The annual fresh-fish consumption of Singapore is estimated at 65 000 tons, of which more than 75 percent is imported. Table 1 shows Singapore's fresh-fish supply from various sources for the past ten years. It can be seen that in 1974" aquaculture production of 680 tons (600 tons from freshwater carp ponds and 80 tons from prawn trapping brackishwater impoundments) represents about 1 percent of the total supply. In spite of efforts to develop capture fisheries, local fish landings have been static since 1966, while inshore fishery production has been steadily on the decline from 4 340 tons in 1965 to 2 650 tons in 1971, a drop of almost 40 percent. The slight increase in inshore production in 1972-74 was probably due to increase in illegal trawl fishing in coastal waters.

Singapore is an island state with an area of 584 km2 and a population of 2.2 million. During the past five years the annual rate of population increase averaged 1.7 percent. The per caput consumption of fresh fish is about 30 kg/year. Assuming that the rate of population increase and per caput consumption will remain at 1.7 percent and 30 kg/year respectively, the projected demand for fresh fish in 1985 would be 80 130 tons for an estimated population of 2.671 million.