Alice Chia and Siau Ming En Channel NewsAsia 15 Jul 14;
SINGAPORE: More dates have been set aside for guided walks at Singapore’s first marine park, after all 90 places for the walks in August were taken up in just three days, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Tuesday (July 15).
The guided walks at Sisters' Island Marine Park will now also be held on Sept 10 and 11, Nov 23 and 24, Dec 22 and 23. Those who are interested can sign up at NParks’ website from Aug 1.
The two-hour walks, led by trained volunteer guides, will take up to 45 participants each day, to be divided into three groups of 15. Participants will be introduced to marine species like the giant clams, black sea cucumbers and seahorses, among others. The groups are kept small so as to protect the marine life, NParks said.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a guided walk along Sisters' Islands on Tuesday, Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said NParks will also look at how to manage the number of people visiting the area to strike a balance between conservation and visitorship.
"We have bookings online, so we control the numbers through guided tours. Of course people are free to visit the island, but when they do so, we strongly encourage them to be respectful of the biodiversity and fragile ecosystem here," he said.
Future plans for the marine park include building a marine research centre on St John's Island next year and installing light infrastructure, such as stepping stones, to give the public access while protecting delicate intertidal areas.
- CNA/cy
Six more dates released for guided walks at Singapore’s first Marine Park
SIAU MING EN Today Online 15 Jul 14;
SINGAPORE — More dates have been set aside for the introductory guided walks on Singapore’s first Marine Park.
Spanning some 40 hectares — about the size of 50 football fields — around Sisters’ Islands, the western reefs of both St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor, these areas were chosen for their variety of habitats, including coral reefs, sandy shores and seagrass areas.
Previously, only two dates, Aug 14 and 15, were released for these guided walks. The National Parks Board (NParks) said these sessions have been fully subscribed despite tripling the capacity for the guided walks from 15 to 45 people per day.
Six more dates have since been set for the guided walks, on Sept 10 and 11, Nov 23 and 24 and Dec 22 and 23. Each session can accommodate up to 45 people.
These two-hour guided walks will be jointly organised by NParks and nature groups such as WildSingapore and Nature Society Singapore. Visitors will be introduced to marine species like the Giant Clams, Black Sea Cucumbers, Seahorses, among others.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the guided walk along Sisters’ Islands today (July 15), Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee said NParks will also look at how to manage the number people visiting the area to balance conservation against visitorship.
“We have bookings online, so we control the numbers through guided tours. Of course people are free to visit the island, but when they do so, we strongly encourage them to be respectful of the biodiversity and fragile ecosystem here,” he said.
As the guided walks are currently limited to the shores off Sisters’ Islands, Mr Lee said certain areas will have to be maintained first for research and education purposes before considering if they will be opened to members of the public.
Future plans for the marine park include building a marine research centre on St John’s Island next year and the installation of light infrastructure, such as stepping stones, for the area.
Strong demand for tours at S’pore’s first marine park
SIAU MING EN Today Online 16 Jul 14;
SINGAPORE — The Republic’s first marine park, located on islands off Singapore’s southern shores, has drawn keen interest.
The number of places for the first two guided tours, which will be held next month, had to be tripled, and all 90 slots have been taken up.
Yesterday, during an introductory guided walk for the media and Minister of State (National Development) Desmond Lee, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced six more dates for these guided walks from September to December.
Although the marine park, which spans about 40ha around the Sisters’ Islands and along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor, is publicly accessible, these two-hour guided tours are led by trained volunteers who can share their knowledge of the origins, habitats and fun facts about these marine species, which are unique to the waters there and visible only during low tide.
These species include carpet anemone, moon snails, black sea urchins, sea stars, octopus, flower crab and black sea cucumber. Coral reefs, relocated from the Pulau Semakau landfill, can also be seen on the shores.
Guides will also share some dos and don’ts with visitors during these walks, such as walking on sandier parcels wherever possible to avoid stepping on the coral reefs.
The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park — roughly the size of 50 football fields — was first announced by Mr Lee during the launch of the Festival of Biodiversity last Saturday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the walk yesterday, Mr Lee said NParks would look at how to manage the number of people visiting the area to strike a balance between conservation and visitorship.
“We have bookings online, so we control the numbers through guided tours. Of course people are free to visit the island, but when they do so, we strongly encourage them to be respectful of the biodiversity and fragile ecosystem here,” he said. “We want to focus on positive conservation. We do not want to emphasise on prohibition — you can’t do this, you can’t do that. We would rather educate people, share with them and open their eyes to the tremendous beauty and education opportunities on this coral shore.”
On the possibility of setting up more marine parks in the future, Mr Lee said the focus for now would be on establishing the education, research, outreach and conservation aspects of the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.
He shared some future plans for the marine park, including building a marine research centre on St John’s Island next year and investing in light infrastructure, such as stepping stones and boardwalks, to allow visitors to tread around the shoreline without damaging the fragile coral.
Citing Chek Jawa as an example of how NParks was able to manage the spike in public interest in the area after reclamation plans were called off, Ms Ria Tan, founder of wildlife site wildsingapore.com, believes the board will be able to handle the new park.
“The marine park announcement garnered a huge amount of public interest. NParks has the experience, so I am quite confident that they can manage it well,” she said.
