Restaurant that allegedly cooked foraged marine life from Changi gets 1-star reviews, Pasir Ris-Changi MP calls incident 'deplorable'

The restaurant which allegedly prepared and cooked marine life foraged by a group from the shores of Changi has received numerous one-star reviews on Google Maps after the issue gained attention online.

The incident has also drawn a response from Pasir Ris-Changi GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Valerie Lee, who characterised the incident as "deplorable".

Numerous one-star reviews

In the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, one user shared on Jul. 13 screenshots and a video of a group of individuals gathering and foraging in an intertidal area with pails in hand.

The user also included screenshots from the video showing the signage of the restaurant that was allegedly involved in preparing the foraged marine life for consumption.

The restaurant appears to be Havelock Palace, located at 2 Havelock Road, near Chinatown.

In the now-deleted video which was first posted to Chinese social media platform Douyin, a narrator could be heard suggesting that there was more beyond just foraging marine life from the intertidal area.

The second part involved bringing the harvests overnight to the restaurant for them to be prepared fresh.

The man behind the camera could then be heard discussing with a chef about how the numerous marine creatures laid out on the table, such as clams and crabs, could be prepared.

Checks on Google Maps showed that the first handful of one-star reviews started appearing around four days ago.

Most of the one-star reviewers expressed their disapproval at the restaurant's apparent involvement in the incident, with some pointing out the restaurant's alleged "unethical practices".

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP speaks out

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee, who is in charge of the Changi division, wrote in a Facebook post that she was "extremely disappointed" after watching the video.

Characterising the behaviour as "deplorable", Lee commented that it was not about the legality of it, but about a lack of respect.

"It feels like a complete lack of respect — for the animals, for these fragile ecosystems, and even for the traditions of ancient foragers, who understood that you take only what you need so the shore can continue to provide," she wrote.

She also tagged the National Parks Board (NParks) in her post and expressed her hope that the agency would step up patrols at intertidal habitats.

"If you see people treating our intertidal life like it's a free buffet, don't be afraid to call it out respectfully. We all have a part to play in looking after these places."

Karenne Tun, Group Director at the NParks National Biodiversity Centre, previously said in response to Mothership's queries that NParks is aware of a social media post on intertidal foraging and "seeks the understanding of the public to protect our intertidal biodiversity".

According to Tun, NParks restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction.

These zones include Sisters' Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve's rocky shore and Chek Jawa Wetlands.

For intertidal areas outside its jurisdiction, Tun says it focuses on public education on best practices and how visitors can interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

Restaurant allegedly threatened legal action

In a Jul. 26 video, local science content creator Biogirl MJ, who is the host of education platform Just Keep Thinking, commented on the incident, sharing that she had also left a review on the restaurant's Google Maps listing.

She noted that the restaurant had apparently responded to the reviews, claiming that the customer in the video had purportedly said the seafood featured was purchased and placed in the sea for filming.

The restaurant also threatened legal action.

According to Biogirl MJ, she responded by sharing a link to the video which she said showed that the marine life was indeed foraged from the coastal area.

She said that the legal threat "disappeared" after her response.

Biogirl MJ noted that the group of foragers were not "doing so out of genuine sustenance". Instead, "many of these viral gan hai participants are doing it purely for entertainment".

SFA advisory against eating wild-harvested shellfish

According to an advisory on the website of  Singapore Food Agency (SFA), bivalve molluscs readily accumulate bacteria, viruses and toxins in their bodies as they eat by taking in and filtering water.

While hazards such as bacteria, viruses and parasites can be removed via thorough cooking, others such as marine biotoxins and chemicals cannot.

As such, SFA advises against harvesting and consuming shellfish from the wild, which may contain biotoxins.

Mothership has reached out to SFA for comment.