MND, AVA to help fish farmers

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said his ministry and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) "will do our utmost to help our farmers" who were hit by mass fish deaths at coastal fish farms over the past week.

Mr Khaw wrote in a blog post last night: "This is every fish farmer's fear and I feel sorry for their plight - not only is their livelihood impacted, it must be very painful to see their prized stocks wiped out suddenly.

"AVA has been working closely with the farmers to try and salvage the situation since last weekend. AVA CEO Ms Tan Poh Hong, who spent an afternoon at the farms yesterday, told me that the situation was serious."

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Some farmers have lost their entire stock, likely to neap tide and hot weather.

"We had immediately sent in more workers to deploy aeration systems to help normalise the water conditions and also to assist in the disposal of dead fish.

"I have asked MND and AVA to continue to help our farmers and look into their requests to see how best we can help them in the current situation.

"While we cannot control the tide and what nature has in store for us, we will extend a helping hand, wherever possible, to help those affected ride out this rough patch," he added.