A police report has been lodged against three youths, two boys and a girl allegedly caught on CCTV engaging in illegal fishing and theft at D'Best Fishing in Pasir Ris Town Park, which is known as Singapore's largest 24-hour saltwater pay pond. The incident occurred in the early hours of November 20 at approximately 3 am, long after the facility had closed for the night.
The Midnight Theft
Mr. Huang, 41, the pond's general manager, told Shin Min Daily News that the facility closes its main pond at 6 pm, with staff covering the surface with a protective net. However, the surveillance footage captured the trio's coordinated effort to steal fish:
Casting from Outside: The youths were seen casting bait into the water from outside the fence, throwing their lines through the gaps to bypass the barrier.
Climbing the Fence: After hooking a fish, one boy was filmed climbing over the fence, stepping on buckets for leverage to reach the protective net.
Retrieving the Catch: He lifted the net, retrieved the fish, and tossed it onto the grass, while a girl watched nearby. The boys then switched roles and successfully placed two to three fish into a plastic bag carried by the girl before the clip ended.
The stolen species, which include grouper, red snapper, golden snapper, and barramundi, were valued at more than $50 in total.
Repeat Offenders
Mr. Huang revealed that this was the group's third known offense, which ultimately prompted the police report:
First Offence (Two Months Ago): The boys, who are regular visitors, were caught taking fish home secretly from the catch-and-release pond. Due to their age, a supervisor gave them a verbal warning and let them off.
Second Offence: The same group later violated the rules a second time and were reminded again, promising not to repeat the act.
Third Offence (November 20): Their latest transgression occurred after they had paid to fish earlier in the day but returned after hours to commit theft.
Mr. Huang explained, "Since they ignored repeated warnings, we had no choice but to make a police report." The police have confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing. Depending on their ages (youths aged 10 to below 16 are typically handled by the Youth Court), the teens could face charges for theft and trespassing, though the focus in juvenile cases is often on rehabilitation.
Operator's Struggle with Rule-Breaking
Mr. Huang noted that rule violations are frequent—almost every one to two days—since he took over operations in 2020. Common breaches include using multiple rods, stealing from catch-and-release ponds, and fishing outside operating hours. The large five-hectare fishing area makes close staff monitoring difficult. In response to these frequent breaches, the operator has installed more than 10 CCTV cameras around the facility, with additional cameras added at popular spots two months ago.
The operator also issued a warning to the public after another video showed a teen fishing outside the fence during heavy rain, urging people not to risk their safety.
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