Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on myna management strategy

Jan 6, 2020

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the population trend of mynas in Yishun in the past three years; (b) what are the findings and results of the tree fogging pilot project in 2016 to deter mynas in Yishun; (c) how does the Ministry enforce the laws against bird-feeding and, to date, how many perpetrators have been penalised; and (d) what other measures are being deployed to deter or reduce the myna population in Yishun.

Answer:

NParks only started localised surveys on the myna population at hotspots in 2019, so we do not have historical data to compare. But based on this survey, we estimate that there are currently about 800 to 900 mynas roosting at hotspots near Yishun Avenue 3.

The 2016 pilot in Yishun found that tree fogging had limited long-term effects as the mynas returned once the fogging stopped. Instead, NParks has been working with various stakeholders to implement a sustainable myna management strategy. This involves a holistic suite of measures such as habitat modification, and the reduction of food sources made available by humans.