You’re unlikely to find a more scenic nighttime fishing spot than right next to the Merlion. The throng of excited tourists, the splashing of water spewed by the Merlion, the myriad lights of the Marina Bay Sands and nearby skyscrapers.
A recent TikTok video captured two men enjoying the scenic sight while fishing, with one of them scoring a nice catch.
It almost sounds too good to be true, and indeed, fishing next to the famous lion-fish is illegal.
Getting caught means being hit with a fine that a snagged catfish probably can’t pay off.
Two men, one in a red shirt and one clad in black shirt, cast their lines from the Marina Reservoir at night, as seen in the TikTok video. You can also see placed fishing rods next to themselves.
Source: @aztractstudio on TikTok
You can see what appears to be the Esplanade Bridge in the background.
The angler in red makes a nice haul. On the end of his fishing line flops a slimy and slippery fish, fresh from the river waters.
The fish’s distinctive whiskers point to it being a catfish.
Source: @aztractstudio on TikTok
The camera then pans 180 degrees, revealing the Merlion just a short distance away, doing what it does best — spit a fountain of water out of its mouth.
Source: aztractstudio on TikTok
The surrounding crowds are too enraptured by its water-spitting glory to care about the two random individuals and their catfish.
Also in the distance is the iconic sight of the Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
This confirms their position, between the Merlion and the Esplanade Bridge.
As it turns out, the men are indeed fishing illegally.
PUB states that fishing is only permitted at designated fishing locations.
The picture below shows the designated fishing areas in Marina Reservoir in dark blue.
The designated spot — circled in blue — is quite a distance from where the men were fishing, which is circled in red.
Source: Google Maps
It is unknown if the men were deliberately fishing near the Merlion or if they took a wrong turn and ended up over 2.5km away from the designated area by complete accident.
Those caught illegally fishing in non-designated areas face fines of up to S$3,000 from the PUB.
Offenders in areas managed by the National Parks Board (NParks), however, may be hit with up to S$5,000 in fines. Fishing in NParks’ nature reserves will net a fine of up to $50,000.
Based on that, we don’t advise messing with NParks and their fish.
The PUB created designated fishing areas for the safety of the anglers themselves, as well as passers-by.
This includes those on kayaks and other boats on the water.
It is safe to say that fishing right next to Merlion Park runs a higher risk of hitting the crowds there to see the statue.
Singapore’s anglers have frequently called for the PUB to increase the number of fishing spots.
An angler reported that a number of the caught illegal anglers were just a short distance from the designated spots, which did not make a real difference, according to The Straits Times.
Fishing with live bait is also illegal even in the proper fishing areas, due to concerns surrounding pollution of the water.
Illegal fishing remains a relatively common crime in Singapore, with Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reporting that the PUB hands out over 100 penalties each year. In 2020, a boy was recorded illegally fishing at the MBS boardwalk.
CNA reported that during the pandemic, there was a 20% increase in anglers breaking the fishing rules at Marina Reservoir alone. Perhaps fishing next to the Merlion is irresistible to some.
Merlion Park is indeed a great spot to cast your rod, but it is probably best to keep that $3,000 in your own bank account and find an alternative spot to snag your catfish.
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Featured image adapted from TikTok.
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