A number of marine groups, enthusiasts and internet users have been shocked by scenes of people picking up intertidal wildlife in a viral social media post.

Daphne Ting took to Facebook on Sunday, June 13, describing the situation at Changi Beach as “horrible.”

“What I saw today were groups and groups of people armed with shovels, tongs and buckets, happily picking up crabs, fish, seashells, sea cucumbers, eels, jellyfish and even sea anemones, ”she said. These creatures can be seen gathered by these beach goers and kept in cramped buckets.

Comments were mostly critical of the situation and a handful called on authorities to take action. One commentator wrote: “There should be … a ban on bringing tools like a shovel and buckets.”

Harvesting marine life is a common sight and people who collect these wild animals are often unaware of how these animals behave, experts say in a CNA report.

Dennis Chan, founder of Untamed Paths, an organization that highlights unusual wildlife here, told the publication: “If you’re going to put them in a bucket, the oxygen level will run out quickly and could cause them to die. .

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“Putting these creatures in buckets also increases the temperature of the water, causing more distress,” added the 27-year-old.

Jianlin Liu, who has conducted intertidal surveys in Bali, told CNA that starfish, anemones and soft invertebrates like marine flatworms and nudibranchs are delicate animals that can be easily injured or killed. ‘they are forcibly moved and taken out of the water.

In an effort to educate against such incidents and improve public understanding of marine life conservation, the National Parks Board runs the Intertidal Watch, where volunteers conduct scientific surveys in intertidal areas to aid in conservation.

In response to the Changi Beach incident, Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng took to Instagram on June 14 to remind the public to leave the animals alone.

“Take only pictures, leave only footprints, only kill time,” he said.

Likewise, Young Nautilus, a company offering science learning trips to students, said in a Facebook post, “Help us to advise against harvesting wild animals if you are in the intertidal areas and see animals be dabao-ed at home! ”

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