Bryozoan surveys, May 2019

Thanks to the team of Bryozoan experts for inviting me to join their survey for bryozoans in Singapore. We visited 4 shores and found lots of bryozoans.

I didn't really get a chance to survey the shores as usual, but here are some of things I observed. Thanks to Jianlin for leading the regular team on surveys of some of our shores at the same time.

Kranji and Mandai shores in the 2019 Draft Master Plan

Good to see that the Plan reflects new extended Park area from Sungei Buloh to Lim Chu Kang. It also highlights the importance of Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, the impending launch of Cashin House, as part of plans for the northern coastline to remain rustic: from Sungei Buloh to Changi.

Illustrative panel of the Greater Rustic Coast
at the Draft Master Plan exhibition. 

But the reclamation profile for Kranji and Mandai mudflats and mangroves remain unchanged.

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?

Any dead fishes at Western Johor Strait? (16 Mar 2016)

As we approach conditions ideal for a plankton bloom, I checked out Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the Western Johor Strait for signs of mass fish death.

Dead Fish Alert! Please help me monitor dead fishes washing up on the Johor Straits. Please let me know if you see large numbers (more than 10) especially of large dead fishes (more than 20cm long) washing up on the northern shores such as Pulau Ubin, Lim Chu Kang, Sungei Buloh, Kranji, Woodlands Waterfront, Sembawang, Punggol, Lorong Halus, Pasir Ris, Changi.

Update on mass fish deaths: West Johor Strait

I've been checking our northwest hores every day from the last 5 days (since 11 Mar). I continue to see small numbers of large dead fishes: mostly market-sized farmed mullet, and some tamban and tilapia.

Is the risk of plankton bloom in the West Johor Strait over?

What do our farmed fishes eat?

I have heard that some fish farmers feed their fishes with expired carbohydrates such as biscuits, bread, instant noodles. In fact, one fish farmer told the Straits Times that he feeds his fish with 'bread and instant noodles'.

So I wasn't surprised to see carbos being loaded for the fish farms at Lim Chu Kang Jetty. But I was astonished by the enormous quantities of it.

Update on dead fish at Lim Chu Kang: out of sight but not out of smell

This morning, the area near the Lim Chu Kang Jetty was completely clear of trash and dead fish!

But the overpowering stench of dead rotting fish could be detected from the bus stop 100m away. I couldn't see any freshly dead fishes on the shore or floating in with the tide. Where is the smell coming from?

Update on mass fish death at Lim Chu Kang

Dead fishes are being cleaned up at Lim Chu Kang Jetty this morning.

I didn't see many freshly dead fishes at Lim Chu Kang or at Sungei Buloh. Are the mass fish deaths in the northwest coming to an end? I hope so, but alas, recent rains and upcoming neap tides suggest the danger is not yet over.

Dead fishes still washing up at Lim Chu Kang

At Lim Chu Kang Jetty, last night's tide had left behind more dead fishes. I checked it out at dawn and also checked out Kranji and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve afterwards.

Not everything has died! There's still many living animals at the Reserve!

Mass fish death at Lim Chu Kang and Kranji

There are hundreds if not thousands of dead fishes floating up on the northwest shore today. From Lim Chu Kang Jetty to Kranji.

I hear some of the Western fish farmers are already suffering fish deaths.

Glimpses of fish farm happenings during dead fish checks

For the last four days, I have been visiting jetties used by fish farms to check for dead fish and trash. These include Lim Chu Kang, Lorong Halus, Changi Point and Pulau Ubin.

How nice to see this person haul several bags and toss them into the large tank near the Lim Chu Kang jetty! The bags seemed light, probably full of other bags? Here's some of the other activities I saw.

Lots of dead farmed fishes at Lim Chu Kang, and now also at Kranji

More dead farm fishes washing up at Lim Chu Kang this morning.

I also saw dead farm fishes washing up at Kranji Reservoir Park.

Dead fish checks: Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Buloh

It was a relief not to see masses of dead fishes at Lim Chu Kang on both Saturday and Sunday. This portion of the shore had a line of dead farmed fishes on Friday.

Sadly, I got word of some dead fishes found at West Coast Park.

Any dead fishes on Singapore's northern shores?

Two farms in Lim Chu Kang lost about 60 tonnes of fish to a marine bacteria, Vibrio said Singapore Marine Aquaculture Cooperative Chairman Phillip Lim to Channel NewsAsia. His own farm has also been affected. "I started with 8,000 fish. I'm only left with 200 to 300-plus fish," he said.

Screen capture from Channel 8 news 15 Oct 14

Is Vibrio dangerous to humans? Did any of these dead fishes wash up on Singapore's northern shores? We had a quick look last night and today.

Hypodermic needles and other trash found in Lim Chu Kang mangroves

Chua Li San shared some shocking finds at Lim Chu Kang mangroves during an International Coastal Cleanup there today.

Photo by Chua Li San.

Li San shared these in a post on facebook.

What the fish? Figuring out dead fishes at Sungei Buloh

We checked on the dead fish situation early this morning. With a quick stop at the makeshift jetty at the end of Lim Chu Kang that is used by Western fish farms.

We also pondered about the dead fishes: what kind of fish are they? Do Singapore fish farms raise these fishes? A few of us employed The Google and came up with some answers and lots more questions.

Mandai mangroves in the Draft Master Plan 2013

An exciting development is the plan for Cashin House to become "a new visitor gateway to the western part of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve". The creation of Sungei Buloh Wetland Park has also turned  adjacent olive green space ('Open Space) into bright green ('Park') under NParks care.

While it's great to see an extension of area covered under the umbrella of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Park, Mandai mangroves and mudflats remains designated a 'Reserve Site'.

Fish farms dumping dead fishes?

Lots of dead fishes at Lim Chu Kang mangroves. I could smell them long before I saw them. And lots of questions came to my mind as I checked out the situation.

Thanks to the alert by Andy Dinesh who shared about the dead fishes he has been seeing since 29 Jun (Sat) at Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Mangrove and freshwater bryozoans on Singapore's northern shores

A large team explores Lim Chu Kang mangroves to find the intriguing amphibious bryozoans that Dr Dennis has told us about during the Bryozoans and Hydroids Workshop.

We also stopped by Kranji Dam to find freshwater bryozoans. We had a great time with astonishing finds!