Hello! Let’s continue on with my experience at Jurong Fishery Port!
Sight
All sorts of fishes were displayed, and I found myself wanting to see them alive, in action, swimming in the ocean where they belong, instead of lying motionless on wet concrete. This sentiment was rather uncharacteristic of me, seeing how I had always viewed fish as alien-like and creepy, especially with their unblinking eyes…
But here’s the highlight of the post: there were plenty of shovelnose rays, which happen to be critically endangered.
Now, I’m really not too sure if they were giant guitarfish (Glaucostegus typus) or bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae), because both have the CR status under the IUCN Red List and their geographical ranges overlap (both are present in Singapore waters too!).
But either way, according to the IUCN Red List (click on the links earlier!), both species face immense fishing pressure, especially in areas of the Indo-West Pacific, such as India and Southeast Asia. It could be that most of the shovelnose rays I saw were from Indonesia because one of the port workers told me most of our fish imports originate from there, which falls in line with what was reported here that up to half of our seafood comes from Indonesia. So why are shovelnose rays fished so heavily? Well, apparently, they taste good just like shark fins. And disappointingly, they are not absent from the menus of our local restaurants. Sold as “shark heads”, they are marketed as a delicacy loaded with collagen, appealing to those who desire bouncier skin (Awang, 2019).
Ms Sue Ye, the founder of the marine conservation organisation Marine Stewards, remarked that few Singaporeans know that shovelnose rays are likely on the brink of extinction (as cited in Awang, 2019). Welp, I hadn’t known about it either. If this lack of awareness persists and consumer demand doesn’t relent, the shovelnose ray could really become extinct.
Aside from shovelnose rays, I also saw quite a number of sharks. I don’t know what species they were, so I can only hope that they aren’t threatened ones.
Another notable thing I saw was the amount of plastic and Styrofoam used.
Granted, that’s not too surprising given how plastics are omnipresent. Still, seeing these in reality just made me more aware of the sheer volume of waste generated by human activities in general. Not just that, it made me think about whether if it is even possible to reduce the plastic waste generated by the port. It doesn’t seem as simple as on the individual level where you can simply bring a reusable bag for your shopping trip. Reducing plastic waste in this industry would probably entail a radical and drastic shift in the system of operations.
Taste
I’m quite glad my parents tagged along – I wouldn’t have been able to identify any of the fish on my own.
It’s nice that I now know what kind of fish I’m eating when I’m enjoying sliced fish soup, fishhead steamboat, fishhead curry, or even barbecued sambal stingray. Somehow, I’ve come to appreciate these dishes more.
Last thoughts
Seeing the workers hard at work, it really strikes me that many people’s livelihoods are at stake here. For the sake of all workers in the fishing industry, I do hope that unsustainable fishing can be eliminated. Sadly, it will really take a long while.
References
Awang, N. (2019, August 30). Shovelnose rays, served as ‘shark head’ in S’pore eateries, now critically endangered. Today Online. Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/shovelnose-rays-often-served-shark-head-spore-eateries-critically-endangered-cites
Willis
October 28, 2019 — 3:33 pm
Hey Vera
Oh wow, seeing these pictures really had me moved! Back in my days with the navy, I used to lament seeing trawlers and fishing vessels because they were serious navigational hazards (they simply don’t care about keeping a safe distance from other ships!)
Now, after learning about overfishing from your blog as well as Dr Coleman’s lectures and seeing these raw images from your trip down to the fisheries, it really made me reconsider where we get our fish and seafood from. As someone who rarely eats seafood, it seems that I’ve found my justification as to why I don’t eat seafood as often (though I would have to convince my family on my reasons, apart from the fact that I find seafood overrated)
Thank you for showing these pictures and allowing us to have a glimpse into the fishery and how damaging and cruel our practices are.
Willis
vera
October 29, 2019 — 2:54 pm
Hello Willis!
Wow, it’s really dangerous for fishing vessels to navigate recklessly, unheeding the importance of maintaining a safe distance ):0
Hmmm, somehow I don’t think I’ll ever give up seafood even after this blogging journey. I’m not willing to forgo it in my diet, which is selfish really. But I guess that’s something I’ll grapple with for quite a while.
I have been taking steps to consume seafood more sustainably though, like how when my family went to a sushi restaurant for dinner recently, I checked with the waiter to ensure that the tuna we were ordering was not bluefin tuna, since I wasn’t comfortable eating a threatened species. Not to mention, it’s hella expensive! Kudos to your low consumption of seafood!
Vera
greenmoviejunkie
October 28, 2019 — 5:55 pm
Hi Vera,
I really enjoyed reading your latest two posts! I never really grasped the scale at which Singapore is importing seafood until I saw your posts. The most I have seen were during my (rare) trips to supermarkets, walking past the seafood section.
It is really saddening to see the shovelnose rays still being served on dinner tables even though they are critically endangered. There seems to be a lack of awareness of the status of the rays in Singapore, unlike sharks. Are there any organisations in Singapore that are taking on the case of the shovelnose rays?
-Wei Qiang
vera
October 29, 2019 — 2:45 pm
Hello Wei Qiang!
Thanks for your comment! The trip to the port was enlightening to me, especially considering that I am also not one to go shopping at wet markets or supermarkets.
Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find any organisation that raises awareness on the plight of shovelnose rays in Singapore. There’s the Marine Stewards Singapore mentioned in the post, but its main aim is to promote sustainable recreational fishing. It does have a blog (only a dismal two posts oops haha) and the latest one urges readers to not fish or eat the rays. Not too sure how much viewership it gets though. Right now, I think new articles are the most effective method of communicating the plight of shovelnose rays to the general public!
Vera
Joanna L Coleman
November 4, 2019 — 1:47 pm
Hi Vera & Wei Qiang,
Great couple of posts btw, Vera.
I’m a bit surprised that you don’t mention the recent listing of these rays on CITES Appendix II, especially considering that you answered Wei Qiang’s question after our week 11 class.
If you read the proposal to list them https://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/com/ac/30/Inf/E-AC30-Inf-12.pdf
Maybe you will notice the discrepancy between the IUCN status as mentioned in this document and by the IUCN.
jc
vera
November 5, 2019 — 5:40 pm
Hi Dr. Joanna!
I didn’t know about the proposal to list wedgefishes and guitarfishes on CITES Appendix II! After Googling I found that the proposal got through 🙂 Great that the rays now stand a better chance of making a comeback! Regarding the discrepancy in the IUCN status in the document and by IUCN, it could be because the rays were last assessed in December 2018, which was after CoP2018. These discrepancies seem to only apply for the Bottlenose Wedgefish and Giant Guitarfish though; other rays like the Sharpnose Guitarfish and Bowmouth Guitarfish are still vulnerable (both last assessed quite a few years back).
Vera