Repeated oil spills could affect already stressed marine wildlife

Species might not have ample time to recover after such events, say experts

- Chin Hui Shan

The marine environment might recover after each oil spill incident, but too many of such events would compromise its ability to do so, said marine scientists.

Singapore has had at least five incidents of oil spilling into its waters since June 2024, with the latest reported one taking place on Feb 5.

About 23 tonnes of diesel oil had leaked from the Police Coast Guard Brani Regional Base in southern Singapore. This was discovered at 11.40am on Feb 5 and the leak was "isolated" at about 3.40pm on the same day, the authorities said.

Dr Chim Chee Kong, a research fellow at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), told The Straits Times that oil spill incidents will further degrade Singapore's marine environment, which is already heavily impacted by other stressors like urbanisation and climate change.

"If oil spills occur too often, even species that are seemingly tolerant of environmental degradation might not have ample time to recover after the series of unfortunate events," he said.

In response to ST's queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) said it is aware of the negative impact spills can have on biodiversity and is closely monitoring the current situation.

"When NParks is informed of an oil spill incident, depending on factors such as oil type, spill volume, tides and weather conditions, NParks can carry out precautionary booming around biodiversity-sensitive sites to ensure they are protected from spills during incidents," said Dr Karenne Tun, group director at its National Biodiversity Centre.

Efforts to manage and respond to oil spills are carried out in close coordination and collaboration with agencies and industry partners, she added.

The diesel oil that leaked into the waters on Feb 5 disperses faster than bunker oil and evaporates within days, according to Assistant Professor Yuen Kum Fai of NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.