SINGAPORE — From early next year, members of the public will be able to head down to Bendera Bay at St John’s Island to take part in guided tours or sustainable fishing.

Bendera Bay, which has a variety of mangrove, coral, seagrass, sandy shore and rocky shore habitats, is currently inaccessible to the public.

The activities allowed in the 3.9ha lagoon will be restricted to research, recreation, heritage and education purposes, the National Parks Board (NParks) and Friends of the Marine Park group said in a joint statement on Sunday (Dec 13).

Friends of the Marine Park is a ground-up initiative consisting of about 40 representatives from various groups such as boaters, divers, scientists, fishers, kayakers and education providers.

The community group will be coming up with more detailed programmes that will take place at Bendera Bay. It is only through these programmes that members of the public will be able to enter the area.

The authorities have carried out trials of some activities at the bay, such as an intertidal walk, a sustainable fishing workshop and a beach clean-up.

Announcing the opening of Bendera Bay on Sunday, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said the place is an excellent spot for the public to appreciate and learn more about Singapore’s rich biodiversity.

It is also an ideal location for researchers to carry out studies as it is located near the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, he added.

However, Mr Tan said that there is a need to restrict access to the bay to protect the habitats within it.

During a virtual press conference held on the same day, Mr Stephen Beng, who chairs the Friends of the Marine Park community, said that the opening of the bay to the public is still in its early stages.

Coordinators will account for how much capacity the area can handle before they make detailed scheduling on the programmes and activities that can take place there, he said.

NParks also released on Sunday some preliminary findings of a survey of the Southern Islands’ biodiversity.

The survey covers more than 10 islands that make up Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, well-known islands such as Sentosa and Pulau Semakau, as well as smaller and lesser-known ones such as Pulau Biola and Pulau Jong.

The survey, which started in January this year, will last for two years.

It found that these islands, while small as they range from approximately 2.7ha to 75.1ha in size and have a history of human activities, are able to support rich coastal habitats that contain rare and endangered species previously unknown to the area.

Some examples include the oriental magpie-robin and the spotted wood owl.