PM To Young : Help Make Singpore Better

The Straits Times, September 24, 2006

"If I say I don't like this, I'm fed up, let's go, I think that's a great pity. We would have lost somebody in whom we've put a lot of hope, and I think Singapore will be worse off."

"But if we say this is not good, I'm going to make a nuisance of myself until I fix it, that's different. Then I think there's hope for Singapore. You stand your ground and you make it better."

"What is it you are unhappy with, let's get that changed....... You must have the optimal degree of unhappiness - just right, and the conviction to make a change."

Bamboo Rods and Fly-fishing: An Introduction

Bamboo Rods and Fly-fishing : An Introduction

Arthur Kuan Chee Yung
January 2007

Forest-fringed water, fish, fishing, flyfishing and bamboo fly rod is, to me, the perfect order of nature, and a worldview that leads to the present cane rod obsession. I believe one never can learn how to appreciate canerods, it is just a manifestation of your roots, values and hopes for the future.

My roots are in Taiping, a colonial town nestled delicately in the Larut valley. Every morning I’d breeze through the Lake Gardens, the liquid heart of the valley, in a rusty 60 year old Griffon bike, rushing past ancient raintrees with boughs forming gothic arches that sprout from buttress roots, stretching over the garden’s ring road and dipping gracefully into the lake itself. Islands of bamboo groves nestle within the gardens against a backdrop of green hills. Hills rise to a thousand feet with cool refreshing waterfalls crashing down over granite hillsides. Bamboo grows there too, beside the hill’s pocketwater. Brandishing a machete, I’d fell culms for my various woodsman-crafting projects. The bamboo tips, stripped of leaves and hung to dry, converted into long whippy fishing rods to float crumbs, size 16 hook and unweighted line into darkwater pockets where rasboras and tengas flit playfully. The lightning quick silver denizens are hard to catch but when hooked would fight so desperately that their delicate transparent mouths bled. I felt sorry for hooking them but was addicted to the take. Fishing is not the perfect way to connect with the nature of fish and rivers but it is the best. Not that I’ve not tried goggling downstream, floating like a lazy log and immersing into the watery world of fish, shrimp and the odd freshwater crab. I gave up because my senses were overwhelmed by river, the fish were out of reach and no one believed the crabs.

It is diffiicult to communicate observations of nature that seem so important but are frequently ignored by others. So it is with the salient points of fly-fishing and tackle. The reason for catch and release fishing is tough enough to explain but liking bamboo rods is even harder to make sense of. Why bamboo? Why limit oneself to slower action tackle that need more care and that is more expensive? The price of bamboo is about twice that of good graphite but pure monetary value is certainly not the issue nor worth any bragging rights. The real reason for the paying this price is the same as getting broke buying a diamond engagement ring. It is the price of experiencing love in craftsmanship, in nature, in my roots and my past. A good modern bamboo rod is a work that is always created at a loss. As every artist knows, selling our craft is like removing a pound of flesh. It is a product that is the labor of calm passion, created after some 60 hours of delicate work. In some strange way, the high value is also translated to the fish as the ritual of fishing becomes more than just catching fish. It is an investment in a lifestyle that suggests a future in Eden, with leaves of green and flowing clear water.

Unlike almost every useful tool in life that is turning into either metal or plastic, a bamboo rod suggests an alternative way of life. The incredible natural strength of the cane power-fibers prove that with some crafting, natural products can perform incredible feats of casting line and playing fish. Every cane rod is different like every fish we catch. Every cane rod is also every bit as tough and as delicate as fish. Understand a cane rod and the nature of fish becomes clear. It is not possible to understand and respect fish if we only want to muscle it in and display it. My best experience with a fish is when it comes to my hand, calm but bright with life, to be unhooked, admired and released to leap another day. The fish is not prey but a dancing partner in this cycle of life.

As an object for the future, the bamboo rod encapsulates my hope that my family and friends will see some method in my madness, some beauty in my obsession and be encouraged to experience it all with me. Fishing cane rods with my bride is about sharing love and nature together. Passing down prized cane rods to my children is an act of handing down memory.

The following ‘rod stories’ chronicle my journey into the world of cane rods, my pleasant encounters with poetic makers and lovers of cane alike. Enjoy…

Annex A to The White Paper

ANNEX A : PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR SPORTS FISHING
This set of guidelines addresses four main areas of fishing responsibilities. These include:
• Sustainability of sports fishing stock,
• Protecting the environment,
• Public safety,
• Respecting the rights of other park users
These four objectives forms a framework for the specific principles stated below.

Principal #1 : Catch & Release Only For Game Fish Species
We need to recognize that game fishes are valuable sporting resources. Hence, it is imperative that game fish resources are preserved by encouraging catch and release practices. Such practices must be strictly enforced to minimize the attrition of game fish stoke to ensure the sustainability of a quality sports fishing environment.

Principal #2 : Prohibit All Non-Sporting Fishing Means
A sporting pursuit of game fish usually involves the use of either fly fishing or lure fishing tackle. Non sporting means that aim to harvest game fish in large numbers, specifically netting of any form, fish trapping and poisoning should be strictly prohibited.

Principal #3 : Minimize Injury To Game Fish Due To Sports Fishing
Guidelines need to be promulgated to ensure that permissible sports fishing tackle allow released game fish to have a good to excellent chance of survival. Some specific restrictions on sports fishing tackle that need to be imposed are :
• All hooks are to be barbless
• Lures or flies are limited to a maximum of 2 single hooks or a maximum of 1 treble hook
• Gang hook rigs are prohibited

Moreover, incorrect handling damages fish and reduces their chances of survival after release. A fish out of water cannot live for more than three or four minutes because of brain damage caused by lack of oxygen. An exhausted fish played too long, may not recover. This means:
• retrieving fish as quickly as possible
• allow the fish to stay in the water when unhooking them
• ensuring that fish are not left to flop and flail around
• using minimum of handling to ensure that released fish have a good chance of survival reviving tired or semi conscious fish. Hold the fish gently and move it forward to force water through its gills. When it has revived, and is able to swim normally, set it free.

Principal #4 : Observe All Fishing Regulations And Report Illegal Fishing Activities
Regulations serves to manage the fisheries for now and the future. To protect fish stocks and fish habitat, report illegal fishing activities to the relevant authorities. It is important that the fishing community does not ignore activities that threaten the fisheries and damage the reputation of responsible sports fishermen. Looking after our fisheries means:
• keeping up to date with regulations and observing them
• acquainting yourself with legal and illegal fishing areas and practices
• be familiar with tackle restrictions and checking the dates of local seasonal closures
• helping to explain fishery regulations and the reasons for them to others, especially children
• reporting black marketing of fish by recreational anglers
• reporting poaching, theft and illegal netting to the relevant authorities
• NOT presuming to act as officers of the law.

Principal #5 : Supporting Activities That Enhance Fisheries & Fish Habitat
We are all dependent on healthy ecosystems. Habitat destruction and modification, resulting largely from human activities, presents a huge threat to the maintenance of fish stocks and the availability of other species within the ecology. Restoring and enhancing fisheries and fish habitat means:
• recognising the fragility and environmental diversity of streamside vegetation, estuaries, & water vegetation. These areas provide food, shelter and important breeding and nursery areas for many fish species
• Do not remove or replace rocks or physical structure around aquatic environment
• participating in research, rehabilitation and monitoring programs if any
• educating others, especially children, in sustainable fishing practices
• be familiar with the life cycles and breeding seasons of aquatic species and fauna
• be involved in programs that restore aqua vegetation and habitat

Principal #6 : Preventing Pollution By Removing Rubbish Not Using Organic Baits
Pollution affects the health of the environment and spoils our experience of the outdoors. Natural areas continue to suffer major problems due to the side effects of human activities. Preventing pollution means:
• taking fishing line, polystyrene foam packaging, bottles, six pack holders, cups and packaging, etc. away from fishing sites. All items must be disposed of correctly.
• not using organic or natural baits as these substance may decay and pollute the reservoirs
• not leaving bait to foul rocks, river banks or beaches
• not washing rubbish, chemicals or other waste into stormwater systems. Most stormwater drains run directly into waterways

Principal #7 : Reporting Environmental Damage And Pollution To The Authorities
The protection of the environment is everyone’s responsibility. By reporting pollution problems to the relevant authorities, we help ensure that our waters become pollutant free and discourage practices that destroy fish habitat. Reporting environmental damage means:
• reporting any fuel and oil spills
• reporting all stranded or dead aquatic animals and protected species
• reporting any signs of discharge of polluted waste waters
• reporting any vegetation or stream damage, e.g. declining water quality, algae, etc.

Principal #8 : Practicing Courtesy Towards Others Who Use Reservoirs & Waterways
Lakes, creeks, rivers, and coasts are used for a variety of purposes. By recognising the rights of others to use the waters for their recreation, sports fishermen help ensure that all are equally able to enjoy their activities. We should realise that friendly rivalry can exist between recreational fishermen without the need for anyone to dominate

Principal #9 : Consider Own Safety And The Safety Of Others When Fishing
Playing it safe while fishing is good commonsense. Never risk a life while trying to catch a fish. Caring about safety means:
• observing pedestrians and other fishermen when casting lures and flies
• observing and understanding all water-craft regulations, including the carrying of the required safety equipment. Only legal watercrafts are allowed.
• keeping a safe distance from shore-based anglers, jetties, swimmers and other boats
• gaining local knowledge of common shoreline hazards including steep reservoir banks, shore platforms, deep water etc
• exercising caution and planning for contingencies

Directions for Fly Fishing Club Singapore

FRAMEWORK PROPOSAL FOR A WORLD CLASS SPORTS FISHING ENVIRONMENT IN SINGAPORE

INTRODUCTION
Sport Fishing is a healthy outdoor pursuit that promotes environmental consciousness and community interactions. Unfortunately, the current sport fishing conditions at legitimate reservoir fishing areas in Singapore are extremely deprived. Locations such as the legal fishing areas at Lower Pierce Reservoir Park and Kranji Reservoir Park had been relegated to near barren waters due to un-regulated harvesting of game fishes.

The signatories are cautiously elated when we learned of the news that more of Singapore’s freshwater reservoirs may be opened to the public for recreational activities, including sports-fishing. We naturally welcome more potential fishing locations here in Singapore. However, we are concerned that the new fishing grounds may not necessarily improve sports fishing in Singapore without an effective framework for sports fishing management policies and means for regulation enforcement.

MERITS OF PROMOTING SPORT-FISHING IN SINGAPORE
Unlike the conventional notion of fishing where the objective is to harvest maximum amount of fishes, sports fishing employs definitive fishing tackle to target game fish in a sporting manner. Sports fishermen enjoy the activity for the outdoor environment and sporting pursuit of game fish. A rational sport fisherman always preserves and protects environmental resources to ensure sports fishing quality for the future. Some describe sports fishing as “contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others, and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations .”

Promote Environmental Consciousness & Conservation

The promotion of sports fishing would naturally implies a larger population of Sports Fishermen in Singapore. As vindicated in worldwide trends, sports fishermen tends to consciously protects and conserves the environment and their sports fishing resources to ensure a continuous avenue of sporting pursuit. Hence, promotion of sports fishing in Singapore will invariable create a greater sense of ownership in our population to enjoy and protect our environment and water resources.

Promote Sporting Lifestyle & Community Interactions

Sports fishing is an outdoor activity that can be enjoyed by all socio-economical levels of society and by all communities. The promotion of sports fishing can potentially serve not only to enhance community interactions, but also to galvanise a segment of our younger urban generation towards a more sporting and outdoors oriented lifestyle.

AIM
This paper aims to propose a policy framework and regulations that will contribute towards building a sustainable sports fishing environment in Singapore.

VISION
Our vision of the Singapore sports-fishing environment is that of a sustainable tropical sports fishing locale consisting of our freshwater reservoirs and in-land water ways that can facilitate year round sports fishing activities of world class standards for all Singaporeans and Tourists.

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS FOR SPORTS FISHERY
Sustenance of Game Fish Population

It is imperative to sustain a variety of game fish populations in our reservoirs to facilitate quality sports fishing. Adequate fish populations with high sporting qualities that are ecologically compatible with our local environment needs to be introduced and managed to provide continuous fishing resources.

Availability of Sport Fishing Areas

All our current and future fresh water reservoirs are innate sport fishing and fish hatchery areas. More extent of these reservoirs needs to be made available for sports fishing activities. No additional infrastructure investment is required in addition to existing ones to accommodate sports fishermen. The existing reservoirs shorelines are well maintained and may serve as the Primary Access for sports fishermen to the reservoirs. Moreover, limited number of un-powered water-crafts may serve as the Secondary Access to the reservoirs in order to fully optimise the available fishing areas of the reservoirs. The signatories of this paper concluded that the existing practice of constructing jetties on reservoirs are NOT a cost effective means to facilitate access to sports fishing area.

KEY ENABLING FACTORS
Balanced Attrition & Rejuvenation of Game Fish Population

The pool of game fish resources can only be sustained if the attrition due to fishing pressure & natural causes are balanced by population rejuvenation via natural reproduction and maintenance stocking if required.

Minimise Attrition

Any Game fish is too precious a resource to be used only once. Harvesting and killing of game fishes should be controlled to minimise attrition due to fishing pressure. This may be achieved through enforcement of Catch & Release or bag limit regulations. Moreover, low cost fish habitat such as aquatic plants and underwater structure and may be used to minimise natural attrition of game fish.

Maximise Rejuvenation

The most cost effective means to rejuvenate game fish populations is for the fish to reproduce naturally in our reservoir environment. This is an important criteria for game fish species selection to be introduced into our reservoirs. We also need to ascertain the ecological cycle can be sustained by the provision of a healthy bait fish population for the game fish to feed on. These bait fishes may then sustain themselves through aquatic plants or insets & crustaceans. An appropriate period of closed fishing season may also need to be instituted for some Game Fish species to ensure that breeding activities will not be disrupted. Appropriate parts of the reservoirs must also be identified as game fish hatchery where fishing activities are prohibited to ensure the rejuvenation process. If natural rejuvenation is disrupted for whatever reasons, maintenance stocking will be required to balance attrition to the population.

Simultaneous application of the above 2 strategies had been proven to be effective in established game fisheries such as Australia, The US and Canada. Strict enforcement of Catch & Release or Bag Limit regulations coupled with appropriate fish population rejuvenation program, is a key element to sustain high quality game fishing activities. A list of guidelines and principals are proposed in Annex A.

Access to Reservoirs Fishing Areas

Sports fishermen need free access to these reservoir fishing areas via the shore lines for fishing activities. Exceptions may apply to restricted or hazardous zones such as water pumping & treatment facilities, hatchery areas, or area of high human traffic due to other recreational activities. Un-powered water crafts may be made available to sports fishermen on a hire basis. These water-crafts may be commercially maintained and operated to ensure economic sustainability and provide control mechanism for safety requirements.

Credible Means for Regulation Enforcement

The fishing opportunities provided by the above elements are predisposed to abuse and misuse if there are no credible means to enforce fundamental regulations. Lessons learnt by mature sport fisheries in the US and Australia illustrated that strict penal code prescribing stiff penalties such as fines and jail sentences, coupled by vigilant enforcement by a well trained fishery ranger outfit are essential elements to maintain a vibrant sports fishery.

Hear Feedback From Local Sports Fishing Community

It is important to constantly consider the feedback from local sports fishing community to ensure the up-keeping of sports fishing quality is Singapore.

CONCLUSIONS
The promotion of Sports Fishing in Singapore will help to cultivate environmental consciousness and ownership of our inland waterways among Singaporeans. Proliferation of Sports Fishing will also encourage social interactions among Singaporeans that transcends social-economical levels and among different communities. However, the existing policies and regulation to manage sports fishing resources in Singapore was proven to be unsustainable. Singapore, with its network of reservoirs and inland waterways has the potential to be a World Class sports fishing locale if appropriate policies and management methodology proposed in this paper are applied.

RECOMMENDATION
The Signatories recommend that the Ministry of Environment & Water Resources and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports jointly implement the policies and management methodology outlined in this paper to promote a sustainable sports fishing environment in Singapore.