Some anglers in S’pore turn to Pasir Ris fishing pond following oil spill
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D'Best Recreation, a saltwater fishing pond in Pasir Ris, saw its number of patrons increase in the week after the oil spill.
PHOTO: D'BEST RECREATION
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SINGAPORE – For about seven years, Mr Derrick Tan has been casting his fishing line into the waters at Bedok Jetty in East Coast Park as a hobby.
But after a Netherlands-flagged dredging boat hit a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal on June 14, causing Singapore’s biggest oil spill in over a decade,
So he went inland – specifically, D’Best Recreation, a saltwater fishing pond in Pasir Ris.
Since the spill, Mr Tan has visited the pond four times with his 12-year-old son and his 15-year-old daughter to fish.
It costs him either $61 or $66 per trip – depending on the time of the day he visits – and he spends about three hours there each time.
“I have known about D’Best for many years, and I started going there about 10 or 12 years ago, but then I stopped fishing regularly for a while,” he said.
“About seven years ago, I started to fish again, in Changi and at Bedok Jetty, for fun, and it became a regular thing.
“After the oil spill, I thought about alternatives and remembered D’Best. When I went last week with my son and daughter, it was my first time back in about 10 years.”
Mr Derrick Tan’s son and daughter with the fish they caught at D’Best Recreation.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DERRICK TAN
Mr Tan is among a handful of recreational anglers who have turned to D’Best as the authorities continue cleanup efforts and advise against engaging in water activities in affected areas
General manager Jevon Lew said that a typical weekday during the June and December school holidays would see about 100 to 120 customers.
However, from June 17 to 21, the pond had about 190 to 225 customers each day.
“We did not realise (the increase) at first as we were busy preparing and organising our Father’s Day and Hari Raya Haji fishing competition (on June 15 and 16) and doing the post-event work,” said Mr Lew.
“We saw the increment only when we did an operation review later on.”
Mr Henry Ho, 47, who has fished twice a week at Bedok Jetty for the past 10 years, has also made the temporary shift.
The regional workplace and safety director said he would avoid fishing in East Coast Park for at least the next month.
He added: “I will wait for the authorities to clean up the oil first before going back to the jetty to fish.
“Otherwise, the saltwater pond is a good substitute as I’ve found that I can catch more fish easily than at the jetty,” he said.
Mr Henry Ho found D’Best Recreation a good alternative to Bedok Jetty after visiting it for the first time in April.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HENRY HO
The saltwater fishing pond in Pasir Ris has been around since 1989, and D’Best has been operating it since 2014.
Today, it is the most established fishing pond operator on mainland Singapore and operates five ponds which offer five different types of grouper and snapper, red drum, sea bass and silver pomfret.
Other fishing ponds ST checked with, however, did not see an uptick in customers in the past week.
Ms Vale Toh, founder of Gills Fishing located at the SAF Yacht Club on the north coast, told ST that the number of customers has remained at 50 daily and that weather conditions play a part in the number of visitors she receives.
“It has been raining since April and it is even wetter in June, so it is normal that we do not see an increase,” said Ms Toh.
Auntie’s Fishing Pond in Neo Tiew Crescent, in the north-west of Singapore, did not see a change in patronage after the oil spill.
Other avid anglers ST spoke to said they have either moved to areas that are not affected by the oil spill, or stopped fishing for saltwater fish completely.
Fish On Sg, which has been conducting kayak fishing trips since 2020, has postponed trips that start from East Coast and now takes off from places like Punggol and Changi instead.
Director Mohammad Nordin, who has five tour guides in his team, said: “(But) my kayaks were stained by oil when we were rowing towards Pulau Ubin on June 16.”
He first noticed the oil floating off a sand barge that was in front of him and his five participants.
“While it was not the first time I’ve encountered oil spills, they were usually diesel or petrol and would not stick onto our kayaks,” he said.
Oil stains on a kayak owned by Fish On Sg after a tour heading towards Pulau Ubin on June 16.
PHOTO: FISH ON SG
Fish On Sg director Mohammad Nordin said this was not the first time he had encountered oil spills, but they were usually diesel or petrol and would not stick onto the kayaks.
PHOTO: FISH ON SG
Mr Max Sadad Othman, founder of the 11-strong fishing group Panther Anglers Singapore, felt sad that they will not be able to fish in Changi and East Coast Park for the time being.
Mr Max, who founded the group with his wife, said the two locations are the best fishing spots in Singapore.
“We hope that after the cleanup, the fishes will continue to be healthy and that the waters are free of chemicals,” said the 43-year-old.
“We fish to eat, so it is important that the cleanup is done properly and thoroughly.”
Another avid angler, Mr Lim Yi Xuan, 23, said he will stick to fishing in fresh water until the authorities deem it safe to go saltwater fishing again.
Mr Lim, a part-time kayak fishing guide, is concerned about being exposed to the water in the affected areas once he resumes guiding tours there.
“I am worried that the uncleared residue from the oil spill will impact my health, but I will feel relatively assured once the authorities give the green light to such (sea) activities.”
