Welcome to Prime Aqua Sea Farm
Prime Group’s sea farm taps on the farming traditions of the Tan family, which dates back to the 1930s. In 2018 — under the leadership of Group CEO Tan Yong Shao and Deputy General Manager Tony Tan Yong Chuan — Prime Group International acquired two traditional farms along the coast of Pulau Tekong.
A sea change of infrastructural overhauls and technological upgrades ensued. Now, with 199 fully stocked sea cages and the goal of producing 1,000 tonnes of fish annually by 2021, Prime Aqua Sea Farm is channelling the sea’s sustenance towards feeding our nation.
Farming knowledge and long-term planning
Tony delves into the thought processes, traditions and technology at the heart of Prime Aqua Sea Farm.
Location, location, location
The layman may think little of location when it comes to sea cage farming, but there are a host of costs and benefits for a farmer to consider when it comes to this factor.
“Location was one of the top priorities for us,” Tony shares. “We chose our site to prevent cross contamination with the other sea farms, for biosecurity from the urban population and because it has the best seawater, as the channel is the widest there.”
Sustaining a skilled community
In Tony’s view, the greatest potential challenge he foresees for Prime Aqua Sea Farm is getting more young people involved in aquaculture and sea cage farming.
“Even with modern technology, farming is hard work,” Tony explains. “We’re very fortunate to have a talented young team, but in the long run we need to sustain our strong, skilled community on the sea farm.”
Ecological custodianship
Environmental integrity is a core part of Prime Aqua Sea Farm’s values, and the farm is committed to fish farming with Mother Nature in mind.
Besides working with the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding environment, the sea farm relies on 416 solar panels for 70% of its energy consumption.
Harnessing technology
While Prime Aqua Sea Farm relies on sea cages to nurture its fishes, it also taps on a whole range of modern technology to enhance productivity and foster a conducive workspace for its farming community.
Modern innovations on the farm include underwater net washers, electric vehicles for transport, and remotely automated vehicles that can survey net conditions and observe fish behaviour.
Fascinating farm facts
Modern fish farming is a fascinating profession. Learn more about Prime Aqua Sea Farm with these fun factoids.
The farm is equipped with a seawater treatment system that converts seawater to water for drinking and cleaning via reverse osmosis.
Nets are employed to keep the fishes on Prime Aqua Sea Farm safe from natural predators like barracuda and heron.
Prime Aqua Sea Farm raises 9 species of fish — from seabass and hybrid grouper to golden trevally, silver grunter and red snapper.
Feast for SG’s food security
Eat local and do your part to support our local farming community.
Eager to taste Prime Aqua Sea Farm’s diverse range of delectable seafood? You’ll be able to purchase their produce at Prime supermarkets across the island, and from group-buying platform Combine.SG
Keep an eye out for the SG Fresh Produce logo below to sample produce proudly grown and harvested on Singaporean soil.
