Motoro stingrays, which are native to South American rivers, can deliver venomous stings that cause extreme pain and even death.
Shaffiq Idris Alkhatib Straits Times 21 Sep 17;
A man was charged yesterday with releasing three venomous Motoro stingrays into the Lower Seletar Reservoir .
Larry Tan Chin Guan, who was unrepresented, told the court he intended to plead guilty to abandoning his pets without reasonable cause or excuse.
The 48-year-old Singaporean, whose occupation was not stated, allegedly committed the offence between 3pm and 4pm on June 2.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times that it was the first time anyone had been prosecuted for abandoning a ray.
Its prosecutor, Mr Yap Teck Chuan, told the court yesterday that Tan will also be charged next week with a related offence involving Singapore's national water agency, PUB.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, AVA said Motoro rays are allowed to be sold in aquariums as pets.
According to a 2010 report in The Straits Times, the freshwater rays are native to South American rivers and can grow to the size of dinner plates. They had been found previously in Upper Seletar Reservoir and were likely to have been released by hobbyists.
The rays can deliver venomous stings that cause extreme pain and even death. Introducing a non- native species can also upset the delicate ecological balance.
Tan will be back in court next Tuesday.
First-time offenders convicted of abandoning animals can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000.
Man charged with abandoning pet stingrays at reservoir
Kamini Devadass Channel NewsAsia 20 Sep 17;
SINGAPORE: A 48-year-old man was charged in court on Wednesday (Sep 20) with allegedly abandoning his pet stingrays at Lower Seletar Reservoir.
Larry Tan Chin Guan was charged with releasing three Motoro stingrays on Jun 2 between 3pm and 4pm.
According to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the offence is punishable under the Animals and Birds Act. The stingrays were released without reasonable cause or excuse, AVA said.
Motoro or peacock-eye stingrays are freshwater tropical fish from South America. They can grow up to 50cm in disc width, 1m in total length and 35kg in weight.
They are allowed to be sold as pets in pet aquariums and this is the first reported case of stingray abandonment, AVA said. Tan is also expected to face a separate charge by PUB in relation to the case.
The case will be heard again on Sep 26.
Man charged with releasing pet stingrays into reservoir
SIAU MING EN Today Online 20 Sep 17;
SINGAPORE — In the first court case involving stingray abandonment here, a 48-year-old man was charged Wednesday (Sept 20) with letting three of the creatures loose at Lower Seletar Reservoir in June.
Larry Tan Chin Guan allegedly released three Motoro stingrays at about 3pm to 4pm on June 2 without reasonable cause or excuse, according to court documents.
The stingrays are freshwater species with venomous stings and are native to South America.
Motoro stingrays, which can be legally sold and are popular as pets in the aquarium trade, are already found in reservoirs here.
They are likely to have been released or abandoned by hobbyists, but the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) confirmed no one has been charged with the offence until now.
In 2010, Motoro stingrays were reported to be breeding in Upper Seletar Reservoir after researchers published their findings — it was the first alien record of a South American freshwater stingray outside the tropical region of Central and South America — the previous year.
Non-native or alien species should not be released into the wild because they may out-compete native species for food and upset the balance of the eco-system.
Tan, who was unrepresented, told the court he intends to plead guilty and will return to court for further mention of his case on Sept 26.
It was not mentioned yesterday how he was caught or what happened to the stingrays.
The AVA prosecutor told the court Tan would also be charged with a related offence, but it would be handled by prosecutors from the national water agency PUB.
PUB declined to comment further on the case yesterday as Tan is expected to be charged with the other offence on Sept 26.
First-time offenders convicted of abandoning an animal without reasonable cause or excuse can be fined up to S$10,000 and jailed up to 12 months.
