Celebrate National Day with a mangrove cleanup at Lim Chu Kang Nature Park (Sun 6th Aug 2023)

NUS Toddycats is organising our annual National Day celebration at Lim Chu Kang mangrove. It wll be conducted on the morning of Sun 6th Aug 2023. This precious patch of mangrove is unique habitat which was the focus much research since the 1990’s. It survived decades of intense pressure and is now officially conserved as part of Lim Chu Kang Nature Park. 

This cleanup is for HARDY volunteers, and you may register at http://tinyurl.com/lck-06aug2023

Please note that children (age 12 and below) are not allowed to participate in this event due to the risk assessment. There are wasps, vipers and crocodiles which Team Leaders will be careful about, and thorns of the Kuku tupai (Caesalpinia crista) to navigate around.

This is organised with the approval of NParks and the support of NEA’s Department of Public Cleanliness.   

Singapore’s National Action Strategy on Marine Litter was launched on 5th Jun 2022

Singapore’s National Action Strategy on Marine Litter [www.mse.gov.sg/nasml] was launched on 5th Jun 2022 and reported in the media:

• “S’pore launches national strategy to tackle growing problem of marine litter,” by Prisca Ang. The Straits Times, 05 Jun 2022 [link]
• “Singapore launches national strategy aimed at combatting marine litter.” Channel News Asia, 05 Jun 2022 [link]

Comprised of six priority areas, several aspects are ongoing as a clean and green Singapore was fundamental to our national identity since independence. The hope is that this further galvanises action from all sectors of society.

The development of NASML has seen various coastal cleanup groups come together and enter a dialogue with the government’s National Environment Agency. We have had existing functional relationships as we already work with Public Hygiene Council (See the R.I.S.E. network) and now there is a stronger grasp of issues in a holistic manner. It is an encouraging development in the fight again the relentless burden of marine pollution and unsustainable practises.

You can download and read the details of our NASML at  https://www.mse.gov.sg/nasml

“Connect + Collect”, the International Coastal Cleanup 2022 Report

The International Coastal Cleanup’s global coordinator, Ocean Conservancy, released the 2022 report entitled “Connect + Collect”. It reports that despite the covid-19 pandemic, more than 300,000 volunteers took to beaches and waterways around the world and submitted data through the Clean Swell app. 

 

Interestingly, a Singapore user of the Clean Swell app is included the map of global ICC locations this year – hooray to whoever you are! There were  611 volunteers whose data was included for Singapore, and these were submitted direct to the global ICC database managed by Ocean Conservancy, since we adopted the direct reporting method (see the 2021 post: “The change to coastal cleanups during the pandemic (and beyond)”.

The Clean Swell app had improved to allow post-cleanup submissions which made it practical, as data cards could be used onsite and consolidated by a group before a single submission. My remaining wishlist for the app (which I remind the OC team every year about) is metric units please!

Contributing to the database is helpful as its adds up globally and become viable for analysis, especially in the rise of research interest into marine plastics. In just 2021 alone, at least 27 peer-reviewed scientific papers by authors from 20 countries were published which used ICC data. 

Read the 2022 global report here.

The change to coastal cleanups during the pandemic (and beyond): Safe, independent and sustained small group action!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, small group (as per national guidelines) cleanups have been suggested to anyone hoping to conduct coastal cleanups. With the infectivity of the Delta strain, a return to large scale cleanups are unlikely for the near future.

Still, what our coasts really require are year-round attention. So sustained independent action is a timely change for all to consider, even when things improve.

So here are the guidelines:

I – Safe, independent and sustained small group stewardship

• Independent action – conduct coastal cleanups independently in masked and distanced groups of as per prevailing government guidelines. Supply yourself with a pair of tongs, gloves and a few trash bags per session hit the beach.
• Sustained stewardship – organisations keen to involve many people should consider adopting a beach at which small groups can be deployed over several weeks or months. Share the experience and appreciate the larger experiences of nature offered at your adopted site.
• Which tide? Well, any time is suitable as trash accumulates on the high shore but a low tide will expose partially buried trash on the inter-tidal shore.
• Monsoon trash – East Coast Park is burdened with trash load particularly during second half of the year by the South West Monsoon from June to September. The north-east monsoon strands more trash to northern shores in the Johor Straits  such as Changi and Pasir Ris Park.
• Be safe – consult our safety guidelines for participants on the ICCS webpage (link).
• Stash your trash – ensure your trash is properly tied up and placed next to a trash bin, and not left on the beach.
• Be part of a community – the ground-up movement East Coast Beach Plan  arose during the pandemic, and you can join the supportive 3,000 members (and counting) on the Telegram channel.

If you meet others on the beach, enjoy the great company of fellow environmental stewards, take a photo and tag #coastalcleanup and the local #coastalcleanupsg on Instagram and gladden hearts of environmental stewards here and around the world!

International Coastal Cleanup & the Clean Swell app – contribute data directly to Ocean Conservancy’s global movement, which Singapore has been part of since 1992.

• This annual data-gathering exercise which works towards Trash Free Seas involves categorising, counting and weighing marine trash, in addition to clearing it.
• Download the ICC Singapore Data Card here.
• Originally scheduled on the 3rd Saturday of every September, you can conduct the exercise at any time of the year. They have carefully revised the guidelines  with the pandemic in mind, which is useful.
• Use the Clean Swell app (available on Apple Store and Google Play) to upload your data directly to the Ocean Conservancy’s global database: they consolidate global data to take action for the planet, so this is useful.
• You can use the app to upload uncategorised data too; e.g. total number of trash bags and weight of trash removed. Upload this the same day, or else indicate the date in the remarks if updating past events.
• [2023 update: relax, it’s in metric now!] Note that the Clean Swell app  accepts data for weight of trash in pounds, so be sure to convert your weight in kilograms to pounds!

Organisations registering cleanups in Singapore – Organiser’s can register with the National Environment Agency’s Public Hygiene Council for the “Clean Singapore Learning Trail (Beaches and Parks)”

• If you have a plan to deploy several distanced groups over a park, please register with the NEA’s Public Hygiene Council at https://www.publichygienecouncil.sg/beachcleanup (they have lovely new organiser guidelines document too)!
• Please register three weeks in advance to help them coordinate cleanups.
• They offer several beach sites (nine sites in 2023), with maps for organisers to refer to.
• Register and identify yourself as a part of a network of concerned individuals and organisations.

We are heartened by the interest, motivation and perseverance to tackle the problem of marine trash on our shores. Awareness of the issues has heightened and many new small groups have sprung up to take action – regularly and persistently! That has certainly been a heartening outcome of this pandemic.

During the pandemic, the ICCS Otters have conducted masked, small-group mangrove cleanups, with rostering and safe distancing measures. We were glad we could still execute our National Day mangrove cleanups at Lim Chu Kang, albeit in a much smaller scale. And we have been planting and maintaining a coastal forest ecosystem at Kranji Coastal Nature Park.

Every action still counts – conduct a cleanup when you can, and join the One Million Trees movement to experience the therapeutic effect of nature. Keep well everyone!

Suspension of organised coastal cleanups during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) COVID-19 mitigation in Singapore (until mid-Jun 2021)

NUS Toddycats suspended all group activities by 2nd May 2021, and on 11 May 2021, NParks advised for a halt to volunteer coastal clean up activities. NEA’s Public Hygiene Council has updated their webpage likewise, suspending applications by organised groups (and the use of Cleanpods).

Singapore announced Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) on 14th May 2021, to dampen emerging community cases due to more infectious variants of the virus. This suspension thus extends to 13 Jun 2021, when there will be further updates.

And the mantra for the moment is to stay at home, so sit tight for the moment, everyone!

For active updates, discussion and advice, see the East Coast Beach Plan Telegram Chat.

2,000 styrofoam pieces from the socially distanced mangrove cleanup at Sungei Loyang [Sun 18 Oct 2020]

The Cleanup

2,055 styrofoam pieces! Working in pairs with social distancing practiced within and between pairs, a small group of volunteers spent a large chunk of the allocated 1 hour on a Sunday afternoon picking up these glaringly white and ubiquitous pieces at the mouth of Sg. Loyang. In total, 3,440 pieces of marine debris were bagged into 19 bags with a combined weight of 76.3kgs.

Pieces of Styrofoam and other plastic pieces at Sg. Loyang mangrove

Consistent with previous years ICCS Data, Styrofoam pieces had the highest count. Other items in the top 10 were also predominantly made of materials derived from fossil fuels (i.e. plastic).

Top 10 Items collected and pictures of plastic trash collected by ICCS volunteers

41 fishing gear related debris were amongst the items collected. Some of the drift nets had trapped animals. Volunteers released a ghost crab but were too late to save 2 mangrove horseshoe crabs- having been trapped in the nets too long thus being unable to find food or eventually drying out.

1st two pics – volunteer freeing and releasing a ghost crab; 3rd Pic – dead horseshoe crab

Importance of Healthy Mangroves

Sg. Loyang Mangrove is located at the East end of Pasir Ris Park. It houses a variety of flora and fauna, and according to WildSingapore it is also home to the Bakau Mata Buaya, a “Critically Endangered” mangrove tree. Marine debris tends to get trapped in the mangrove roots, leading to potential smothering of said roots and consequently impacting the health of the mangroves and the marine biodiversity that relies on it. This is why clean-ups are important to support a healthy mangrove.

How to conduct a cleanup?

While covid-19 prevented our annual island wide cleanup to celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day on every 3^rd Saturday of Sep in 2020, it hasn’t stopped beach cleanups, albeit in smaller groups of 5, to happen altogether. The public can join organized small group clean-ups through Little Green Men , Ocean Purpose Project , EastCoastBeachPlan or organize your own using the tools from Cleanpods. You can even conduct your own cleanup at Lazarus island with discounts on your next ferry ride! Do remember to check the ICCS Facebook page for prevailing guidelines, given the long-term nature of this pandemic.

The ICCS page has resources which you may find useful for organizing your own cleanups. And if you have data, you may share that on Ocean Conservancy’s CleanSwell App.

Volunteers with the collected trash

Thanks to NEA PHC and NParks for liasing with us to ensure the continued protection of our mangroves.

Keterina Chong
ICCS Zone Captain 

Thank you for Partnership Award, Bukit Batok Secondary School!

23 Apr 2021 – the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore was gratified to received a Partnership Award from Bukit Batok Secondary School (BBSS).

There to receive the award was North East Zone Captain Keterina Chongm Dy Coordinator/Data Captain Airani S and ICCS Coordinator N. Sivasothi aka Otterman. Keterina organises the mangrove cleanups in that north-east zone and ensures BBSS has a smooth session at the coast byliasing with NEA’s PHC and NParks.

Mr Syam Lal Sadanandan, Mr Phua Huat Chan, Otterman & Keterina Chong

Led by President Award teacher Syam Lal Sadanandan, BBSS have been an inspiring long-term partner, an indefatigable force battling marine debris, who expose and motivate their students about the issue in the great outdoors.

We chatted with Principal Mr Phua Huat Chan who shared plans about highlighting the heritage of the area, given that the school and town had emerged together, about 30 years ago.

ICC Otters, Airani S, N Sivasothi & Keterina Chong

Thanks BBSS, for for alway being such a strong and inspiring member of the community!

Wed 23 Sep 2020: 8.00pm – Chatting with International Coastal Cleanup coordinators from Brunei & Malaysia and our global coordinator, Ocean Conservancy!

After chatting with local inspirations in the recent webinar, we are now very pleased to enjoy an evening with national coordinators in neighbouring Malaysia and Brunei, Theresa and Eliza, who will share how they have promote marine protection during this COVID-19 pandemic.

And we are all very pleased to welcome Sarah Kollar from our intentional coordinator, Ocean Conservancy, to our time zone to share global perspectives! Sarah has been conversing with national coordinators for months during this pandemic as everyone figured out how best to handle coastal cleanups and education about marine environment issues during the pandemic.

Register for the Zoom session at https://tinyurl.com/iccs-chat23sep2020, and see you on Wednesday evening!

Selfish (2019) – the 3D Animated Film by digital artist CHEN Po-Chien

This is an excellent, short animation film (2:27) by Chen Po-Chen highlights humankind’s impact on our oceans.

Po-Chen says while he recalls the lovely images of fish and marine life while snorkelling in Taiwan, the scene of tons of human waste had him ask himself how he could contribute to positive action.

Expand the video to fill your screen and share this!

“Selfish” talks a story about human beings are consuming delicious seafood, but sea animals are suffering from the trash we make — not only do we eat them but also make their living environment poisonous and miserable.

Selfish(2019) – 3D Animated Film from Chen, Po-Chien on Vimeo.

Wed 02 Sep 2020: 8.00pm – New ideas to battle the old problem of maine trash in Singapore, a chat with Little Green Men, Seven Clean Seas, Seastainable & Green Nudge

This Wednesday, join the chat to learn about new efforts and ideas to battle the curse of marine trash on our shores. Come and ask questions. Just register for the Zoom session at https://tinyurl.com/ICCS-chat02sep2020