Reason for Position that Singapore Does Not Have Legally Protected Marine Areas under Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 14.5.1

Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for National Development (a) why the Government takes the position that Singapore does not have legally protected marine areas for the purposes of Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 14.5.1, despite the legal protections afforded to certain marine parks under existing legislation; (b) whether the Government will introduce new legislation to plug gaps in the legal protections; and (c) if not, why not.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Marine parks, like the Sisters' Islands Marine Park and the planned Lazarus South-Kusu Reef Marine Park, once gazetted, are legally protected under the Parks and Trees Act. For reporting purposes, we take a conservative approach by treating "protected areas" as limited to those designated as nature reserves, including for Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 14.5.1. Our existing laws already give the National Parks Board the powers needed to safeguard our marine biodiversity, and we will continue to review our legal frameworks to ensure they remain effective.