Court decision on the Asian Carp in the US

It was reported in yesterday's papers that a Court in the US will decide on whether to allow an introduced species of river fish - the Asian Carp - to 'move' into Lake Michigan. The Asian carp is a predator. It is an introduced species and therefore there are no other fish in the rivers that will feed on it, allowing the species to grow in numbers and practically decimate the natural species in the rivers. The fish can grow to almost 100lbs. It's big.

A similar story is found in our Malaysian rivers, with the South American arapiama invading our natural waters after some previous owners didn't want to keep them as a pet anymore. That fish can grow up to 30 feet in size. The 'monster' reportedly spotted in Tasik Temenggor was alleged to have cause the death of 2 fishermen - knocked off the boat and drowned.

Then there is the flowerhorn fish, that owners kept and bred for a while for good luck but then threw them in the waterways after getting bored of them. Another introduced / exotic species that are now king of many waterways killing the natural fishes in its domain....

Many more examples why we should be careful what we put into the rivers of Tanarimba.

...and this story can be expanded to the type of trees, the pets that we bring with us etc to the still balanced and sensitive eco-system that exist in Tanarimba.

A lot happening....

Back in December 2009, I did a quick run to Tanarimba and was surprised by the pace of 'development'. The community is finally moving in. I hope that we will continue to observe and preserve the essence of Tanarimba and help each other keep its unique identity. And if you don't know what that is, just take a peek at Sitrac's official tanarimba website.

Just a few reminders once again. More can be found in earlier postings of this blog.

1. Please keep as many trees as possible. It is stated in the title deed after all. And if we have to cut some down (example for the road), it is recommended that we plant six for every single tree cut.
2. Along with the trees, please keep as much of the natural undergrowth as possible. Just clearing the land and planting taiwanese grass might appeal to most, but a jungle is a jungle. It needs a natural ecosystem which includes the undergrowth. You might want to have some clearing for a play area, but I would recommend you keep the other parts of your land in its natural form, please.
3. Blend in with the locals. The animals, birds, insects and worms (including leeches) were there first. So, we are the invaders. It would only be neighbourly to leave them some ( a lot if we keep most of the trees and undergrowth) space and freedom to co-exist with us.
4. It is recommended that we plant only indigenious trees. Please try to avoid imported (also called exotic) species that are not naturally found in the area or along such terrain. It will disturb the natural ecosystem.

Welcome to the rainforest!