A SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF FISHERY SUSTAINABILITY IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

It is generally agreed that the global captured fishery is facing a crisis as a result of over-harvesting, which has taken place in the past few decades. Likewise, capture fisheries in the Southeast Asia region have been stagnating in recent years. Culture fisheries, on the other hand, are increasingly recognised as a potential sustainable source of production, both regionally and internationally. By examining both the capture and culture fish sources in Singapore and regionally and forecasting on the future demand of fish in Singapore, the study seeks to determine whether the path of development and management of the fishery sector in Singapore would promote or undermine sustainable production, both locally and regionally. The study revealed some interesting insights into the patterns of consumption of animal protein, including fish, in Singapore. It is also predicted that Singapore's dependency on imports from the three regional countries, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia will not be a major contributing factor that undermines a sustainable fishery in the region. The inadequacies in the national laws and policies for the management of fisheries in Singapore were also scrutinised and commented on.