October 2006 130th Issue

Hua Hin Events

congratulations to Sheila and Tom on their wedding

Another birthday another Mick. Mick Evans enjoying the big one in Cha Am.

Dick and Liz celebrating a joint birthday up at dick's office

Ben and friends celebrating his birthday at dick's office

The ‘farang' team practising their stroke for the dragon boat race on the Pranburi river, to be held in November

Hua Hin golf tours staff take a break at lam luk ka country club in Bangkok , after successfully organising the tournament there

“if the belt fits” - another year and it won't! happy birthday Mick

Hua Hin Online Community

Absolute mayhem was probably the best description of the forums after another government clampdown targeting foreigners. This time it was restrictions placed upon visa on arrival (VOA) or 30 day stamps as some call them. As of the first of this month it will no longer be possible to do back to back border runs for 30 day stamps, a limit of two visa runs (90 days effective stay) will be the maximum possible. Then the foreigner must leave the country for a minimum of 90 days before returning. Further restrictions were made on tourist visas with only maximum 60-day visas being issued by Thai consulates in neighbouring Asian consulates. Most of the views on this were to be expected, more clampdowns, more ill feeling towards foreigners from the government and overall less stability for those of us living and working in Thailand. Whatever the motives for these latest restrictions are, the government have successfully achieved one thing, widespread anxiety amongst the local and expat community, especially in a town that thrives on tourism.

The property situation seems to have relaxed a little and has taken a back seat for the time being. Many enquires came on regarding a number of developments that seemed to have stopped construction and the number of condo questions also increased. This seems to be a direct knock on effect of the restrictions on shareholders of foreign companies purchasing land a few months back.

Accommodation hunters were scouring the website for guesthouses in the lead up to the high season and there were the usual requests for recommendations. A few bizarre food requests were made and we welcome our latest sponsor, Coco 51, a fine quality Thai and western cuisine restaurant located on the seafront at the end of Soi 51.

The farang dragon boat team went from strength to strength with more and more volunteers turning up on Sundays at 1pm at Mermaid Cruises in Paknampran to join in with the training. The 75 foot long boat seats around 20 rowers however when they are all farangs it may take on water as it did last month! (See photo in Events)

There were a few topics regarding general cost of living here and local salaries along with expat life and keeping busy for those not working. There are hundreds of activities in and around Hua Hin, the forums are a good place to help you find them and like-minded people.

Plenty of discussion on the new airport in Bangkok and its opening times, we hope it will make travel to and from the Kingdom a smoother process. The Ask the expats section had a number of requests from where to buy cigars to sunshades, it's all there!

HHAD joins the world of communications with Skype, just search for huahinafterdark and add us to your contacts, one of the moderators should be online most of the time. Feel free to chat to us about any Hua Hin related issues.

HHAD forums are the definitive online message boards and discussions for the area, there are sections for finding and booking accommodation, seeking out bargains, and exploring the local area and beyond. There is also a nightlife section for the night owls, a restaurant and feeding guide along with an online meeting point for visa runners and clubs. The ever popular “Ask the expats” section is great for quickly getting the answers you need from the people that live here. Logon and find out what is happening in Hua Hin:

www.huahinafterdark.com/forum

VISA REGULATIONS TIGHTENED

In another move aimed at ridding Thailand of ‘undesirables', the regulations concerning the Visa On Arrival passport stamp, which allows most people arriving in the country a 30 day stay, have been tightened up to prevent some abuses that have been taking place.

According to the Immigration Police Bureau (IPB), the move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US. IPB commissioner Suwat Tumrongsiskul said nationals from those specific countries are currently allowed to remain in Thailand for 15 or 30 days maximum after the VOA is granted, dependent on the country. The VOA is normally renewable only once.

However, some foreigners including tourists ''tiptoe around the law'' by resorting to so-called ‘visa runs' to extend their stay. Most take a bus to a border, check out of the country and then return the same day to have the VOA renewed. They repeat the practice as many times as they wish, affording them almost unlimited stay in the country.

In future, foreigners from those 41 countries will be able to stay in the country for 30 days from the first VOA stamp, which will be renewable twice at most, each time for a maximum of 30 days. In other words, a foreigner will be permitted to remain in Thailand for no longer than 90 days in total after three VOA stamps. It is believed that the regulations will stipulate that after this the foreigner will have to leave Thailand for at least 90 days, and possibly longer, before being allowed in again on a VOA, although they would be allowed in with a properly issued visa.

The commissioner said the current system is prone to abuse as many foreign nationals make numerous visa runs so they can stay on long term to do business. In some cases, they have gone unregulated, causing social problems. Official figures showed that about 400,000 Chinese nationals were granted a VOA last year, and 18,000 of them have stayed behind. Around 200,000 Indians made VOA visits last year and it was found that 16,000 of them have not left.

Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said the new VOA rules would be put into effect once approved by the Royal Thai Police Office. He said more information technology would be employed in the blacklisting system. The IT-operated immigration clearance system is now in use at 15 out of 55 checkpoints nationwide to check in tourists and screen out undesirable individuals. The technology lets the bureau enlarge its database of foreign visitors to identify those on the blacklist and expel them.

Another change that has been mooted is that Investment Visas, which require 3 million baht to be invested in Thailand, will be changed, also from October 1st, requiring a higher sum to be put in. No concrete announcements had been made at press time, but the rumours were that this sum was going to be between 7 and 10 million baht, and a decision was going to be made about allowing existing visas to be renewed without having to invest additional sums – the so-called ‘grandfathering' system which allows visas obtained under the old system to continue as before. There are several precedents of this, with one example being retirement visas obtained before those regulations changed a couple of years ago.

It should be noted that people who obtain tourist, non-immigrant, retirement or other visas before coming to Thailand are not affected by the change in the VOA regulations. However many expats who live here legally are becoming worried about the raft of changes that have occurred over the previous 3 or 4 years, and wonder if their planned life in the country is secure, fearing more changes such as the requirements for extending their existing visas. Added to the changes in land registrations, and the increasing difficulty in obtaining certain visas in neighbouring countries, it is not surprising that the expat community is becoming concerned.

The changes being introduced seem to conflict with the aims of TAT (see article below) which hopes to encourage more foreigners to visit Thailand. Indeed one of the stated aims is the promotion of foreigners investing money in Thailand by purchasing a 2nd property (holiday home). This seems slightly at odds with the current policy regarding home purchase. Perhaps a simple restriction on the land area allowed might be part of the solution to allowing foreigners to truely own a home.

At a time when Thailand is slowly recovering from the lost revenue inflicted on it by the Tsunami, perhaps it would be a good time for those people with the responsibility and power to tackle all these details ultimately making life easier for both the Thai authorities and the foreign investor. Ultimately foreigners would then feel much happier about committing their lifetime savings to an investment in Thailand.

We all feel privilaged to live in such a beautiful country, but perhaps the real ‘icing on the cake' would be sorting out this mess.

THAI TOURISM DRIVE

At the end of August the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched its new e-marketing campaign, which includes phase two of Thailand's biggest online travel portal, www.ThailandHotDeal.com . At the launch, TAT Governor Ms Juthamas Siriwan, said that the campaign would seek to achieve 200 million baht in transactions from 20,000 online bookings on ThailandHotDeal.com between now and the end of August 2007.

The first phase of ThailandHotDeal.com created 80 million baht of online transactions for the six Andaman provinces of Thailand in the seven months to April this year. Phase two features "hot" deals from hotels and tour operators throughout Thailand. All of Thailand's travel industry is now being encouraged to place "hot" travel products on the portal.

Within the target countries, the e-marketing campaign will promote both mass-market travel products and target niche interest consumers such as single ladies, expatriates in Asia, and visitors interested in cosmetic surgery, spa, golf, diving, eco-adventures, or buying a 2nd property in Thailand. The TAT will also launch a weblog award for consumers in October.

Ms Juthamas invited the travel industry to submit "hot" deals to ThailandHotDeal.com. She said: "By 'hot deals' I don't mean those that will burn a hole in visitors' pockets, but deals that will burn a favourable impression in their hearts - so that they go home and spread the good word about Thailand to their friends, neighbours and work colleagues."

Over 100 hotel properties have already created special prices and packages for ThailandHotDeal.com which, as an online gateway, has been designed to drive bookings to hotels' and tour operators' existing online booking engines.

KILLERS SENTENCED

On 6 th September 2006, in Phetchaburi, a line was drawn under one of the saddest events to have occurred in the area for many years. The provincial Criminal Court sentenced Panada Laorueng, the former wife of Toby Charnaud, a British businessman, to life imprisonment for masterminding his murder in March last year. Three other people found guilty of colluding with her in the murder also received life sentences.

The four were at first sentenced to death but the court decided to commute their sentences to life in prison because they confessed to the charges. They confessed that they had colluded in the murder, which took place on March 28 last year, when Toby visited his five-year-old son at the house of his ex-wife Panada Laorueng, 35.

The court heard that he was bludgeoned to death with an iron bar and wooden sticks, after a failed attempt to shoot him. His body was then burned and the remains scattered in a Thai-Burmese border area, which forms part of the Kang Krachan national park in Phetchaburi. Panada believed that her young son was about to receive an inheritance from his father, so she decided to have him killed in order to take control of the inheritance, the court was told.

She was convicted of masterminding the murder and hiding the victim's remains, while the other three defendants, who are her relatives, were found guilty of killing Toby and hiding his body. The three co-defendants were Boontiem Puipong, 31, Chatri Sripratum, 28, and Pinit Satayabut, all from the northeastern province of Yasothon.

A squire from Wiltshire in Britain, Toby had set up a dairy business in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district. He also owned a dairy farm in nearby Phetchaburi's Kang Krachan district. Toby decided to settle down in Thailand after falling in love with Panada, a bargirl, many years ago. He sold his farm in Wiltshire and came to live with her in Thailand. However, they broke up after he learned that she had incurred a huge amount of gambling debts. They divorced in 2004 and shared custody of their only son. He is now being brought up and cared for by Toby's family in the UK.

Rest In Peace Toby.

SEN-5-SES

In “Five Senses”, Nat Posila's large scale, photo-realistic portraits of succulent fruits and tropical foliage titillates the senses with imagined fragrances, tastes, sounds and textures - the rustle of bamboo leaves, the warmth of sunlight, the fragrance of rain on new leaves, the bitter sweetness of pomegranates - overflow the canvasses. Nat's skillful use of colour and exquisitely rendered work vibrates with a hyper realistic intensity of colour, light and shadow.

“Five Senses” follows Nat's 2005 and 2006 near sell-out exhibitions in Western Australia, where his work has received praise for his skillful rendering and dynamic use of multiple layers of colour. Nat's paintings are simultaneously modern and traditional as he captures the universal appeal of nature's beauty in a refreshingly modern form.

This young Thai artist is definitely a talent to follow. When not painting, he teaches oil painting and drawing in Bangkok. His passion for painting, and his accompanying talent, has resulted in an outstanding body of work and number of successful, both in Thailand and abroad.

For more information contact the curator Mariana Atkins (mariana@inet.co.th) or the gallery on 02-712 9832-33.

Budji Living Bangkok,

No.7 Thong 25 (Sukhumvit 55) open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm.

“Five Senses”

15th September - 6th November, 2006

At Budji Living Bangkok

NEW DIRECTIONS

A group exhibition by Filipino young contemporary artists 10-29 October 2006

“New Directions” presents some of the Philippines' most innovative and progressive young contemporary artists. Mostly award winning, artists with different backgrounds and a wide variety of media will be showing their latest work for the first time in Thailand. The work on show at The Rotunda Gallery represents fresh and new directions on both figurative and abstract art in the Philippines today.

Award winning artists like Ronald Ventura, Jason Oliveria, Maya Munoz, Winner Jumalon, Kawayan de Guia and Don Salubayba are included in the list of exhibiting artists. Alfredo Aquilizan, participant in the 2006 Sydney Bienalle, and the Asia Pacific Trienalle will also be part of the exhibition.

“New Directions” is a joint effort of the Rotunda Gallery and The Drawing Room, an innovative art gallery in Metro Manila. Artists that do innovative and serious work in different media know the Drawing Room for its support. The gallery represents some of the most outstanding emerging and mid-career artists in the Philippines. The gallery has participated in regional art fairs in, for example, Singapore and Taipei and has done collaborative exhibitions in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Recently, it has embarked on a program to show also artists in Manila.

If you would like further information about the Philippine Contemporary Art or about one more of artists in particular, please contact Susanne Van Laarhoven, Curator of the Rotunda Gallery, by e-mail at susannevl@yahoo.com or mobile phone at 07-800 8965. The Rotunda opening hours are: Tuesday-Sunday 9.30am-5.00pm

CASTAWAY

Welcome to our new regular feature, the castaway. for those of you who remember ‘desert island discs' on bbc radio 4, this is a variation on that theme, where we invite people to share with us how they would spend three years on a remote island, with only themselves, basic necessities and a few extra items that they specify, within certain restrictions (see end of article). there is a detailed description of the island here this month, and next month will see our first volunteer in the spotlight. if you fancy putting yourself forward for a trip to the island please follow the instructions at the end of the article.

Most people will have heard of the classic novel by Daniel Defoe, ‘Robinson Crusoe', first published in 1719 and sometimes regarded as the first novel in English. The book is a fictional autobiography of the title character, an English castaway who spends 28 years on a remote island, encountering savages, captives, and mutineers before being rescued. Defoe's inspiration for Crusoe was a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk, who was rescued in 1709 after four years on the uninhabited island of Juan Ferndez off the Chilean coast. His rescuer published a book, but Robinson Crusoe is far from a copy of this account. Selkirk was abandoned at his own request, while Crusoe was shipwrecked. The islands are different and Selkirk lived alone for the whole time, while Crusoe found companions. Taking this as our inspiration, the Observer team has approached a series of local people to tell us how they would spend three years as a Castaway on the island detailed in the next few pages. After extensive research, we found the ideal place, with a fascinating history, and after a short visit we knew that Dolphin Island was where our very own Robinson Crusoe(s) would be voluntarily stranded.

If, after reading this article, you would like to be ‘stranded' on Dolphin Island please send an e-mail titled ‘Castaway' requesting permission to design@observergroup.net

Dolphin Island is sub-tropical, once inhabited by what were previously thought to be a primitive tribe; however recent discoveries seem to indicate that the people living there were an innovative, resourceful group, although little is known about the origins or the disappearance of the tribe. They left a few signs of their presence, including some hieroglyphics and carvings which a language expert has deciphered, telling us that they called themselves the ‘Hola Sancta' people, which is widely believed to mean ‘Saved By Dolphins', hence the name Dolphin Island. Indeed dolphins are frequent visitors to the outer reef, so the theory is, based on some of the carvings, that a group of adventurous Hola Sanctas had set out to sea from another island, had got into trouble and been led to safety by the dolphins.

The island is predominantly covered in vegetation with only simple paths criss-crossing the island - these can become overgrown at certain times of the year so our castaway will certainly require the machete we provide for them. There is an abundance of fruit and some vegetables growing on the island with coconuts at the aptly named Coconut Head, banana trees scattered throughout the island, some pineapples at or near Crag Point, and an outcrop of mangos available on the small Humpback Island a short distance away. Vegetables are fairly scarce, but our intrepid castaway will be provided with the means to grow their own.

There are a few smaller species of animals on the island including a smaller relative of the anteater and a very small colony of macaques, which must have been brought there by humans in the past, as they are not indigenous. Because of the remoteness and difficulty in landing on the island though, a full survey has never been carried out on the island. Another reminder of the previous settlement is the population of wild pigs, who can be a danger if not approached with caution; however they do make a tasty roast! There are a couple of other dangerous creatures in and around the island too; a venomous snake related to the Banded Krait, which has a neurotoxic venom, a bite from one is very serious and causes respiratory failure in the victim. Fortunately they are very timid and will often hide their heads within their coiled bodies for protection. They are also very brightly coloured, with broad black and yellow stripes, so easy enough for our intrepid survivors to spot! The other danger is the Upas, which is not a creature, but an evergreen tree, which grows up to 55m tall on the island, and has reddish fruit, which is fleshy and velvety. The danger comes not from the fruit however, but from the highly poisonous latex in the leaves and bark. A skin abrasion caused by a broken branch can kill a person, and the wood of this tree is definitely unsuitable as building material. Fortunately these trees are only found in and around the general area known as The Devil's Ridge, but extra care will need to be taken as this is a natural route to get from Harbour Cove to The Lizard's Tail, a journey that will need to be done several times as from there the castaway can get to Fishers' Spit, the best place on the island to catch reef fish and crustaceans.

As the island is virtually surrounded by fringing coral reefs, travel by sea to and from the island is virtually impossible. It is also a considerable distance from any other island so our castaways will be delivered by helicopter having travelled by sea on an international research vessel, and lowered down due to there being no suitable landing area.

There are large lagoons between the island and the reefs, which allows for relatively safe swimming and fishing, except if smaller sharks manage to get through one of the underwater gaps in the reef; however this is unlikely as they have better pickings on the outer reef. At the centre of the island are twin peaks, The Devil's Ridge being the highest on the island at 250 metres, and to the south a lower peak, Monkey Mount. As mentioned there is a natural route through the valley created between these mountains but during the rainy season it can become boggy and dangerous, therefore at this time alternative routes are preferable. The land to the west/south-west of the island is rougher than the open landscape at the other side of the island which consists of smaller trees and dense scrub.

The other island nearby is Humpback Island , which has a bird colony on it during the breeding season, with a variety of species, including cormorants, shags, and sometimes frigate birds. This island can be reached but will require either a strong swimmer, or some sort of craft (not provided unless asked for). Be careful though - if you go there to get eggs these birds will be very protective!

Weather on the island is similar to Thailand , although the nights can get colder at certain times of the year when you can also expect the occasional storm, which can batter the island with heavy rain and wind. Throughout the island are natural springs, which provide fresh water, although during the hot seasons some may dry up, and water can be scarce. A water filter and purifier are provided for the Castaway.

The north west coast of the island is fairly harsh as it faces into the most severe of the weather the island receives, indeed proof of the harsh conditions exists just outside the reef where there is an old shipwreck; the name of this ship is still not known , but from time to time pieces of the wreckage and it's cargo get washed ashore. From what has been collected so far it looks like a 19th Century vessel - you never know when some treasure might get washed ashore!

The castaway will be provided with some basic accommodation; two rooms, bedroom and living room, and an area outside for cooking with a wood-burning stove. It is located quite near Harbour Cove, the drop off point. There is a separate outside toilet that will be a basic bucket of water flush system. The shower will be similarly basic. An insulated cabinet is provided for food storage and there will be occasional food drops when weather and ship timetables allow, along with any urgent items. Electricity is available from a combination of wind and solar power; however if the weather doesn't play ball then you won't have any! The other items we will provide are:

Cooking utensils, plates and cutlery, machete and utility knife, shovel, fishing rod and net, vegetable seeds, nylon rope (60 metres), lighter for fire, mosquito net, first aid kit and emergency beacon in case of accident.

THE CASTAWAY CONTRACT

You have voluntarily agreed to isolate yourself for three years on Dolphin Island , where there will be no other inhabitants. The island may be covered on foot, but some parts can be difficult to reach. You will be provided with simple accommodation, with electricity supplied by solar/wind power, and basic essentials for survival. Also supplied are a TV monitor (but no reception) and DVD player for movies and music.

Due to the islands isolation, contact and access to the outside world is almost non-existent. Communication devices will not be available or indeed practical. Please also note that boats and planes cannot disembark from the island.

During your stay on the island there will be no ‘extras', except for the choices following. Take your time, three years is a long time........

HOW TO BECOME A CASTAWAY

1. Obtain an entry form by either sending an email to design@observergroup.net or by picking up an entry form at the Observer office.

2. Completely fill out the form, following the instructions included.

3. Return by email to the above address or to the Observer office.

WHY YOU WOULD BECOME A CASTAWAY

The satisfaction of letting everyone know about your impecable taste (reading the Observer) and what a well-rounded character you are and a boon to society in general. Also allowing all your friends/customers etc the opportunity to disagree with or laugh at your choices.

STATEMENT

The Observer accepts no responsibility for any Castaway who ‘Does a loop', Flips their wig', ‘Bugs out', Etc Etc. Any participant who developes nasty habits, other than those they already have, will be dropped into the sea on their return journey.

THE QUESTIONS…

1. Once a year you are allowed

one visitor, for one day only. in the three years you can choose one family member (or close friend), one living famous person, and one historical figure (alive for their visit!).

please give reasons.

2. You can take five music cds with you, but no box sets, compilations

or greatest hits. double set cd's will count as one choice.

please give reasons.

3. You can take five books with you. one religious book (e.g. bible) of your choice will also be supplied. one of your choices can be a ‘complete works of...' set.

please give reasons.

4. You can also take five movies on dvd (one box set allowed).

please explain reasons.

5. You can take five items

(non-human) that will make your stay more enjoyable. remember that the observer is read by all ages when making your choice!

please give reasons.

6. You are allowed to take one pet with you. please give details and reason for your choice here.

7. Please tell us the 3 things or people that you think you would miss the least during your stay and explain why.

8. Finally, you must set yourself an objective to be achieved within your three-year stay, something that you have always wanted to do (within the constraints of being on the island of course!). any item/equipment required will need to be included in your list.

Earth Report

ICELAND EXPORTING WHALE MEAT

Iceland's whaling commissioner recently announced that up to two tonnes of minke whale meat would be exported to the Faroe Islands. Environmental groups say the deal breaches international rules on trading threatened species, though Iceland and the Faroe Islands say it does not. Campaigners also say the trade could become a smokescreen for illegal hunting of whales.

Although commercial whaling is banned worldwide, Iceland, like Japan, hunts minke whales for “scientific research”; this year its boats caught about 60 individuals. Until now, meat from the hunt has been sold in Iceland. But the country's whaling commissioner Stefan Asmundsson said that exports to the Faroe Islands will begin soon.

“Essentially Iceland and the Faroes established a joint trade area, and because of that we do not have any limits on exporting whale meat to the Faroes any more than any other products,” he said. “Our motivation is to increase trade and therefore prosperity in both countries.”'

Environmental groups believe the trade is illegal under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), which prevents member countries from exporting or importing products of “listed” species unless they have tabled a “reservation”. Iceland has tabled a reservation on minkes; but Denmark, which includes the Faroes as a dependent territory, has not. “We think it's illegal under Cites, and we are onto it,” said Arni Finnsson from the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (Inca). The key issue is whether Denmark acts on behalf of the Faroes, which are now largely self-governing, in Cites matters.

In 2003, when Norway began whale meat exports to the Faroes, Cites secretary-general Willem Wijnstekers ruled the deal illegal because of Denmark's membership. Since then, Denmark has told Cites that the Faroes are exempt; and the Faroes Islands government said in a statement: “In conjunction with Denmark's ratification of the Cites convention in 1977, a unilateral declaration was submitted noting that the convention would be applicable in the Faroe Islands when the Faroese authorities had established the necessary legislation. As such legislation has not been established in the Faroe Islands, the declaration made by Denmark in 1977 still applies; Cites provisions... are not applicable to the Faroe Islands.”

The Danish government says it continues to press the Faroes to implement Cites legislation; in the meantime, environmental groups disagree with the Faroes exemption and are looking at the possibilities of a legal challenge.

As often happens with whaling, protagonists on both sides of the issue cite what they see as past betrayals. Faroe Islanders have a tradition of catching and eating whales, and say that the 1986 global moratorium on commercial hunting should by now have been lifted - which anti-whaling nations and environmental groups want to prevent at all costs. Anti-whaling campaigners say the Faroes made a public promise in 1977, when Denmark joined Cites, to turn Cites rules into national legislation and abide by its terms.

“Twenty-nine year later, they still don't have [national legislation]”, observed Vassili Papastavrou of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). “Iceland has no DNA register of whales killed, so the tiny amount being exported will achieve nothing more than to act as a cover for illegal whaling in the Faroe Islands,” he said.

This year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) saw a victory for pro-whaling nations with the passing of the “St Kitts Declaration” approving an eventual return to commercial hunting, with the countries voting in favour including Denmark. The past year has also seen an expansion of Japan's catch, which it also takes under regulations permitting scientific hunting. The position of these countries is that there is nothing morally wrong with whaling, and that numbers of some stocks are high enough to permit sustainable hunting.

“Iceland's position is that we put whaling into two categories - sustainable and unsustainable,” said Stefan Asmundsson. “We are firmly against unsustainable whaling; but in the long term we just see whaling as another activity, and anyone who opposes sustainable whaling is not doing so from an environmental perspective because there is no environmental reason for opposing sustainable whaling.”

Anti-whaling countries such as Germany , Brazil and Belgium have vowed to redouble efforts to prevent the return of commercial hunting, and have lodged diplomatic protests against Japan and Norway over the last year.

CROCODILE HUNTER, RIP

Last month a stingray killed Australian naturalist and television personality Steve Irwin during a diving expedition off the Australian coast.

Mr Irwin, 44, died after being struck in the chest by the stingray's barb while he was filming a documentary in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef. Paramedics from Cairns rushed to the scene but were unable to save him. Steve Irwin was known for his television show The Crocodile Hunter and his work with native Australian wildlife. Police in Queensland confirmed the environmentalist's death and notified his family. He was married with two young children.

Mr Irwin's manager John Stainton said that the stingray's barb had pierced Steve's heart. “He came over the top of a stingray, the stingray's barb went up and put a hole into his heart,” he said. “We got him back within a couple of minutes to Croc 1, which is Steve's research vessel, and by 12 o'clock when the emergency crew arrived they pronounced him dead.” The incident happened at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he had known Mr Irwin well, and that the country had lost a “wonderful and colourful son”. “I am quite shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden untimely and freakish death”, he said. “It's a huge loss to Australia - he was a wonderful character, he was a passionate environmentalist, he brought entertainment and excitement to millions of people.”

The stingray is a flat, triangular-shaped fish, commonly found in tropical waters. It gets its name from the razor-sharp barb at the end of its tail, coated in toxic venom, which the animal uses to defend itself with when it feels threatened. Attacks on humans are a rarity - only one other person is known to have died in Australia from a stingray attack, at St Kilda, Melbourne in 1945.

“Stingrays only sting in defence, they're not aggressive animals so the animal must have felt threatened. It didn't sting out of aggression, it stung out of fear,” Dr Bryan Fry, Deputy Director of the Australian Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne said.

Experts say that while painful, stingray venom is rarely lethal and it would have been the wound caused by the barb itself, which could measure up to 20cm long, which proved fatal.

“What happened to Steve Irwin is like being stabbed in the heart. It has little to do with the venom and all to do with the trauma caused by the barb of the stingray,” Dr Geoff Isbister, a clinical toxicologist at the Mater Hospital in Newcastle, Australia, said.

Mr Irwin had built up what was a small reptile park in Queensland into what is now Australia Zoo, a major centre for Australian wildlife. He was famous for handling dangerous creatures such as crocodiles, snakes and spiders, and his documentaries on his work with crocodiles drew a worldwide audience. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer praised Mr Irwin for his work to promote Australia.

RAREST RHINO BABY BOOM

Scientists have found signs of four Javan rhinos born in recent weeks in Indonesia, a surprising baby boom for a species that may be reduced to fewer than 60 individuals worldwide. Signs of the rhino calves were discovered in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park by a team of biologists and local people checking on the rhinos after the recent earthquake on the island of Java. These are the first known births for the Javan rhinos in three years.

“Javan rhinos are probably the rarest large mammal species in the world and they are on the very brink of extinction,” said Arman Malolongan, Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation at Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry. “To discover that this population is breeding, and even slowly growing, gives us hope for the species' future.”

Javan rhinos are the rarest of the world's five rhino species and are critically endangered. It is estimated that between 28 and 56 Javan rhinos live in Ujung Kulon. The only other known population is in Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam, where no more than eight rhinos are thought to survive.

The team found the first sign of a calf a few weeks ago, with the discovery of a small footprint (about 16–17 cm) along with a larger footprint belonging to the mother. One day after this first discovery, another set of mother and calf footprints of slightly different size was found in a different area. Both signs were estimated to be three days old or less. On the same day, a second team came face-to-face with a mother and female calf. And the following day, the team found a fourth small footprint in a different location. Because of the distance between the four areas where the discoveries were made and the differences in the size of the footprints, the team concluded they are evidence of four different calves.

“Javan rhinos live deep inside the rainforest and it's very unusual to catch a glimpse of them,” said Adhi Rahmat Hariyadi, WWF-Indonesia Site Manager in Ujung Kulon National Park. “Our team was lucky to actually be able to observe a mother and calf in the Ujung Kulon Peninsula while checking camera traps installed in the area.”

Park staff hope to capture photos of the newborns from remote-triggered camera traps used to monitor the rhinos.

With this new evidence that the Javan rhino population in Ujung Kulon is breeding, the park authorities will try to find ways to reduce the main threats to this rare species, such as habitat and food competition with wild cattle within the park, and invasive vegetation that limits the expansion of the rhinos' favoured food sources. The WWF has called for the establishment of a second population of Javan rhinos outside the park to protect the species from disease or natural disasters that could wipe out the entire population.

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