28-6-2023 (SINGAPORE) Nature enthusiast Jay Yip was disappointed with his visit to East Coast Park on Tuesday morning, where he had hoped to spot some wildlife but was instead greeted by oil slicks on the shore.
“Each year, during some periods of the south-west monsoon, oil slicks arrive on our local shores, creating a sticky,
black tarry mess,” said the 50-year-old educator in a post on Nature Society Singapore’s (NSS) Facebook page.
He spotted the slicks in front of Parkland Green, though a crew from the National Environment Agency (NEA) was already seen cleaning up the area while Mr Yip was there. He told The Straits Times that the area has since been significantly cleaned up, with minimal traces of the oil left.
However, the oil slicks have already left a mark on the natural habitat.
Mr Yip was saddened to see a large hermit crab with its bright purple legs covered in tar. He also found a dead stonefish, but said it did not show any clear signs that it had been affected by the oil. However, he added that oil slicks can affect oxygen levels and that they cannot be ruled out as the cause of the stonefish’s death.
The Straits Times has reached out to NSS, NEA, National Parks Board, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore for comment.
