8-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Dead fish were discovered floating in the sea off Raffles Marina as a result of a decline in water quality caused by a blaze in a chemical storage facility in Tuas.
Photos shared on the Facebook page “Complaint Singapore Unlimited” on Wednesday depicted the waters off the marina appearing black or brown.
On Friday, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao published pictures revealing a significant number of dead fish in the seas off Raffles Marina, which is a country club situated in Tuas West Drive. Workers were observed cleaning up the area.
The National Environment Agency (NEA), in response to media queries, stated that it is currently analyzing samples of “pungent brown water” in a canal near Tuas West Drive, which discharges into the sea.
NEA further added that the source of the brown water has been traced back to run-off waters used to extinguish a fire at 132 Pioneer Road on Wednesday morning.
The fire, which devastated an industrial building owned by chemical wholesaler Megachem, was brought under control approximately four hours after the Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted at 2 am.
Megachem specializes in the sale and distribution of specialty chemicals to companies in the oil and gas, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industries.
A spokesperson from Raffles Marina informed authorities about an oil slick in their waters after its discovery at approximately 8 am on Wednesday.
The majority of the oil slick was cleaned by the authorities, and the marina utilized chemical dispersants to clean the area surrounding it, the spokesperson added.
On Thursday morning, the dead fish began appearing, accompanied by a lingering chemical odor, according to the spokesperson. By Friday afternoon, nearly all of the fish and oil slick around the marina had been cleared, although the cost of the clean-up operation is yet to be determined as it is still ongoing.
Raffles Marina has used approximately 650 liters of chemicals thus far to clean the marina, as reported by Zaobao.
A spokesperson from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) stated that two patrol craft were dispatched to clean up oil patches near Raffles Marina, and since then, no further patches have been observed.
Vessel traffic in the area remains unaffected, the spokesperson added.
NEA has announced that it will monitor the water quality in the canal over the next few days.
Wade Pearce, the founder of Singapore Marine Guide platform for the leisure marine and boating industry, described the incident as “absolutely disastrous to the boating community.”
He expressed concerns over the potential long-term impact, stating that every part of the boats should be inspected as the chemicals may cause damage to the engine, generator, air conditioning, water maker, paint, and even the fiberglass.
Sue Ye, the founder of the non-profit group Marine Steward, stated that members had alerted the group to the repercussions of the incident. She noted that a significant number of dead fish had surfaced after the incident and highlighted the potential impact on wildlife, fishing activities, and the marine ecosystem.
Kua Kay Yaw, former chairman of the marine conservation group in Nature Society (Singapore), explained that the brown fluid observed in the photos could be petrochemical residue resulting from the fire. He emphasized that oily chemicals can deplete oxygen levels in the water, suffocate fish by coating their gills, and have detrimental effects on marine life.
Mr. Kua recommended the inclusion of procedures to contain chemicals in fire emergency response plans to prevent future harm to the marine environment.
The national water agency PUB assured that operations at the desalination plants in the area have not been affected by the discharge, stating that no abnormalities have been detected in the seawater intake since the fire occurred, according to PUB.
