Opening remarks by SMS Tan Kiat How at The Ocean Collective Summit 2024

Oct 17, 2024

Good morning, and a very warm welcome to our friends from around the region.

I am very happy to join you this morning for the third edition of The Ocean Collective Summit (TOCS). I’m particularly heartened to see many young people, students and youths in this audience. It gives me great hope that we are on the right course.

This year’s Summit is themed “Uniting Businesses in Ocean Conservation”, providing a platform for business leaders to discuss some of the emerging challenges and opportunities in marine conservation over the next two days.

The Ocean Collective Summit 2024 and Ocean Innovators Challenge

Our oceans and marine eco-systems are both a large and vital part of our natural capital.

Oceans cover around 70% of our planet’s surface, and contain rich biodiversity, much of which have yet to be discovered.

They serve as the “blue lungs” of the earth and are crucial in our efforts to combat climate change.

They also provide important ecosystem services and livelihoods for many communities worldwide. Singapore is a small island state, being surrounded by water, we feel keenly the importance of the waters and marine life, to the community and to our way of life here in Singapore. It is existential to how we make a living and to our society.

Today’s Ocean Collective Summit is both important and timely, as our oceans face increasing threats from climate change.

Rising temperatures and ocean acidification cause disruptions to our marine ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and the delicate balance of life beneath the waves. At the same time, rising sea levels continue to pose a threat to coastal communities and ecosystems.

We need to continue to raise awareness on marine conservation, and The Ocean Collective Summit serves as an important platform for us to come together to share ideas, explore innovative ideas and and find ways to work together to protect our oceans – not just for our current but also for our future generations.

One of the key components of the Summit is the Ocean Innovators Challenge, which will feature three young entrepreneurs presenting their conservation-focused business ideas to a panel of judges.

I understand that these ideas include innovative solutions for sustainability, such as using upcycled textile waste, accelerating biodegradability of swimwear, and even seaweed-based plastics!

I look forward to meeting all of you later and hearing about your ideas.

I would like to thank the International Seakeepers Society and The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Centre for your efforts and advocacy in ocean conservation, as well as for bringing The Ocean Collective Summit to life.

I am also heartened to know that the SeaKeepers have been supporting our local marine conservation efforts, such as reef cleanups, providing research grants for local students, as well as awards for local marine champions.

Thank you very much for your commitment towards our local marine sustainability and outreach efforts!

Singapore’s Marine Conservation Efforts

Let me elaborate on the importance of marine conservation in Singapore’s context. As an island city state, Singapore is surrounded by coastal and marine areas.

We have an active maritime industry – our waterways are one of the busiest in the world.

It also serves many other functions including food and aquaculture, as well as leisure and recreation.

Our tropical waters are also home to a wide array of coastal and marine habitats, and rich marine biodiversity, such as over 250 species of hard corals – around a third of all hard coral species in the world.

This remarkable diversity underscores the importance of balancing multiple uses, while ensuring we protect our precious biodiversity.

As a small island with low-lying coastal areas, our coastal and marine ecosystems are threatened by climate change, and we have been working hard in our efforts to mitigate these threats and protect our waters.

For example, we designated Singapore’s first Marine Park at Sisters’ Islands in 2014 to promote marine conservation, research and outreach.

My colleagues from the National Parks Board (NParks) have been carrying out enhancement works at Sisters’ Island Marine Park since 2021, and the Park will be reopening later this month for visitors and marine enthusiasts to enjoy. I hope many of you will take the opportunity to visit Sisters’ Island Marine Park and appreciate the biodiversity.

We also announced plans to designate a second Marine Park at Lazarus Island South and Kusu Reef earlier this year.

We also launched the Marine Climate Change Science, or MCCS, programme in 2021.

The MCCS aims to address key knowledge gaps and fund research in the areas of blue carbon science, eco-engineering, ecological resilience, marine climate impact modelling, and community-driven climate resilience planning.

And just last week, we announced that my NParks colleagues will be teaming up with the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute, St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, and National Institute of Education to develop and implement an integrated oil spill response and habitat recovery plan, in response to the oil spill that occurred earlier this year in June, in Singapore’s waters – one of the largest oil spills we’ve had in Singapore.

The research team will be carrying out a 15-month national monitoring plan focusing on collecting data at key biodiversity areas and of species of interest, and monitoring the post-oil spill ecological impact and recovery.

Data collected will then suggest possible mitigation and restoration strategies towards protecting and restoring key biodiversity areas.

Conclusion

We will continue to work with the local scientific and nature community here in Singapore, as well as learn from international leaders at platforms like today’s summit, to protect and conserve our marine biodiversity and ecosystems.

Together, we can safeguard our precious oceans for many generations to come.

On that note, I wish you a fruitful, enjoyable and inspiring Ocean Collective Summit. Thank you.