Fridge in sea? They have seen it all

For sea patrollers, keeping filth away from Singapore's waters can pose a challenge
Amresh Gunasingham Straits Times 13 Sep 10;

Workers from a merchant vessel throwing rubbish into a huge bin (above) on a garbage collector calling on the ship in Singapore's waters. At any one time, there are 300 ships anchored here, and when they dock, an MPA contracted vessel containing giant dustbins will call upon them to pick up their trash. -- ST PHOTOS: CHEW SENG KIM
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IT CAN be assumed that those who police Singapore's streets generally have a more colourful existence than their peers who trawl Singapore's relatively calmer seas.

But sea patrollers like Mr Chua Choon Hua, who play an important role in warding off would-be polluters, would beg to differ.

From dousing the flames of ships set ablaze in the middle of the ocean to dealing with unruly and tipsy ship captains, the 44-year-old patrol officer with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) claims to have seen and dealt with them all.

And the one that tops the list: fishing out from the sea a rusting refrigerator long past its sell-by date. 'Some of these things have to be seen to be believed,' he chuckled.

The Straits Times recently accompanied him on a speed boat for a patrol around the Marina South Pier.

On that scorching morning, the vivid picture he painted was in contrast to the silent, hulking ships anchored out at sea.

Indeed, a typical day for Mr Chua, who works 12-hour shifts starting at the break of dawn, can be mundane. It usually involves motoring through the waters, keeping an eye out for ships that dump waste overboard, or cracking down on crews working on board ships without proper identification documents or licences.

Although pollution in the sea is not a major issue in an industry where international maritime laws are well respected, there were 24 cases here of ships charged with dumping garbage, such as plastics and effluent waste, from January to July, according to the MPA.

There were 44 such cases for the whole of last year, and 53 in 2008. Culprits were slapped with fines ranging from $150 to $500.

The danger posed by marine pollution was aptly demonstrated by the oil spill in May off the Changi coast, which sullied stretches of beaches and damaged property .

At the world's busiest port, which has an estimated 1,000 shipping vessels in its waters at any time, keeping filth away can be no less problematic than combating the growing number of litterbugs on shore who have chipped away at the island's 'clean and green' reputation.

The rise in the volume of ships calling on Singapore's port puts pressure not only on managing and servicing the vessels, but also on preventing them from polluting the sea. This is where patrollers like Mr Chua come in.

MPA's port master, Captain Lee Cheng Wee, believes perceptions of dirty seas have emerged in recent times, partly as a result of a growing public awareness of environmental protection. Add to that the greater media scrutiny whenever incidents happen, he said, and there is growing concern that the marine environment should be preserved.

In parallel with recalcitrant litterbugs on land, a similar, if smaller, circle of 'hardcore' polluters exists out at sea, noted Capt Lee.

Such offenders flout the established convention for ships that dock at Singapore's port.

At any one time, there are 300 ships anchored here, and when they dock, an MPA contracted vessel containing giant dustbins will call upon them to pick up their trash. The service is included in the port dues paid by the ships.

This is the easy part. More serious environmental issues are raised when an oil spill happens, because of its potential to spread and cause far-reaching damage to the marine and land environments.

Capt Lee remembers vividly the May oil spill, which grabbed headlines when about 2,500 tonnes of oil poured into the eastern coast after an oil tanker collided with a giant bunker.

'My initial instinct was that it was serious,' said the 54-year-old maritime industry veteran.

It would take almost a week for the slick, which spread to some beaches and conservation areas in the southern islands, to be cleaned up.

As the green movement gathers pace in an age of heightened social awareness, the pressure to buffer Singapore's 'clean and green' zone will grow.

The eyes out at sea like Mr Chua's intend to face this challenge in the same unassuming way they have gone about their jobs for much of their lives.