Crowds Armed With Shovels & Buckets Dig Up Marine Life At Changi Beach
With sunnier weather and the lack of many options due to Phase 2 Heightened Alert, a pastime many are returning to is heading to the beach for a day out.
However, there are fears that certain practices are disrupting our marine ecosystem.
A concerned netizen posted on Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings regarding acts committed by groups of people at Changi Beach.
She was aghast at the sight of groups digging up marine creatures like crabs and sea cucumbers.
Groups dig up marine life at Changi Beach
Ms Ting shared that she goes for intertidal walks often and likes taking in the peaceful sight teeming with marine life.
However, the beach on Sunday (13 Jun) was described as “horrible”.
Groups of people with kids armed with buckets, tongs and pails were out and about.
Images of the scene include some dug-up holes in the sand, buckets filled with what appears to be a crab and anemone.
Another bucket she found contained a jellyfish, crab, and allegedly sea cucumbers.
Several videos also depict families with considerable hauls, along with kids huddling over the buckets.
Beachgoers and netizens advise on education
Ms Ting is just one beachgoer who was angry at the sight — she shared that other beachgoers were also angry.
However, their pleas to leave the marine life alone allegedly fell on deaf ears as the culprits would walk away to continue on their ‘hunt’.
Hence, Ms Ting wonders what can be done.
Other netizens also shared their worries and asked if there can be policing on crowd sizes and ban bringing tools like shovels.
Families are allowed to leave the house for essential purposes.
Some also called for more education and to not teach children to partake in such activities.
MS News has reached out to NParks for more information on whether the practice is allowed.
Please leave marine life alone
While certain intertidal areas like Chek Jawa are protected, others may not be to the same degree.
Regardless, this likely does not make it okay to dig for marine life in such areas.
Leaving marine life alone is crucial for ecosystems and these acts amount to disrupting them. If we wish to preserve our rich environments, we must allow them to thrive on their own.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
