Tracking and Controlling Populations of Pests

The Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien) (for the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources): Mdm Speaker, I am afraid I have to disappoint the Member for not being able to provide statistics on some of the very specific categories of vectors that he has mentioned in his Parliamentary Question (PQ), particularly on flies, cockroaches and rat fleas. But the Member has our assurance that the National Environment Agency (NEA) actively monitors the disease-bearing vector situation.

NEA implements an integrated rodent surveillance and vector control programme comprising surveillance, control, public engagement, law enforcement and research. From January 2014 to November 2014, over 35,000 rodent burrows were detected and treated by NEA. This reflects how important it is for the owners of premises, especially operators of food establishments, to practise good housekeeping habits, such as adopting good refuse management regimes. The key to rodent control is to eliminate food sources.

Dengue continues to be a problem. As of November 2014, more than 16,000 mosquito breeding sites were found, a drop of 19% from the same period the year before. Amongst

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the new measures introduced in 2014, NEA piloted the Gravitrap surveillance programme in clusters and high-risk areas as a control tool and a guide for pre-emptive control operations. Now, there are some statistics we can gather from this Gravitrap programme. But let me explain that this is by no means a comprehensive surveillance of the entire country. But where we have placed Gravitraps, we estimated from the start of the programme that some 32,000 mosquitoes have been caught in these Gravitraps. I am not sure what to make of it, but this is the first year when we have such a statistic. So, we will probably use this as a basis for study going forward. I assure Members that we do not spend time doing a count; I am sure it is by some estimation.

NEA has also tightened surveillance and enforcement efforts in high-risk premises, such as construction sites. Since January 2014, 120 Stop Work Orders have been issued to construction sites to ensure that proper mosquito control measures are in place before construction resumed. In the longer term, NEA is exploring the suppression of the local dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito population through biological control, which is, the use of Wolbachia-carrying male mosquitoes.

All home and premises owners, Town Councils and managers of public areas have to take responsibility to minimise the breeding of these vectors. NEA's officers cannot be everywhere anytime, all the time.

Madam, may I ask the Minister whether NEA will further co-fund Town Councils on vector control, especially rodent and mosquito control? The other question is: will NEA step up preventive measures in rodent control at food centres, especially in taking those with unhygienic practices to task? Lastly, is there any update on vaccines for dengue?

Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary questions. On co-funding of some of these rodent control programmes, NEA is keen to work with the Town Councils. In fact, we have been working with the Town Councils since 2011 when we brought back the Rat Attack programme, and we will be happy to discuss with the Town Councils on how we can further collaborate and cooperate with one another on fighting rodents.

I absolutely agree with the Member on the need for strict enforcement and, indeed, that is what NEA has done. We have been inspecting food establishments on a regular basis. In fact, we have increased the number of vector control officers in the last few years. So, we are putting more enforcement officers on the ground and, where we find infringements of regulations and unhygienic conditions, we will not hesitate to take strict enforcement steps.

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On the issues of vaccines, we are still watching the development closely. At this point in time, we do not have specific news to share with the House, but if we do, we will definitely do so.

Mdm Speaker, there have been more reports on the increase in rodents lately and I am wondering whether NEA has done any study to discover the reason for such an increase, or is it that there is just more visibility of rodents in, especially, housing estates.

Apart from rodents, there have also been quite a lot of reports about pigeon nuisance, especially roosting in HDB flats. Could NEA also take more stringent actions, especially on feeding, so that the issue does not multiply to affect all the other residents living the housing estates?

Mdm Speaker, with regard to the supplementary question about increased sightings of rodents, from NEA's point of view, it is still down to the very basic operations. In other words, keep the source of food in check, ensure that the available food sources for rodents are not there. That is the best way to eradicate the rodents.

It is also enforcement as well. So, we have to step up on inspections and step up on operations. Again, I would like to emphasise that we need all the stakeholders, from food stall and restaurant operators to companies that are in charge of cleaning, commercial properties and so on, to really step up and play a part in ensuring that we have a hygienic and clean environment for everyone.

We have some studies on the population of rats but, really, the best way is to just make sure that they do not have the food sources that allow them to propagate.

On the issue of pigeons, I believe that there is a subsequent Parliamentary Question (PQ) that, Mdm Speaker, if you would allow, I will answer the supplementary question along with the subsequent PQ.