‘Deplorable’: Pasir Ris-Changi MP Valerie Lee slams mass foraging of marine life at Changi Beach, Singapore News

“I am not against coastal foraging. However, what is concerning is the frequency of their visits and the volume of marine wildlife they harvest during each trip,” the netizen wrote.

Part of wider ‘gan hai’ trend: Biogirl MJ

Biogirl MJ, a content creator who specialises in nature and biology, also weighed in on the incident.

Kong Man Jing, better known as Biogirl MJ, said that foraging itself was not the issue, pointing to local communities such as the Orang Laut, who have done so sustainably and responsibly for generations.

Instead, she said the problem lies in the “mindset and the intention” behind such activities.

She added that the videos appeared to be part of a wider viral phenomenon known as gan hai on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, where users attempt to catch as many marine animals as possible.

“These creatures are not released back into the wild in these incidents most of the time,” she said.

The original Facebook post also alleged that the Douyin account behind the videos used the username “Xiao Wang Dai Ni Qu Gan Hai”, which translates to “Xiao Wang brings you to gan hai“.

Kong also pointed to similar gan hai incidents overseas, saying the trend has sparked concerns elsewhere.

However, she noted that Singapore is significantly smaller than many other countries and does not have “endless shores” to support constant harvesting.

“Without seasonal closures, size limits, or catch quotas, local marine populations simply don’t have enough time to recover.”

Kong added that many Singaporeans have already observed a decline in marine biodiversity, and criticised participants for not considering the long-term consequences of their actions.

She said education remains important and that many people are willing to release animals once they understand the ecological impact.

“If our natural spaces are open for everyone to enjoy, then everyone also has the responsibility to respect them,” she said.

Kong also claimed that the restaurant featured in the videos had threatened her with legal action after she left a review on its Google page.

“They claimed that all of these sea creatures were actually bought from the market and then simply brought to the beach for filming before bringing them back to the restaurant,” she said.

According to Kong, the legal threat “disappeared almost immediately” after she posted evidence that she said showed staff harvesting marine life from Singapore’s shores.

Interact responsibly with marine wildlife: NParks

In response to AsiaOne’s queries on July 24, NParks said that it is aware of the Facebook post, and “seeks the understanding of the public” to protect the local intertidal biodiversity.

Dr Karenne Tun, group director of the National Biodiversity Centre at NParks, said that intertidal habitats are “fragile and critical” to the health of the marine ecosystem, and urged visitors to protect them by “practising responsible etiquette” when visiting these areas.

This includes refraining from touching, collecting, or trampling on any wildlife so they can continue to thrive in their natural habitats, Dr Tun added.

The public may also endanger their own safety as they may not recognise poisonous, stinging or venomous marine wildlife species.

“The removal of wildlife from their habitats, including intertidal zones, harms our biodiversity and disrupts our ecosystems. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem and their removal can have far-reaching consequences on ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling,” she said.

“This in turn affects the ecological resilience of our natural habitats,” she explained. Removal of wildlife from their habitats may also endanger their population, especially for threatened species.

According to Dr Tun, the collection of animals from intertidal zones under NParks’ jurisdiction is restricted. They include Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve’s rocky shore and Pulau Ubin’s Chek Jawa Wetlands.

For intertidal areas beyond NParks’ jurisdiction, such as the Changi area, the board focuses on public education through online advisories, physical signs and increased patrols to share best practices as well as educate visitors on how to interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

More information on intertidal etiquette can be found on NParks’ website. 

Legal exemption complicates enforcement

In the comments, independent naturalist and researcher Luqmanul Hakim bin Othman pointed out that common intertidal invertebrates outside the nature reserves are explicitly exempted under the Wildlife (Exemption) Order 2020. 

“Unless lawmakers update the law to remove that exemption, NParks has no legal authority to stop coastal foraging on general shores,” he said, urging Lee and other relevant authorities to formally engage to address the issue.

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daoen.wong@asiaone.com