Man spends $400 buying up 30 live fishes at Sheng Siong, releases them into Ghim Moh canal

He was out for a morning walk when he saw a peculiar sight — a man making his way down into a canal to release a styrofoam box filled with fish.

The incident occurred on Thursday (Sept 21) morning at 9am around Block 25 Ghim Moh Link, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The Shin Min reader had shared with the Chinese daily how he'd chanced upon the scene while out for his regular morning walk at the park.

The 62-year-old retiree, surnamed Lu, told Shin Min that the man was accompanied by a Sheng Siong supermarket employee, believed to have delivered the fish to him.

Based on a video taken Lu, a man wearing a white T-shirt can be seen crossing over the railing towards the canal.

He held a large styrofoam box with both hands as he carefully made his way down the canal and released the fish into the water.

Lu shared that he's been taking his morning walks in the area for 40 years and it was the first time he had encountered anyone releasing fish into the water.

Added Lu: "I'm a Buddhist and firmly believe that releasing fishes can bring blessings." He added that after the fishes were released, the man's expression was one of happiness as he let out a smile.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a Sheng Siong employee working in an outlet in the area revealed that a man had walked in and requested to buy all the live fish in the store.

"The person told us that he had done so before at a Sheng Siong in Bukit Batok, but did not state his reason. I only knew that he was releasing it when a colleague helped to deliver it to the canal," said the staff member, adding that it is the first time a customer had bought fish for such a purpose.

Shin Min Daily News reported that the customer had bought more than 30 fish of different varieties, including barramundi and tilapia, believed to cost around $400.

According to the price list, one kilogram of barramundi and tilapia costs $17.99 and $10.95 respectively.

Illegal to release animals 

However, releasing animals into the wild not only negatively impacts the ecosystem, but is also harmful to the animals, according to NParks.

Those who release animals into Singapore's parks — including ponds, nature areas, reservoirs and waterways — may be charged under the Parks and Trees Act.

Offenders face a fine of up to $50,000 and can be jailed up to six months, or both, if convicted.

One fish farm owner told Shin Min Daily that the barramundi released into the canal stand a low chance of survival due to the different water composition, and while tilapias are freshwater fish, they might not survive as well due to changes in water pressure and other issues.

Venerable Seck Kwang Phing, the president of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, told Shin Min that the release of fish is not encouraged in Singapore as there are no dedicated ponds for the purpose. Fish released into canals may be caught again or die due to the unsuitable environment, which defeats the purpose of "protecting life".

He added: "If you want to do something good, you can do so by not catching, harming [animals] or abandoning pets, going vegetarian more often or donating money. Otherwise, even if your intentions are good, you might end up harming other innocent little lives."

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candicecai@asiaone.com