MELAHIRKAN SALEHUDIN AL AYUBI MELALUI MAKANAN HALALAN THOYYIBAN

" Hai sekalian manusia, makanlah yang halal lagi baik dari apa yang terdapat di bumi, dan janganlah kamu mengikuti langkah-langkah syaitan, kerana sesungguhnya syaitan itu adalah musuh yang nyata bagimu ” (Al-Baqarah:168).

Maka dalam ayat di atas jelas kepada kita bahawa Allah swt memerintahkan agar manusia makan makanan yang halal sepertimana yang dituntut ke atas rasul-rasul yang terdahulu. Hal ini dituntut kerana Allah swt hanya akan menerima perkara-perkara yang baik sahaja. Manakala sebaliknya Allah tidak menghiraukan amalan dan juga ibadat orang-orang yang sentiasa mendapatkan rezekinya dari sumber-sumber yang tidak halal.

Dalam kehidupan seharian manusia tidak dapat lari dari persoalan halal dan haram. Dalam apa sahaja ruang-ruang kehidupan di situ ujudnya perkara halal dan haram: makan minum, kekeluargaan, perhubungan, pekerjaan, perniagaan dan sebagainya.







Sempurnakah SOLAT anda selama ini?
Tercapaikah KHUSYUK yang paling sempurna?

Ayuh kita sempurnakan solat seperti Rasulullah.

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (HABs)

WHY IS THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT?

A small percentage of algal species cause harm to humans and the environment through toxin production or excessive growth—these are the harmful algae and they include both microalgae (microscopic, single celled organisms) and macroalgae (seaweeds). Some harmful algae produce potent toxins which cause illness or death in humans and marine organisms—fish, seabirds, manatees, sea lions, turtles, and dolphins are some commonly affected animals. Other types of harmful algae are nontoxic to humans but cause harm to fish and invertebrates by damaging or clogging their gills or by forming such large blooms that the death and subsequent decay of the algae lead to hypoxia (oxygen depletion) in the bottom waters of marine environments. Dense blooms can also block sunlight for beneficial algae and seagrasses.

HABs occur naturally, but human activities that disturb ecosystems in the form of increased nutrient loadings and pollution, food web alterations, introduced species, and water flow modifications have been linked to the increased occurrence of some HABs.

HYPOXIA AND NUTRIENT POLLUTION

WHY IS THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT?

Hypoxia is a major concern for many of our nation's waterways. Hypoxia occurs when the amount of dissolved oxygen in water becomes too low to support most aquatic life (typically below 2 mg/l). Most organisms avoid waters that are hypoxic because it can cause physiological stress and impact their growth, reproduction, and survival. If organisms cannot escape, hypoxia can be fatal, reducing overall populations and, in some cases, negatively affecting commercial and recreational harvests of fish and shellfish. While hypoxia can occur naturally, the frequency and intensity of occurrence in coastal areas is increasing, largely due nutrient pollution (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) from human activities. Over half of the U.S. estuaries now experience natural or human-induced hypoxic conditions at some time each year and evidence suggests that the frequency and duration of hypoxic events have increased over the last few decades. The importance and national scale of hypoxia in U.S. waters is evidenced by the recently documented exponential increase in number of coastal systems experiencing hypoxia worldwide and in the US (Diaz & Rosenberg 2008, Science).

THE SELF PURIFICATION CAPABILITY OF MALAYSIAN RIVERS AND SEWAGE LOADING: PURIFY OR POLLUTE

STUDY AREAS: UPPER SUNGAI LANGAT, SUNGAI LANGAT ESTUARY, SUNGAI SKUDAI ESTUARY

PROJECT LEADER: DR. NOOR BAHARIM HASHIM

PROJECT MEMBERS: ASSOC. PROF. DR. RAZALI ISMAIL, KAMARUL AZLAN MOHD NASIR, RUHAIDAH CHE HASSAN, CHUA LEE HWA and MAZNAH ISMAIL.

INTRODUCTION

In Malaysia, only 2 standards are applicable to effluent standards throughout the country: Standard A for discharges upstream of water intake point, and Standard B for discharges downstream of water intake point. These standards are applicable across any inland waterways regardless of its self purification capacity or dilution capacity.

In many developed countries, effluent standards are developed for each individual river system based on the river's own self purification and dilution capacity. Therefore, the level of sewerage loading onto the river system will be determined by the river's capacity to purify level of pollution discharged into it. Thus, a river with high self purification capacity will allow for higher level of sewage loading onto the river system.

A study on the self purification capacity of rivers in Malaysia will enable formulation of level of sewage and other pollution loading onto the river system.


METHODOLOGY

The study shall investigate various river systems in Malaysia and systematically monitor the pollutant levels and its self purifying capacity. The dilution capacity of the river systems shall indicate its self purifying capability. The overall environmental impacts of discharging effluent onto the river system shall also be considered. The economic and social considerations or varying the effluent standards of each waterway must also be taken into considerations.


BENEFITS

Identifcation of sewage loading level for each river systems in Malaysia will enable more cost effective sewage treatment plants to be built. For very sensitive waterways, very high effluent standards can be set to limit pollution levels and allow the river to be self purified. However, for river systems those have high self purifying capacity, higher pollution levels and lower discharge standards may be allowed subjected to the river's self purifying capacity. These allow for savings in capital expenditures at these locations and spending them instead in areas where they are needed, i.e. where the river systems have low self purifying capacity. Therefore, better prioritization of capital expenditures, which lead to better overall river water quality.

PROJEK TERNAK KUPANG TERJEJAS AKIBAT BANJIR

LIMPAHAN AIR TAWAR DIKATAKAN PUNCA PENGUSAHA HIDUPAN MARIN DALAM SANGKAR RUGI BESAR
Oleh: Abdul Razak Raaff (Berita Harian-10 Februari 2007)



JOHOR BAHRU: Industri akuakultur air masin di perairan Selat Tebrau termasuk penternakan kupang turut menerima kesan daripada banjir besar yang melanda Johor pada pertengahan Disember dan awal bulan ini.

Hujan lebat luar biasa itu menyebabkan paras air pada sistem saliran di negeri ini naik mendadak dan membanjiri kawasan sekitarnya termasuk Selat Tebrau.

Berikutan itu, air tawar daripada sungai, parit dan longkang yang mengalir masuk di Selat Tebrau turut menjejaskan tahap kemasinan di muara sungai seterusnya memberi kesan kepada industri ternakan hidupan marin dalam sangkar termasuk kupang.

Kira-kira 100 penternak kupang dalam sangkar di perairan Selat Tebrau turut mendakwa mengalami kerugian beratus ribu ringgit kerana kupang yang sepatutnya mereka tuai untuk dijual di pasaran sudah mati.

Mereka mendakwa ternakan kupang rugi kerana sangkar mereka dilimpahi air tawar bagi tempoh agak lama sehingga mengurangkan kemasinan di sekitar kawasan penternakan itu.

Penyelidik Pusat Penyelidikan Maritim Universiti Malaya (UMMReC), Prof. Dr. Chong Ving Ching, berkata kupang atau 'green mussel' memerlukan tahap kemasinan di antara 20 hingga 32 ppt (part per thousand).

"Kupang sebenarnya lebih suka tahap kemasinan yang lebih tinggi. Bagaimanapun, ada juga kajian dan pendapat pakar bahawa hidupan marin ini boleh bertahan pada tahap kemasinan ekstrem iaitu 0 hingga 80 ppt tetapi bagi jangka masa pendek," katanya.

Beliau berkata, air tawar terlalu banyak masuk ke laut menerusi proses pasang surut menyebabkan air masin lebih berat kerana kandungan garam berada di bawah air tawar.

Selain itu, Dr. Chong berkata, terdapat juga beberapa faktor lain yang juga boleh menyebabkan ternakan kupang itu mati kesan daripada kejadian banjir dan kemasukan air tawar yang banyak ke laut.

Beliau berkata, kupang adalah pemakan turas dan memakan fitoplankton, zooplankton halus dan bahan organik terampai.

"Jika terlalu banyak air tawar melimpah masuk dari muara sungai dengan kadar kekeruhan yang tinggi maka ia akan mengurangkan jenis makanan berkenaan.

"Begitu juga jika terlalu tinggi bahan tidak organik seperti mendapan dan tanah liat boleh mengurang dan menjejaskan aktiviti pemakanan kupang,"katanta.

Kawasan ternakan kupang di Selat Tebrau meliputi kawasan kira-kira 20 hektar yang diusahakan kira-kira 100 penternak berdaftar, yang juga kawasan penternakan kupang terbesar di negara ini.

Ahli Lembaga Pengarah Persatuan Nelayan Johor Selatan yang juga Ketua Kampung Sungai Melayu, Pandak Ahmad, berkata kira-kira 50% daripada ternakan yang mati itu membabitkan kupang berusia 5 hingga 6 bulan, iaitu tempoh yang sesuai untuk dijual di pasaran.

"Melalui kajian kami mendapati ada penguasaha mengalami kerugian antara RM 5,000 hingga RM 100,000 selain kira-kira 100 pekerja mengopek kupang kehilangan kerja," katanya.

Pandak berkata, penternak kupang di Selat Tebrau menjual hasil keluaran masing-masing untuk pasaran tempatan dan Singapura.

Katanya, kualiti kupang di sini terbaik berbanding di kawasan lain dan ia memenuhi 30% permintaan kupang di pasaran negara.

KOREK SUNGAI JEJAS NELAYAN

KENKM MINTA JABATAN PERIKANAN BANTU ATASI MASALAH KEMUSNAHAN LUBUK IKAN DAN UDANG, SEDIA TUKUN TIRUAN

Ahmad Othman
Berita Harian
24 Ogos 2007

KOTA TINGGI: Sungai Johor bakal menjadi perairan lebih bersih, bebas daripada himpunan kelodak dan sampah pepejal sebaik kerja mengorek serta mendalamkan sungai berkenaan selesai dilakukan pada penghujung tahun depan.

Ketika ini, difahamkan sungai yang membelah bandar ini dipenuhi lumpur, pasir dan pelbagai sampah yang dihumban termasuk kerangka besi, kayu, tayar buruk serta bahan plastik sehingga menyumbang kepada masalah banjir luar biasa seperti yang dialami pada Disember dan Januari lalu.

Bagaimanapun, kerja pengorekan sungai yang bermula sejak bulan lalu itu dipercayai menyebabkan mata pencarian lebih 100 nelayan tradisional dan pemancing terjejas berikutan musnahnya lubuk ikan dan udang bermula dari pinggir bandar ini hingga ke Batu Sawar, menghilir ke muara Sungai Johor.

Sebenarnya, terdapat hampir 20 pangkalan tebing sungai yang dibina berhampiran lubuk ikan dan udang galah di sungai berkenaan.

Pangkalan adalah kawasan nelayan turun naik dari tebing sungai menghubungi jalan darat, sebagai tempat beristirehat di bawah pohon atau tempat melabuhkan perahu ketika air bergerak pasang surut berhampiran lubuk ikan atau udang galah.

Dengan pengorekan sungai berkenaan, maka habitat yang menjadi tumpuan ikan dan udang galah turut musnah, sekaligus menyebabkan pendapatan nelayan dan pemancing terjejas.

Sehubungan itu, Jabatan Perikanan perlu memikirkan untuk menyediakan tukun tiruan atau menambah pelbagai benih ikan bersesuaian ke dalam sungai Johor supaya ia kembali menjadi sumber bekalan ikan air tawar, sumber industri ikan hiasan, lokasi memancing dan medan rekreasi di bandar ini.

Pengerusi Kumpulan Ekonomi Nelayan Kampung Makam (KENKM), Sheikh Umud Sheikh Awab, 58, berkata nelayan sungai mengalu-alukan kerja pengorekan sungai sebagai usaha yang difahamkan bakal mengurangkan paras air ketika banjir di bandar ini.

Beliau berkata, aktiviti mendalamkan sungai yang akan mengambil masa selama 18 bulan mulai bulan lalu di sepanjang Kampung Panti sehingga Seluyut akan memusnahkan lubuk ikan dan udang galah buat sementara waktu.

Katanya, pihaknya menjangkakan bahawa pemulihan sungai mengambil masa setahun selepas siapnya kerja mendalamkan sungai dengan kebanyakan nelayan terpaksa berdepan dengan pengurangan hasil tangkapan sehingga 2009.

Sebelum ini, beliau yang juga dikenali sebagai Embun berkata, pihaknya mendapati beberapa spesies ikan dalam sungai itu mula menuju kepupusan termasuk baung, ege-ege, ikan ubi, belida dan tapah.

"Sehubungan itu, pihak berwajib termasuk cendikiawan dari universiti, pusat penyelidikan, Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS), Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) serta Jabatan Perikanan perlu peka membuat penguatkuasaan, pemantauan dan kajian bagi meningkatkan pengurusan alam sekitar terutama berhubung ekosistem sungai.

"Kami juga berharap untuk tempoh bersesuaian dan jangka panjang akan dilakukan program pelepasan benih ikan ke dalam sungai serta perlaksanaan tukun tiruan untuk menambah populasi ikan dan udang", katanya.

Sementara itu, seorang nelayan, Razak Mohamad,32, berkata pihaknya sudah mengambil inisiatif mendaftarkan 53 nelayan sungai di bawah KENKM dan bernaung di bawah persatuan induk, Persatuan Nelayan Pengerang (PNP).

Beliau berkata, tindakan berkenaan bagi memastikan nasib dan kebajikan nelayan sungai terbela serta bersatu suara selepas sungai Johor yang menjadi tempat rezeki mereka kini dikorek untuk kerja mendalamkan sungai.

"Terdapat tambahan 30 lagi ahli baru sekitar kampung ini yang disahkan keahliannya oleh PNP dan 40 lagi ahli dari Kampung Pasak.

"Pencemaran alam dan kelodak tanah menyebabkan ada kalanya air sungai menjadi warna coklat tua dan bakal memusnahkan kehadiran spesies ikan dan udan" katanya.

Razak berkata, jika dulu nelayan sungai dan pemancing di sini mampu mengail di antara 3 hingga 4 kg udang galah sehari, kini mereka hanya mampu menangkap ikan dan udang antara 500 hingga 800 gram sahaja.

"Kami mengambil berat tahap kebersihan sungai dan menentang segala bentuk pencemaran, kegiatan menuba dan meracun ikan serta menyokong teguh kempen memulihara sungai.

"Bagi kami, sungai Johor ini adalah sumber bekalan air bersih penduduk, tempat pembiakan ikan, udang dan tumbuhan serta produk pelancongan daerah ini," katanya.

INVESTIGATION OF STRATIFICATION AND BOTTOM WATER HYPOXIA IN AN ESTUARINE SYSTEM

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH GRANT SCHEME (FRGS)

PROJECT LEADER: DR. NOOR BAHARIM HASHIM

PROJECT MEMBERS: ASSOC. PROF. DR. RAZALI ISMAIL, MAZNAH ISMAIL, AND ANIE RAFLIKHA ABD MALEK

KEYWORDS: DO depletion, stratification, hypoxia, estuary

INTRODUCTION

The severity of dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion in the bottom waters of estuaries appears to range widely depending on a combination of factors, including morphology, vertical density stratification, and perhaps nutrient and organic matter inputs. Persistent bottom-water hypoxia (DO less than 3.0mg/l) is common in stratified estuaries that have deep channels. Examples include Chesapeake Bay (Kuo et al, 1991), Puget Sound System (Christensen and Packard, 1976), and Langat River Estuary (Hashim et al.,2004). Coastal ocean areas such as the Atlantic inner continental shelf south of Long Island, New York (Falkowski et al.,1980) and northern Gulf of Mexico (Boesch 1983) also have experienced severe hypoxia. In shallow estuaries, wind mixing tends to decrease water column stratification more frequently, so that bottom water hypoxia is generally of short duration and limited in spatial extent. In Mobile Bay, USA, for example, periods of stratification and mixing occur as frequently as daily (Schroeder et al. 1990). Given the stratification is a key factor in the establishment of hypoxia, there is an obvious need for better description and quantification of the roles of freshwater discharge, lunar tides, and winds as physical energy inputs influencing vertical mixing. But, so far, only a few such studies have been conducted in Malaysia and other countries. Hypoxia has been observed frequently in the Skuadai River Estuary (Hashim et al, 2004), Langat River Estuary (Hashim et al, 2004) and parts of the Johor River Estuary (Hitech Master Corporation, 2003). Aquatic organisms are stressed by oxygen deficiency; the risk of damage to aquatic populations increases as concentration of DO deviate from saturation values. It has been reported that in Pulai River Estuary, aquaculture industries has been affected by the quality of estuarine waters. Most fish kills in the estuary in recent years have been attributed to hypoxia in the bottom waters. Hence, there is a need to examine the roles of freshwater discharge, tides, and winds influencing vertical mixing and causing stratification – destratification and hypoxia in an estuary.


OBJECTIVES

1) To determine the severity of dissolved oxygen depletion in the surface and bottom waters of an estuarine system.
2) To examine the relationships among bottom water oxygen, vertical stratification and the factors responsible for stratification-destratification in an estuarine system.


METHODOLOGY



EXPECTED RESULTS

It is expected that significant relationships exist among the variables. It is expected to benefit governmental agencies, such as Fisheries Department and Department of Environment on how stratification-destratification can affect the water quality parameters in the estuary. The relationships among the variables help determine the causes of water quality problems, fish kills, loss of seagrass beds, and reduction of aquatic lives population. The collected data and the relationships among the variables will give useful information on future development of hydrodynamic and water quality models for the estuary.

The finding will provide potentially important implications for management of the living resources of the estuary. For example, the oxygen patterns may explain why oyster, fish larvae or clams propagation historically is much better in one area than the other tidal rivers.The analysis in the study can reveal that hypoxia and stratification are caused by a combination of physical and biogeochemical processes. The results may demonstrate the changes that occur in the salinity structures as a result of freshwater inflow events, with the possible implications for the biota. The determination of phytoplankton standing stock and primary production is important which supports several economically valuable fisheries. The collected data and the finding of this study will help the long term goals of the study to develop quantitative understanding of the estuaries’s circulation and marine ecosystem, and of the sensitivity of the physical and biological system to natural and human perturbations; and to develop models of the estuaries that can aid agencies with responsibilities for environmental management in making informed decisions and serve as marine science education tools.