sgbeachbum: June 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013

deadfish @ northwestern Singapore coast off SBWR & LCK - 29Jun2013

Visited SBWR this afternoon and was surprised to see many many floaters - fish - all dead and stinky. They seemed likely to be milkfish and mullet. These are commonly farmed at the off-shore fish farms located off Lim Chu Kang and the SBWR. I did not see any dead giant mudskippers, archer fish or sea bass or needlefish, but there was one dead and bloated catfish near the main bridge at Sungei Buloh. Perhaps that had been scavenging on the dead milkfish or mullet.

The scene at Lim Chu Kang beach (beside the AVA jetty)...

The whole beach was strewn with dead fish (and not forgetting copious amounts of styrofoam and other rubbish).

I had a friend from Denmark visiting Singapore whom i had dragged along to visit SBWR and he was (with jaw dropping silence) shocked to see the condition of the Lim Chu Kang mangrove and beach and the items left behind by squatting fisherfolk temporarily resident along the beach.

Meanwhile at SBWR ... the reserve was being pervaded by the certain pungent smell of decomposing fish. Lots of them.

These pics are from the Mangrove Boardwalk area. Apparently, the dead fish started appearing on Friday and SBWR staff had cleared what they could reach but there was just too many dead fish coming in from the coast with each incoming tide.

Many dead fish got stuck on the rocky bunds and also on trees once the tide receded. The hot afternoon air wafted the rotting stench easily and it was impossible to escape the pungent smell (even with an N95 mask which obviously was not designed to stop smells).

including some fish stuck on trees ...

The Lim Chu Kang jetty has two dumpsters, one for biological waste and another for general waste. It is obvious that the fish farm(s) responsible for the dumping are not using these waste collection containers.

Could the crocs, monitor lizards, otters and other scavengers in the area face possible poisoning from whatever killed the fish (despite their strong stomachs).

There could be quite a few possible causes ...

an E-coli outbreak?

chemical poisoning?

algal bloom?

depleted oxygen?

(Update 03July2013 : apparently, it was low oxygen levels which caused the deaths)

Failing good reason for the dumping(can there be any?), the farms responsible should be prosecuted.

Dumping puts the surrounding environment (and other farms) at risk.

It pollutes the water making it unsafe for all.

some links about dead fish incidents and fish farming in Singapore waters :

http://wildshores.blogspot.sg/2012/03/thousands-of-dead-fishes-at-sungei-api.html

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120320-334670.html

http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.sg/2012/03/dead-fish-found-in-another-river.html

http://wildshores.blogspot.sg/2010/01/dead-fish-zone-hits-pulau-ubin.html

http://wildshores.blogspot.sg/2009/12/why-are-there-so-many-dead-fish-on.html

http://wondercreation.blogspot.sg/2009/12/dead-fish-on-pasir-ris-shore.html

http://wildshores.blogspot.sg/2009/02/coastal-fish-farms-where-does-fish.html

Find out more about farmed milkfish and mullet :

http://www.thefishfarmer.com/product/our

http://realseafoodmilkfish.wordpress.com/

http://realseafoodmullet.wordpress.com/

http://www.spc.int/aquaculture/index.php?option=com_commodities&view=commodity&id=12&Itemid=58

http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/SME%2BCentral/Story/A1Story20090130-118141.html

http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/marinefish/text/222.htm

Monday, June 17, 2013

eagleantics @ marina bay - June 2013

Was about Parliamant House when i noticed two adult white-bellied sea eagles atop High Street Centre. One took off towards Fort Canning whilst the other stayed put on the 'finger'. Nice of the architects to make such a perch for the area's resident eagles. The views must be stunning (on days without the haze).

Going up Fort Canning, i missed locating the WBSE or the two fledged juveniles. This was the first time i was not able to locate any of the birds in any of the usual perch points. Walking back towards the Southern part of Fort Canning, the two adult birds were atop the finger again. This time, they started their trademark territorial cackling. It could be heard clearly across the distance. Perhaps they were calling to the juveniles to join them.

One of the adults took off towards Marina Bay followed shortly by the other. Time for some last minute fishing. A quick walk over to the Marina promenade proved fruitful. One of the adults came flying in low past the floating platform clutching a large fish in its talons. It flew above the bandstand and decided to circle around. It kept doing this whilst gaining height with each upward spiral before finally continuing its flight path across the Padang. It settled atop High Street Centre. Meanwhile, the other adult WBSE came by also gripping a fish. This one just powered straight on across the top of the Esplanade durians across the Padang. I lost sight of it and it must have taken a different route perhaps back to Fort Canning.