Plans will relocate food farms to 'wrap around' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

A change in land use was announced which will concentrate food farms closer to and 'wrapping around' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. There are currently no food farms in this area, which previously was designated for military use and thus served as a buffer to the nature spaces in the Reserve. 

What potential impact? Land-based food farms can be highly pollutive, affecting the quality of water that flows through the Reserve and into the Johor Strait, where the fish farms are. We need to monitor closely these plans to move them so close to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

When will this happen? When will this happen? Affected farms will be allowed to remain on site until their land tenures expire, ranging from 2026 to the mid-2030s.

SFA tech to predict harmful algal blooms that can impact fish farms

A network of eight sensors in Singapore’s waters will send data to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to detect abnormal readings and assess risks.

Fish farm off Pulau Ubin.

With a new prediction model being developed, SFA aims to forecast harmful algal blooms at least two days in advance. The upgrade is expected to be completed in the near future.

$70million top up to Fund supporting local fish farms

A $70 million boost from April to the existing Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund aims to co-fund solutions that support multiple farms, such as integrated delivery systems. The national breeding programme will be expanded to include red snappers, and the supply of whiteleg shrimp larvae and grouper fingerlings will be increased. Recognising that commercial viability depends on sustained demand, SFA is also working to increase offtake of locally farmed produce.

Barramundi Asia fish farm off Pulau Semakau
lies derelict, Nov 2024

Singapore will also be upgrading its model to predict harmful algal blooms, which risk devastating harvests of aquaculture farms when sea surface temperatures rise. The new model will integrate forecasted weather conditions for more accurate environmental predictions, alerting farms ahead of anticipated events to implement measures that limit their losses.

Firm farm equipment off St John's Island taken over by Singapore Aquaculture Technologies (SAT)

Singapore Aquaculture Technologies (SAT) will take over Barramundi Group’s equipment off St John's Island. 10ha of deep-sea cages, the two barges, floating solar panels and a battery storage barge. They will also run a seabass hatchery and nursery at the Singapore Food Agency’s Marine Aquaculture Centre on St John's Island. 

Barramundi Group’s open-sea cages off Pulau Senang and Pulau Semakau will not be taken over by SAT. SAT now operates indoor floating farms in the Johor Strait.

‘30 by 30’ farming goal ditched, revised targets set for 2035

Singapore Food Story 2 aims for food resilience – ensuring sufficient food supply in times of disruption. It replaces “30-by-30", which is an aspiration only for local production.

Revised targets are for local farms to supply by 2035: 20% of local consumption of fibre (fresh leafy and fruited vegetables, beansprouts and mushrooms); and 30% of local consumption of protein (eggs and seafood).

Local seafood farms contribution has been falling: 6.1 per cent of total food consumption in 2024, down from 7.3 per cent in 2023 and 7.6 per cent in 2022. There were 72 sea-based farms, a drop from the figure of 98 in 2023.

Local production will be complemented by import diversification and stockpiling. And to better respond to the increasing interconnectedness in agri-food trade, a fourth pillar on “Global Partnerships” will also be developed.

Media articles below

Interview with CEO SFA: plan for local fish farms

From media articles: Singapore Food Agency (SFA) plans to open up more aquaculture spaces in the East Johor Strait from 2026, with a target of raising the production of seafood there to up to 6,700 tonnes annually – almost twice the 3,500 tonnes produced in Singapore in 2024.

A pain point is the high rate of fish mortalities in local farms, caused by low-quality baby fish – or fingerlings – sourced from overseas. Fingerlings from abroad may carry diseases and be of inconsistent quality, worsened by their long journey to Singapore. Mortalities here can reach 80 per cent due to the inconsistent quality of eggs and fingerlings. To prevent such losses, several aquaculture players have long called for a local supply of young fish that are fast-growing and genetically superior.

Farming coalition starts breeding tilapia

An effort to deal with "high rate of fish mortality in local farms", with a move towards "sustainable methods such as using pelleted fish food instead of expired bread to feed fish". 

Also (finally) more focus on locally produced fish to be sold locally (instead of being exported) - tilapia produced to be sold at "eight FairPrice outlets, three seafood restaurants, and online on RedMart".  There will also be an effort to "replace a portion of the market with local entrants".

The National Broodstock Centre for marine tilapia aims to produce its first batch of selectively bred fish by early 2026 for local farms to purchase. The six-month-old centre – located at Max Koi Farm in Lim Chu Kang – is managed by Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (Safef) and funded by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

Expansion of aquaculture in East Johor Strait from 2026

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is planning to release farming spaces off Pasir Ris, Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. These spaces are now occupied by more than 30 open-cage fish farms. 

Little dots around P. Ubin and off Pasir Ris
are locations of current fish farms.

SFA said it would review the environmental impact assessment’s findings and feedback received from the public, and work with relevant stakeholders to minimise any potential environmental impacts of aquaculture development in the East Johor Strait.

Singapore-Malaysia joint effort to protect Johor Strait marine ecology

Singapore and Malaysia agreed to continue sharing information to conserve the Johor Straits marine biodiversity, and continue joint efforts in water quality monitoring there.

The annual meeting between the environment ministries this year, focused on pressure on the Johor Strait ecosystem from aquaculture farms and land reclamation.

Exporting fish still a key component of local fish production?

A sweeping plan was announced to boost Singapore's fish production while safeguarding the marine environment. While it is good that authorities acknowledge: “The higher the nutrient load in the water, the less the amount of fish (that) can be farmed in the water. So for fish farmers, protecting the environment is akin to looking after their rice bowl.” And that a new metric will additionally assess the environmental impact of fish farms from nutrients (nitrates, sulphates and phosphorus) released into the water.

Unfortunately, exporting locally produced fish appear to remain a key component of this plan: the new initiatives include "facilitating the export of six species of locally farmed fish to China: fourfinger threadfin, red snapper, golden snapper, pompano, golden trevally and Asian seabass." 

Which leads to my long standing question: Why is Singapore producing fish to export?  Basically, if these plans to expand fish production is meant to improve Singapore's food security: Wouldn't it make more sense to first ensure all the fish currently produced are actually eaten by Singapore residents? Before we risk our marine biodiversity to produce MORE fish just for export?

Exporting the bulk of their fish production didn't appear to help keep Baramundi Asia afloat: Video taken on 16 Nov 2024 - Singapore's largest fish farm now lies abandoned with decaying equipment off Pulau Semakau.

A quarter of fish farms shut down in 2024

A quarter of fish farms shut down in 2024. They were given a year (July 2023 to June 2024) to take up an SFA support package of up to $100,000 to exit.

"Mr Wee, who had been farming for about 15 years, said he spent around $40,000 on disposing of his farm and the surveys, allowing him to pocket the remaining $60,000 as retirement savings."

Southern fish farm to stop due to deadly virus

Barramundi Group will stop stocking its sites off Pulau Semakau, Pulau Senang and St John’s Island until “an efficacious vaccine is available” against the scale drop disease virus (SDDV). 

From  The Straits Times 31 Jul 2023

SDDV was first formally described in Singapore farmed fish in 2011 and can kill more than half of the barramundi raised in a cage. The virus has caused “significant mortalities and financial losses” for Barramundi Group's Singapore operations, which recorded a loss of $31.9 million for FY2022. 

More details in the excellent article by Ang Qing and Shabana Begum The Straits Times 31 Jul 2023

SFA to open new fish farm site in the South

Thanks to Ang Qing of the Straits Times for covering the latest plans for SFA to call a tender for a site off Pulau Bukom, possibly in late 2023. 

Graphic from the Straits Times

SFA will defer putting out a tender on sea spaces for fish farms around Pulau Satumu and Pulau Jong until further studies, conducted in consultation with researchers and nature groups, are completed.

More about my thoughts on these plans in Why is Singapore producing fish for export? and SFA's reply to my questions.

Why is Singapore producing fish to export? SFA replies

I had a lot of questions when SFA announced in May 2202 plans, under "30-by-30", to further expand fish farming in our southern waters, near some of our best reefs and shores.

The richest reefs of Pulau Satumu (Raffles Lighthouse)
is one of the planned locations for new fish farms.

The plans surprised me because it seems much of the fish currently produced in the area is EXPORTED. Wouldn't it make more sense to first ensure all the fish currently produced are actually eaten by Singapore residents? Before we risk our marine biodiversity to produce MORE fish just for export? And I had more questions.

In Mar 2023, Louis Ng helped send these questions to Dr Koh Poh Koon who sent them to SFA.

In May 2023, I finally received this reply that I can post publicly.

Why is Singapore producing fish to export?

There are plans, under "30-by-30", to further expand fish farming in our southern waters, near some of our best reefs and shores. 

The richest reefs of Pulau Satumu (Raffles Lighthouse)
is one of the planned locations for new fish farms.

I am surprised because it seems much of the fish currently produced in the area is EXPORTED. Wouldn't it make more sense to first ensure all the fish currently produced are actually eaten by Singapore residents? Before we risk our marine biodiversity to produce MORE fish just for export? And I have more questions...

Send YOUR questions in too: Ms Lim Swee Keng at lim_swee_keng@sfa.gov.sg The public feedback exercise ends 1 June.

Dead fishes at Lim Chu Kang, 19 Jul 2016

I checked up on Lim Chu Kang Jetty again. There are no freshly dead fishes, but the 'old' dead fishes are still there. And once again, I saw a truckload of expired biscuits being delivered, probably to be fed to the farmed fishes.

Why are hundreds of dead fishes washing up at Lim Chu Kang? The explanation given to the media so far, no fish losses "beyond normal losses", deaths attributed to low dissolved oxygen and not to plankton bloom. But how can this be "normal losses" when we don't normally see this many dead fishes washing up at Lim Chu Kang? And even if they were "normal losses" why are farms allowed to dump their dead fishes into the sea?

Dead fishes at West Johor Strait, 17-18 Jul 2016

Hundreds of dead fishes have been seen washing up at West Johor Strait over the last two days.

Most of the dead fishes were about the same size and look like the milkfish farmed by the largest fish farm in that area. Has there been another mass fish death among the fish farms in the West Johor Strait? If so, what caused it? What does this mean for public health? What can and has been done to improve ecosystem health in the area to prevent a recurrence?

Singapore's Climate Action Plan and our shores

The Climate Action Plan for Singapore was unveiled yesterday. Great to know that last year's mass fish death is highlighted among the key warning signs of climate impacts to Singapore!

My comments on biodiversity and marine aspects are below. What do you think of the Plan? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Why are Barramundi Asia fish farm workers harvesting wildlife at Pulau Semakau?

Barramundi Asia fish farm is located close to natural Pulau Semakau's shores. We have noticed disturbing impacts of this fish farm in the past: from from signs of dubious trash disposal, littering with large farm trash and even parking their equipment on the seagrass meadows.

Green mangroves and coastal forest of natural Pulau Semakau
with Barramundi Asia farm in front of it.

During our survey on 8 Feb 2016, we noticed Barramundi Asia workers appear to be laying large fishing nets in the mangroves of Pulau Semakau.

We came across a similar net in Aug 2013.  Is Barramundi Asia harvesting wildlife to feed the commercially farmed fish? As the farm is said to be the largest fish farm in Singapore, its poor farm practices can potentially cause much damage to Pulau Semakau.

What activities affect water quality at Pasir Ris?

Pasir Ris beach is incredibly trashy. With a mind-boggling variety of rubbish.

There are also many other activities, managed by many different agencies, that impact the quality of the water at the East Johor Strait.