Fate of one of last kelongs in Singapore up in the air

Heritage group petitions for coastal structure to be retained after owner gives up running it

- Ng Keng Gene

One of Singapore's last four kelongs could soon close, if heritage activists are unable to find a way to save it.

Located off the coast of Pulau Ubin, the kelong is owned by retiree Timothy Ng, 76, who in June decided to give up running it and the adjacent fish farm after operating both for two decades.

The Singapore Heritage Society (SHS) has petitioned the authorities for the kelong to be retained, and possibly used for education and research purposes.

The authorities have given SHS until the end of 2024 to appoint a consultant to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of retaining the kelong as a community and education space, SHS president Fauzy Ismail told The Sunday Times.

He said SHS is looking for donors to fund the study, which will determine what infrastructural work is needed to repair the kelong to a condition that is suitable for community use, and assess the yearly cost of maintaining it.

Kelongs offshore palisade fish traps were once a common sight in Singapore's waters until they started to die out in the 1960s because of declining fish stocks and, later, the advent of sea-based aquaculture farms in the 1980s.

This particular kelong was purchased in 2004 by Mr Ng, a former deputy commissioner at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, after he saw it advertised for sale along with the adjacent fish farm in the classifieds.

"At that time, it was more of thinking that this is going to be a chalet over the sea," said Mr Ng, who retired in 2008 and does consulting work part-time. He describes himself as an "accidental fish farmer".