of the Cambodian population and other endangered species. than previously known, conservationists are cautious to claim the population has been As a result of habitat loss, the species is growing. Mr Sum Phearun, ibis researcher extinct from its former range in Thailand, said, “It’s unlikely that the population has Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and China, been recovering. We have been putting and a very small population in Indonesian more effort into searching for ibis and

White-shouldered Ibis. Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

getting better coverage of roost sites, hence our larger counts. The species is still Critically Endangered and at great risk of extinction so we are continuing our efforts to understand and protect the ibis”. A consortium of organizations comprising BirdLife International, the Cambodian Forestry Administration, Department for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection of Cambodia Ministry of Environment, the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, the University of East Anglia, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wide Fund for Nature all lead efforts to monitor and conserve the

White-shouldered Ibis and its forest home in Cambodia. Conservation efforts across the country include guarding of nests, community-based ecotourism, law enforcement to prevent hunting and the “Ibis Rice” scheme, in which local people grow wildlife-friendly rice. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. 33

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ambodian Rural Development Team -CRDT- (www.crdt.org.kh) “Sustainable Livelihoods for Mekong Biodiversity and Critical Wetland Resource Conservation in Cambodia”

patterns are unsustainable. Logging has some short term financial incentives for communities but results in a loss of fauna which is currently high and unregulated. Clearance of land for cultivation is especially prevalent along riverbanks - irrevocably Cherng Pheat Village, Koh Knhae damaging riverbank forest habitats. Illegal Commune, Sambo District, on a very, fishing is rife, including gillnets, poison and very rainy afternoon in The Kingdom Of explosives, which may lead to fish decline. Cambodia. Mr Sang Vary and his son, Sang These extreme threats are all leading to Panith stand before a trio of rice paddies that the decline in either direct loss of forest or show off three stages of rice development decline in quality of forest habitat. using intensification techniques. Five out of 30 community based organisations (CBOs) CRDT’s work here involves organising set up since the project’s inception in communities into economically and September 2010 have studied the System of politically active producer groups. This Rice Intensification (SRI), a change from their approach has been proven to increase selftraditional practices, they are already seeing determination for small producers, to give higher rice yields. a structure to manage natural resources sustainably, and to give the rural poor a voice Mr Sang Vary is an key member of his in local government to help them secure community, being the community chief their rights and influence the policies that of pig raising and also working as the shape their lives. community face representing human rights, via the human rights organisation Ad Hoc. Of the 30 CBOs spread over 19 Villages Cases of human trafficking and domestic and 4 Communes, 16 are raising chickens and violence come to him to be documented 14 raising pigs. All CBO members have been and reported, also legal grievances in the trained in animal raising techniques and all community are filed through him so Ad Hoc committees in trained in the financial aspects can take the case to the governmental level of running a self sustaining organisation, e.g. if necessary, giving community members a proposal writing. voice in the courtroom. “We have the CBOs so we can work The main threats to the protection of in groups and share knowledge. Animal wetland resources on the Mekong Central husbandry supports our lives but the Section are human livelihood activities. community does not have enough capital. Studies by WWF and CRDT’s assessments We wanted more knowledge and support show that current natural resource use so decided to work with CRDT. We had been

Sang Vary & Sang Panith with their SRI rice. Photo:

raising pigs and chickens before CRDT’s arrival but our techniques were not so successful and animals often died. Now we have a better understanding of animal illness and how to care and even cure them when problems occur. When the pigs get large enough we can sell them for income.” By the end of September 2011 the project will have released small grants for all CBO members - $600 for chicken raising members and $700 for pig raising members – so they can buy materials and pigs to practice the new livestock techniques. These livelihoods will provide their main income so having their abilities increased so they can practice autonomously is very important. While

Cambodian Rural Development Team

waiting for the small grants to be released some of the community members decided to begin savings groups with the support of CRDT project staff, one of which Mr Sang Vary is involved with. Two groups of 16 members each are saving 1000 Riel a month for future needs. -------Source: Rory McCormick, Publicity & Communities Coordinator, Cambodian Rural Development Team

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entre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (www.cres.edu.vn) Identifying Priority Populations and Reviewing Current Known Distributions for Threatened Bat and Turtle Species in Northern and Central Vietnam

The project completed the second field survey of the Pu Mat National Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bat fauna in April. In addition to two species first recorded in the Park during the first survey, i.e., Megaderma lyra and Scotomanes ornatus, the team found another species, Kerivoula kachinensis, new to the site. The study results thus show that Pu Mat has the greatest number of bat species, 43 taxa, in the country. The closest diversity of bat fauna is at Cuc Phuong National Park with 39 species. However, Pu Mat National Park may potentially have many more species if future survey can confirm some species recorded in previous studies. During the survey, we also investigated the conservation status of the bat fauna in the Park. Results based on interviews with Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personnel and local people indicate that the largest threat to the bat fauna is hunting followed by loss and degradation of limestone and forest habitats. It is recommended that conservation measures be implemented to protect the important bat fauna from the local threats. Future conservation plan should include strengthening law enforcement, conducting environmental education, building capacity for the Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff in biodiversity survey and monitoring, and developing monitoring programs for bat and other wildlife species in the protected area. To achieve conservation goals, it is crucial to involve local people in any steps of conservation planning. Bat specimen collected in the field. Photos: CRES

Since the early summer, turtle surveys have been underway in Pu Hu and Xuan Nha Nature Reserves, located in Thanh Hoa and Son La Provinces,

Measuring and taking samples for DNA analysis. Photos: CRES respectively. In Xuan Nha, the team recorded three species in the field, including such endangered species as Geoemyda spengleri, Platysternon megacephalum, and Manouria impressa. Two additional species, Cuora mouhotii and C. galbinifrons were reported in a local residence. In particular, the field survey in Pu Hu using hunting dogs yielded a field record of the Critically Endangered C. galbinifrons, a CEPF priority species. For more information about this important finding, please visit http://www.asianturtleprogram.org The fact that both of the Nature Reserves still contain good habitats for turtle species emphasizes the urgent need to implement on-site conservation measures to protect them from hunting pressures. -------Source: Le Duc Minh, Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES)

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estfälischer Zoologischer Garten Münster GmbH (www.catbalangur.org) “Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project”

The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project has no less lofty a goal than to prevent the extinction of the Cat Ba langur (trachypithecus poliocehpalus poliocephalus) the only known population of which occurs on Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay northern Vietnam. For over ten years the project has utilized this animal as a flagship species in order to adopt a multifaceted community based approach to its protection by attempting to monitor and protect the entire landscape as a whole. Headquartered in Cat Ba National Park, you can well understand why the park is one of the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project’s closest partners. The project continually seeks to assist park personnel and rangers in further developing their knowledge, skills and abilities. One way we attempt to accomplish this is through annual or semi-annual ranger training programs. The subject matter of

PROJECT UPDATeS

these 4-5 day seminars varies greatly from law enforcement techniques and orienteering to wildlife identification and biodiversity concepts. Made possible by CEPF funding, our most recent training was held 7-10 September 2011 on the grounds of Cat Ba National Park. Over 30 rangers from Cat Ba National Park and Cat Hai District FPD participated as well as several members of park staff. The topics were chosen by mutual consent after consultations between the management of the park’s main ranger station and project staff. This time around it was decided to divide the training into two parts: law enforcement and the proper identification of non-timber plant species of economic value. Unfortunately, the law portion of the training was necessarily foreshortened by one day due to sudden scheduling conflicts. But, no matter, for our next training early next year we plan to devote the entire seminar to law enforcement topics. . The training kicked off with an intense day of law enforcement issues and briefings by a local public prosecutor

Trainees practice identifying economically valuable plants. Photos: The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project

of Cat Hai District. Discussions centered on the rights and duties of park rangers and examination of the criminal codes. In order to better understand these topics, real life examples were provided by way of illustration. Information was also given on how to best approach a crime scene in order to avoid missteps when attempting to assemble a criminal case to take to court. The next three days were led by two expert botanists from Forestry University in Hanoi. This training concentrated on identification of the most commonly utilized non-timber plant species. Each day began with a morning of classroom instruction followed by afternoon trips into the park for identification in the field. Despite some wet and soggy weather enthusiasm remained high throughout the course of the training. At the close of the program all instructors were asked to submit a written report including recommendations for future trainings as well as evaluations of both the course and the participants. In addition, the project also developed its own in-house questionnaire in order to enable us to better address needs and targets of future trainings. In both sections of the course it was apparent that ranger’s understanding of the information presented remained consistent from fairly good to good. Both the trainers and the rangers recommended that courses not only be longer in duration but more frequently held. In addition, the public prosecutor suggested that the next law training should incorporate other sectors of law enforcement agencies such as the police department. It is felt that this will enable rangers to better understand exactly what is necessary when gathering evidence in order to see a wildlife crime case all the way through to successful completion ---------Source: Rick Passaro, Project Manager, The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project 36

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leveland Zoological Society (CZS) - Asian Turtle Program (ATP) www.ClevelandZooSociety.org ; www. asianturtleprogram.org “Awareness and Research Conservation Program for Swinhoe’s Soft-Shell Turtle in Vietnam”

Turtle detection dogs start getting results From the 3rd to 10th of July 2011 a survey team of the Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo working with the Centre for Natural Resources and environmental Studies (CRES) of Hanoi University headed for Thanh Hoa Province and the remote Pu Hu nature reserve. Interviews in June found that a number of rare and important tortoise and freshwater turtle species occur in the heavily forest reserve but with little information known for the area field surveys were conducted to confirm species presence and gather a better understanding of their status within the reserve. As with many southeast Asian countries hunting has resulted in many turtle populations been greatly reduced, some species have declined to such levels that they are now on the verge of extinction and considered critically endangered. The genus Cuora represents one of the most threatened groups of turtles, of 13 Cuora species 12 are critically endangered. Many are localized endemics which still remain poorly known in the wild. With field work in tropical forest environments physically challenging, especially when searching for rare and well camouflaged species dogs are a valuable tool. During the field survey two surveys dogs were involved, both had been trained in May 2010 as part of a program to establish a group of working survey dogs in Vietnam for ongoing research and surveys. Training at Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh Province had used captive turtles from the Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in training. But despite four field surveys during late 2010 and early 2011 the dogs had yet to get results.

PROJECT UPDATeS

Working in the tough environment the dogs and handlers were harassed by leeches and ticks in the thick humid undergrowth. After four days without result the team was already getting exhausted and demoralized. However, during a transect search on day five they suddenly heard one of the dogs, Rex, barking franticly. The team rushed to the location and found one of the dogs pulling a Indochinese Box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons) from its hiding place. Ms. Le Mai Thanh Tram who was leading the detection dog team said “the whole team was ecstatic, jumping up and down and hugging Rex”, as it was the team’s first success following months of training. Cuora galbinifrons was the species described during interviews the team want to confirm, critically endangered it’s a priority for future conservation activities in Vietnam and confirming its presence in Pu Hu nature reserve is important to creating a better understanding of its distribution and priority areas for conservation work. Surveys using Rex and the team in northern Vietnam and a second team in central Vietnam will continue through 2011 and 2012 as part of conservation projects supported by the Critically Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF) and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund to develop a strategy for conservation of important tortoise and freshwater turtle species in Vietnam -------Source: Read full article www.asianturtleprogram.org Photo source: Asian Turtle Programme Photo 1: Rex score, finding the Indochinese Box Turtle under thick leaf litter which otherwise would have been almost impossible for the team to find Photo 2: Nguyen Tai Thang collects morphometic data on the turtle while explaining the process to Tran Van Dung, a volunteer student from Vietnam Forestry University Photo 3: The Cuora galbinifrons is well camouflaged in it natural environment and easily missed in the complex habitat

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ducation for Nature-Vietnam - ENV (www.envietnam.org) “Strengthening Public Participation in Tackling the Wildlife Trade in Vietnam”

Vietnamese NGO Joins World Rhino Day Campaign (Source: www.rhinoconservation.org) Wildlife conservationists in Vietnam are rallying around World Rhino Day, thanks to Education for Nature-Vietnam (ENV), a local NGO. The organization launched an online campaign this week on the ENV Volunteer Network page on Facebook©, which is in Vietnamese. An article about rhino conservation and World Rhino Day which discourages the use of rhino horn – pointing out that it is both unnecessary and illegal – is posted on the page. Read it here . In addition, an album entitled “Rhino horn is not medicine” featuring our Vietnamese language posters has been created. URLS for downloading the posters are included. View the album here. These efforts by ENV to raise awareness about the rhino crisis and debunk rhino horn myths in Vietnam are a critical component of the global campaign to stop the demand for rhino horn. Wildlife conservationists in Vietnam face a significant challenge, since the country has been identified as a consumer state in the illegal rhino horn trade. However, the ENV team is up to the task. The NGO has already implemented innovative campaigns to stop the bear bile and tiger trades.

Wildife Trade Bulletins ENV has released the Wildlife Crime Bulletins for August, September and October 2011

AUGUST 2011

Wildlife protection laws are intended to ensure the long-term protection of animals in nature, particularly species that are endangered and threatened with extinction. The Forest Protection Department is tasked with safeguarding the longterm protection of endangered species and other wildlife in Vietnam and ensuring that no species becomes extinct. Achieving this objective is a challenging task for the Forest Protection Department, from those rangers serving on the front lines at National Parks and Nature Reserves to the mobile response teams operating in the provinces, and the scores of rangers serving important roles in district, provincial, and central offices. Achieving success is entirely possible, but is dependent upon the commitment and vision of leadership and the willingness to embark on a road that will effect change. Effective measures to protect wildlife will begin to succeed when leaders of functional agencies and their superiors mobilize their agencies to aggressively address the problem in a manner that is not half hearted. They must focus on achieving results, measured in terms of hunters arrested, traps removed, shipments seized, criminals prosecuted and reduction in consumer trade.

Illegal consumer trade, too big a problem to handle? The problem of addressing the illegal consumer trade of wildlife is indeed an immense problem to tackle. However, it is not beyond our ability to do so if we are committed to achieving this task. The first step in this process is purely psychological; accepting the idea that we can have substantial impact on the illegal trade. Simply giving in to the idea that it is too big an issue to tackle are words of defeat uttered by the weak and non-committed. Following acceptance of the fact that we can do something is the need for a clear strategic approach to the problem that is designed to yield results. In practical terms, this plan would focus on

The remains of three tigers that were seized in Mong Cai border town of Quang Ninh province shortly before they were to be smuggled into China. Protecting tigers and other critically endangered wildlife requires a strong commitment by politicians, law enforcement and the public to stop this illegal trade. Photo: Quang Ninh EP

immediate reductions in consumer trade by targeting establishments violating the law.

Minor or major, does it matter? Business owners that violate the law must be held accountable regardless of whether their violation is major or minor in nature. How an enforcement agency responds to any given violation has a ripple effect within society. If authorities consistently enforce a law, the public will quickly learn to comply with the law. However, if enforcement is inconsistent or makes allowances for “minor violations”, that the authorities believe may not be important enough to warrant attention, this too sends a message to the public suggesting that the violation is at least selectively allowed or “not enforced”. Failure to consistently enforce the law on even small violations actually contributes to increasing

eople Resources and Conservation Foundation (www.prcfoundation.org) “Strengthening Community Conservation of Priority Sites Within the Ba Be / Na Hang Limestone Forest Complex, Northern Vietnam”

Primate Survey Prioritising Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus Avunculus) and Francois’ Langur (Trachipythecus Francoisi) in Na Hang Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang Province The Ba Be / Na Hang Limestone Forest Complex (BNLFC) is an area of particular importance for the conservation of primates. It holds three endemic Critically Endangered species and one Endangered species. Through the proposed project, the PRCF intends to primarily focus on the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey (TSNM) and Francois’ Langur (FL) respectively, both of which are CEPF Priority Species. These two flagship species are confined to small isolated fragments of forest, comprising small populations and family groups, threatened by habitat destruction, hunting, and trade. Within the BNLFC, there has been little in-field action focused towards direct in-situ conservation of the highest priority biodiversity values since the 2004 completion of the project: “Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology” (PARC Project). Under this CEPF project two primate surveys were conducted in order to clarify the status of TSNM and FL and other primate species in the Tat Ke and Ban Bung Sectors of Na Hang Nature Reserve (NHNR). The PRCF considers NHNR as a key location for its planned long-term conservation focus activities within the BNLFC. The status of both the TSNM and FL in the BHLFC is currently very poorly known. What is known, however, is that populations are very fragmented and recent records show small group sizes. With few interventions for protection, we can infer that both species are at critical lows and in under significant threat. Download the full report here ---------Source: Thach Mai Hoang (2011). Primate Survey Prioritising Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus Avunculus) and Francois’ Langur (Trachipythecus Francoisi) In Na Hang Nature Reserve, Tuyen Quang Province. People Resources and Conservation Foundation, Hanoi, Vietnam. PRIMATE SURVEY PRIORITISING TONKIN SNUBNOSED MONKEY (RHINOPITHECUS AVUNCULUS) AND FRANCOIS’ LANGUR (TRACHIPYTHECUS FRANCOISI) IN NA HANG NATURE RESERVE, TUYEN QUANG PROVINCE THACH MAI HOANG 15TH January, 2010

www.PRCFoundation.org

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Project news

Progress Report: Ramsar Small Grants

Fund for Wetland Conservation and Wise Use (SGF)

his report summarizes the activities and results conducted as part of BirdLife’s Strengthening and Expanding the Ramsar site Network in Cambodia (SERNC) project implement over seven months between February and August 2011. The general objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the Cambodian Government in wetland management and wise use and to expand the national and regional Ramsar site networks. A project team was recruited following the first fund remittance that reached BirdLife International Cambodia’s Bank account. The team consists of one project

Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetland Conservation and Wise Use (SGF) Progress Report Strengthening and Expanding the Ramsar Site Network in Cambodia (SERNC)

Prepared by Bou Vorsak

BirdLife International Cambodia Programme

22 September 2011

manager (Mr. Bou Vorsak), a part-time technical advisor and the director of Department of Wetlands and Coastal Zones (Dr. Srey Sunleang), a part-time GIS officer (Mr. Liam Costello), a part-time project coordinator (Mr. Long Kheng), and a parttime monitoring officer (Mr. Pech Moran). Different meetings with managers and rangers in Beoung Chmar Ramsar and Preak Toal were organized to introduce the project and conduct management needs assessment. The needs assessment report have been finalized and used for identifying the priority training courses and purchase necessary equipment and vehicle for patrol rangers. A four day training course was organized in Battambong province with the participation of senior rangers and Ramsar site managers from Preak Toal, Beoung Chmar, Stung Treng and Kok Kapik, totalling 35 participants. The training was completed successfully and 80% of the participants received a final exam score of good.....Read full report -------Source: Bou Vorsak. Progress Report: Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetland Conservation and Wise Use (SGF). BirdLife International in Indochina - Cambodia Programme. September 2011

Annual Report: Evaluating, consolidating and

sustaining conservation of key sites in the Lower Mekong

rom March 2010 to February 2011 (year 2), overall progress with project implementation was generally on schedule during Year 2. A framework for evaluating and monitoring the impacts of site-based management and investment at sites has been developed and discussed via a series of workshops in Hanoi, Phnom Penh and Vientiane involving MacArthur and Critical Ecosystem Partnerhip Fund (CEPF) grantess. A series of workshops in Year 3 will apply the model against two CEPF project locailities in Cambodia. An assessment of the relative success of different approaches to site-based conservation in the Lower Mekong region has been made via a desk study and through a process of engagement with MacArthur and CEPF grantees. Recommendations for good practice will be made at a workshop to be held in May 2011 (Year 3). Innovative approaches to site-based management are being piloted at two sites in Cambodia; Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) and Western Siem Pang Proposed Protected Forest (WSP PPF). At LWS two Community Protected Areas (CPAs) are under development. At WSP PPF locally lead enforcement has been upgraded and expanded. Novel

Evaluating, consolidating and sustaining conservation of key sites in the Lower Mekong Annual Report for the period 1st March 2010 - 28th February 2011 Year 2

April 2011

sustainable financing options are being developed for WSP PPF and for a site in the Annamese Lowlands of Vietnam following BirdLife’s Forests of Hope model. A workshop is planned for April 2011 to map the way ahead for LWS. Collaboration and communication among MacArthur Foundation grantees has been improved via the three country workshops in Year 2 and will be improved further via a series of workshops to be held early in Year 3. Read full report -------Source: Bou Vorsak. Annual Report: Evaluating, consolidating and sustaining conservation of key sites in the Lower Mekong. BirdLife International in Indochina Cambodia Programme. April 2011 39

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PROJECT UPDATeS

Patrol Field Staff Workshops Preah Vihear Protected Forest, Cambodia March and April 2011

ith technical support from WCS, BirdLife International and People Resources Conservation Foundation (PRCF), the Cambodian government has implemented protection measures at key conservation sites in the Eastern Plains; Seima Protection Forest – SPF since 2002, Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary since 2005 and Northern Plains; Preah Vihear Protected Forest (PVPF) since 2004, Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWS) since 2005, and Kompong Thom since 2001.

During the early years following the establishment of these conservation sites, the focus of conservation efforts was documenting previously undocumented diversity of significant wildlife species in deciduous dipterocarp (primarily large birds and mammals), establishing monitoring programmes for large mammals and waterbirds, and initiating efforts to raise conservation awareness in local communities. With increasing pressure on wildlife, forests and natural resources, it is now time to refocus efforts on developing good governance through building capacity for law enforcement, and effective leadership of wildlife protection operations. Two 10-day training exercises were organized for patrol field staff based at these sites. Both exercises were held at the Trapeang Pring Station, Preah Vihear Protected Forest. The first exercise was held from March 16 – 25, and the second exercise was held from March 29 – April 7 2011. National and foreign trainers participated in both exercise. A total of 60 staff from these sites undertook basic training. The workshops covered a range of subjects that are considered priorities for ASEAN protected area staff; importance of patrolling, codes of conduct, roles and

responsibilities of patrol staff, Forestry and Protected Areas Laws and their implementation, key species identification, field-decision making, navigation, patrol planning and preparation, use of MIST patrol forms, patrol strategy and techniques. The training programmes included class-based and field practical instruction. Read full report ------------Source: Antony Lynam, Tan Setha, Hugo Rainey, Soeun Malyvan, Son San, Sorn Pheakdey and Phu Chandy. Patrol Field Staff Workshops, Preah Vihear Protected Forest, Cambodia, March & April 2011. Report on activities and major findings. Wildlife Conservation Society 2011. Photos: Anthony Lynam/WCS

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

PROJECT UPDATeS

The first pheasant extinction?

ctober 10, 2011 - The World Pheasant Association (WPA) has announced that Edwards’s Pheasant Lophura edwardsi , endemic to Vietnam, may be extinct in the wild. Currently listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered, the species is only found in the lowland forests of central Vietnam, but habitat loss and overexploitation have had a heavy impact in these areas. The lack of recent records of the species combined with these substantial threats prompted an urgent survey of its habitat by the WPA, in the hope of finding the species. In early 2011, the association teamed up with BirdLife International in Indochina and local forest protection organisations and rangers to search for the bird in sites in the Quang Binh and Quang Tri Provinces of central Vietnam. Records of Edwards’s Pheasant populations have been scarce since it was first described in 1896, and their shy and generally silent behaviour makes them a difficult species to find. The team traversed difficult and remote forest terrain to set up camera traps in Khe Nuoc Trong Watershed Protection Forest and Dakrong Nature Reserve, both identified as the most likely areas for the species, as they are relatively undisturbed. Camera trap surveys are becoming an increasingly important tool for conservationists to locate species that are difficult to observe.

sign of the elusive Edwards’s Pheasant. Its restricted habitat range means that there are probably less than a handful of other areas where it could be found. The failure to find the species creates real concern about its survival in the wild, but not all hope is lost. Members of the local community did indicate to the survey team that they had recently encountered the species in Khe Nuoc Trong Watershed Protection Forest. Using survey skills learnt in a recent training workshop provided by WPA staff and research associates from a Thai university, BirdLife and forest protection rangers will continue to survey other forests sites in the region. No pheasant species has been lost from the whole of Asia in the 400 years for which there are records, so it is to be hoped that Edwards’s Pheasant is not the first to become extinct! World Pheasant Association (WPA) is a UK registered charity dedicated to promoting conservation by ensuring the survival of those species of pheasants and related birds, order Galliformes. Galliform birds are widely seen as indicators of healthy habitats for a variety of reasons, such as their role in the ecosystem, their sensitivity to habitat change and because they are often among the first species that suffer from over-exploitation ---------Source: www.birdwatch.co.uk

The first phase of the survey has just been completed and despite having recorded 28 species of ground-dwelling bird and mammals including the Near-Threatened Siamese Fireback, another Lophura pheasant species, there was no

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

PROJECT UPDATeS

Climate Change Impacts on the Conservation of Birds in Asia Workshops in Cambodia and Vietnam

ne of the impacts of climate change on birds is change in their distributions. Ranges of birds are strongly related to distribution of suitable climate, they occur in places within a certain range of temperature and rainfall. With climate change, some species may shift their ranges, some may contract in range and some may disappear. The development of appropriate measures in Asia to assist species cope and adapt to such change is hampered by a lack of suitable datasets for modelling. A BirdLife International project undertaken in collaboration with Durham University (from the UK), and funded by the MacArthur Foundation, is addressing this by compiling databases of point locality records of species of conservation concern in the Lower Mekong and Eastern Himalaya. These databases are being used to develop models that project changes in species distributions under a variety of climate change scenarios, and suggest how effectively networks of Important Bird Areas (including protected areas) will safeguard the species analysed in the future. Recently, workshops were held in Cambodia and Vietnam to share the project findings with key government and civil society stakeholders in these countries, and to consider how the scientific analysis can be used to devise practical adaptation measures for site managers and to inform policy-making. In Cambodia, in conjunction with the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of the Environment, outcomes of the workshop included: the desire to have the project results presented in a format conducive to informing the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (a strategy to outline how Cambodia intends to meet the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2020 Targets); and to use the results to build advocacy on integrating biodiversity

conservation (thereby helping to ensure the continuation of the ecosystem services that many livelihoods rely on) into Cambodia’s National Adaptation Programme of Action implementation. In Vietnam, in conjunction with the Biodiversity Conservation Agency of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, participants of the workshop were particularly keen to unpack the intricacies of the modelling, with many also citing the need to consider the species projected distribution maps together with local land-use and ecological experts to get a clearer picture on the accuracy of the projected ranges. Discussions followed as to how the project results could inform the review of the network of protected areas in Vietnam in the context of climate change as part of the preparation for the country’s Master Plan on Biodiversity Conservation.

¾ Climate change projections for Asia

Notes: By 2100 Asia is projected to experience substantial changes in temperature and rainfall

IPCC 2007

¾ Projected impact of climate change on IBAs in Mekong

Both workshops were considered a success by all and they played an important role in providing ideas on possible followup projects to build upon the findings of the current project.

2025

2055

2085

Species Turnover (%) 0-20

The project team members are based at the BirdLife offices in UK, Indochina, Japan, at the offices of the Bombay Natural History Society (BirdLife in India) and Bird Conservation Nepal (BirdLife in Nepal), and at Durham University --------Source: Robert Munroe – Climate Change Officer, BirdLife International. Presentation slides from “Species-climate models: How we produce them and how we can use them” by Stephen Willis, Durham University, UK

21 40 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100

This preliminary analysis projects that the IBA networks in the Lower Mekong region will experience a large turnover of their priority species due to climate change

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

Tin Htar Swe <tin.htar.swe@bbc.co.uk>, sandrawin@gmail.comnnv

Project news

New Hope from Nan Thar Island and Bay of Martaban, Myanmar

arlier this year, the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), the Spoon-billed Sandpiper guardian for Myanmar, surveyed the west coast of Martaban to assess the population status of Spoon-billed Sandpiper (SbS) along that area. The team recorded three globally threatened species including the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank and the Vulnerable Great Knot. Also in their list were Near Threatened species i.e Blacktailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Black-bellied Tern and Black- headed Ibis together with 134 species. This survey confirmed that the

followed by a hunter livelihoods replacement Of those seven bird hunters are currently and environmental education campaign in active, four were found to be ‘subsistence’ April and May. or ‘professional’ hunters, who rely mainly on birds for their income, while three The Gulf of Martaban is likely the most were ‘opportunistic’, hunting birds only as important global wintering area for the SbS, a sideline. The ‘subsistence’ hunters are harboring an estimated total of at least 220 poor, with annual income last year ranging from the local equivalent of USD 317 to birds, or about half the global population, USD 800; while the three ‘opportunistic’ and hunting is currently the main threat at hunters engage in more lucrative activities the site (Zöckler et al. 2010). such as fishing or crabbing, and birds made up between only 10% and 18% of their total The good news for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper is that the overwhelming majority, income, which last year ranged from the local equivalent of USD 1517 to USD 2470. or 30 of the total of 37 hunters identified After the survey, the team worked with the in the 47 west Martaban villages, had seven hunters and community leaders to already ceased hunting birds by the time obtain shorebird conservation guarantees of the survey began. The villages on the in exchange for their chosen alternative west Martaban coast are predominantly livelihood assets. These assets included Buddhist, and killing birds is considered to be spiritually unhealthy, the main fishing gear and livestock, and were valued reason these men cited for why they no at USD 500 for each ‘subsistence’ hunter and western coast of Gulf of Martaban is similarly longer hunt birds. Nevertheless, based USD 200 for the ‘opportunistic’ hunters. important for conservation of Spoon- billed on an accounting of their memories, the Sandpiper as the east coast. The BANCA team conducted environmental 37 hunters had collectively taken a rough awareness raising activities in 20 villages, estimate of 84 Spoon-billed Sandpipers on Another BANCA team worked with using media such as posters, pamphlets the west Martaban coast in the period from villages on the west coast of the Gulf of and slide shows to discuss topics such as 1989 to 2011. This figure was provided by Martaban to provide livelihood alternatives the value of biodiversity especially in the the 21 hunters who, having collected it at for bird hunters and raise awareness in Gulf of Martaban, the importance and least once, were familiar with the Spoonthe communities of the laws protecting billed Sandpiper; the remaining 16 were not ecology of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, wintering shorebirds. Learning from the familiar with it. As on the east coast, the relationships between humans, birds, the success of similar initiatives on the east side Spoon-billed Sandpipers are mostly by-catch natural environment, the impacts of bird of Bay of Martaban last year, a six-member when larger birds are targeted with nets and hunting, and the legal protected status of BANCA team this year conducted a sociosometimes baited by poison (fertiliser). Spoon-billed Sandpipers and other migrating economic survey in 47 villages in Yangon shorebirds. The remaining villages were not and Bago Division in February and March, 43

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Project news

New Hope from Nan Thar...(continued) yet reached this year with environmental education activities, but will be targeted in future, as local communities expressed interest in and welcomed the educational opportunities. This year’s activities complete the first phase of the socio-economic survey and conservation agreement work by BANCA in the Gulf of Martaban. The activities from this and last year on both sides of the Gulf provide a solid foundation from which to continue to monitor the former hunters and their villages, and to expand on and intensify environmental awareness campaigns. The next step is to convene a Gulf-wide conservation forum composed of village leaders and former hunters, ministerial line agencies responsible for fisheries and wildlife conservation, and local government authorities including members of the newly-elected and convened legislative assemblies of Yangon and Bago Division. This forum will be supported by BANCA and local and international partners to work together for the protection of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and other wintering shorebirds. Among other activities, this forum can help lobby for the protected area designation of the area. While one team was conducting the socioeconomic surveys and education programs in Martaban another small team convened similarly a socioeconomic survey around Nanthar Island in Rakhine state. That small team identified four old bird hunters, three from Sittwe township (two from Ohmyepaw villages and one from Khatinpike village) and one from Rathaedaung (Kyaukgyi village) Township. They were not hunting birds at that time and have stopped hunting for 3 years. Even when

they were catching birds they were occasional and opportunistic bird hunters. That team also recorded 12 Spoon-billed Sandpipers out of which 2 young adults in their summer plumage together with four near threatened species, Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melamocephalus), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and Black-bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda). These records confirm the importance of Nan Thar Island for the conservation of Spoon-billed Sandpiper as well as other wintering birds. BANCA in combination with a national tour company is supporting the conservation efforts on Nan Thar island by promoting eco-tourism. We operate a tour each January in cooperation with ArcCona and Bird Holidays. For details of the tour itinerary please check here ----------Source: Tony Htin Hla & Karin Eberhardt, Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA). Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force News Bulletin No. 6, August 2011 Photo: Spoon-billed Sandpiper. www.birdskorea.org

Mid-term Report: Conservation of

Tigers, their prey and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (Phase 2)

omphat Wildlife Sanctuary (LWS) protects over 250,000 hectares of predominantly dry deciduous forest habitat and comprises part of the Eastern Plain Tiger Recovery Landscape (the best potential site for Tiger reintroduce in Indochina defined by the Cambodia Tiger action plan 2011 -2012). Endangered species existing in the Sanctuary include the Tiger, Leopard, Sun Bear, Gaur, Banteng, White-shouldered Ibis, Giant Ibis, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture and the Vulnerable Sarus Crane. The project ‘Conservation of Tigers, their prey, and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary Phase II’ supported by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) and Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund began in October 2010. Under the management of BirdLife International in Indochina - Cambodia Programme, the project has supported, equipped and trained rangers to conduct regular enforcement patrolling, wildlife monitoring and enforcement capacity improvement; established a new ranger team in the west of LWS; organised a study tour to Seima Protected Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Area; organised regular stakeholder meetings in order to increase local support for LWS; conducted tiger and bird surveys. Read full mid-term report (October 2010 - June 2011) for further details --------------Source: Bou Vorsak. Mid-term Report: Conservation of Tigers, their prey and habitat in Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary (Phase 2). BirdLife International in Indochina- Cambodia Programme 44

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ReviewS

ElefantAsia’s new book ’32 Souls’

rench based NGO ElefantAsia launched their new book ’32 Souls’ on Tuesday 11 October 2011 at Monument Books, Vientiane. Produced and printed entirely in the Lao PDR, ‘32 Souls’ is a truly delightful book which captures the essence of the Asian elephant and its importance within Lao history interwoven through culture and heritage. Written in both English and Lao language, ’32 Souls’ examines the world in which we live in, a world where this magnificent creature

is being pushed to extinction and asks us to re-evaluate, its opening line asking the pertinent question ‘Can you imagine a world without elephants?’ ________ Source: www.elefantasia.org

Burma’s Environment: People, Problems, Policies

new report highlights how Burma lacks any meaningful frameworks on environmental protection and sustainable development that would enable citizens to take part in decision-making about their country’s development, despite a recent transition to a military-dominated parliamentary political system. Land tenure remains weak and there are no safeguards in place to protect farmers, according to the groundbreaking report by the Burma

Environment Working Group (BEWG), which is the first ever to take aim at Burma’s environment as a whole. The 100-page publication, entitled Burma’s environment: People, Problems, Policies, demonstrates serious risks facing Burma’s extensive biodiversity and abundant natural resources, and it challenges the direction the country is taking toward increased largescale resources extraction projects in the oil, gas, hydropower and mining sectors. Burma is a state party to several international treaties relating to the environment, but according to the report it is unclear whether the contents of those treaties have been ratified in practice and incorporated into domestic law. Read full press release by BEWG and download the report here ________ Source: The Burma Environment Working Group (BEWG). Burma’s environment: People, Problems, Policies. June 2011

Ongoing global biodiversity loss and the need to move beyond protected areas: a review of the technical and practical shortcomings of protected areas on land and sea

leading strategy in international efforts to reverse ongoing losses in biodiversity is the use of protected areas. We use abroad range of data and a review of the literature to show that the effectiveness of existing, and the current pace of the establishment of new, protected areas will not be able to overcome current trends of loss of marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Despite local successes of welldesigned and well-managed protected areas proving effective in stemming biodiversity loss, there are significant shortcomings in the usual process of implementation of protected areas that preclude relying on them as a global solution to this problem. The shortcomings include technical problems associated with large gaps in the coverage of critical ecological processes related to individual home ranges and propagule dispersal, and the overall failure of such areas to protect against the broad range of threats affecting ecosystems. Practical issues include budget constraints, conflicts with human development, and a growing human population that will increase not only the extent of anthropogenic stressors but the difficulty in successfully enforcing protected areas. While efforts towards improving and increasing the number and/or size of protected areas must continue, there is a clear and urgent need for the development

of additional solutions for biodiversity loss, particularly ones that stabilize the size of the world’s human population and our ecological demands on biodiversity. Read full review --------Source: Camilo Mora and Peter F. Sale. Ongoing global biodiversity loss and the need to move beyond protected areas: a review of the technical and practical shortcomings of protected areas on land and sea. MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES. Vol. 434: 251–266, 2011, doi: 10.3354/meps09214

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

PUBLICATIONS

White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri: Vietnam’s rarest endemic passerine?

he species that is today known as the Whitethroated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri was first described from a male specimen collected at 2,500m on Mount Fansipan (22.30°N 103.78°E), Tonkin, now Lao Cai province, Vietnam, on 3 December 1929. Originally known as Le Rimator du Tonkin (Tonkin Rimator), it was named for Pierre Marie Antoine Pasquier, the Governor General of French Indochina (Delacour & Jabouille 1930, Delacour & Jabouille 1931). This paper summarises the taxonomic history of the species, details known records, describes its known sites and habitat and speculates on why the species is so rarely seen. Read full paper -----------Source: Jonathan C. Eames and Simon Mahood. White-throated Wren Babbler Rimator pasquieri: Vietnam’s rarest endemic passerine? BirdingASIA 15 (2011): 58–62 Photo: Jonathan C. Eames

Observations on the spread and extent of alien invasive plant species in six protected areas in Cambodia Cambodian Journal of Natural History Alien plants invading protected areas Pond rotifers in the Mekong Basin The real value of medicinal plants Horseshoe bats

July 2011

Vol 2011 No. 1

lien invasive plants are a threat to biodiversity, but have received litt le att ention from researchers in Cambodia. We sampled the distribution of alien plant species in Southwest and Northeast Cambodia by using 10 x 10 metre plots in forests in or adjacent to six forested protected areas. In every protected area, we established at least three plots along a gradient between its boundary and its centre to evaluate the spread of alien invasive plant species. We measured and mapped the coverage of seven alien plant species (Cassia alata,

C. occidentalis, Chromolaena odorata, Pennisetum polystachion, Mimosa invisa, M. pudica and Solanum torvum) in every plot as precisely as possible. In the total of 20 plots, the percentage cover of alien invasive plants ranged from zero to 100%. While the geographic core areas of the protected areas were found to be relatively free of alien plants, several species have penetrated their borders. Our study indicates that alien invasive plants are a threat to protected areas in Cambodia, especially sites with good access to people via roads or waterways. Read full paper -----------Source: Swen C. Renner, Nuon Vanna and Jonathan C. Eames. Observations on the spread and extent of alien invasive plant species in six protected areas in Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2011 (1) 40-48

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

PHOTO SPOT

Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis

ndian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis is now extinct in Cambodia. The last unconfirmed record of a flock of six seen at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers by Thomas was in 1960 or 1961. It was reported by Barthelemy as being â&#x20AC;&#x153;very common on the lower Mekongâ&#x20AC;? in April 1897 but rarer upstream according to Oustelet. Engelbach listed it from the Mekong River near the Lao frontier in March 1929 and recorded several pairs near Sambor in January and February 1932. The birds shown here were photographed near Jamnagar in Gujarat, India in December 2010. Photo: J C Eames 47

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

STAFF NEWS

PROfile Yam Dina

am Dina joined BirdLife Cambodia Programme on 17 October 2011 as Community Outreach Officer based in Western Siem Pang Project office, Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. He is working to establish and strengthen Local Conservation Groups/ Community Based Organisations, providing training and improving local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. In 2007, Dina successfully completed his Bachelor Degree in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine at Kompong Cham National School of Agriculture, Kompong Cham Province, Cambodia. After graduation, Dina started to work as a Project Volunteer and then was promoted as a Project Assistant at Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT), a local organisation in Cambodia. In September 2010, he moved to work for Development and Partnership in Action (another local NGO) as a Community Development Facilitator based in Mondulkiri province. Dina also experienced the last six months working as a Veterinary Trainer in Centre d’Etude et de Développement Agricole Cambodgien (CEDAC)

Liam Costello

ith support from the Australian Youth Ambassador for Development Programme, Liam Costello became a Project Support Officer at the BirdLife Cambodia Programme from August 2010 to July 2011. He has provided valuable assistance to the BirdLife team here in developing a case study for Satoyama Initiative “ Natural Resource Management in the Critical Habitat of Western Siem Pang Proposed Protected Forest”, updating Ramsar Information Sheets (RIS) for Cambodia’s three Ramsar sites and providing mapping resources for the Western Siem Pang ecological report (Lambert F. in prep). Liam also provided help strengthening GIS capacity for BirdLife staff, preparing funding proposals and implementing existing as well as new projects. Thank you for his hard work in the office and wish him all luck in his career Photo: Liam with traditional Cambodian gifts from BirdLife staff at his goodbye party.

British conservationist in Thailand receives OBE

leading figure in local efforts to protect the forests of western Thailand, Belinda Stewart-Cox has over the years helped stop environmental damage from a hydro-electric dam and logging concessions. She also co-wrote the successful nomination for World Heritage status and co-founded two organisations that focus on conservation in different ways. The most recent, the Elephant Conservation Network (ECN), was established in 2000 with her colleague Jittin Ritthirat to help protect wild elephants and their ecosystem by turning human-elephant conflict into human-elephant coexistence. Their work is steadily changing the attitudes of formerly hostile farmers, enabling villagers to develop alternative livelihoods, and strengthening protection of elephants and their habitat. Several projects initiated by ECN, including a corridor proposal, are now part of the Thai government’s agenda. On receiving her Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Belinda said: “I’m thrilled that all those years of effort have been recognised in this way, but I’m also aware that I could not have achieved anything worthwhile without the kind and committed help of the many good people I have been, and still am, privileged to work with in Thailand.” British Ambassador to Thailand, Asif Ahmad said: “I am delighted that Belinda has received this honour. It is recognition of her tireless commitment to safeguarding Thailand’s most important resource - its natural environment”. -------Source: The Nation, June 13, 2011. Photo: Bangkok Post

Bou Vorsak

oining BirdLife International in Indochina, Cambodia Programme in 2005 as a Finance Officer/Administrative Officer, Vorsak Bou was promoted as the Acting Programme Manager only after one year (July 2006) and now in September 2011, he was officially appointed as Programme Manager of the BirdLife Cambodia Programme 48

The Babbler 39 - November 2011

From the archives

The birth of an ecological vision in art

s Darwin’s view of nature become more widely known and accepted in the 19th Century so it began to be reflected in the work of contempory artists. The work of Darwin’s friend Joseph Wolf was transformed as a result, producing the first truly ecological vision of life in the wild.

Wolf’s obsession with survival tactics in the wild became Darwinian in another sense. The sheer profusion of life forms and the complexity of their interactions were increasingly apparent to him. A row in the Jungle, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1863, show rhesus macaques alarmed by a marauding tiger, the females with young retreating into the trees as the males try to defend the colony. The variety and density of the undergrowth – albeit studied in Kew Gardens, not in the Indian jungle-evoke the fight for survival among plants, as among animals. The tiger’s stripy markings disguise its presence among these fronds, while the monkeys’ group behaviour acts as an alternative kind of survival strategy. It is rich, resilient life rather than grim fatality that is conveyed here. The harmonies of the vibrant colour-the bright blue-green eyes of the tiger echoing the tinge of the distant hollows, red creepers flashing against the green foliage – evoke the fecundity of nature, and the creative power of the “war of nature” with an elation that is truly Darwinian --------------Source: Donald, Diana (2009) “Endless forms: Charles Darwin, natural science and the visual arts”. Florence, Italy: Yale University Press.

Joseph Wolf, A row in the Jungle, 1863, watercolour. Zoological Society of London 49