MPA, conservation group team up to promote marine biodiversity

Lim Min Zhang Straits Times 10 Jun 19;

The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and local marine conservation group Our Singapore Reefs have teamed up to promote the importance of Singapore's marine biodiversity.

They will organise underwater clean-up activities and public outreach events each year as part of a three-year collaboration.

Kicking off the partnership as part of efforts to commemorate World Oceans Day last Saturday, 20 volunteer divers completed an underwater clean-up exercise in the southern waters around Lazarus Island yesterday.

About 140 pieces of marine debris, weighing around 75kg, were retrieved and sorted for proper disposal, said a joint statement by MPA and Our Singapore Reefs.

Our Singapore Reefs also spoke about marine conservation at the Singapore Maritime Gallery yesterday to raise awareness of the adverse impact of marine debris on the environment and encourage the public to play a part in protecting it.

MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon said marine debris not only has a detrimental impact on marine life, but it is also potentially hazardous to navigation safety in Singapore's port waters.

Mr Toh Tai Chong, co-founder of Our Singapore Reefs, said: "World Oceans Day is a reminder of how valuable nature is and how much more we can do to protect it."

MPA partners group on 3-year campaign to protect Singapore's marine ecosystem
Yahoo News Singapore 10 Jun 19;

SINGAPORE — The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and community initiative Our Singapore Reefs (OSR) have teamed up on a three-year collaboration to promote the importance of Singapore’s marine biodiversity.

Underwater clean-up activities and public outreach events will be organised annually as part of the partnership, said the MPA and OSR in a joint release on Sunday (9 June).

To kickstart the collaboration, an underwater clean-up exercise involving about 20 volunteer divers was organised in the waters around Lazarus Island on Sunday morning. A talk on marine conservation was later held for about 80 participants at the Singapore Maritime Gallery in the afternoon.

A total of 166 pieces of debris weighing 77kg were removed during the exercise, according to a Facebook post by the OSR on the same day. These included two fish traps, one boat battery, bicycle parts, and a shopping trolley.

“In addition, there were lots of fishing lines and nets stuck on the reef, a small abandoned crab trap that trapped a distressed blue spotted sting ray,” said the OSR.

“Three large rubber tyres still remain in the water but we will find a way to remove them soon.”

The data gathered on the types, sources and location of marine debris collected will be compiled and reported to Project AWARE, a registered nonprofit organisation working with volunteer scuba divers, said the joint release.

It will be added to a global database under the organisation’s flagship Dive Against Debris programme to support efforts to improve solid waste management around the world.

“Marine debris not only has a detrimental impact on our marine ecosystem and life, it is also potentially hazardous to navigational safety in our busy port waters,” said the MPA’s chief executive Quah Ley Hoon.

The joint exercise complements the MPA’s efforts to protect the marine environment including Clean-Up on Kayak, where Singaporean volunteers meet every quarter to help remove marine debris.