Government will work with the marine community to realise common goals in ground-up initiative
By Linette Lai, Health Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 14 Oct 2018
Conservationists have drawn up an extensive new plan to preserve more of Singapore's marine landscape - from mangroves and seagrass meadows to coastal forests and coral reefs.
Responding to the ground-up initiative, the Government has said it will see how it can work with the marine community to realise common goals.
The third iteration of the Blue Plan makes six recommendations, including improved laws to protect marine environments, formalised management systems for these areas and sustained funding for long-term research and monitoring programmes.
It also advocates better coordination between agencies and researchers, further measures to protect Singapore's remaining marine habitats and the inclusion of information about such habitats in the school curriculum.
More than 100 people contributed to the latest edition of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
The 220-page plan was presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee yesterday at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Lee is also Minister for Social and Family Development.
"The amazing marine biodiversity that thrives along our shores and in our waters is something we should treasure and be proud of," Mr Lee said, noting that progress has been made since the second Blue Plan was launched in 2009.
"We will approach the proposals in this Blue Plan with the same spirit of collaboration and openness," he added. "The agencies will study the recommendations in detail and see how we can work with the marine community to realise some of the common goals."
Mr Lee said that apart from funding marine research, the Government will expand outreach and education efforts to help Singaporeans better appreciate the country's biodiversity. "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know," he said.
The first Blue Plan was drawn up in 2001, with the second one following eight years later. This year's instalment was led by five marine biologists, including Dr Zeehan Jaafar, a lecturer at the NUS department of biological sciences.
Dr Jaafar said that the previous iteration of the Blue Plan was much shorter and focused primarily on the protection of coral reefs.
A year after it was launched, the National Parks Board led a five-year effort to conduct the first Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey. In 2014, Sisters' Islands were designated a marine park as part of efforts to protect Singapore's coral reefs.
"But, in the past decade, there has been a shift in our research capabilities to look at other marine environments that are equally important, but not so front-and-centre as coral reefs," Dr Jaafar said. "As a result, we decided to relook some of the previous recommendations and fortify them."
One of those who worked on this year's Blue Plan was Ms Samantha Lai, 29, a PhD candidate at NUS specialising in seagrass research. She wants stronger legislation to protect the environment. "Marine habitats are part of our natural heritage," she said. "They are as much a part of our history as any building we have built, and we have so little left of it that we need to protect what there is."
By Linette Lai, Health Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 14 Oct 2018
Conservationists have drawn up an extensive new plan to preserve more of Singapore's marine landscape - from mangroves and seagrass meadows to coastal forests and coral reefs.
Responding to the ground-up initiative, the Government has said it will see how it can work with the marine community to realise common goals.
The third iteration of the Blue Plan makes six recommendations, including improved laws to protect marine environments, formalised management systems for these areas and sustained funding for long-term research and monitoring programmes.
It also advocates better coordination between agencies and researchers, further measures to protect Singapore's remaining marine habitats and the inclusion of information about such habitats in the school curriculum.
More than 100 people contributed to the latest edition of the Blue Plan, including biologists, geographers, environmental lawyers and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
The 220-page plan was presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee yesterday at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Lee is also Minister for Social and Family Development.
"The amazing marine biodiversity that thrives along our shores and in our waters is something we should treasure and be proud of," Mr Lee said, noting that progress has been made since the second Blue Plan was launched in 2009.
"We will approach the proposals in this Blue Plan with the same spirit of collaboration and openness," he added. "The agencies will study the recommendations in detail and see how we can work with the marine community to realise some of the common goals."
Mr Lee said that apart from funding marine research, the Government will expand outreach and education efforts to help Singaporeans better appreciate the country's biodiversity. "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know," he said.
The first Blue Plan was drawn up in 2001, with the second one following eight years later. This year's instalment was led by five marine biologists, including Dr Zeehan Jaafar, a lecturer at the NUS department of biological sciences.
Dr Jaafar said that the previous iteration of the Blue Plan was much shorter and focused primarily on the protection of coral reefs.
A year after it was launched, the National Parks Board led a five-year effort to conduct the first Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey. In 2014, Sisters' Islands were designated a marine park as part of efforts to protect Singapore's coral reefs.
"But, in the past decade, there has been a shift in our research capabilities to look at other marine environments that are equally important, but not so front-and-centre as coral reefs," Dr Jaafar said. "As a result, we decided to relook some of the previous recommendations and fortify them."
One of those who worked on this year's Blue Plan was Ms Samantha Lai, 29, a PhD candidate at NUS specialising in seagrass research. She wants stronger legislation to protect the environment. "Marine habitats are part of our natural heritage," she said. "They are as much a part of our history as any building we have built, and we have so little left of it that we need to protect what there is."
Semakau - not just a landfill, but full of life
New Blue Plan by conservationists contains six recommendations to protect such habitats
By Linette Lai, Health Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 14 Oct 2018
For many Singaporeans, Pulau Semakau is just an offshore landfill.
But at low tide, one will find the island as well as the waters around it teeming with life, said marine biologist Huang Danwei.
New Blue Plan by conservationists contains six recommendations to protect such habitats
By Linette Lai, Health Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 14 Oct 2018
But at low tide, one will find the island as well as the waters around it teeming with life, said marine biologist Huang Danwei.
"You will see many mangrove trees and animals that live on these trees, and if you go seaward you will see a very luxurious growth of seagrasses," said Dr Huang, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore's biological sciences department. "If you go out even more, you will see a reef habitat with lots of corals."
Protecting marine habitats like Pulau Semakau is a goal of the third Blue Plan, which was drawn up by conservationists like Dr Huang, presented to Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee yesterday.
It contains six recommendations to protect such habitats in Singapore. Among them is a proposal that the coastal areas of certain islands be designated as marine reserves.
These include Pulau Semakau and its neighbours Pulau Hantu and Pulau Jong, as well as Pulau Satumu and Pulau Biola. It also includes Pulau Ubin, which is home to Chek Jawa, one of Singapore's richest ecosystems where a variety of different habitats can be found.
The plan also suggests that the waters around Lazarus, St John's and Kusu islands be made no-fishing areas as they are established sites for coral nurseries.
The latest Blue Plan states that: "Although marine habitats in Singapore are fragmented and small, these sites are each unique and host high diversity." For example, the tiny islands of Pulau Satumu and Pulau Biola have a wide variety of corals and other marine organisms.
The Blue Plan notes that protecting the waters around these islands is "urgent as there are signs ship grounding have destroyed portions of these reefs".
The movement to protect marine habitats in Singapore has come a long way in the past few decades.
Speaking to the audience at yesterday's event, veteran marine biologist Leo Tan recounted his struggle to get Labrador Nature Reserve designated as a protected area many years ago. "I started on a lonely journey in the 1970s trying to save one 300m stretch of rocky beach in Labrador," Prof Tan said. "It took 30 years before it was legislated as a nature reserve."
In the 1980s and 1990s, non-governmental organisations initiated efforts to survey and conserve Singapore's coral reefs.
The first Blue Plan was produced in 2001 and the second in 2009.
This year's 220-page Blue Plan is the most extensive yet, with more than 100 contributors from various fields. Mr Lee, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development, yesterday emphasised the importance of grounding such conservation efforts in science.
"Only by understanding the marine ecosystems and their complexities better, can we develop sustainable solutions to manage and maintain them," he said.
Dive into Singapore's marine environment to protect it
Greater awareness, dialogue between Govt and community can realise Blue Plan's goals
By Zeehan Jaafar, Published The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2018
The impact of these activities on marine ecosystems is significant. Yet, rich biodiversity still persists in our waters.
These marine areas deserve protection - not for the sake of nature alone - but also for our own health and future success. Coastal spaces and offshore islands offer us a respite from urban life and contribute to our well-being and national identity. Healthy marine ecosystems also provide services such as clean coastal waters important for aquaculture and desalination, and protection from coastal erosion.
Their sustainable management will strengthen Singapore's reputation as a global maritime hub and a smart, eco-conscious city.
These are some of the premises upon which the Singapore Blue Plan 2018 - an effort to protect the marine environment - proposed recommendations to the Government this month.
Responding to the ground-up initiative, the Government has said it will see how it can work with the marine community to realise common goals. This is the third blue plan: Earlier recommendations were submitted to the Government in 2001 and 2009, and the latest effort is the most comprehensive to date. Led by five marine biologists, and with over 100 contributors, the document includes - for the first time - scientific and legislative data to support the proposed recommendations.
The recommendations are made in the spirit of ensuring long-term benefits to the country's marine areas. Incorporating basic environmental science concepts into the formal school curriculum is one proposal. Students learn about local culture and history in school, but little of Singapore's natural environments. The country's biodiversity, including that of marine organisms, is unique. For instance, many may not know that our mangroves are home to one of the smallest fish species in the world.
Including environmental science and the ecological roles of native organisms in the formal curriculum ensures that we understand natural processes, and the implications of a changing climate.
In the Blue Plan 2018, in addition to coral reefs - the main focus of earlier years' recommendations - habitat types such as seagrass meadows and mangrove areas are also proposed for preservation. The protection of island clusters, instead of specific coral reef areas, is recommended for the first time to ensure that interconnectivity between habitats is preserved.
Protecting larger, interconnected islands also allows zoning for different uses within the area, an important principle that the Blue Plan 2018 advocates. Take Pulau Ubin, for example. If it is gazetted for protection, visitors to the island would still be able to enjoy the same activities, including fishing and kayaking. Limited access zones would be restricted only to biologically sensitive sites to minimise trampling effects from human visitors.
As Singaporeans, we recognise the immense pressure on our limited land and sea areas. When deciding between reclamation and preservation at a coral reef site, for example, difficult decisions have to be made.
These decisions must be made carefully, and after active engagement sessions between the community and the Government. Coming to a collective decision may be a laborious process but it allows stakeholders and government agencies to state and justify their positions.
Realisation of the multiple present and potential uses of our natural areas is important in order to understand the value of what would be lost, so that we know what to save.
The commitment displayed by the Government to find a balance between infrastructure development and conservation of biodiversity and habitats is laudable.
Today, many community-led and Government-backed initiatives, such as coastal and reef clean-ups, mangrove and coral restoration efforts, and the annual Pesta Ubin festival to rediscover the island's charms, enhance community spirit.
Such activities are important because openness in communication paves the way for public stewardship of natural areas.
Several recommendations proposed in the previous Blue Plan 2009 have been implemented by the Government. Key among them was the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey - organised by the National Parks Board (NParks) and National University of Singapore - which ran from 2010 to 2015.
More than 350 surveys were conducted in the Johor and Singapore straits, uncovering a rich biodiversity of over 1,100 species, including many new ones. Another significant milestone was the designation of Sisters' Islands as a marine park.
It is our hope that the recommendations made in the Blue Plan 2018 can be realised through active partnership and collaboration between the community and government agencies.
The Blue Plan 2018 also advances platforms where interested members of the public and the Government can continue the dialogue, because these issues affect all citizens. It calls for greater transparency and accountability in environmental governance, and the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment.
Urban development in fragile ecosystems that threatens endangered species must be considered with feedback from the community, so we do not lose our natural and national heritage.
Often, when discussing some of the impacts to the marine environment, we are met with an air of resignation over how little can be achieved as an individual. But the reality is quite the opposite: An individual wields incredible power.
Borrowing from Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee's speech at the launch of the Blue Plan 2018 last Saturday: "You cannot protect what you don't love, and you can't love what you don't know."
If you are interested in protecting marine areas, visit coastal and marine parks, as well as wetland reserves. Be involved in community initiatives such as coastal and reef clean-ups or participate in guided walks. Share your experiences and your observations with your family and friends.
Resources on the Internet, including the websites of NParks, Celebrating Singapore Shores, and wildsingapore.com, provide ample information on these areas.
The launch of the Blue Plan 2018 is just the beginning of our collective journey.
There is still much we do not know of our marine areas. Continued work to understand the processes within marine ecosystems is crucial to effectively manage them, especially in areas with competing uses. Available scientific data, in an accessible format, must be shared with the public so that there is good awareness of our heritage.
The Singapore Blue Plan 2018 envisages a Singapore that celebrates and cherishes its marine heritage. And we can only do this together.
There is still much we do not know of our marine areas. Continued work to understand the processes within marine ecosystems is crucial to effectively manage them, especially in areas with competing uses. Available scientific data, in an accessible format, must be shared with the public so that there is good awareness of our heritage.
The Singapore Blue Plan 2018 envisages a Singapore that celebrates and cherishes its marine heritage. And we can only do this together.
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