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Often coastal fishing villages bear the severe brunt of natural and economic calamity compared to city folks. The ravages of weather, illegal territorial overfishing, marine habitat devastation by pollution, irreversible coastal reclamation and massive infrastructure development all contribute to their lowly state of affairs, surviving under the poverty line. The case for protecting coastal fishing villages are often weak compared to glamorous waterfront real estate, oil and gas installations, heavy industry and power plants co-located next to intake/discharge waters. On a smaller scale, rapid overfishing by illegal trawlers and lack of public investment and industrial support like cold storage or logistics network further encapsulate these fishing villages into poverty silos.

Due to uneven growth and under development, several of Singapore’s neighboring countries still face uphill tasks in advancing the earning potential of coastal fishing villages. A myriad of self interests, systemic failures and divergent political-will prevented their rapid professionalism and development to modern aquaculture and fishing centers.

Singapore has managed to transform itself very quickly from fishing village to a large seafood hub whilst retaining its aquaculture, marine habitat conservation and fisheries. As such Singapore has several  best practices that can be accumulated into a Community of Practice focused on helping fishing villages and coastal communities in the Asian region. This will gradually mature into deeper knowledge silos of rural development, resource allocation, tourism promotion, sustainable fishery quotas and effective regulations. 

Source: Johor Straits off Selector 1976, Ian Kuah, Pioneer Magazine