wildsingapore news: aquaculture

Showing posts with label aquaculture. Show all posts

Showing posts with label aquaculture. Show all posts

New Aquaculture Innovation Centre seeks to work with other players on joint research

Shabana Begum Straits Times 26 Jun 19;

SINGAPORE - Food and beverage outlets providing food waste that can be used for fish feed is an example of partnership that the new Aquaculture Innovation Centre (AIC) is looking for. It is seeking urban fish farms, tertiary institutes, government agencies and other industries that can come together to help increase Singapore's seafood production.

The country's 10th centre of innovation is the first to be run as a consortium so that various players from academia and industries can research jointly to strengthen the aquaculture sector.

The AIC, headquartered in Temasek Polytechnic and supported by Enterprise Singapore, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Wednesday (June 26) to collaborate with eight partners including other polytechnics, the National University of Singapore, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and the Singapore Food Agency.

Crabs reared sustainably to help boost Singapore's food security

Project ongoing to grow crustaceans in lab amid efforts to increase local food production
Shabana Begum Straits Times 27 Jun 19;

Inside a lab in Temasek Polytechnic, dozens of mud crabs are scuttling, feeding and breeding - to meet Singaporeans' insatiable appetite for chilli crab and black pepper crab.

Due to overharvesting and bad weather conditions brought on by global warming, the mud crab populations in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, where Singapore imports crabs from, have dwindled by 30 per cent.

Many crabs are also harvested before they reach maturity, which is an unsustainable farming practice.

Singapore’s Sky Farms Are Transforming The Agriculture Sector

Marvie Chorawan-Basilan Business Times 6 Jun 19;

Singapore's cost-efficient sky farms are changing the way people in the city-state view farming and agriculture as a whole. Lab-grown and in-building products are being promoted to help achieve the ultimate goal of producing 30 percent of Singapore's total food by 2030.

According to Voice of America, the basic principle in sky farms is to grow fish, vegetables, and other crops and seafood on top of the city-state's skyscrapers. Singapore has an estimated 5.6 million citizens, but the local agriculture sector only produces 10 percent of food products for Singaporeans.

Among the challenges that the government is faced with are population growth and climate change. With more people moving to the city-state, the biggest dilemma is space for growing crops.

"Whenever I talk about food security in Singapore, I tell folks don't think land - think space. Because you can go upwards and sideways," agriculture professor at Nanyang Technological University, Paul Teng, noted.

From sky farms to lab-grown shrimp, Singapore eyes food future

John Geddie, Edgar Su Reuters 30 May 19;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore, the tiny Southeast Asian city-state, is an unlikely place for a farming revolution.

With tiered fish farms, vegetable plots atop office buildings and lab-grown shrimp, the island aims to beef up its own food production and rely less on imports to feed its 5.6 million people.

Singapore produces about 10% of its food but as climate change and population growth threatens global food supplies, it aims to raise that to 30% by 2030 under a plan known as ‘30-by-30’.

The challenge is space.

Malaysia: Penang metal poisoning - Root of the problem still unknown

r. sekaran The Star 27 May 19;

GEORGE TOWN: Metal poisoning along the coastal areas of Teluk Bahang looks to be worsening while the root cause remains unknown.Operators of fish farms along the coast are worried for the survival of marine resources such as sea algae and other plant life, should the content of heavy metal spike further.

Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemacs) director Prof Datuk Dr Aileen Tan said that two weeks ago, the heavy metal nickel was found to be 944% higher than natural off Penang National Park in Teluk Bahang.

“Now, the level of nickel detected is 1,038% more than natural in the seas near the National Park and 982% at the fish farms in Teluk Bahang.

“It is imperative that the source of the pollution is found immediately as it affects the livelihood of fishermen and is a threat to marine life in the area,” she said in an interview yesterday.

Powering up clean energy on Semakau

Fish farm runs on energy harnessed from renewable sources with micro-grid system
Vanessa Liu Straits Times 11 May 19;

Semakau Island might be known for being Singapore's only landfill site, but it is also producing 100 per cent clean energy to power a fish farm there.

More than 9,500 sq m of solar panels located there, coupled with a wind turbine, can power up to 350 four-room Housing Board units for a year, with a total output of 1.5MW at peak capacity.

Since the end of February, the deep-sea fish farm owned by Barramundi Asia on the island has been running on 100 per cent clean energy harnessed from different renewable sources with an energy integration system.

The Renewable Energy Integration Demonstrator-Singapore (Reids) - a project initiated by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - is the largest system of interconnected micro-grids in South-east Asia.

Brunei, Singapore enter agreement to set up state-of-the-art sea bass hatchery

Azlan Othman Borneo Bulletin 3 May 19;

BRUNEI Darussalam and Singapore signed a multi-million dollar contract to set up a world class hatchery and nursery for the production of juvenile barramundi (Asian sea bass) in the country for supply to offshore fish cages yesterday.

Two agreements were signed by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism with Barramundi Asia (B) Sdn Bhd as part of the contract: the Sea Licence Agreement and Land Lease Agreement.

Member of the Board of Directors of Barramundi Asia Andrew Kwan pointed out that sea bass is a well-loved fish in Southeast Asia, and there is a natural demand for the fish.

“As the global population grows rapidly from seven to nine billion, between now and 2030, we found out that (the need for) good animal protein will also be there. Sea bass is primarily for the Southeast Asian market,” he said.

Thousands of fish dead near Lim Chu Kang jetty: Warmer temperatures suspected as cause

Vanessa Liu Straits Times 1 May 19;

SINGAPORE - The warmer weather in recent days may have caused thousands of fish to die in waters near Lim Chu Kang jetty and in nearby fish farms.

The fish started surfacing in the sea about two or three days ago, said Mr Simon Ho, communications officer at the Singapore's Fish Farmers Association.

"Because of the higher temperatures these few days, there's a lack of oxygen in the water. I believe the fishes died as a result," he noted.

He added that fish farmers in the area sent motorboats out to remove and dispose of the dead fish.

About four or five farms are said to have been affected with each reporting a loss of about one to two tonnes of fish on average - estimated to be worth from $3,000 to $4,000.

What are the implications of dry dams and polluted rivers in Johor?

A persistent heat wave and illegal dumping of waste in the waterways have shone the spotlight on water sustainability issues in the southern Malaysian state.
Amir Yusof Channel NewsAsia 27 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE: Over the last two months, the state of Johor has been hit by a series of environmental problems, impacting its rivers and water treatment facilities. This has shone the spotlight on the issue of water sustainability.

The problems have affected thousands of local residents, causing some to fall ill while disrupting water supply to homes.

The water levels at major dams have fallen below the critical mark due to dry weather while some rivers, including the Johor River, have been polluted by chemicals.

The federal government and Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar have called for action from the state government to resolve the issues.

The various episodes have also resulted in Singapore raising concerns over water sustainability.

Lab-grown shrimp dumplings: Clean, sustainable and cruelty-free

Shabana Begum Straits Times 25 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE - The yellow dumpling looks and tastes like shrimp, according to the few people who have tasted it, yet the mince inside it cost more to produce than the priciest abalone.

Its filling did not come from the sea, but was created using shrimp stem cells in a local lab.

Shiok Meats, the region's first cell-based seafood company, launched its first creation, lab-grown shrimp dumplings, in March.

It took the eight-month-old company months of trial and error and $5,000 to make just eight dumplings using cell-cultured shrimp, according to its co-founder and chief executive officer Sandhya Sriram.

Malaysia: Scientists warn about eating shellfish from heavy metal contaminated Straits of Malacca

Bernama New Straits Times 8 Apr 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: Seafood lovers living on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia are being warned to reduce their shellfish consumption because of the risk of heavy metal poisoning.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) School of Marine & Environmental Sciences marine biology programme senior lecturer, Assoc Prof Dr Ong Meng Chuan, said a team of 25 scientists and researcher detected a high concentration of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, plumbum and mercury around estuaries and harbours in the Straits of Malacca during a scientific voyage from March 13-22.

He said findings reveal the waters off Johor, Port Klang and Pulau Pinang are at a higher risk of heavy metal contamination.

"This situation indirectly leads to the contamination of a food source because it is in the nature of shellfish to stay put and not migrate in search of food.

"Obviously, if the water is contaminated with heavy metals, it will be passed up the food chain," he told Bernama.

Boosting food security - from farm to fork

New agency to oversee all food-related issues, ensure safe produce
Cheryl Teh Straits Times 2 Apr 19;

The day may come when heat from local incineration plants is used to keep water at fish farms at optimum temperatures, so the tropical marine varieties bred for food can grow better.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday said this is a possibility that can be explored. He was speaking at the launch of the new Singapore Food Agency (SFA), which will manage all things food-related, including the future of food production as well as research into local high-tech farming strategies.

The 815 employees at the SFA are experts drawn from food related departments at three agencies. The statutory board's mission is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food locally.

The SFA will also address all food-related issues, from food production to food hygiene. The now-defunct Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will see 565 of its food security and safety officials transferred to the new agency.

They will be joined by 219 inspectors and other staff from the National Environment Agency (NEA) and 31 food scientists from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

No correlation between chemical smells and air quality readings: Amy Khor

Cindy Co Channel NewsAsia 1 Apr 19;

SINGAPORE: There is no correlation between burning or chemical smells and the ambient air quality readings, Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources Dr Amy Khor said in Parliament on Monday (Apr 1).

This was in response to a question by Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah, on whether there was any cause of concern for Yishun residents with regards to burning and pungent smells in the area.

There have been several fires in Johor over the past two months, including fires at two landfills in Bandar Tenggara and Tanjong Langsat and a fire in an oil palm plantation in Punggai.

"Between early-February and mid-March when the hotspots were detected in Johor, the 24-hour PSI readings remained within the good to moderate range, and the 1-hour PM2.5 levels remained in the normal range," Dr Khor said.

She also highlighted the specific measures taken by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to monitor and keep Singaporeans informed of pollution levels in Singapore's air quality and water supply.

Tech for urban farming among R&D focus as Singapore looks to beef up food security

Tang See Kit Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE: As part of his job, Liew Woei Chang keeps a close eye on hundreds of tilapia fish daily.

But the 39-year-old does not work in the fish trade. In fact, the tilapia that he monitors possess quite an atypical trait.

A freshwater fish, tilapias tend to grow slower or face high mortality rates when reared in sea water. Together with four other researchers, Dr Liew, a research investigator at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL), has been looking at how to change that.

Eight years since the research programme started, the team has “almost achieved” that.

Commentary: Is Singapore’s decades-long shift away from agriculture about to take a U-turn?

The food industry can thrive in land-scarce Singapore, looking at other small but successful food exporting countries, says RSIS’ Paul Teng.
Paul Teng Channel NewsAsia 10 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE: Singapore has gone through such spectacular changes in its bicentennial history that today’s visitors to the country may be forgiven if they think it has always been a glitzy concrete shopping paradise and financial hub.

It was only at the turn of the 19th century that Singapore grew, exported and traded in gambier, nutmeg, cinnamon, among other produce. And until the 1970s, orchards, chicken and pig farms thrived on the main island.

As Singapore accelerated its transformation from Third World to First post-independence, so too did its policy makers confront difficult choices on the use of limited land.

Parliament: Big push to grow Singapore's food and water resources to ensure survival in the face of climate change

Chang Ai-Lien Straits Times 7 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE - With global warming heralding new threats, resource scarcity will be the new normal.

So the Government is throwing its weight behind efforts to protect and provide for the country's survival - in the areas of water, making the most of waste, food and climate change research - Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said on Thursday (March 7).

"Climate change is bringing new and wicked problems," he said in Parliament.

"It is no coincidence that we are building more desalination and Newater plants - we need to produce water almost at will, regardless of whether the rains come."

Malaysia: Sungai Golok dries up

Bernama New Straits Times 6 Mar 19;

PASIR MAS: The dry spell in Kelantan which started about two weeks ago, has caused the water level in Sungai Golok, which borders Malaysia and Thailand, to drop significantly.

A check by Bernama in Rantau Panjang found a sandbar had formed in the middle of the river, causing problems for boat operators to do their daily activities.

In addition, a check at Kampung Jeram Perdah here found the distance between Malaysia and Thailand had "shortened" as the river had been reduced to a 4 metre drain.

As a result, residents living nearby can merely travel on foot to the neighbouring country.

Local barramundi farm scales up with $2 million nursery extension

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 27 Feb 19;

SINGAPORE - Local barramundi farm Barramundi Asia has scaled up its operations with a new $2 million extension to its nursery.

With this extension, the farm expects to increase its fish production threefold to almost 1.8 million fish fry a year.

That will bring the farm's expected yield to 6,000 tonnes of fish yearly, which is more than what Singapore's 120 fish farms produced in 2018.

The nursery, located in the south of Singapore on Pulau Semakau, now has 1,200 sq m more space and the addition of eight giant 50 cubic m tanks.

Singapore’s farming revival: 'Tech is the only way to go'

CYNTHIA CHOO Today Online 24 Feb 19;

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s agriculture sector is no longer what it once was.

But far from being a sunset industry facing obsolescence, the sector is actually in the midst of a rejuvenation, fuelled by cutting-edge science and technology, and given fresh relevance by the urgent need to boost food security amid rapid climate change.

Local farmers say they are doing their best to adopt the latest technologies to raise their efficiency and productivity, and forming collaborations with partners who can help them scale up their operations and go global.

Venture capital firms, known more for betting on the next Alibaba or Grab, are starting to get in on the action, investing in innovative agrifood tech start-ups.

While the sector is fast becoming a hive of innovation, farm operators and experts say more can be done to support its future growth: The nurturing of young Singaporeans to ensure a pipeline of agritech talent and the promotion of local produce among consumers.

Singapore Budget 2019: New aquaculture centre to work on improving Singapore's food resilience

Cheryl Teh Straits Times 18 Feb 19;

SINGAPORE - More is being done to transform the food production process, and make Singapore's food supplies more secure.

“In the digital age, we still need food, not just bits and bytes,” Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his Budget speech on Monday (Jan 18), adding that the agriculture and food production sectors are transforming to meet this need.

A new Centre of Innovation in Aquaculture at Temasek Polytechnic will work on promoting aquaculture (high-tech marine farming) and will be funded to find ways to improve Singapore’s food resilience, said Mr Heng.

He cited the example of St John’s sea bass, a fish breed developed by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority’s (AVA) Marine Aquaculture Centre and its collaboration with the Temasek Life Sciences laboratory, a beneficiary of Temasek Trust.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)