Foraging in Singapore: Unethical practices threaten biodiversity and cultural heritage

SINGAPORE – Nor Syazwan Abdul Majid remembers, as a child, scraping through the sands of Changi Beach with his mother to look for seafood like mussels and clams.

For Syazwan, now 29, foraging along Singapore’s shores is more than just a hobby. It is a tradition that tethers him to the Ubin Orang Pulau (Malay for people of Pulau Ubin) community.

His mother grew up as part of the island’s community and lived on Ubin for 20 years until 1979, when she moved to the mainland after getting married.

Today the community does not forage for sustenance, but to keep its tradition alive, he said.

However, crocodile sightings in local waters have deterred Syazwan and his mother from foraging for the past year.

Their hesitation only grew after a group caught flak in July for collecting a large haul of marine life – including crabs and shellfish – from Changi Beach and taking it to a restaurant to be cooked and consumed.

While the restaurant, Havelock Palace, apologised, some people online and members of nature groups called for stronger legislation against unethical foraging in local intertidal areas.

There is currently no broad law against the practice, though the National Parks Board (NParks) has restricted it in select zones like Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Chek Jawa.

Others noted its cultural significance and asked if a more “ethical” way of foraging could be sustainable.

The Straits Times spoke to different groups who have walked the shores to understand their practices.

Adib Adrisson, 33, said he had been “beachcombing” since he was seven.

It used to be a family activity as they lived near the beach, but Adib said he does it on a smaller scale.

The freelance writer said he takes what is “enough for my own consumption” which amounts to less than half a bucket. He also looks for shrimp, clams and crabs to feed his pet fish.

“I’m careful not to collect species that may be locally endangered, such as the ramose murex or noble volute snails,” he added.

Firdaus Sani, founder of non-governmental organisation Orang Laut SG, said he learnt to forage from his family.

He currently does so every few months with his family on Singapore’s offshore islands.

“In the Malay tradition, meramu refers broadly to gathering, collecting or harvesting a wide variety of materials and ingredients from the wild,” he said. This may include plants, fruits, medicinal materials and other natural resources.

Families would go out together, and children learnt from parents, grandparents and other elders how to read tides, recognise plants and take only what they need, he added.

“This knowledge is not always written down. It is carried through practice, stories, observation and repeated time spent on the shore.”

Nor Syazwan Abdul Majid and his mother foraging at Changi Beach in 2021. His mother grew up as part of the Ubin Orang Pulau community and lived on Pulau Ubin for 20 years until 1979, when she moved to the mainland after getting married.

One question that has surfaced in the past month is whether there should be more regulation around foraging, and if so, how it should be done.

In a Facebook post on July 26, Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee – whose ward includes Pulau Ubin and Changi Beach – expressed concern over the acts of the group that drew criticism in July and called for agencies to step up patrols at local intertidal areas.

Jason Ooi, lecturer at the School of Applied Science at Republic Polytechnic, said that there is a “reasonable case” to have clearer or more targeted rules for high-traffic unprotected shores, given how compressed and fragile Singapore’s remaining intertidal habitats are.

Regulation would also have to account for enforcement, which can be difficult in these open areas, he added.

He noted that foraging recently gained popularity through a social media trend called “gan hai”, which gained traction on Chinese social media platforms after the Covid-19 pandemic.

People tend to forage along Singapore’s northern and eastern coastlines, where the tide recedes far enough to expose wide sandflats and mudflats, said Ooi.

Ooi, who is trained in ecology and marine science, said even organisms left behind may be harmed by improper handling such as flipping rocks and trampling, or by prolonged exposure to air and sun.

He added that some of the commonly foraged species grow only a few centimetres a year, which means an organism that is large enough to be noticed has likely spent well over a decade growing in that same patch of mud.

Kong Man Jing, co-founder of media education company Just Keep Thinking, said she had suggested that NParks revive its volunteer patrol programme to deter people from foraging unsustainably.

The science teacher-turned-content creator, better known as Biogirl MJ, acknowledged that some people may forage as part of their culture’s traditions, but a separate and growing group has been doing so since 2021 in an unsustainable manner.

A blanket ban to target this group may infringe on these cultural practices, she added.

Legislating it might be complicated and tricky, agreed Syazwan.

“People should understand that things have to be done in moderation; you cannot criminalise the act without understanding the context.”

There are currently signs at coastal areas like Changi Beach that discourage beachgoers from picking up marine life, he said, but they might make the Orang Pulau Ubin community less comfortable in practising their traditions.

When ST visited Changi Beach at about 9pm on Aug 24, there was no one seen foraging. There was also a sign advising visitors to refrain from picking up red egg crabs from the shore.

A sign at Changi Beach discouraging visitors from picking up red egg crabs.

Orang Laut SG’s Firdaus, who founded the organisation to preserve the memories and heritage of Singapore’s seafaring folk, suggested measures such as catch limits, minimum-size requirements, protection for breeding females, seasonal restrictions, gear restrictions and no-take zones.

He added that any future framework should recognise indigenous knowledge as a system of stewardship.

A blanket prohibition could disproportionately affect communities and may overlook the difference between high-volume or destructive extraction and small-scale, customary practices grounded in restraint, reciprocity and care, he added.

NParks’ Karenne Tun, group director at the National Biodiversity Centre, said the agency restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction.

For other areas, it focuses on public education through online advisories, physical signs and increased patrols to share best practices and educate visitors on how to interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

She urged visitors to protect habitats by practising responsible etiquette when visiting intertidal zones. This includes not touching or collecting the wildlife, some of which may be poisonous or venomous.

Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here

Read Full Article At Source