Just last week on 30 July, Facebook went wild with circulating photos of a large spotted stingray that was caught at Bedok Jetty.
Shared by Raj Bharathi on Facebook, the 80kg stingray was so heavy that it required 8 men to pull it up to the docks.
It was captured by a veteran fisherman going by the name of Alo, who owns a Facebook page and website documenting his fishing adventures. Having previously caught a Shovel Nose Shark earlier, this wasn’t his first large prize.
This rare stingray actually belongs to the leopard stingray / honeycomb stingray family, and is considered to be an endangered and vulnerable species under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
Following the capture of the stingray which took them three hours, Alo had cut the stingray up into pieces, part by part, and the spoils of war were then distributed amongst his many friends. They probably wanted to enjoy some fresh sambal stingray for dinner, but yikes.
Criticised By Netizens
Upon seeing the photos, some Singaporeans were amazed at the fact that there were such creatures in Singaporean waters, but some were disgusted and angered by the act of the fishermen.
One such netizen, Samantha Lee, took to Facebook to explain why such an act was considered inhumane, condemning their actions.
She stated that there was no way the fishermen could have brought the 80kg giant stingray up without the use of a net, as it was too heavy and slimy, alleging that Alo and his companions would have had to stab and hook the ray up to the jetty with various tools. “And because of this action, the Ray probably bled and dried out on the Jetty AND DIED. YES THE RAY DIED,” she wrote.
Comments under the post agreed with her sentiments, saying that the fishermen should have just taken a simple picture of the stingray and released it back to the wild.
ACRES Have Responded Too
The Deputy Chief Executive of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), Kalai Vanan, gave a statement in response to media queries about the incident.
ACRES stated that they feel “frustrated and sad” about the killing of the stingray, stating that it is a vulnerable species as they are facing a population decline due to overfishing.
They also call for there to be more awareness about what marine creatures can be caught, and urge for Singaporeans to preserve our marine biodiversity by treating them with compassion.
Here’s their full response:
We feel frustrated and sad that the leopard whipray, a vulnerable species according to CITES was killed instead of being freed. This species, like countless other aquatic animals regardless of their population status have seen substantial decline in populations due to overfishing.
It is sad that the animal had to be killed even though food security in Singapore is secure. While ACRES as an animal welfare group recognises fish as sentient beings too, this issue can be better managed by more awareness raising among the angling community on what they can take and what they should release back. Perhaps signs at popular fishing spots on possible endangered species they may encounter may help anglers make better informed decisions.
We may be lacking in clear blue waters but let us remember that the waters around our tiny island are home to some amazing biodiversity including species of sharks, dolphins, stingrays and sea turtles. We should be working towards preserving them and treating animals with compassion.”
Playing a part in maintaining the vast diversity of the wild starts with us, so if you’re ever out fishing and find such a rare endangered species, it’s best to let them go. Let’s do our part in practicing safe and ethical fishing – many more creatures of the wild can be saved.
As of now, the original post has garnered over 2.7k shares while Samantha Lee’s post has 146 shares.
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