maritimeposts.com/ – Pelakita discovered an inspiring story on sea farming in Singapore, highlighting the innovations of Malcolm Ong.
…After more than 20 years in the IT industry, Malcolm Ong turned his hand full time to aquaculture.
Today, the founder of The Fish Farmer owns 4 sea-based farms, operating on traditional methods, producing about 1,000 tonnes of fish a year – milk fish, grey mullet, red snapper, barramundi (Asian sea bass), golden pomfret and sea perch.
But he faces a challenge: How to double production sustainably?
To do this he has joined hands with scientists under the Singapore Food Agency’s AquaPolis R&D programme. The goal for Malcolm is to develop superior fingerlings with faster growth rates, lower mortality from common fish diseases, and higher Omega-3 content.
In the early days, we were searching for supermarkets that would partner with us to promote our fish. I still distinctly remember someone telling me, “Just because you have fish doesn’t mean the market will buy.” It was discouraging, but I had the feeling that we shouldn’t give up. Supporting local has always been the message that drives me forward, even when things get tiring.
My farm is an open-sea cage farm based on long-standing traditional methods. You can see the fish swimming freely, round and round, just as they like to do. We want people to know that the fish are subject to the open waters, which makes them firmer—similar to how free-range chickens differ from those raised indoors. At first glance, our farm looks very traditional, but we’ve tried to incorporate technology inside it.
Our objective is to take care of the fish, not just the equipment. So, we developed a system to do the counting without relying on massive machinery. It’s simple and effective.
This journey hasn’t always been easy. At one point, the bitterness of setbacks was eating me up inside, and I had to look elsewhere for inspiration. One of my longtime hobbies was boating, and through it I met farmers who shared their struggles with me.
Many of them were facing tough times. Mussel farming, for example, depends heavily on nature. Some years bring bountiful harvests, while others bring poor ones.
I had already been working for over twenty years when I discovered this new area of aquaculture, and I felt drawn to it. I wanted to be part of it. My partner, Agwan, is very hands-on. Every word, every nut, every screw—everything is done with care by him and the team.
At our farms in Lim Chu Kang, we sometimes face low dissolved oxygen levels. When that happens, the fish are under stress and risk suffocating. To prevent this, systems are in place to alert the farmer, who then switches on pumps and motors to move the water and increase oxygen levels. This keeps the fish safe and reduces stress.
I believe there was some divine guidance in bringing us together for this work. We remind ourselves to stay focused: we are here to grow fish. Following our early success, many customers began requesting a wider variety of species, such as seabass and snapper.
We were then given the opportunity to join a major research and development initiative called Aquapolis. One of the projects under this program is the Red Snapper Genetics Project, funded by the Singapore Food Agency.
The goal is to produce snappers that grow faster, have higher survival rates, and offer better flesh qualities such as higher omega-3 content. By working with researchers, we’re developing better strains for farmers, and selective breeding is an ongoing process that must improve generation after generation.
Fast forward to today, our farm has one of the widest varieties of fish in Singapore, including milkfish, grey mullet, golden pomfret, red snapper, and barramundi. We’re constantly working to expand because customers are always looking for something new.
We also want to make it easy for consumers. Our packaging proudly features the “Singapore Fish” brand because we are proud of what we produce. To ensure wide availability, we work with supermarkets, online platforms, and restaurants. Without FairPrice giving us our first opportunity, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
As farmers, we share a common message: there are local farms here in Singapore, and by supporting local, you are helping us thrive. For me, this journey has never been just about producing fish; it has also been about the people around me. I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful individuals along the way.
The journey isn’t over, but it has been deeply fulfilling, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you so much for supporting us and supporting local.
Source CNA Insider: