Protecting Our Marine Spaces and Southern Islands

Sir, I join my colleague, the hon Member Mr Louis Ng in this Adjournment Motion, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I would like to zoom into a specific area, namely the Southern Islands. Over the years, like you, I have had the opportunity to volunteer as a clean-up diver and kayaked around our waters. While what is under the surface may not always be front of mind, my time out on and in our waters has made me determined to play my part in our collective action.

The Southern Islands refer to a cluster of islands, an informal planning area to the south of mainland Singapore. It comprises Kusu, Lazarus, Seringat, St John's, Sentosa, Tekukor and the two Sisters' islands.

For some time, visitors were generally marine scientists, casual picnickers, Kusu pilgrims, nostalgic former islanders or those in search of a trail off the beaten track. However, restlessness from COVID-19 piqued Singaporeans' interests. Visitorship on the islands increased by 2.5 times, from 6,800 a month in 2019 to 17,000 a month in 2021. In 2022, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) conducted a long-term plan review (LTPR) and engaged more than 13,000 participants in polls, discussions and webinars, which culminated in roving exhibitions. Together with some marine scientists and environmental advocates, I toured the exhibition and was interested in how the LTPR highlighted the creation of an island of "green, blue and fun" by expanding nature-based recreation networks and embracing islandness. This includes plans to transform our Southern Islands.

Sir, I agree it is important to embrace our islandness and increase recreational options for Singaporeans.

While it is exciting to hear new plans and see Singaporeans engaged in these nature spaces, the Southern Islands must be developed sensitively. Given that the Southern Islands are more or less a blank slate, it would be exciting as well to testbed sustainable ideas and the learnings could be implemented on mainland Singapore.

Some may wonder what is there to protect in the first place. The Southern Islands are significant in two key areas: natural and cultural heritage. The Southern Islands support coastal habitats to several nationally vulnerable or endangered species. It is also home to a rich culture and history. The islands were part of the lively settlements of Orang Laut and former islanders have religious significance and hosted Singapore's first quarantine centre – when we are talking about COVID-19 today.

Given the natural and cultural significance of the Southern Islands, I appreciate the efforts of NParks, which engages and consults stakeholders and URA for adopting a science-based approach to stewarding green and blue spaces through the ecological profiling exercise (EPE). The EPE showed that the Southern Islands is a space where development should be considered sensitively.

Based on these findings, I ask that we consider how best to ensure the careful integration of conservation and development in our plans.

Sir, our varied interests and land needs are outsizing the 719 square kilometres or so of our main island. In recent times, we have seen two activities introduced. First, aquaculture activities taken over by Barramundi Asia Group, just beyond Bendera Bay. I note that the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had completed an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before implementation. How does the Government measure ongoing water and sediment quality as well as the potential presence of larger predators, given that the fish cages are barely 50 metres from Bendera Bay, which is stewarded by Friends of Marine Park?

How are agriculture sites selected? And are there any other sites around the Southern Islands which are being considered for the future?

What are the measures and safeguards which the Government requires of companies to minimise damage to the seabed, including the anchoring of cages and monitoring of feed spills? Is there ongoing assessment as to the extent of natural habitats and water flows in both the short and medium term?

I appreciate that aquaculture is a very important part of our food resilience goals and I hope we can establish good practices and standards around it before further expansion.

Second, Big Tiny's Tiny Away Escape was launched, which will start taking bookings very soon. Like the throngs who flocked to the Southern Islands during COVID-19, staycations were also a popular activity during COVID-19. I think opportunities for Singaporeans to connect with nature are good, especially for our young, who are more likely to fall in love with our environment if they are familiar with it. I echo comments from the marine community, and I sincerely appreciate the Sentosa Development Corporation's (SDC) consideration in this less intrusive accommodation option. I also appreciate that SDC carried out stakeholder engagements and I would be keen to understand what environmental and safety considerations are required of the operator and whether any of the suggestions during consultation have been adopted. I would also appreciate hearing what the future plans are in developing the Southern Islands as a light touch ecotourism destination.

The balance between conservation and development requires tighter coordination between the multitude of Government agencies involved in the islands' management.

For illustration, island and land permits are currently managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA; the National Parks Board (NParks) is involved in conservation, for example, through the Sisters' Island Marine Park and also the conservation of heritage trees and development of trails. While the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) looks after the development of the island into a light touch tourist destination, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) governs the rest of the waters that surround the island.

While I appreciate the good work of each of these agencies, it may be difficult to have a holistic understanding of the islands' development and ensure that any changes are done sensitively.

Sir, I seek clarification if there is a main liaison that supports coordination between the Ministries on the islands' land use, development and management, and is responsible for ensuring that any potential plans are sensitive to the environment and safety.

I propose for an inter-agency workgroup with perhaps URA leading it to ensure systematic coordination between various stakeholders, utilising the technical expertise of each stakeholder. As recommended in the Singapore Blue Plan 2018, the inter-agency workgroup could then develop processes relating to the islands' use, implement a structured approach to manage competing land and ocean use, as well as oversee EIA's and the islands' development plans. A clear checklist could be developed to identify environmental considerations to be assessed before any land or sea use is approved.

Given the technicality of such environmental assessments, there is potential to crowd-in expertise and public participation through a technical work group or panel. This would support the implementation of a well-coordinated and comprehensive plan to ensure that any development is sustainable and science-based. I sincerely hope that the Government considers this suggestion.

I have some further questions. First, on zoning. Given that the Southern Islands are near marine and coastal areas, was an EIA conducted to understand and mitigate potential impact of the new development such as Tiny Homes on the area? How does the coastal and ecological profiling exercise by URA inform development in the Southern Islands?

In line with the plans to develop the Southern Islands sensitively, we can refer to preliminary research, horizon mapping and integrated concept plan for St John's Island developed by Dr Jani Tanzil and the team at the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory (SJIML), funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF). Using participatory mapping, the team came up with a preliminary proposal of both sea and land use zonings to create an environmentally friendly multi-use space for many stakeholders.

Such zonings are in line of developing the island while ensuring that sensitive areas are kept protected. Potential areas include education, research, tourism, religious, cultural, conservation, sea sports fishing, agriculture and even military. I would like to ask if the Government has considered this piece of research.

Second, on carrying capacity. With increasing developments on the island, more Singaporeans and tourists are visiting. Has there been any research to estimate the carrying capacity of the islands and are there limits or caps to the number of visitors on the island at any one point? In nature areas such as Kranji Marshes, permits for large groups are required for similar reasons. I hope that the Government could consider a similar concept to be rolled out on the islands.

Next, on safety. What are some efforts made to ensure the safety of and environmentally friendly practices of visitors? For example, there can be signs to indicate strong currents for safe enjoyment in the waters and evacuation plans in the case of emergency.

Visitors to the island will also be familiar with the long-tailed macaques which inhabit the island. Has the Government considered how human-wildlife conflict will be minimised, especially if the families on staycation bring food and snacks with them?

I would also like to know who the enforcement authority is for safety and operations on the island. Perhaps, it will also be helpful to place life buoys at prominent locations or even consider a lifeguard during peak periods to prevent incidents of drowning.

Next, on waste —

To provide sustainable living by powering houses through solar, building using sustainable materials and providing biogesters.

While efforts seek to lower the carbon footprint of tourists, are there any sewerage treatment and waste disposal plans to cope with the overall increased human traffic and corresponding waste generated on the islands?

Sir, we recognise that it is a tough balancing act for Singapore with intense land use pressures as a city-state and the need to balance conservation and natural heritage as well. To be clear, this is not about no development, but an appeal for clear processes and frameworks to encourage a science-based and coordinated approach between Government agencies in doing so.

Big changes can take place in the most unexpected and smallest of places. Let us be at the forefront as an island city-state in dealing with these issues. Beyond Governmental bodies, many ground-up groups and individuals have dedicated their careers and free time to this. I would like to acknowledge, in particular, Friends of Marine Parks such as Stephen, Dr Zeehan and the team behind the Blue Plan, Dr Jani of SJIML, and Sam and Tai Chong from Our Singapore Reefs, who have shared their thoughts and hard work with me, as well as many others who championed giant clams, sharks, seagrass, clean shores and oceans.

Our marine and reef ecosystem takes years to develop but only a moment to destroy if we do not prioritise them. Let us take this step to protect what we have and ensure the sustainable development of our Southern Islands.

Sir, I thank Mr Louis Ng and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, and our blue activists, for championing the protection of our marine environment and our Southern Islands. I only have 10 minutes, so I will be brief and may not be able to address all the questions that they have raised.

As a small city-state, we will always have to balance conservation with our development needs. The pressures on our sea spaces are no less intense than on land. We are home to a rich array of marine biodiversity, from hard corals and seagrasses to turtles and dugongs.

The Port of Singapore is also a busy global transshipment hub, supporting our economy and the continued flow of global supply chains. Our coastal and marine areas are also used for many important activities, including offshore industries, aquaculture, tourism, recreation and defence.

As we balance these competing demands, we recognise that our marine ecosystems are an important part of our natural capital and agree with Members that we must take collective action to conserve them.

Through our Marine Conservation Action Plan, we seek to conserve our rich marine biodiversity. This comprehensive, science-based approach is part of our broader Nature Conservation Masterplan, which sets out conservation strategies for both green and blue spaces.

Over the years, NParks has been partnering experts, researchers and the marine community to study and monitor the biodiversity in our waters. With the use of advanced modelling tools, as well as efforts such as the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey and the more recent Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey, we continuously update and deepen our knowledge base. This helps us to identify key marine habitats for protection.

In 2014, we established the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, in view of the area’s important ecological functions and variety of marine life. The Marine Park is protected under the Parks and Trees Act, which prohibits the removal of biodiversity and restricts activities such as fishing, the collection of corals and the mooring of boats, among others.

I would like to assure Mr Louis Ng that, just like for nature reserves, the boundaries of the Marine Park are set out in the Schedule to the Act and any changes would have to be presented to Parliament.

In addition to protecting our key marine ecosystems, we are also actively enhancing them, in close partnership with the community. For example, together with JTC and the National University of Singapore (NUS), we are supporting the introduction of artificial reefs at the Marine Park, to promote the restoration of its coral habitats.

We also work closely with the multi-stakeholder Friends of Marine Park, as well as volunteers, to conserve and study native turtle species at the turtle hatchery on Small Sister’s Island.

Beyond the Marine Park, we also make use of science and data to prioritise threatened species for our recovery programmes. Today, our efforts cover the Neptune’s cup sponge, over 14 species of corals, and more. We will do more to protect our natural marine habitats and heritage.

At this year’s Committee of Supply debate, we announced our enhanced commitment to restore and enhance 80 hectares of habitats by 2030, up from 30 hectares previously. These efforts will also include coastal and marine habitats.

Like Mr Louis Ng, we recognise the importance of our seagrass meadows as carbon sinks and habitats for marine fauna. We have been partnering the marine community on a long-term survey of our species-rich seagrass meadows and are currently developing a restoration programme for these habitats. And we are planning to expand our "Plant-A-Coral, Seed-A-Reef" programme to rally more of the community around our efforts to establish and restore thriving reef habitats.

We will also continue to ramp up our outreach and education efforts, together with partners such as the Nature Society (Singapore) and the Waterways Watch Society. Through initiatives such as guided intertidal walks and citizen science programmes, including our yearly Biodiversity Beach Patrols, we will encourage even more Singaporeans to join us in celebrating and stewarding our amazing marine biodiversity.

Across the board, our marine conservation efforts are underpinned by strong and active partnerships. One example of how ground-up efforts can make a meaningful difference is the Singapore Blue Plan, which Mr Louis Ng mentioned.

I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the Blue Plan back in 2018 and was encouraged by the passion and dedication of the diverse stakeholders who contributed to it. Many of our actions to better understand and conserve our marine spaces are indeed aligned with the recommendations of the Blue Plan.

For example, we are stepping up funding for marine research. Through the Marine Climate Change Science programme, we are investing $25 million to develop solutions that address the impacts of climate change on our marine ecosystems. We have recently started to award grants for the first two projects and we look forward to catalysing further advancements in this field.

To strengthen the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, we are piloting the centralisation of EIA consultants under NParks. This will ensure the rigour of EIAs, including for coastal and marine areas.

And to facilitate collaboration among Government, industry and researchers in areas including marine conservation, MPA launched the GeoSpace-Sea portal in 2019. This publicly accessible database harnesses and integrates marine and coastal geospatial data from various sources and can help parties work off a common set of information.

This also ties in with Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin’s call for greater coordination across agencies to ensure that our Southern Islands are developed sensitively. We agree with her that proper coordination is important to ensure that we develop Singapore sustainably. Today, we already take a whole-of-Government approach to coordinate our plans, from planning to implementation.

Upstream in the planning process, environmental considerations are taken into account in our land use plans. URA regularly reviews our long-term plans with agencies and studies alternatives and trade-offs to optimise our land use plans.

This includes working with developing agencies such as the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to evaluate proposals for ecotourism projects and fish farms.

Our plans are also guided by science. As part of the Long-Term Plan Review, NParks conducted an Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Singapore’s island-wide ecosystem and ecological connectivity. Based on the findings, NParks will work with agencies to study how development can be undertaken sensitively, taking into consideration the various habitats. For example, the marine EPE will help to guide future developments such as the placement of sea-based farms.

When development plans are more firm, developing agencies undergo an in-depth consultation process and work closely with technical agencies to minimise the environmental impact for developments near or in an ecologically sensitive area.

In the context of Lazarus Island, this also involves consulting technical agencies and SLA, the agency managing the island, to develop visitor management measures that ensure public safety and sustainable practices.

Throughout the planning process —