Measures to Tackle Illegal Bird-feeding

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development since January 2020 (a) how many enforcement notices have been issued for bird-feeding offences; (b) how many bird-feeding offenders have been fined; and (c) whether the Ministry will be introducing new measures to tackle illegal bird-feeding.

Since January 2020, NParks has issued 31 enforcement notices for bird-feeding offences. Of these, 18 were issued composition notices. NParks adopts a suite of measures to deter illegal bird-feeding, including camera surveillance at identified feeding hotspots, and working with Town Councils to carry out enforcement operations.

NParks has strengthened its regulatory regime with the enhanced Wildlife Act, which came into force on 1 June 2020. The Act allows NParks to impose stiffer penalties for the illegal feeding of wildlife, including birds. Offenders can be fined up to $5,000 for the feeding of any wild bird, up from $500 for feeding pigeons before the Wildlife Act came into force.

Public education and engagement is key. NParks works with Town Councils, MSO, and PA to engage feeders. This enables NParks to find out their motivations, address misconceptions, and discourage them from continuing to feed birds.

In February 2020, NParks piloted the Pigeon Management Plan in partnership with four Town Councils of Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jalan Besar, and Bishan-Toa Payoh. This pilot adopts a multi-pronged approach comprising food source reduction, habitat modification measures such as nettings to prevent nesting, and population reduction. NParks will study the findings from the pilot, with a view of scaling the implementation to other areas.