Singapore-In a one-minute clip on the social media platform TikTok, a host explained why it is possible to catch and keep hybrid groupers in Singapore waters.

(From left) Haikkel Firdhaus, 19, Benjamin Brighton, 16 and Lucas Phua, 18, are some of the founders of the fishing equipment store SGFishingRigz.

Singapore-In a one-minute clip on the social media platform TikTok, a host explained why it is possible to catch and keep hybrid groupers in Singapore waters.

A 16-year-old host from the International School of United World College of Southeast Asia said that these groupers are an invasive species that feed on food from native species in the ecosystem.

Host Benjamin Brighton (Benjamin Brighton) and other teenagers in Singapore are on a mission to change the way Singapore’s fishing is done-from a way of depleting fish in the Republic’s waterways to a way of ensuring the water bodies here The way is still full of marine life.

For Benjamin and other teenagers who run fishing equipment shop SGFishingRigz, social media is just one of several ways for them to spread the message of sustainable development, a hobby that has become more and more popular among young Singaporeans during the pandemic.

The team consists of 6 students between the ages of 16 and 19 who are also developing environmentally friendly fishing equipment.

In addition, they will host a series of seminars with another young fishing enthusiast, Ryan Chin, in December this year to teach fledgling anglers how to fish sustainably.

Haikkel Firdhaus, one of the co-founders of SGFishingRigz, said in an interview with Today last week that he was impressed by the importance of sustainable fishing practices the day after the circuit breaker was lifted in June last year.

The 19-year-old went to his fishing resort at Bedok Jetty and witnessed a sight he had never encountered before.

As people stayed at home during the restricted period, fish were everywhere on the pier.

But what disturbs Haikkel, a second-year student at Temasek Polytechnic, is that no one put the juvenile fish back into the sea after being hooked.

Returning immature young fish to the sea to ensure that they can grow, reproduce and reproduce in the waters is part of sustainable fishing practices.

The SGFishingRigz team determined that their business should not promote this practice, so they came up with the idea of ​​selling "capture and release" drilling rigs.

These rigs use a round hook to fix themselves to the corner of the fish's mouth to make it easier to release the fish.

Haikkel explained that the more traditional J-shaped hook takes longer to be removed from the fish’s mouth, which reduces its survival rate before being released into the water.

The team is also developing fishing sinkers that use metal alloy bismuth instead of lead, which is more toxic and harmful to the environment. They are funded by the Launchpad incubation program provided by Temasek Polytechnic for new entrepreneurs.

The sinker used to lower the bait in the water will be tested during the FishX seminar and can be used on multiple dates in December.

Bedok Jetty's four-hour seminar was the creative idea of ​​Ryan, a 5th grade student of the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) International Baccalaureate Program.

The seminar was designed in collaboration with non-profit marine stewards to promote sustainable fisheries.

Shui On, a member of a non-profit organization, told today that the seminar series aims to make Singaporeans aware of Singapore’s marine diversity.

"We have more than 500 marine species, but most Singaporeans don't know their existence," said the 17-year-old.

Unlike other anglers who might eat fish, Ryan said he fished to record the biodiversity of Singapore’s waters.

Since the age of 13, he has recorded 150 species of marine life in Singapore. Last year, he also started donating rare or research-significant fish samples to the Lee Kong Chian Museum of Natural History.

He has been fishing since he was six years old, and it was not until he participated in a conversation with the Maritime Management Committee last year that he understood why fish of a certain size should be put back into the sea.

The seminar is open to everyone and will provide participants with a hands-on fishing experience, show them sustainable fishing etiquette, and teach them how to identify the fish they catch.

Ultimately, a new culture that promotes sustainable fishing "is at the core of FishX," Ryan said.

“It’s always easier to start with a whiteboard, which is why we want to talk to new anglers,” he added, noting that experienced amateurs are more inclined to their way.

Echoing the same point of view, Haeckel added that young amateurs are more open to sustainable fishing practices.

"They are very open-minded. They really care about the world," he said.

Interested participants can register for the seminar on the Marine Stewards website.

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