NUS Prof Veera Sekaran and NTU's Dr Shawn Lum on code of practice for pruning tropical trees
The National Parks Board and the Landscape Industry Association Singapore will develop the first code of practice for pruning tropical trees in urban environments. It is hoped that the new guidelines will make the trees less susceptible to pests and diseases. A first draft of the code is expected to be published by mid-2026. Professor Veera Sekaran from the NUS College of Design and Engineering, and Dr Shawn Lum, a senior lecturer at the NTU Asian School of the Environment, shared more about current industry best practices and how the new guidelines will be tailored for tropical trees.
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Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Six endangered fish species found in fish maw from Singapore and Malaysia's stores: Study
Around 500 samples of fish maw were collected from stores across Singapore and Malaysia, and sent for DNA analysis. PHOTO: SEAH YING GIAT Six endangered fish species found in fish maw from Singapore and Malaysia's stores: Study SINGAPORE - The DNA of six endangered fish species was found in fish maw products from stores in Singapore and Malaysia, a new study found. This was uncovered by a pair of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) , who analysed the DNA of 480 samples of fish maw. The duo published their research on June 24 , in the journal Conservation Letters . Fish maw - a delicacy in Chinese cuisine - is derived from the dried swim bladder of fish. Also known as the air or gas bladder, the organ helps fish modulate their buoyancy, allowing them to remain at a desired depth without floating or sinking. Widely consumed throughout much of East and South-east Asia, fish maw is regarded as an indicator of wealth, prestige and status in Chinese culture. It is also a popular ingredient in stews and soups, as it brings purported health benefits. The mysterious origins of fish maw The trade of fish maw products is hard to regulate, however, as it is difficult to visually identify them by species, said NUS Assistant Professor Benjamin Wainwright , one of the study's authors. He said: 'Fish maw has been processed, flattened, cleaned and washed. 'You can't determine what species the maw comes from without using genetic methods - so we have no idea of what species are involved in this trade in South-east Asia.' The aggregation of fish maw and other dried fish products under a common commodity code has also made its trade harder to oversee. Asst Prof Wainwright said: 'Commodity codes are meant to say, this is shark fin, this is shrimp, this is fish maw - but at the moment, all these products are lumped together and imported as dried fish goods.' As such, the two researchers - UMT's Dr Seah Ying Giat and Asst Prof Wainwright - set out to collect fish maw samples from stores in Malaysia between October and December 2023 , and in Singapore from January to April 2024 . Within the Republic, they visited dried goods shops such as those in Victoria Wholesale Centre and Albert Centre , Asst Prof Wainwright said. 'Just from walking around Chinatown, you can see maw everywhere - sold in lots and lots of shops. In supermarkets, there's fried maw all over the place as well.' DNA was successfully analysed from 118 samples from Malaysia and 362 samples from Singapore , and a total of 39 fish species were identified across both countries. The most commonly identified species was the blackspotted croaker (Protonibea diacanthus) , which made up 58 of the 480 samples. It is classified as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List , which outlines the conservation status of animals, plants and fungi. This means that though the species is currently not threatened by extinction, it is likely to become endangered in the near future. Among the maw samples, there were also four endangered, and two critically endangered species as per the IUCN Red List. The endangered species identified were: the cassava croaker (Pseudotolithus senegalensis) , American eel (Anguilla rostrata) , fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) and iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) . Additionally, maw samples were also found to originate from the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and European eel (Anguilla anguilla) , which are critically endangered. Notably, 11 samples of fish maw were identified as the European eel, despite the European Union's enactment of a zero-export quota on the fish in 2010 , which bars its export from the region. On this, Asst Prof Wainwright said: 'It's not that surprising that eel maw has been sold, because you can find the eels here. 'But it's interesting that the European eel is still making it here, because that should have been banned a long time ago.' Consider more sustainable alternatives Ultimately, as fish maw products often do not specify the exact species used, it may be difficult for consumers to make informed choices, said Mr Chester Gan, the Marine lead at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore . Businesses and corporations hence play a vital role, he added, and should examine their supply chains to ensure they are sourcing ingredients responsibly and reducing environmental impact. He said: 'Given that fish maw may originate from fisheries with little data, endangered species, or unsustainable fishing practices that harm vulnerable marine life, we urge both consumers and businesses to consider more sustainable alternatives.' To Asst Prof Wainwright, the best option is to not consume fish maw, especially if its species, country of origin and the sustainability of the maw fishery it is from cannot be confirmed. He said: ' The hope is, as more people become aware of the damage caused by unsustainable fishing, they may turn away from products of unknown origin and towards seafood from sustainable fisheries . ' Otherwise, when a species targeted for fish maw gets fished out, it's very likely we'll turn to another species and fish that one out, and then do the same for the next ones .' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
19 hours ago
- CNA
WHO says all Covid-19 origin theories still open, after inconclusive study
GENEVA: All hypotheses on how the Covid-19 pandemic began remain open, the World Health Organization said on Friday (Jun 27), following an inconclusive four-year investigation that was hamstrung by crucial information being withheld. The global catastrophe killed an estimated 20 million people, according to the WHO, while shredding economies, crippling health systems and turning people's lives upside-down. The first cases were detected in Wuhan in China in late 2019, and understanding where the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid came from is key to preventing future pandemics. However, a lengthy investigation launched by the UN's health agency said that pending further data, the origin of Covid and how it first spread remains elusive. "As things stand, all hypotheses must remain on the table, including zoonotic spillover and lab leak," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference, referring to the two main hypotheses as to how the pandemic began. EXPERT INVESTIGATION An initial WHO-Chinese joint report in March 2021 concluded that the virus most likely jumped from bats to humans via an intermediate animal. It deemed a leak from Wuhan's virology laboratories, known for their research on coronaviruses, to be "extremely unlikely". However, that investigation faced harsh criticism for lacking transparency and access, and for not seriously evaluating the lab-leak theory. Tedros launched another investigation, setting up the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), comprising 27 international experts, in July 2021. Their 78-page report was published on Friday. It said the weight of available evidence suggests a spillover from animals, either directly from bats, or through an intermediate host. However, it could not conclude with certainty where and when this happened, nor whether the Wuhan wet market was where the virus first spilled over into humans. That said, the market "appears to be the location for amplification of infection in humans", leading to widespread transmission. "Evidence for widespread infections or cases in any other countries prior to December 2019 is lacking," it added. While spillover was the best supported theory on the evidence currently available, "until further requests for information are met, or more scientific data becomes available, the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it entered the human population will remain inconclusive," SAGO chair Marietjie Venter said at the press conference. Lab leak theories "could not be investigated or excluded", she said, because much of the needed information had not been made available. The experts requested unpublished information from other countries, notably Germany and the United States, but without success, she said. Earlier this week, one SAGO member resigned and three others asked for their names to be removed from the report. CRUCIAL QUESTION "Over the past five years, we have learned a lot about Covid-19 but there is one crucial question about the pandemic that we have not yet answered, how it started," Tedros said. "Despite our repeated requests, China has not provided hundreds of viral sequences from individuals with Covid-19 early in the pandemic, more detailed information on animals sold at markets in Wuhan, and information on work done and biosafety conditions at laboratories in Wuhan," he said. He said WHO has requested access to intelligence reports by governments around the world on the origins of Covid-19. US President Donald Trump's administration has officially embraced the lab leak theory. MORAL IMPERATIVE Tedros said finding out how Covid-19 started was a moral imperative for those who lost their lives in the pandemic and to prevent further outbreaks. He said the virus was continuing to evolve, take lives and leave people suffering with post-Covid conditions, or so-called long Covid. Tedros said the WHO is appealing to countries with information about the origins of Covid-19 to share information.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
NUS Prof Veera Sekaran and NTU's Dr Shawn Lum on code of practice for pruning tropical trees
The National Parks Board and the Landscape Industry Association Singapore will develop the first code of practice for pruning tropical trees in urban environments. It is hoped that the new guidelines will make the trees less susceptible to pests and diseases. A first draft of the code is expected to be published by mid-2026. Professor Veera Sekaran from the NUS College of Design and Engineering, and Dr Shawn Lum, a senior lecturer at the NTU Asian School of the Environment, shared more about current industry best practices and how the new guidelines will be tailored for tropical trees.
