Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Local Sea-based Fish Farmers

Question:

To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for the local sea-based fish farm sector, whether there is information on the (i) average age of local farmers and (ii) proportion of workforce who are Singaporeans; (b) if so, what are they; (c) what strategies are there to attract and train local farmers; and (d) what efforts are made to mitigate environmental risks that open cage farms face.

Answer:

1 In 2024, the sea-based fish farming sector has a workforce of approximately 400, of which about half are locals. We do not have data on the average age of local farmers within the sea-based farming sector.

2 The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) partners with Institutes of Higher Learning to develop a range of Pre-employment Training and Continuing Education and Training programmes, to build a local talent pipeline. For instance, in April 2024, SFA worked with Temasek Polytechnic to launch a new Specialist Diploma in Aquaculture Management and Technology. SFA also facilitates job matching to emplace local talents seeking a career in the agri-food sector, by working with WorkForce Singapore and the Employment and Employability Institute.

3 SFA has been supporting farms, including open-cage farms, to grow food in a more productive, resource-efficient and climate-resilient manner. This includes supporting farms in upgrading capabilities and adopting technology through the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund and strengthening farms’ biosecurity to prevent and control diseases through the Aquatic Animal Health Services.