Expanding Support for Traditional Sea-Based Fish Farms Through Infrastructure, Funding, Shared Facilities and Biosecurity Assistance

Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment beyond the recent use of technologies to predict algal blooms (a) what other forms of support are being provided to traditional sea-based fish farms; and (b) whether the support can include, if not already, physical infrastructure upgrades, funding for capability development, access to shared national facilities, and technical, biosecurity and disease management assistance to improve resilience and productivity.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been supporting aquaculture farms, including traditional sea-based farms, to grow food in a more productive, resource-efficient and climate-resilient manner.

All aquaculture farms can tap on the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund 2, which had a new tranche of funding of S$70 million, to adopt farming technologies and systems and defray equipment costs. The SFA is also supporting aquaculture farms to adopt newer technologies through conducting demonstration projects to showcase their viability.

Furthermore, SFA has invested in research and development to drive research in areas, such as sustainable tropical aquaculture. Research outcomes are translated into practical benefits through SFA's National Broodstock Centre and Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme, which supply our farms with high quality fingerlings that grow faster and survive better. To better prevent and control diseases, SFA implemented the Aquatic Animal Health Services to provide farms with funded veterinary consultations. As water quality is critical for sea-based farms, SFA's Aquaculture Sensing Network and Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Model will provide farms with timely warnings to minimise stock losses.

In addition, SFA has been working with the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation Limited to aggregate supply and demand of local produce, including locally farmed seafood, so as to facilitate long-term commercial contracts between farmers and retailers, as well as food businesses.