The Team
At The Fish Farmer, we believe in eating well and respecting our environment. Our fish are given space to swim in the ocean with tides and currents and given time to grow so the textures are firm and natural-tasting. We farm fish without any growth enhancements. More than 70% of our farm is made of reused materials and we use renewable solar energy for power.
The Problem
In this millennium, scientists predicted there would be a sharp drop in wild catch from the sea due to global warming, over-fishing and pollution. In 2007, CEO Malcolm Ong decided there is a need for fish farming. Fish farming is similar to growing trees. We can’t keep cutting down trees; we have to replant trees to sustain the forest. Similarly, we can’t keep catching fish; we have to farm fish to sustain the oceans. And hence The Fish Farmer was founded to provide fresh, safe & sustainable fish to the local market.
Our Solution
We learnt farming techniques from traditional farmers who were farming for decades. So we built more than 100 caged long nets along sheltered waterways. This allows our fish to swim and exercise with the tides and absorb the natural nutrients and the sea environment. Therefore our fish has a firm texture, no mud taste and has the same flavour as wild-caught fish. The Japanese call this flavour Umami which means pleasant savoury taste. We don’t rush our fish – each fish is given time and space to grow. It takes a year to grow to plate size and more than 2 years to grow to fillet size. Our fish are entirely naturally grown, without any growth enhancements. We adhere to the strict rules for food safety set out by the Singapore government. The Fish Farmer is the only farm in Singapore with the widest variety of fish. We are proud to boast that we are the largest producer of Mullet, Milkfish, Red Snapper and seabass.
About The Fish Farmer’s Founder
Malcolm Ong
While some individuals venture into aquaculture, becoming a farmer was like coming home for Malcolm Ong.
Malcolm entered the realm of aquaculture after meeting and befriending traditional fish farmers following his success as Managing Director of a French software corporation. The Fish Farmer’s four farms now produce a wide range of fish and fish-based food items, including grey mullet, milkfish, red snapper, barramundi, and sea perch, thanks to his leadership.
His inspiration to join the aquaculture industry
I was drawn to the industry for a variety of reasons, not just one. I had planned to acquire a boat since I adore the water… But after meeting and hearing from traditional fish farmers, I was encouraged to abandon the plan and go even further.
Challenges faced by the traditional quaculture industry
The majority of traditional fish farmers are in their eighties or nineties, and many of their offspring don’t want to take over… We’re talking about people who are 70 or 80 years old and still working. You’re considered youthful if you’re 60 and a typical farmer.
Farming has always been a difficult profession. You’re constantly exposed to the elements, and dealing with live creatures makes it much more difficult – after all, fish can’t call for help.
Challenges faced starting out
There are numerous challenges, for example, the market requires ‘x’ fish, while our water is more suitable for ‘y’ fish.
We started with milkfish since it’s a hardy fish…
Milkfish, on the other hand, is not popular with Singaporeans since it is exceedingly troublesome to eat, with over 200 tiny bones. As a result, we began selling grey mullet, a less bony fish that is more commonly utilized in Chinese cuisine.
Transfer in skill from software to aquaculture
I’d say the most important skill was getting the company up and operating – management, marketing, and gaining supplier trust. A fish farm’s production is only one of several elements that must be considered.
You need to have a great product and a connection with key people, especially customers. It’s about developing mutual respect and trust.
The daily life of a Singaporean fish farmer
“On a typical day, I try to look at two things—What the market wants, and what we can do better,” Malcolm shares. “Even simple things like drivers delivering the wrong product can be fixed with the right system in place.”
Malcolm spends a lot of his time fixing problems and overseeing big-picture processes, such as streamlining operations and keeping track of strategic conundrums like market trends and consumption patterns. Every challenge Malcolm encounters is an opportunity to improve.
The Farm
Ever since starting in 2007, The Fish Farmer has been feeding Singapore. Its four farms have the capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes of fish each year. Grey Mullet, Milkfish, Garoupa, Red Snapper, Barramundi, and Sea Perch are among the species that are farmed.
Singapore’s food security
Eat local and do your part to support our local farming community.
Eager to taste the delectable seafood from The Fish Farmer for yourself? You’ll be able to find their products on Amazon Fresh, RedMart and SGFreshMart.sg, as well as supermarkets like Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice.
Keep an eye out for the SG Fresh Produce logo below to sample produce proudly grown and harvested in Singapore.
Fish products for the future
Besides looking to increase both variety and yield, The Fish Farmer is venturing into packaging and processing new products, such as pies and soups.
“The number of people buying whole fish is dwindling. Convenience and easy-to-cook products are some of the ways we’re looking to encourage Singaporeans to buy local.”
Naturally Grown and Environmental conservation
All of our fishes are free of injections and hormones since we are firm believers in farming as naturally as possible. The Fish Farmer also prioritizes environmental stewardship, as seen by the fact that more than 70% of its farm is composed of recyclable materials and is powered by renewable solar energy.
The Fish Farmer is one of four fish farms in Singapore that have been awarded the two-star Good Agriculture Practice (SG GAP) certification mark, a quality assurance system in food production, as of March 2022.
Communication is key
While laymen may think that production is the key component to success in aquaculture, the ability to build rapport with people is of paramount importance for a fish farmer.
“You won’t believe how important it is to speak Hokkien (and Mandarin) in this business, reminiscing on the difficulties he had making contacts in the industry and my Mandarin is half-past six! One of the only times I’ve successfully communicated in Chinese was to ask my father-in-law for permission to marry my wife.”
-Malcolm Ong
Tradition supplemented by technology
While The Fish Farmer places great emphasis on fish raised in natural settings and in line with tradition, the company also uses a variety of technologies to boost productivity on our four farms.
“Data collection and other high-tech solutions require electricity, but sustainability is key and our water monitoring system is solar-powered and designed for a low energy footprint, while still allowing us to tap on the power of the cloud (cloud computing).”
GAP Certification Mark
The Fish Farmer is proud to announce that we are 1 of 4 Singapore Fish Farms that met the SFA local farms code for Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP), a quality assurance system in food production.
Singapore’s food security
Its Singapore Standards for agriculture, aquaculture and animal husbandry were developed in 2021 to provide guidance to local farms on a holistic approach to farm management.
By following these Singapore Standards that are aligned to international standards, local farms adopt best practices for quality assurance in food safety, produce quality, environmental management, workers’ health, safety, and welfare.
What does it mean to be GAP Certified?
It specifies best practices from pre-production to production, harvesting and post-harvesting prior to delivery.
How to Identify GAP Certified Produce?
SG GAP-certified farms are awarded the two-star SG GAP certification mark. This certification mark is a mark of quality assurance, and farmers can use it to distinguish their produces from others in the market.
Retailers and importers will also have the option to source quality produce from SG GAP-certified farms.
Product traceability, a feature of the certification system, further assures consumers that the produces is from reliable sources.
Love Seafood, Love the Sea.
“On a typical day, I try to look at two things—What the market wants, and what we can do better. Even simple things like drivers delivering the wrong product can be fixed with the right system in place.”
Malcolm Ong
CEO Of THE FISH FARMERLearn more about Malcolm and what inspired him to get his feet wet in the aquaculture industry.
The Fish Farmer’s Team
Marc Chung
Operations Executive
In charge of inventory, liaising with suppliers, vendors and customers to ensure smooth running of operations.
Malcolm Ong
Company CEO
Expanding the business through networks, establishing standards and policies for the entire company.
