Written answer by Ministry of National Development on number of illegal bird feeders caught in 2024 and means and manpower deployed in surveillance and enforcement

Nov 11, 2024

Question No: 6254

Question by: Mr Liang Eng Hwa

To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many illegal bird feeders are caught in 2024; (b) how many are repeat offenders; and (c) what have been the means and the number of manpower deployed to carry out the surveillances of illegally feeding birds and enforcements.

Answer:

Under the Wildlife Act, offenders can be fined up to $5,000 for their first offence of feeding any wild animal, including birds, and up to $10,000 for subsequent offences. Between January 2024 to October 2024, NParks took enforcement action against 209 offenders for feeding birds illegally, including 30 repeated offenders.

NParks works closely with agencies such as the People’s Association, as well as Town Councils, to manage bird feeding issues. As part of its efforts to address illegal bird-feeding in estates, NParks conducts on-site surveillance, including the deployment of closed-circuit television cameras at identified feeding hotspots. From January to October 2024, NParks had conducted more than 2,200 surveillance operations.