Amount and Management Process for Waste Produced by Fish Farms

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) in each of the past three years, how much and what kinds of waste have been produced by Singapore’s fish farms; (b) what are the waste collection processes in place to ensure that the waste does not end up in the sea; and (c) whether the waste is segregated for circular usage or incineration.

The waste generated by fish farms comprise organic matter such as fish faeces, dead fish, unconsumed fish feed, as well as general refuse. As waste from fish farms are comingled and collected with other waste, data is not available on the amount of waste produced by fish farms.

SFA’s licensing condition requires sea-based fish farms to bag, transport and dispose their waste on land. Waste collection points are available at the Lim Chu Kang and Lorong Halus jetties for farms located in the Western and Eastern Straits of Johor. In the Southern Waters, there is only one fish farm, which has a commercial arrangement to transport and dispose its waste on land. SFA carries out routine inspections and takes enforcement action should farms be found to illegally dump waste into the waters. SFA also sends regular reminders via newsletters and conducts briefings to fish farmers on proper waste disposal and management processes.

While most of the fish farms currently do not segregate nor upcycle their waste into valuable products, there are more opportunities to do so as we transform our aquaculture industry towards sustainable fish production, in support of the "30 by 30" goal to produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. For example, some fish farms are applying circular economy principles in their operations, such as up-cycling fish sludge into plant fertilisers and undertaking R&D to valorise fish sludge and other organic matter into animal feed or nutrients for fish. SFA will continue to engage the industry on adopting more sustainable farm management methods, including monitoring the impact of aquaculture activities on farming sites and the use of better feed.