CROWS

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for the Environment what effort is being made to control the population of crows and how successful it has been.

The Senior Minister of State for the Environment (Encik Sidek bin Saniff) (for the Minister for the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, in recent years, we have noted an increase in the crow population in spite of stepped up efforts by PPD to cull them and by ENV to deny them waste food. The growth of the crow population is due to the crow's successful adaptation to the urban environment where there is ample food and inadequate culling.

The number of crows culled by PPD has increased from a monthly average of about 1,000 in 1998 to 1,500 last year, 1999. To maintain continuous pressure on the crow population, PPD, with the help of the Singapore Gun Club and the SAFRA Shooting Club, will continue to carry out crow shooting at roosting sites where large numbers gather to sleep overnight on the trees.

ENV has required all foodshops to use a standard refuse bin with lid and to make sure that there is no food waste left exposed. We have also been working closely with the Town Councils to improve on their housekeeping, especially the cleanliness of their bin centres. The bin centres also have been protected against crows with wire meshing to all openings. We have also sent out circulars to all operators of restaurants, coffee shops and hawker stalls to warn them against feeding crows.

PPD and ENV are continually reviewing the methods of crow control. A new method being introduced is the use of specially designed crow traps. These traps will contribute towards greater culling of the crows. An ornithologist has also been commissioned to make a study on the behaviour and biology of crows so that other control methods can be developed.

Sir, in the meantime, PPD will further intensify the culling of crows by shooting and ENV will strictly enforce the regulations on waste management and removal to deny the crows food to further contain the problem.

Dr S. Vasoo (Tanjong Pagar): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State what he is crowing about. What crow friendly measures is the Ministry undertaking other than shooting these crows and culling them with shotguns? It also creates problems for the residents if the guns misfire in the area which may endanger their lives. This is a serious matter.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: Sir, besides culling and removing sources of waste food to reduce the crow population, we can also look into new ideas that may help. For instance, one idea that crops up is to have bins and plastic bags used for containing refuse infused with a repellant so that crows will not go near them. I will give an example of how we control the dengue now with the help of my Ministry and the university. For example, in the case of dengue control, scientists in my Ministry have discovered that by raising the temperature of stagnant water to 45o C, it can kill the larvae in the water within one hour. With this finding, they have developed a heating element that can be installed in roof gutters. By switching on the heating element for slightly more than one hour, and this can be done by a timer switch in the middle of the night, any larvae breeding in the gutter will be destroyed. I hope the same effect will be done towards this. We are working towards this. This is a case where many people, out of kindness, just give food to the crows. There is one instance where a hawker purposely gives the crows something to eat every day. He said otherwise the crows will be a nuisance. And one of those days, he even pat the head of that chap. This feeling of kindness, as far as Asian people are concerned, is understandable. That is why we try to look into this particular area with new ideas and hopefully a breakthrough.

Mr Gerard Ee (Nominated Member): I would like to ask whether the PPD has ever offered a bounty on crows and leave it to the creativity of the community to think out new ways to trap them.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: The bounty hunters are from the two clubs, Singapore Gun Club and SAFRA Shooting Club, and they are doing it on a voluntary basis. Other than that, the traps seem to be working. We have given out to Town Councils about 22 traps that have managed to trap about 10 birds a month. We hope to give another 30 to the town councils and I hope the town councils will be ever ready to accept them.

Dr Vasoo: Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to ask the Minister of State what is the connection between crows and dengue. Second, does the crow cause dengue which is the issue at hand? The measure proposed is not effective in a sense. Firing a few shots may not deal with the problem. Are there any ecological or eco-friendly measures that the Ministry is considering, other than the measures that he has suggested because the crow problem has not been resolved? There have been a lot of complaints from different quarters.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: I share the concern. But, somehow, we do not have any species, like eagles or vultures, that can take care of the crows. In Malaysia or Indonesia, they have musang (fox) that can really mash their nests. In our case, it is just ourselves. As for connection between crows and dengue, I just mentioned that we are seriously looking into this method. Dengue is one case. Some were fatal. To me, one death is one death too many. And we have managed to come out with this heating element measure. This is just an example. We hope the so-called repellant effect at the bin, or in the plastic bags especially, can do the work. If you consider that as a friendly way of dealing with the crows, that is our friendly way of using it.

Mr Bernard Chen (West Coast): Can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether, when he is crowing about shooting crows, he can also go after the pigeons because I understand the pigeon droppings are more dangerous than the crow?

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: We will certainly look into the matter also.

Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines): Sir, from the number of crows that we are seeing, and it is increasing with each passing year, I wonder if the Ministry could set a benchmark figure and give a definite timetable as to how they are going to control the growth of the crow population. Could the Senior Minister of State give an indication of the plans?

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: Sir, there are about 6,000 crows in Singapore. It is something to crow about. If they were to mate, usually they produce between two to four chicks. Out of four, half will somehow survive, that is, 6,000 plus the present 6,000, which is 12,000. It is quite large. We have managed to handle only about 1,000-1,500 a month. We will certainly intensify our efforts whether by culling, looking after the waste, giving some public education to our people, or providing traps. We hope that the latest one will work.

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Bukit Timah): Mr Speaker, Sir, unlike my colleague, Dr Vasoo, I still cannot see the connection between dengue fever and the crows. Is the Senior Minister of State trying to suggest, in fact, crows with the dengue fever? Then he mentioned about housekeeping by town councils. I am sure, as the Chairman of a town council, we want to cooperate with the Ministry of the Environment. But one should not pass the buck to the town councils because the crows fly everywhere. The individual town council cannot control them because they fly from one town council to the other. I think it is more a matter of the Ministry of the Environment taking a concerted action to deal with this problem at source.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: Sir, I thought we are taking a concerted effort with all the measures taken. There is no intention at all to pass the buck. To me, it is a matter of asking cooperation, rather than you and me with a gulf in between. As for the findings on dengue, when we cooperate with certain authorities, like the universities, we are very serious about it. We have managed to get a cure for dengue fever by destroying the larvae in the gutters. You do not have to tear down the roof. We have managed to do that and the findings may be there. Hopefully, with these new measures or new breakthroughs, we can do the same, like the findings, where we heat the roof gutters. Is that a wrong comparison?

Mr Speaker: Dr Teo, last question. We have to move on otherwise the Committee of Supply cannot start.

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Sembawang): May I ask the Senior Minister of State how does the crow trap work? I understand the crows are quite intelligent. If you have 6,000 crows, the town councils will spend a lot of time and effort trying to catch the crows.

Encik Sidek bin Saniff: I can supply you the cage. It is a very simple one where you can put the bait inside, and the crows will come in. The moment they come into the box, they cannot come out because they are so large. Remember the monkeys, when they take something, they will refuse to let go their hands with the food. So they were caught by the Africans. I will let the Member have the opportunity to use it if he wants to.