Youths fishing at Merlion Park: PUB says boys have been identified and will be counselled

SINGAPORE - The two youths who were caught on tape fishing at Merlion Park have been identified, national water agency PUB said in an updated Facebook post on Friday (Sept 7).

In the update to a previous Facebook post about the youths, it thanked those who helped in its investigation and said: "We have identified the two anglers who were fishing illegally at Merlion Park."

It added: "We would like to thank concerned members of the public for expressing your views on this matter. Please be assured that we will work with the school to counsel and educate the students on the fishing regulations and the designated fishing locations."

The PUB previously released a statement earlier on the same day that it was appealing for information on two individuals seen fishing illegally at Merlion Park in a video posted by Facebook page SBS - Sure Boh Singapore.

The PUB post attracted criticism from some netizens, who lamented that the boys were only fishing and should not be subjected to punishment.

Facebook user Lawrence Ng said in a comment beneath PUB's post: "It's only fishing, fishing is not a crime."

Several netizens also commented on how the boys' actions reminded them of life in the kampungs.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/PUBsg/posts/1829808620443144[/embed]

The video of the boys fishing went viral after it was first posted on Thursday evening. It has since garnered around 344,000 views and has been shared 4,700 times.

The agency left a comment beneath the SBS - Sure Boh Singapore post of the video which said: "It is illegal to fish at Merlion Park. PUB would like to remind the public to only fish at designated fishing locations."

In the video, a young person in a red T-shirt can be seen on the steps, reaching into the waters surrounding the Merlion, before pulling out a large yellow fish.

Another young person, in grey, is shown holding a fishing rod and laughing nearby.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.