Measures to Tackle Illegal Bird-feeding
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Gan Thiam Poh’s inquiry regarding enforcement statistics for bird-feeding offences since January 2020 and the Ministry’s strategies to address illegal feeding. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee reported that NParks issued 31 enforcement notices and 18 composition notices while utilizing camera surveillance and joint enforcement operations. He highlighted that the enhanced Wildlife Act now allows for stiffer penalties of up to $5,000 for feeding wild birds to strengthen deterrence. Beyond enforcement, NParks engages feeders through education and collaboration with agencies like the People's Association to address motivations and discourage the practice. Additionally, a Pigeon Management Plan pilot is testing multi-pronged approaches like habitat modification and food source reduction for potential nationwide scaling.
Transcript
59 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development since January 2020 (a) how many enforcement notices have been issued for bird-feeding offences; (b) how many bird-feeding offenders have been fined; and (c) whether the Ministry will be introducing new measures to tackle illegal bird-feeding.
Mr Desmond Lee: Since January 2020, NParks has issued 31 enforcement notices for bird-feeding offences. Of these, 18 were issued composition notices. NParks adopts a suite of measures to deter illegal bird-feeding, including camera surveillance at identified feeding hotspots, and working with Town Councils to carry out enforcement operations.
NParks has strengthened its regulatory regime with the enhanced Wildlife Act, which came into force on 1 June 2020. The Act allows NParks to impose stiffer penalties for the illegal feeding of wildlife, including birds. Offenders can be fined up to $5,000 for the feeding of any wild bird, up from $500 for feeding pigeons before the Wildlife Act came into force.
Public education and engagement is key. NParks works with Town Councils, MSO, and PA to engage feeders. This enables NParks to find out their motivations, address misconceptions, and discourage them from continuing to feed birds.
In February 2020, NParks piloted the Pigeon Management Plan in partnership with four Town Councils of Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Jalan Besar, and Bishan-Toa Payoh. This pilot adopts a multi-pronged approach comprising food source reduction, habitat modification measures such as nettings to prevent nesting, and population reduction. NParks will study the findings from the pilot, with a view of scaling the implementation to other areas.