A man spent more than S$400 to buy about 30 live fishes from a supermarket to release at a canal in Ghim Moh.

A 62-year-old retiree, surnamed Lu (transliteration), told Chinese media Shin Min Daily News that he was walking in the park when he saw a man releasing fish into the water.

Mercy release?

The incident took place around 9am on Thursday (Sep. 21) along a canal near Block 25, Ghim Moh Link.

An employee from Sheng Siong supermarket told Zaobao that the man in a white-coloured shirt said that he wanted to purchase all the live fishes in the store upon arrival.

The man ended up buying more than 30 fishes including at least 10 seabass and red tilapia, costing more than S$400.

The man had not said what the fishes would be used for.

The employee said that a colleague helped the man transport the fishes. It was only when they reached the canal that his colleague realised the man wanted to release the fish into the water.

A video that Lu provided to Zaobao showed the man carrying a styrofoam box in his hands, walking down slippery steps gingerly before pouring the live fishes into the canal.

"I am a Buddhist and I firmly believe that releasing fish can bring blessings. When the man saw the fish being released, there was a happy and gratified smile on his face," Lu told Zaobao.

Mercy release not necessary good for the animals

Releasing captive animals into the wild, or mercy release, is intended to be an act of compassion, saving the lives of animals previously imprisoned or headed for slaughter.

While the man may have kind intent, releasing animals into the wild more often than not is not beneficial for the animals and may have unintended negative impacts on the environment.

In this case, the fishes may be bred in captivity or sourced from the sea, which is a different environment from freshwater canal.

According to the National Parks Board (NParks), about 80 to 90 per cent of animals released into the wild die within a day as they are unable to fend for themselves.

Should the released animals survive, non-native animals released can also threaten native species and disrupt the ecological balance.

Releasing animals into the wild is illegal

To protect the environment and avoid unnecessary deaths, releasing animals into the wild is therefore made to be illegal in Singapore.

Under the Parks and Trees Act, first-time offenders caught releasing animals can be fined up to S$50,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

To discourage mercy release, in 2006, NParks introduced an annual campaign called Operation No Release.

Top image via Lu/Zaobao.