SINGAPORE, Aug 10 — Marine life foraged from Changi’s intertidal shore ended up being cooked and served at a Singapore restaurant, triggering public anger, criticism from an MP and warnings over the impact of removing wildlife from coastal habitats.
Havelock Palace has now admitted preparing the marine life after it was brought to the restaurant, saying an internal review found the ingredients had entered its kitchen outside its approved sourcing channels.
In a Facebook statement on August 8, the restaurant said: “We acknowledge that accepting and handling ingredients outside our approved sourcing channels did not meet the standards we expect of ourselves as a food establishment.
“We take responsibility for this and sincerely apologise.”
The apology followed weeks of controversy over footage showing people apparently collecting marine life from an intertidal area at Changi before the haul later appeared in a restaurant kitchen.
Screenshots and video shared in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on July 13 showed a group carrying pails while foraging along the shore.
The collected wildlife was later seen spread across a table in what appeared to be a restaurant kitchen, including molluscs — some resembling fan clams — and crabs.
Images subsequently showed plates of cooked food on a dining table.
The episode quickly drew criticism online, with Havelock Palace receiving numerous one-star reviews on Google Maps after the footage gained attention, according to Singapore news outlet Mothership.
Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee, who oversees the Changi division, said in a Facebook post that she was “extremely disappointed” after watching the video.
She described the behaviour as “deplorable”, saying the issue was not about its legality but a lack of respect.
Local science content creator Biogirl MJ, who hosts educational platform Just Keep Thinking, also addressed the controversy in a July 26 video and said she had left a review on the restaurant’s Google Maps listing.
Havelock Palace said it has since tightened its food-sourcing and receiving controls, strengthened supplier documentation and traceability, and prohibited food from unauthorised or unverified sources from entering its kitchen.
It has also conducted refresher training for management and kitchen staff on food safety and proper handling.
The restaurant acknowledged that its earlier online responses did not “clearly explain the situation and may have caused further confusion”, adding that it was committed to improving standards in food safety, responsible sourcing and customer trust.
The fallout has also reached the group behind the intertidal outing.
According to Mothership, the group has since been disbanded following public pressure, while its administrator deleted his intertidal-foraging videos on July 24.
He also announced that all coastal foraging activities would be suspended to protect marine life, respect local laws and regulations and avoid causing inconvenience to members.
Singapore’s National Parks Board has meanwhile urged the public to leave marine wildlife in its natural habitat.
Karenne Tun, group director at NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre, previously told Mothership that the agency was aware of the social media post and “seeks the understanding of the public to protect our intertidal biodiversity”.
NParks restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction, including Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve’s rocky shore and Chek Jawa Wetlands.
For intertidal areas outside its jurisdiction, the agency focuses on educating visitors about responsible interaction with marine wildlife.
“The removal of wildlife from their habitats, including intertidal zones, harms our biodiversity and disrupts our ecosystems. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem, and their removal can have far-reaching consequences on ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling,” Tun said.
She added that removing wildlife could also threaten already vulnerable species.
Tun also cautioned that inexperienced foragers could put themselves at risk because they may not recognise poisonous, stinging or venomous marine wildlife.
