Sea off East Coast Park reopens for all activities
Beachgoers can now enjoy all types of activities in the sea along the entire stretch of East Coast Park – such as swimming, wakeboarding and windsurfing – as the water quality there has returned to normal levels and stabilised.
This follows a major oil spill in June, when more than 400 tonnes of oil was discharged into Singapore waters.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced the resumption of all water-based activities off East Coast Park in a Facebook post on Sept 27.
She said: “As we return to enjoy the waters, let’s remind ourselves never to take our clean environment for granted. Let’s continue to play our part to keep our shared spaces clean and green for all.”
The oil spill, Singapore’s worst in a decade, occurred after the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima hit Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal on June 14.
The damaged cargo tank on Marine Honour – which was next to a container vessel berthed at the terminal – leaked oil into the sea.
Due to the tidal current, the spilt oil ended up along Singapore’s shorelines, including those at Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, the Southern Islands, Marina South Pier and East Coast Park.
Following the oil spill, a large section of the beachfront in East Coast Park – from Area B to Area H – was closed as clean-up efforts were under way.
In August, clean-up efforts at all beaches at the park were completed and visitors were allowed to resume water-based activities that involved minimal contact with the sea. This included activities such as kayaking.
The National Environment Agency also allowed sea sports to resume on Kusu Island at that time.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now