‘Deplorable’: MP criticises group seen foraging marine life from Changi Beach & allegedly cooking them in restaurant

MP calls for NParks to step up patrols after group seen foraging marine life from Changi Beach

A member of Parliament (MP) has criticised the actions of a group who were seen foraging large amounts of marine life from Changi Beach and later cooking them at a restaurant.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (26 July), Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee called for the National Parks Board (NParks) to step up patrols to protect Singapore’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

Group of 16 people seen heading to Changi Beach

The video, which was posted on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group, was originally uploaded on Chinese social media platform Douyin by user @小王带你去赶海 (Wang brings you to go intertidal foraging).

The practice known as “gan hai” (赶海) describes the foraging of marine life during low tide.

In the 4-minute-long clip, about 16 people are seen heading towards Changi Beach, armed with nets, buckets and other implements.

Group seen foraging vulnerable species at Changi Beach

The group is then seen digging out creatures such as crabs, shellfish and molluscs and putting them into buckets.

Among the species taken were fan clams, which the original poster (OP) noted are listed as a vulnerable species in Singapore’s national Red List of threatened animals.

The user said the group appeared to have harvested no fewer than 30 fan clams in a single session.

Crab seen being stepped on before being caught

The clip also showed the group trapping a crab that had apparently been scooped up in a bucket.

It was first taken out of the bucket by an implement.

When it tried to crawl away, it was stepped on to stop it from escaping.

It was then grabbed and inserted into another bucket.

Marine life brought to restaurant along Havelock Road

The group eventually managed to snag several buckets of marine life before concluding their “activity”.

That same night, the “harvest” was transported to a restaurant identified as Havelock Palace along Havelock Road.

Laid out in front of chefs, the true scale of the night’s foraging became apparent.

The scene then changed to a tantalising spread placed in front of applauding diners at the restaurant.

OP urges people to take only what they need

In the Facebook post, the OP said they were “not against coastal foraging”, but was concerned about the frequency and the volume of their “harvests”.

Instead of taking only what they needed, the group appeared to be “bagging almost every form of marine wildlife they come across, with little consideration for the sustainability of our coastal ecosystem”, the OP added.

As Singapore’s natural resources are limited, they urged people to respect the environment and practise responsible foraging by taking only what they need.

‘A complete lack of respect’

Ms Lee, who is in charge of Changi division, used stronger language in her post, professing to be “extremely disappointed” when she watched the video.

She described the group’s actions as “deplorable”, noting especially that they proudly showed off their haul “like a trophy”.

She said it felt like the group had “a complete lack of respect” for the animals, fragile ecosystems, and the traditions of ancient foragers who took only what they needed.

MP urges people to call out such behaviour

Pointing out that protecting Singapore’s shores is everyone’s responsibility, Ms Lee urged people to call out the actions of those who treat our intertidal life like “a free buffet”.

All of us have a part to play in looking after these places, she noted, adding:

I hope NParks steps up patrols at our intertidal habitats as they some of Singapore’s most magical ecosystems, but also some of our most vulnerable.

Removal of wildlife harms S’pore’s biodiversity: NParks

In response to queries from AsiaOne, NParks said it is aware of the video and sought the understanding of the public to protect Singapore’s intertidal biodiversity.

Group Director of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre Karenne Tun said collecting animals from intertidal zones is restricted if they are under NParks’ jurisdiction.

However, as the Changi area is not under NParks’ jurisdiction, online advisories, physical signs and increased patrols strive to educate visitors on “responsible etiquette”.

This includes not touching, collecting, or trampling on wildlife so they can continue to thrive in their natural habitats, Dr Tun noted.

Removing wildlife from their habitats harms Singapore’s biodiversity and disrupts our ecosystems, in turn affecting the ecological resilience of our natural habitats, she added.

The NParks website has more information on intertidal etiquette.

Also read: Crowds Dig Up Sealife At Changi Beach, Netizens Hope Marine Life Can Be Left Alone

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Featured image adapted from UnderstandingTurkey7186 via Complaint Singapore on Facebook.