Debated in Parliament on 5 Oct 2021.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the progress of the Species Recovery Programme for terrestrial and marine native flora and fauna; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide further updates on the 46 threatened species of terrestrial and marine native flora and fauna that were identified in 2016 for this programme.
The Species Recovery Programme is a key part of NParks’ efforts to strengthen the conservation of terrestrial and marine native flora and fauna. The programme aims to increase the number of these species through efforts such as reintroducing and propagating them into their original habitats, as well as suitable new habitats.
From 2016 to 2021, NParks increased the number of flora and fauna species for recovery efforts under the programme, from 46 to 120 species. NParks has seen some successes from its conservation efforts. For example, the Ormocarpum cochinchinense, a small native coastal shrub previously thought to be extinct in Singapore, has been propagated and planted in many of our parks and nature reserves. Similarly, the Sunda Slow Loris, which was previously classified as "Critically Endangered", is now "Endangered" in Singapore.
NParks will continue to step up its species recovery efforts to strengthen the conservation of Singapore’s native biodiversity. By 2030, NParks aims to increase its recovery efforts to 160 flora and fauna species.
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