HABITATS COMPLEMENTARY TO FIRST MARINE PARK
Singapore’s first marine park was established in 2014 and spans 40ha around the Sisters’ Islands as well as along the western reefs of St John’s Island and Pulau Tekukor.
The site was chosen due to the variety of habitats there, including sandy shores, seagrass meadows and coral reefs.
NParks said the habitats at Lazarus Island and Kusu Island have been identified to be complementary to those at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.
Therefore, “designating these areas as Singapore’s second marine park will allow NParks to better conserve and manage both the terrestrial and marine habitats, and enhance ecological connectivity”, it said.
This will help to safeguard Singapore’s core biodiversity areas and strengthen their climate and ecological resilience, it added.
NParks said that a second marine park is part of its holistic conservation approach and is also in line with the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) plans to retain the Southern Islands’ character while making them more inclusive and accessible for recreation.
The statutory board added that it would work closely with the relevant agencies and stakeholders, such as URA and Friends of Marine Park, over the second half of 2024 to study and determine the proposed marine park’s boundaries.
