PUBLICATION OF DATA ON PRAWN BIOLOGY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

Mr John Ede asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry whether he will, have arrangements made for the Department of Fisheries to publish its data on prawn biology for general information and, in particular, for prawn-pond operators and interested scientists.

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, this has already been done. The Chief Fisheries Officer. Singapore, has, in simple terms, outlined the salient features of the biology of the Peneid prawns, which would interest the ordinary man, in an article based on research reports by American biologists published in the Rural News Vol. 1, No. 11, dated 9th August, 1956. This article was written for the information of prawn-pond operators and others who may be interested.

Mr John Ede: Mr Speaker, Sir, will the Minister see that data of interest to expert biologists concerned is also made available?

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, scientists and others who wish for further data are referred to the publications in the American Biological Bulletin, Vol. 196, No. 2 of 1949, giving the result of the work on the biology of the Peneid prawns carried out by Drs. W. N. Anderson, J. E. King and M. J. Linder.

Mr John Ede: Is the Minister aware that those are the findings of American biologists in a different part of the world? Will he have the data gathered by the Department of Fisheries in Singapore published for the interest of scientists?

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, publishing data for the information of scientists is not the function of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. That could properly be taken up by the University of Malaya and other seats of academic research and information.

Mr John Ede: Mr Speaker, Sir, does that mean in fact that the Department of Fisheries has no scientific data at its disposal? Further, is the Minister aware that as the data gathered by the Department of Fisheries clearly differs from that of other expert biologists, it is in the public interest that it be published?

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, the data that the Department of Fisheries has is from the results of investigations made by these three American doctors I quoted. Anyone who is interested in getting detailed information on the data could refer to the American Biological Bulletin which I have already quoted in my earlier answer.

Mr John Ede: If the Minister is unwilling to have data gathered by the Department of Fisheries, Singapore, published, does it not only go to show that there is considerable doubt as to the reasonableness of alienating the Pandan Nature Reserve?

Mr Speaker: We are embarking on a debate.

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Sir, may I answer it?

Mr Speaker: Yes, if the Minister wishes to answer it.

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: As I have said, Sir, the Fisheries Department has made no research of its own. That was the job of the fisheries research station which had the "Manihine" here but we do not know whether research has been made on these lines. The Fisheries Department has data gathered from the research carried out by those American biologists and I am not aware of any other scientific study made by any other group.

Mr John Ede: Is the Minister not aware that the answer is extremely unsatisfactory? We give notice that we shall raise this matter again.