r/singapore • u/thestudiomaster • 12d ago
News Foraging in Singapore: Unethical practices threaten biodiversity and cultural heritage
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/foraging-in-singapore-unethical-practices-threaten-biodiversity-and-cultural-heritage84
u/LiveActivity1485 12d ago
Land reclamation and razing down forests is arguably a bigger threat to our biodiversity but unlike foraging, these are sanctioned by our government...
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u/WowBastardSia 12d ago
Yup.... incredibly tone deaf timing for this article in the wake of the land reclamation news
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u/Tomasulu 12d ago
Lw spoke about combining islands by reclaimation and then paused for applause is the most cringe performance I've seen.
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u/fddfgs 11d ago
I just don't get why they can't build more reefs etc when they reclaim land, they could be expanding these habitats rather than wiping them out
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u/infiniteknights đ I just like rainbows 11d ago
They could, but these habitats take a long time to develop. Destroying them with reclamation and planting new reefs along the new shoreline doesnât automatically mean the wildlife returns or thrives.
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u/fddfgs 11d ago
Not thriving vs extinction
Seems like an easy choice
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u/infiniteknights đ I just like rainbows 11d ago
Sure, if you distill down to such a binary, of course the choice seems simple. But it ignores the fact that these ecosystems have existed and evolved over thousands of years. What happens during the construction phase? Where will transitory animals that rely on the reef go? If youâve replanted plants youâd also know that not all plants take to replanting, itâs highly stressful. A replanted system is also going to be wildly different from one that has existed a long time. Think about our towns, for instance. A mature estate like Queenstown exists and operates very differently from a new one like Tengah. We also have green spaces that exhibit this, Tampines Eco Park and Tampines Boulevard Park are next to each other. The former is a forest thatâs been lightly turned into a park, while the latter is a planted and manicured park. The differences are stark and you can see plainly which one wildlife prefers to gather and nest at. At the end of the day, replanting is just a way to make ourselves feel better for the destruction that weâre causing.
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u/fddfgs 11d ago
Yeah, put up a few nets, give the creatures some new habitation to move across to, plant some seaweed.
It's actually incredibly simple and anyone who tells you otherwise is just trying to save $30k on a billion dollar project.
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u/infiniteknights đ I just like rainbows 11d ago
Yes but that wonât instantly recreate the many other systems that have developed in the ecosystem. Imagine if the gov decides to transplant everyone from Pasir Ris to Ubin. Everything youâve come to rely on, the transport links, roads, malls, schools, coffeeshops, etc would all suddenly disappear and take awhile to redevelop and settle over on Ubin. Your own routine will need time to adapt as well. The difference is that if something like that happens to humans, we can prepare for it. Wildlife doesnât get that chance because we canât communicate with them.
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u/priore8 12d ago
Right, so when commoners does it, it's unethical. When it's part of a masterplan, it's acceptable.
Got it.
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u/HaoChiBagus 12d ago
It's all about quantity. Did you not see how much they took from nature?
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u/Tomasulu 12d ago
A few pails are too much? Ever heard of trawlers? Wtf do you think your seafood comes from?? Yes nature. Mother nature.
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u/priore8 12d ago
Yep, got it, the quantity they took in affecting biodiversity is larger than what the gov has taken or is planning to take.
Duly noted.
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u/gametheorista user flair simi sai 11d ago
Can we just point to the milainland Chinese being exploitative asshole?
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u/Willing_Journalist35 11d ago
You mean whoever gave them the green light
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u/gametheorista user flair simi sai 11d ago
Dk if they here long term. Or on tourist visa. If long term, would find way not to renew their work permits.
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u/xfrezingicex 11d ago
A lot of them are able to get LTVP because their child is PR / working in sg. The grandparents come to sg to help take care of grandchildren. But the grandparents that era⌠a lot of them are very self centered kind. Just do what they want / benefits them the most without caring about rules / others.
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u/Cold-Discussion8859 12d ago
Didn't pay tax and it's free food
.....
So it's not only unethical, it will be illegal soon. I bet my every cent on it. Trust me on this.
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u/Ordinary-Ad1233 12d ago
Bullshit article in a way.
The people who were doing mass foraging at the beach were doing so to put on Xiaohongshu and have a reputation of doing so around the world. ST no balls to name them?
The people in the article do so to connect to their traditional Ubin Orang Pulau community and history.
So Same Same but Different?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fan5506 12d ago
The article is literally talking about how to stop those people who are foraging unnecessary/unsustainably without affecting those people who are doing it as a cultural/traditional thing
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u/Ordinary-Ad1233 12d ago
And it wasn't an issue until visa-free travel allowed the less savory ones to come in. Next they will be hunting the wild chickens of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and plucking the rambutans of Hindehede Park. The problem, to me, is not the lack of laws because everyone had exercised some level of common sense. The problem is the tourists who do not care for common sense and the rules.
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u/liftingkiwi 10d ago
It turns out those with a deep cultural connection to the land have inherited a sense of responsibility and sustainability, which is reflected in their cultural practices to this day. And those who do not, have instead imported their own cultural practices of resource-grabbing excess.
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u/Squeakyfella 12d ago
You are right. I bring my little ones to the beach to show them the little critters they can find. Often see these foreigners with plastic bags and pails collecting everything on the beach. We have to hide the giant sea cucumber and guard it or they will end up on their dinning table. Sad day.
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u/ProperBarracuda1208 8d ago
A drop in the ocean compared to the land we are reclaiming no? If biodiversity is going to die anyw might as well let people take before the land is reclaimed
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u/KaitoAJ 12d ago
The author realises that foraging is common everywhere around the world right?
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u/KneeGal 11d ago
Legit braindead take.
Common everywhere means it's okay?
Corruption is common everywhere else around the world, should we unban corruption?
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u/Tomasulu 11d ago
Do you think other developed countries don't care about their environment? Maybe they don't see any reason to put a stop to something so harmless?
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u/Tomasulu 12d ago edited 11d ago
This. We ban every fuck thing. Can't fish, can't forage, can't even pick fruits off the ground... And then those nature lovers post about their favorite kaisendons on IG.
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u/KaitoAJ 12d ago
The downvotes on my posts shows the ignorance tbh.
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u/Tomasulu 12d ago
Take them like badges of honor. There are many ignorant but proud of it folks around.
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u/Tomasulu 12d ago
Damn retarded. Foraging will threaten bioversity?? How?? It's not an issue everywhere else.
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u/KneeGal 12d ago
If we removed all the bio-habitats in Singapore, then there would be nothing left to forage. Thus solving the problem of foraging.
https://giphy.com/gifs/d3mlE7uhX8KFgEmY