With oil spills that happen in the Straits of Singapore, the government have their protocols on their standard of procedures for clean up. More often than not, the governments work together, with different agencies focusing on different aspects of the oil spill.
- MPA (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore)
Upon receiving an oil spill report, the MPA will deploy vessels and personnel down to the spill site to clean up the affected waters. Booms and harbor skimmers are utilized to scoop oil up from the water surfaces.
- NParks (National Parks Board)
NParks prioritizes the protection of mangroves and mudflats by setting up oil-absorbent booms. Other than such protection measures, they constantly monitor the impacts of the oil spill on the marine wildlife, as well as collaborate with volunteers to clean up the beaches. These volunteers from the public are assessed on a case-by-case basis due to the harmful effects of the oil spills.
- AVA (Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore)
With their main concern for food safety, they monitor the situation of fish supply whenever an oil spill happens. They ensure that the fish stock in the affected fish farms are safe for consumption by running food safety tests. They will further assist the fish farmers by giving advice on how to ensure their fishes are safe. For example, they will issue oil absorbent pads and canvases to farmers to protect their fish stock (Chew, Lim and Tan, 2017). Whenever necessary, AVA will advise fish farmers to stop feeding the fishes and issue orders to suspend fish sales.
- NEA (National Environment Agency)
The NEA contractors use oil absorbent pads to clean up the waters. NEA workers will also shove up sand polluted with oil into trash bags. Furthermore, NEA will closely monitor seawater quality and sends out advisories to the public about the closure of affected areas.