Fish farmers in eastern Singapore want better infrastructure

Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 14 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) wants fish farmers to increase their production to 17 tonnes per half-hectare of farm. Currently, farmers produce varying amounts.

While many said it is possible, farmers in eastern Singapore said the fish farming infrastructure must be improved quickly in order to achieve this target.

Fish farmers there feel hampered by the lack of proper infrastructure to load or unload their stocks at Pasir Ris Beach Park.

They have been regularly fined for illegally embarking and disembarking at the park because the authorities deem it as a safety and security issue.

A Maritime Port Authority spokesperson said: "The illegal beaching of motorised boat along the beach at Pasir Ris Beach Park is of concern as firstly, such practices endanger the safety of the person on the boat and the integrity of the boat's hull.

"Secondly, the use of motorised boats close to the beach endangers other beach users. The beaches and water off Pasir Ris Beach Park are used by the public and recreational boats such as canoe, kayaks and sail boats."

To avoid the fines, the farmers say they have to load and unload at Changi Creek, next to Changi Jetty - which is double the distance from Pasir Ris Beach Park. This also means an additional costs of some S$2,000 a month on fuel.

Climbing a ladder up to Changi Jetty is the only way for fish farmers in the eastern waters of Singapore to legally load and unload supplies and fish stocks that can sometimes weigh hundreds of kilograms. And the Manpower Ministry's Workplace Safety and Health has deemed this practice to be dangerous.

Farmers said they have appealed for proper facilities for the past two years. And while the authorities mull over a temporary jetty, many have given up because of other constraints.

Philip Lim, CEO of Singapore Marine Aquaculture Cooperative (SMAC), said: "There are a lot of farmers who have quit. Especially this year, there are a lot of farms that have been sold.

"Without infrastructure, what for? We are just like offshore prisoner(s), we cannot have relatives on board, we cannot have friends, farmer-to-farmer - cannot visit each other. Just last week, there was one farmer that was visiting another farmer and got caught by the Coast Guard."

Their fish farming activities are regulated not just by the Agri-Food and Vetrinary Authority, but also other government agencies, including Maritime Port Authority (MPA) and Police Coast Guard.

Since May 2011, the SMAC has also written to the Singapore Land Authority to request for a site to build a temporary jetty off Lorong Halus.

Farmers tell Channel NewsAsia that producing the amount of fish required also means spending S$120,000 on fish feed, which will add to their overall cost.

-CNA/ac

Fish farmers caught in the net
Lynda Hong Ee Lyn Today Online 15 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE - They currently lack infrastructure such as a safe facility to load and unload their fish, but they are fined if they use an easier, but illegal route on the beach at Pasir Ris.

Fish farmers in the eastern straits of Singapore, who have to produce a minimum amount of fish each year to maintain their licence, are finding it harder to keep their farms going, even as government agencies are studying their proposal for infrastructure to be built to facilitate their trade.

In particular, they lack proper loading and unloading facilities for their fish, as the jetty at Changi Creek designated for their use was found to be dangerous by the Manpower Ministry.

Hence, despite having been told that it is illegal to do so by the Maritime Port Authority (MPA), the farmers continue to embark and disembark at the beach fronting Pasir Ris Beach Park, and also to load their haul - even if they incur fines as often as twice a week doing so.

The MPA said the farmers' motorised boats posed a danger to recreational craft at the Pasir Ris Beach Park beach, such as canoes and kayaks.

It also cited security issues, as Singapore's coast line "is porous and to prevent smuggling and entry of undesirable persons", and "all persons should embark and disembark from designated or approved landing point with security screening systems".

However, using the jetty at Changi Creek designated by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) runs the risk of fatal accidents, as farmers have to manually haul supplies weighing up to 200kg from boat up the two-metre high jetty.

It also adds to the farmers' costs, as the distance to Changi Creek is double that to Pasir Ris Beach Park, and fuel costs, which have been rising, can go up to S$2,000 a month, said the farmers.

Because of such constraints, at least five farmers in the area have quit this year, said Mr Phillip Lim, the CEO of the Singapore Marine Aquaculture Cooperative (SMAC), the umbrella body for 24 farmers. There are about 40 active fish farms in the eastern straits of Singapore.

The SMAC has been appealing to various government agencies including the MPA, the Police Coast Guard and the AVA for proper facilities since 2009.

In May, the SMAC submitted a written proposal to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to build facilities such as a jetty, a fish hatchery, a processing plant and a boat repair yard on vacant state land at Lorong Halus.

Said Mr Lim: "Without infrastructure, how can we continue? We are just like offshore prisoners, we cannot have relatives on board, and we cannot have friends. Farmers cannot visit each other."

At least five farmers have quit this year because of the constraints.

Mr Lim said fines - for parking his boat at the Pasir Ris Beach Park beach - can add up to S$1,000 a month, because "each time we get caught, we will be slapped with a three-department summons."

Additional facilities such as for storage will also help farmers' meet their minimum production of 17 tonnes of fish annually for every half a hectare of farm, said the SMAC.