Oil slick spotted near fish farms off Pulau Ubin; SFA assisting with clean-up efforts

An oil slick was spotted on the surface of the waters in the eastern Johor Strait on Friday (July 17).

Daniel Tay, president of the Singapore Fish Farmers Association, told AsiaOne that a fish farm employee alerted him to the sighting of an oil slick near Pulau Ketam, an island off Pulau Ubin, at about 8am.

In photos and videos seen by AsiaOne, large blotches of an unidentified yellowish substance can be seen floating past the netting of a fish farm.

Smaller patches of the substance were also spotted on the open sea near the farms.

Tay added that the fish farms have been largely unaffected by the oil leak.

It is unclear if the substance is marine oil or discharged waste oil, which could originate from industrial activities and plantations.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said that three fish farms located in the East Johor Strait reported sighting some oil patches near their farms on July 17.

The agency said that it is working closely with these farms on their clean-up efforts and will continue to render assistance where necessary.

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daoen.wong@asiaone.com