A commitment to conserve and promote marine biodiversity in Singapore

Aramco volunteers collected 41kg of marine litter at Bendera Bay on St. John’s Island

Marine litter is one of the most common pollution issues plaguing seas and oceans globally. Besides harming marine health and species, marine litter also get washed up onshore, causing further environmental, economic, safety, and health concerns.

In Singapore, the government collects on average 4,500 tonnes of marine debris each year. The Northeast Monsoon Season from December to early-March, as well as the Southwest Monsoon Season from June to September, bring in large volumes of marine litter onto Singapore’s shores, including at Bendera Bay on St John’s Island. A subtidal lagoon with a sandy habitat harboring coral, seagrass and other marine animals, Bendera Bay is an important location for research, educational activities on marine biodiversity and heritage.

To protect the marine biodiversity on local shores, Aramco employees in Singapore participated in a coastal cleanup organized by the National Parks Board (NParks) at Bendera Bay on 26 March 2022. Aramco employees also attended a virtual workshop the day before to understand the importance of marine biodiversity as well as the impact of marine litter to the environment.

Marwa Al-Khuzaim, Managing Director of Aramco Singapore said, “Sustainability is a driver of Aramco’s strategy and an emphasis of Aramco’s strategic goals for decades. The company engages in a range of sustainability initiatives and programs that support the communities and the environment in which we operate. Aramco’s sustainability initiatives in Singapore not only aligns with our efforts globally, they are also in line with the NParks’ strategies to build climate resilience through the City in Nature vision, a key pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.”

“By participating in the coastal clean-up, we hope to make Singapore beaches a cleaner and safer place for wildlife and for the local community. We also hope that through this activity, our employees will have a deeper appreciation for marine biodiversity while helping keep our beaches clean,” added Ms. Al-Khuzaim.

Jeffrey Tan, Quality Engineer at Aramco and participant of both the educational workshop and the coastal cleanup said, “It was eye-opening to learn that the breakdown of our disposed wastes into microscopic level will feed the fishes and come back to us and our future generations via the food chain. The coastal clean-up is a good reminder for us to do our part in our daily lives by being mindful of what we use and how we dispose of these items after use.”

From NParks, Dr. Karenne Tun, Director of the Coastal and Marine National Biodiversity Centre, said “NParks' conservation, education and outreach programs involve the efforts and support of various stakeholders, including companies, interest groups and members of the public. Everyone can contribute to the conservation of our marine ecosystem. Companies can help to raise awareness of the importance of our marine ecosystem and participate in our programs, such as the coastal clean-up. They could also support the programs by donations through NParks registered charity, Garden City Fund.”

Aramco's coastal cleanup at Bendera Bay is part of the activities under Aramco's contribution of US$196,000 to Garden City Fund to conserve and promote marine biodiversity in Singapore.