Chapter 1.3: Fishy offshore business at Metropolitan Fish Farm
/Last Saturday, the Singapore Young Farmers and a group of excited participants came together to conclude the first chapter at the Metropolitan Fish Farm.
From one farm to another
We were up and running early in the morning, heading to Lim Chu Kang Jetty to collect freshly harvested fish from Metropolitan Fish Farm. These would be later cooked for lunch with a campfire at Bollywood Veggies. While waiting for the fish to arrive, we took a breather to admire the panoramic view across the Straits of Johor.
Fun facts about Lim Chu Kang Jetty
Lim Chu Kang jetty is a crucial point of distribution for the offshore fish farmers operating near the west sea border between Singapore and Malaysia.
Its main purpose is to transport fish produce from the kelongs to the Jurong Fishery Port for wholesale and supermarket distribution. In addition, the jetty transports vital food supplies back to the kelongs—a few workers were seen loading and unloading cargo while we were there.
Despite clear signs of wear and tear from the harsh weathering conditions, the jetty definitely serves its purpose well.
BBQ lunch for anyone?
After collecting the fish produce, we headed to Bollywood Veggies, where our volunteer Darren is hard at work preparing utensils, ingredients, and our mini campfire. Quan Fa Organic Farm provided a sumptuous salad bowl of sunflower sprouts and cherry tomatoes—all freshly harvested from their farm. We were there last month for our second activity, and you can check out what you’ve missed here.
All the fresh produce straight from the farms:
Mother and daughter duo—Sarah and Betty—helping to season the fish with ingredients harvested from Bollywood Veggies.
A little garlic, some soy sauce, and a sprinkle of salt–voila!
Bryan, who is currently pursuing his passion in culinary school, seems to enjoy this outdoor kitchen.
Food, friends and conversations on a hot, hot Saturday afternoon. With full stomachs, we’re now ready for our fish farm visit!
Onwards to the kelong
After putting out our mini campfire, we headed to the Lim Chu Kang Jetty for our VIP speedboat ride to Metropolitan Fish Farm.
But first, let us take a selfie.
Malaysia’s Danga Bay is in the background, with Lim Chu Kang Pier on the right. According to remembersingapore, the pier was owned by the wealthy Cashin family and was once occupied by the Japanese in 1942 when they invaded the north-western part of Singapore during the Second World War!
A controversial 1,386ha land reclamation for a luxury housing project can be seen in the background. There are concerns about its environmental impact on the kelongs operating near the sea border between Singapore and Malaysia.
We finally reached the Metropolitan Fish Farm, which is one of the largest fisheries off the shores of Singapore. The farm is strategically situated in semi-salted (brackish) waters where fresh water from rivers in Singapore and Malaysia converge with the sea. These conditions allow certain edible fish species such as Tilapia and Milk Fish to thrive in kelongs here.
We were lucky to have Malcolm, the owner of the farm, to show us around and share what it was like to be a fish farmer. We were also lucky that the weather held out!
Can you spot the produce that were sold at the recent farmers’ market?
Metropolitan Fish Farm spends an estimated S$70K per month to purchase unconsumed breads and instant noodles from supermarkets and convenience stores. This reduces food wastage, while also enabling the fish farm to stay price competitive and provide fish at affordable prices.
The workers from Myanmar lead a simple way of life at the kelong, with adequate facilities and a 360 degree sea view of the Straits of Johor.
And who says you can’t grow greens in the middle of the sea? The workers here experiment with various types of plants for their own consumption.
Malcolm then fielded our questions before the harvest began. He explained how aerator pumps and oxygen sensors are strategically placed around the kelong to monitor and regulate oxygen levels, especially in case of plankton blooms.
The harvesting process
For many of us, it was our first time witnessing the fish harvesting process. The catch for today: 300 kg of milk fish produce for NTUC Fairprice. Each milk fish weighs around 500gm, meaning that around 600 fish have to be hauled up.
Milk fish are rather unpopular among Singaporeans because it is a hassle to eat—one fish has approx. 268 bones! Because of this, 70% of them are exported to Malaysia and Indonesia where they eventually get processed for domestic consumption.
Step 1: Remove the weights from the fish net
Step 2: Lift up the fish net
Step 3: Harvest!
Our strong farmers hauled the fish up in nets of 20kg. They were graded according to their size, before being transported to a nearby packaging facility for tagging, sorting and weighing. Finally, they made their way to shore via the Lim Chu Kang jetty.
Wrapping up the chapter
We have successfully wrapped up our introductory chapter of the Singapore Young Farmers initiative for 2015, but we’ve only just gotten started. We will continue promoting farming among the youth in Singapore, and we hope that the countryside will continue to be an exciting avenue for us to bond together over a common love for homegrown produce!
Thank you Malcolm and his awesome team at Metropolitan Fish Farm for the fishy learning adventure!
More about Singapore Young Farmers
The Singapore Young Farmers initiative has made significant headways in connecting the public to the rustic countryside and promoting the ‘Love Homegrown Produce’ campaign through a series of outreach activities such as the quarterly KCFM. We, the farmers and volunteers, would like to express our sincere gratitude to the public and the Agri-Food & Veterinary and Authority of Singapore (AVA) for your unwavering support and encouragement during the second half of 2015.
As we embark together on a whole new chapter in 2016, we would like to invite passionate volunteers into the SYF committee to be involved in planning and execution of future projects. The current committee is made up of volunteers and third-generation farmers with a common purpose of engaging the public in meaningful and impactful agricultural activities. You can register your interest by dropping us an email at singaporeyoungfarmers@gmail.com!