Sure they’re cute, they’re adorable, and they make for viral photo galleries and videos — but at what cost?
Not everyone’s cooing over the otter families who’ve made the waters of Singapore their home — especially not when they’re literally eating into your business. The New Paper reported the terrible woes that have afflicted Darren Seng — who owns commercial fishing pond D’Best Fishing — due to a family of nine persistent otters.
Seng’s fishing pond at Pasir Ris Park has become an easy hunting spot for the otters, who’ve been raiding the waters to feast on fish almost daily. The problem has been going on for about six months, with the animal family emerging from the nearby Tampines River and diving into the pond.
It would’ve been cute if not for the fact that each of their raids cost Seng about $300 to $500 worth of fish. He can’t do anything much about them — otters are protected under the law and cannot be killed or harmed — except try to keep them away.
The fishes in the pond are meant for the anglers, who pay $43 and above for eight hours of fishing. Perhaps Seng wouldn’t be as mad if the otters paid for their catches, too.
He has turned to the National Parks Board to help, and they’re looking into a couple of measures to deter otters from fishing there — though it’d be hard to outsmart the crafty creatures.
As adorable as they may be, the increasing population of otters has caused a couple of nuisances similar to the current one faced at D’Best Recreation. Last year, wild otters went on a three-week-long hunting spree in the ornamental koi ponds of bungalows and a hotel in Sentosa, leaving behind a trail of bloodied fish and several thousands of dollars in damage.
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