Cause of Recent Mass Fish Deaths at Pasir Ris

Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for National Development with regard to the recent case of hundreds of dead fish at Pasir Ris beach (a) whether the Ministry has determined the cause of the mass fish deaths; (b) whether there are any health concerns which may affect residents in the area; and (c) whether there is a need to control the plankton bloom which may be the cause of the incident.

NParks has worked with NEA and SFA to look into the cause of the recent fish deaths at Pasir Ris Beach. NParks has found that the affected fish were of mainly one species of wild fish found in our coastal waters. The incident appears to be an isolated one. Thus far, NParks has not observed any other dead fish or animals along the surrounding coastal areas at Changi Beach, East Coast Park, and Pulau Ubin.

NEA's and SFA's coastal water quality monitoring sensors did not pick up any anomalies over this period. The coastal water quality during the week of 27 January and 3 February 2020 met the World Health Organisation’s recreational water guidelines, and Pasir Ris Beach remains safe for recreational water activities. The plankton count was normal. There were also no abnormal fish deaths reported at the nearby floating fish farms.

Agencies will continue to look into the cause of the fish deaths. We will also continue to closely monitor the coastal beaches near the Pasir Ris area, including the water quality, for any anomalies.