Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Big poultry round-up at Ubin

As ban looms on Friday, nine farms emptied to keep bird flu virus away
By Chang Ai-Lien
June 15, 2005

OFFICIALS rounded up most of the remaining poultry on Pulau Ubin yesterday, buying what was left of the 300 chickens, ducks and geese for slaughter before the poultry ban on the island takes effect on Friday.

The move is part of Singapore's efforts to keep the deadly bird flu at bay, as backyard farming in the region has been blamed for recent outbreaks.

It is also the end of an era for poultry farmers like Mr Vincent Chew, whose family has reared chickens - several thousand during its heyday - for over 50 years.

'This is the responsible thing to do,' said the 38-year-old, who sold his last 10 chickens to friends over the weekend. They had rushed over for their final chance to savour tasty kam pung chicken after hearing about the impending ban.

Mr Chew's family, which operates one of nine licensed farms on Pulau Ubin, has accepted the Government's offer to resettle on the main island.

Five families have taken up the offer so far.

Full-time farmers have been offered compensation of $26,000 to give up their farming licences, as well as further payment for their homes, farm structures and improvements.

Most farmers and residents who spoke to The Straits Times yesterday shared Mr Chew's views, although some were sad to see the end of the line for their feathered friends.

'It can't be helped,' said Mr Hasan Ali, 45, looking on as the sole goose in his brother's house was taken away. The honking bird had acted as a security guard and snake-killer, he said.

The ban extends a restriction imposed last year, when the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) prohibited farms and homes on the kampung island from keeping more than 10 birds each. The animals also had to be caged. But this did not work because some people continued to let their fowl roam free.

Yesterday, most of the nine farms and 17 households rearing poultry sold their remaining birds to the AVA and the Poultry Merchants' Association, at market prices.

About 90 birds were caught in nets and caged, before being taken back to the main island for slaughter.

From Friday, no one will be allowed to keep, breed, sell or buy live poultry on Pulau Ubin.

The ban has not been extended to homes on the main island, where families can still keep up to 10 pet chickens, provided they are caged.

Singapore is on high alert for the deadly virus, which is endemic in the region and has devastated poultry stocks and killed more than 50 people.

The worry is that the H5N1 strain could spawn the next global flu outbreak, which could kill millions.

AVA officers will be conducting spot checks on Pulau Ubin and anyone caught flouting the rules could be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for a year.

AVA's assistant director for agritech infrastructure Chin Yew Neng said: 'We thank the residents for playing their part in keeping Singapore free of bird flu.'

The remaining few birds on Pulau Ubin will have to be removed by tomorrow.

The association's secretary, Mr Chew Kian Huat, said that whatever birds he
collected would be cooked and distributed among members of the trade.

'There are too few to make it worth our while to sell them to the public, but we wanted to do our duty to help keep bird flu away,' he said in Mandarin.

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Saturday, June 04, 2005

Bird flu fears lead to Ubin poultry ban

Residents have two weeks to get rid of their birds; farmers offered compensation

By Chang Ai-Lien (The Straits Times)
4 Jun 05


THE authorities have moved to seal a potential chink in Singapore's bird flu armour, by banning poultry on Pulau Ubin. Residents on the rustic island have been given two weeks to get rid of their chickens and ducks.

'In disease control, we cannot afford to have half-measures,' said Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) chief executive officer Ngiam Tong Tau yesterday. 'If it's not done well, then it leaves a weakness in the system that could allow the disease to come into Singapore.'

The nine licensed farms and 17 residents who rear chickens and ducks on the island have until Junec 16 to get rid of them. The AVA will buy any remaining birds at market prices, it said. From June 17, no one will be allowed to keep, breed, sell or buy live poultry on the island.

Singapore has so far kept bird flu at bay, but it is now endemic in the region, with infections killing more than 50 people. Experts have blamed backyard farming for the outbreaks, and the World Health Organisation fears the H5N1 strain could spawn the next global flu outbreak which could kill millions of people. Singapore remains on high alert against the deadly virus, with both the Health Ministry and AVA monitoring the situation closely. AVA, for example, said samples of up to 1,000 birds have been tested for the virus every month since April last year. They are from local and imported poultry, birds from the Singapore Zoo and Jurong BirdPark, migratory birds and imported ornamental birds.

The ban on Pulau Ubin extends the restriction imposed last year, when AVA prohibited farms and homes on the island from keeping more than 10 poultry each. They also had to be caged properly to stop them mixing with wild birds. But some people continued to let their fowl roam free, despite checks and reminders from AVA officers. Also, the number of birds kept on the island has risen from 225 late last year to about 300.

'We anticipate that the ban will be in place for the next few years at least, because the disease is entrenched in the region,' said Dr Ngiam. Those caught flouting the rules face a maximum punishment of a $10,000 fine and a year in jail.

But the island's wild, free-roaming red junglefowl - the father of all domestic chickens - has been spared for now. A species considered globally vulnerable to extinction, the shy bird is unlikely to transmit the disease to people because it runs at the sight of them, Dr Ngiam said.

The ban has also not been extended to homes on the mainland. Families can still keep up to 10 pet chickens, provided they are caged. Those at the Zoo and BirdPark have been vaccinated against bird flu, while those at the Botanic Gardens are regularly checked for the disease, he added.

The Government has offered to resettle Pulau Ubin's affected farmers. They will be offered standard resettlement benefits, and compensated for removing their coops and other poultry structures. Farmers who spoke to The Straits Times said it was getting difficult to eke out a living and they would consider moving to the main island.

Mr Tan Hai Lian, who lives on Pulau Ubin with his 100-year-old father, is one of them. The 58-year-old, who has a small provision shop and a 2.4ha plot with fruit trees, said: 'I used to have a few hundred chickens to supplement my income. 'Now, that is gone and it may be easier to leave Ubin.'

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Comments from Focus Ubin Forum
(in reference to the above paragraph in bold)
Seagull writes...
"Today's Straits Times Page Three report speaks of some (very) elderly Ubinites understandably being open to leaving Ubin for the mainland. Such a report may very well present a far from accurate impression that it is no longer viable to maintain a healthy Ubin economy for Ubinites there - to therefore set the stage to depopulate Ubin of its Ubinites, and open Ubin to be transformed into no-Ubin.

No need to imagine the dire consequences. Do only visit our maga-bucks-spent-but-largely-stripped-of-authentic-Chinatown-residents-chronically-anaemic Chinatown - and compare its sorry stage with the bustling with authentic-Chinatown-residents-and-Chiantown-economy Chinatowns overseas to know why. Depopulating Ubin of its Ubinites would definitely be a massive step in devaluing Ubin whole.

The reality and the truth however is that with some SMALL money plus original thinking, commonsense and gotong-royong spirit - a sufficiently strong and sustainable authentic Ubin economy can be swifty developed to support a larger base of happy resident-Ubinites and their offsprings, from the unpublicised many Ubinites who are currently there and on the mainland who would want to live and earn their livelihood from Ubin-compatible activities on Ubin. These people do only need LEADERSHIP - which Ubin's current more than very elderly resident-leaders are understandably no longer to provide, after decades of sterling service.

Thus this appeal to persons who see merits in keeping Ubin-whole thriving and authentic for the long-term, to step forward and jointly craft out a no-busting-budget practical master plan to get Ubin and its Ubinites thriving again - for Singapore's sakes, their sakes and wild-Ubin's sakes. ...

Truthfully speaking. Invigorated Ubinites and Ubin economy will also mean an invigorated Singapore tourism economy - to appeal to discerning overseas tourists who want genuine stuff - and not some fako plastik makeovers.


Read more of Seagull's suggestions for sustainable and authentically and "uniquely ubin" revitalization on the island here.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Ubin's 'Pacific Blue' cops

The Straits Times, 31 May 05

Pulau Ubin police patrolmen are turning head on the island because of their new uniform--blue polo T-shirts, bermuda shorts and black hiking boots. And like their counterparts on the television series Pacific Blue, Sergeant Nicole Tan, 21, Sergeant Kevin Tay, 25, and Corporal Izwan Mohd Yusof, 28, use bicycles on their beats.

Launched yesterday, the uniform is part of an initiative by the Police Coast Guard's new Loyang Regional Base that was officially opened then.

The informal-looking get-up is meant not only to be comfortable, but also to boost rapport with the islanders.

Islander and driver Choo Geok Choon, 60, said: "I like it. It reminds me of the good old days when policemen wore shorts".

Mr Lai Ah Hah, 53, who also lives on Ubin, said with a grin: "It's cooler for them, but they have to watch out for the mosquitoes."

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Old Changi Jetty

As read on Focus Ubin on 2 May 2005, there has been signs that the process of demolishing the old Changi Jetty has already begun!


Photo of Changi Jetty on 2 May 2005 by Ria Tan

First the roof, next the whole jetty will be gone before you know it. Go and catch a glimpse of the old jetty that served as a gathering point and launching point for many memorable trips to Ubin for decades. [Editor's note: Does anyone know how long it has been there? There have been photographic records courtesy of FairyPoint dating all the way back to the 1930s and before!]



According to a Straits Times article dated 31 Dec 2004, the old jetties will be demolished and dredging will be carried out 'so that the unsightly seabed will not be exposed during low tide'.


Changi Jetty in the 1930s. Photo courtesy of FairyPoint.

I am sure that many like myself has always felt that the old jetties looked dirty and unsafe and thus prompted the construction of a new jetty that has "sheltered gangways and pontoons for safer embarkation and disembarkation" (MPA News Release, Dec 2004). However, I will really miss the grand old tree providing shade on all those hot sunny afternoons and the quaint little petrol kiosk for boats with a shop sign that has withstand decades of salt spray. Sometimes you might even find kampung chicken running around near the jetty! One time I was there I even saw some of the bumboat operators spraying down a boat from shore and it wasn't a sight I would expect to see from the new clean and sanitized ferry terminal.

This often makes one wonder, how do we balance history, cultural flavour and heritage between modernization and safety?

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Source:
Focus Ubin, "Changes at Changi Jetty, departure point for Pulau Ubin, Singapore"

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Pulau Ubin Conservation and Management Plans

NParks/HSBC Joint media release, 29 April 2005: Launch of Pulau Ubin Conservation and Management Plans - Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub, Chek Jawa, Jelutong Campsite & Bike Park

29 April 2005 (Friday) - The Pulau Ubin Conservation and Management Plans were officially launched by Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development today. To enhance the Ubin Experience for the public while making more areas accessible for green recreation, these plans include upcoming amenities such as the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub, visitor facilities at Chek Jawa Wetland, a new campsite at Jalan Jelutong and a bike park at Ketam Quarry for mountain biking.

Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, graced the launch ceremony as the Guest-of-Honour. Also present were Prof. Leo Tan, Chairman of National Parks Board (NParks) and Mr Paul Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) in Singapore.


Photo by Gurmit Singh

In line with its long-standing support for nature conservation, HSBC made a donation of S$800,000 to the Pulau Ubin Conservation Fund, which would be used to enhance nature conservation, outreach and research initiatives on Pulau Ubin. This will include the setting up of the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub to promote and facilitate volunteerism, community involvement and nature outreach. When ready by the later part of this year, the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub will house a resource centre, a seminar room, activity rooms and a management office. A one-stop centre for information on Pulau Ubin, the resource centre will be stocked with reference and multimedia materials, as well as plant and animal samples to facilitate project work and conservation research by schools and other organisations. The seminar and activity rooms will host talks, slide shows and workshops for the public, and would be used for volunteer training as well. NParks will also relocate its management office to the Volunteer Hub for better co-ordination and management of outreach activities.

When the boardwalks with lookout platforms and shelters, and viewing tower at Chek Jawa Wetland are completed by 2006, the public can enjoy the natural heritage with minimal impact to the surrounding habitats. House Number 1, an abandoned English cottage, will be restored and adapted for use as a Visitor Centre with interpretative displays, a seminar room and field research facilities. This building was constructed in the 1930s by the then Chief Municipal Engineer for a British Medical Officer. Now a Conservation Building, it is the only one of its kind left in Singapore, with architecture typical of the Tudor period.

Covering 7.5 ha, the Jelutong campsite is an addition to existing camping areas at Noordin Beach and Mamam Beach. When completed by end of this year, it will offer the public an alternative campsite that is nearer to the village hub. The 14.4 ha bike park at Ketam Quarry would be ready for mountain biking activities in September 2006.

Prof. Leo Tan, Chairman of NParks said, "Working with a community of partners such as HSBC, volunteers, nature groups and school adopters, Pulau Ubin would continue to provide distinctive experiences to meet the public's recreational and educational needs."

Elaborating on HSBC's support, Paul Lawrence, CEO of HSBC Singapore said, "As the world's local bank, we are committed to making a positive and sustained difference to the communities in which we operate. It is in this spirit that we have a long standing partnership with NParks in conserving and protecting our natural heritage. Our successful collaboration at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve over the last decade is a good example of this and now, Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa offer the opportunity for us to extend our contribution to nature conservation. We are hopeful that collectively, we can make a real and lasting difference to the conservation of Pulau Ubin and to enhance its value for the enjoyment of our community. I'm also pleased that so many of my colleagues have come forward to volunteer their time toward this effort to care for nature."

Mr Gurmit Singh Kullar, a regular volunteer at Pulau Ubin, commented, "I am heartened by NParks' efforts in promoting community involvement and nature outreach on Pulau Ubin. It's also good to know that partners from the private sector are taking a proactive approach in raising awareness about a very special historical, geographical and ecological part of Singapore. The volunteers are especially excited about the upcoming facilities at the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub. We will continue to work closely with NParks and all the green partners to sustain our natural heritage."

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Source:
Chek Jawa hompage
Nparks