Farmers affected by mass fish deaths will be helped: Dr Maliki

Lip Kwok Wai and Shahidah Adriana Channel NewsAsia 13 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE: The authorities will help fish farmers affected by mass fish deaths recently, said Minister of State for National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman when he visited two of the affected coastal fish farms on Thursday.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has collected samples from fish farms that were affected by sudden fish deaths, and no marine biotoxins were detected in the samples.

AVA added that the fish deaths at some 39 fish farms along the East Johor Straits and West Johor Straits could be due to low levels of oxygen in the water and the hot weather.

It said that live fish that are in the local markets, however, are safe for consumption.

Dr Maliki assured the farmers that assistance would be provided, which include setting up aeration systems to improve water quality.

"We will look at each farm, we'll explore the amount of losses. We'll explore how best we can help them individually.

“I think it's how we can show the support -- whether it is financial support or otherwise, it really depends on what they need at this point in time, after we've done the assessment,” he said.

Loh Tee Wee, a fish farm operator, said: "The water conditions are much better today. In fact, in the last two days, the water conditions have gotten better.

“So we are very happy that the situation has improved. We have our recovery plan in place -- how we are going to move forward, continue our production and ramp up our production this year, once the coast is clear that the water quality has improved."

- CNA/nd

AVA to ‘mitigate’ farmers’ targets in light of fish deaths
Kenneth Tan Today Online 14 Feb 14;

Singapore — It has been a tale of woe for 39 fish farms along the Johor Straits, but Minister of State for National Development Maliki Osman said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) stands ready to help farmers affected by one of the biggest mass fish deaths in recent years, as well as to prevent future incidents.

Farmers had in the wake of last weekend’s incident raised concerns over whether they could meet the minimum production target of 17 tonnes of fish per half-hectare space, which is part of AVA’s licensing conditions for coastal fish farms.

Speaking to reporters yesterday after visiting two farms off Changi, Dr Maliki said this year’s assessment may be mitigated. “If this year’s assessment ... is affected by such a situation, then it is only fair we will tell the farmers, ‘It’s okay, we will mitigate, we will look at how much losses you have incurred ... your productivity, the performance we measured in line with the losses you suffered’,” he added.

In all, about 160 tonnes of fish were reported to have died. Two of the farmers whom Dr Maliki visited reported suffering massive losses. Mr Teh Aik Hua of Kelong FC 117 estimated that his total losses amounted to more than S$1 million. “60 tonnes of my 70 tonnes of fish have died,” he said. Mr Teh said he hopes the AVA will be able to help his farm back on to its feet, by offering subsidies for business expenses.

Dr Maliki noted that the dead fish included species such as groupers, threadfin and golden trevally, which are the most susceptible to low levels of dissolved oxygen in the waters or a plankton bloom or both, as well as the hot weather. While this “is a very adverse situation”, the incident could help to improve farming methods and technology to prevent future recurrence, he added.

Dr Maliki also assured Singaporeans that fish on sale at markets here is safe for consumption as all the dead fish have been disposed appropriately. The AVA had collected samples from the affected farms for laboratory analysis, but no marine biotoxins were detected.

The impact to food supply will be minimal, the AVA added. In 2012, local farms produced about 5,100 tonnes of fish consumed here, but Singapore imported about 104,000 tonnes of fish from 75 sources.

Mass deaths continue at coastal fish farms
Dead fish were found at Pasir Ris Park, after more than a week of mass fish die-offs at fish farms across Singapore.
Grace Chua The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Feb 14;

SINGAPORE - Mass die-offs at coastal fish farms across Singapore continued on Tuesday, with more dead fish washing up at Pasir Ris Park.

The mass deaths started about two weeks ago. The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it had received word of fish deaths at 34 fish farms along the East Johor Strait, and at five farms along the West Johor Strait near Lim Chu Kang.

In all, some 160 tonnes of fish, or 3 per cent of the amount Singapore food-fish farms produced in 2012, were reported to have died, said the AVA. They include groupers, golden trevally and threadfin.

The AVA said it had collected samples from the affected farms for laboratory analysis and found no marine biotoxins.

The deaths, said a spokesman, could be due to low levels of dissolved oxygen or plankton bloom caused by hot weather and a neap tide, where the high tide is at its lowest.

Fish farmers said they had been working around the clock to stem their losses by doing things like setting up more aeration systems to get oxygen into the water, lowering their cage nets or reducing feeding to improve water quality.

Mr Malcolm Ong, 50, whose Metropolitan Fishery Group farms red snapper, grey mullet and tilapia under The Fish Farmer brand, said he had added extra pumps and aerators, and sent boats out to churn the water for better circulation.

"We've been very fortunate," he said, having lost only about 200kg of fish out of 10,000kg. And of his company's two fish farm sites, only the one off Pulau Ubin was affected; ano- ther off Lim Chu Kang was not.

He chalked that up to the types of fish he keeps, which could be "better able to tahan (tolerate)" poor water quality, while high-value groupers might be more delicate.

The AVA has sent a waste disposal vessel round to fish farms to collect fish carcasses, and placed a tank at Changi Point Ferry Terminal for farmers to dispose of dead fish.

"The AVA will continue to monitor the situation closely," said a spokesman.

Meanwhile, staff from the Tropical Marine Science Institute's St John's Island marine laboratory reported seeing thousands of dead wild fish off Raffles Marina at Tuas.

They had been collecting marine animals from the seabed as part of the national Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey exercise, said researcher Chim Chee Kong, 36.

There have been other mass fish deaths in recent years. Last year, thousands of fish from Lim Chu Kang coastal farms died when hot dry weather cut oxygen levels in the water.

AVA support for farmers hit by mass fish deaths
Grace Chua The Straits Times So Shiok 16 Feb 14;

Fish farmers affected by the recent mass fish deaths do not have to worry about missing mandated productivity targets, said Minister of State for National Development Maliki Osman, during a visit to coastal fish farms on Thursday.

Their losses will be considered when their production is counted, and they can turn the setback into a chance to improve their farms, said Dr Maliki, who met several farmers during his visit to two farms off Changi affected by mass die-offs.

In all, 34 farms in the eastern Johor Strait and five in the west Johor Strait have lost some 160 tonnes of fish so far. The die-offs were attributed to low levels of dissolved oxygen and a plankton bloom due to hot weather and neap tides, when high tides are at their lowest, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

While fish farms must produce 17 tonnes of fish per half hectare of farm space to keep their licences, Dr Maliki said "it's only fair that we tell the farmers it's okay, we look at how much losses you have suffered this time round, your productivity performance will be measured in line with the losses you have suffered".

The affected farms were also rearing fish more vulnerable to poor conditions, such as grouper, golden trevally and threadfin, he added. Singapore's farms produce about 6 per cent of the fish consumed here, the AVA said.

But fish in the market are safe to eat: the dead fish have all been disposed of properly, he said.

Dr Maliki, who is also South East District mayor, said the South East CDC would offer support to the families of affected Singaporean farmers and workers.

He said the authorities would also help fish farmers tap a $30 million AVA fund meant for boosting food production here, to improve aeration systems for example. But farmers must pay for equipment up front first, then submit receipts to get reimbursements.

Farmer Goh Joo Hiang, 60, who had lost up to $200,000 worth of fish, said the losses should also factor in next year's productivity targets. "Even if we bought two-inch fry now, it would take a year to raise them."

Meanwhile, the dry spell since mid-January has meant that more water has to be pumped into reservoirs.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday that water agency PUB has been running Singapore's desalination and Newater plants "at close to full capacity". The two desalination plants here can meet up to a quarter of Singapore's water needs, with a combined output of 100 million gallons per day (mgd).