Off the Coast of Singapore: Shadows Created in the Jungle of Maritime Traffic: Sea and Oil during Asia's Rapid Economic Growth (1980s-1990s)

Off the Coast of Singapore: Shadows Created in the Jungle of Maritime Traffic: Sea and Oil during Asia's Rapid Economic Growth (1980s-1990s)
Located at the junction of the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, the waters off Singapore are one of the world's largest maritime transportation hubs, and during the period of Asian economic growth from the 1980s to the 1990s, it became a highway of the sea, with several hundred ships passing through it each day. The volume of tankers, LNG carriers, and container vessels that traveled through the area increased rapidly with the expansion of oil demand and industrialization, and the congestion itself became a structural problem that increased the risk of accidents. Poor visibility and even the slightest maneuvering error could easily result in a collision, and spills occurred frequently.

The Singaporean government received international acclaim for its rapid recovery operations using advanced port facilities and well-trained workers, but the faster the recovery, the more the overcrowding in the area emerged as the essential problem. The environmental damage was not limited to the sea, as the oil slick could affect mangrove forests and coastal aquaculture.

The background to this was the rapid shift of maritime logistics eastward due to the rapid growth of Asia. At that time, route management systems were not as sophisticated as they are today, and many old, under-maintained, and flag-of-convenience (FOC) vessels were in service, leading to inconsistent inspection standards that resulted in inconsistent safety. Under these circumstances, the number of accidents increased. In the 1990s, the reorganization of the separation of shipping lanes (TSS), the strengthening of radar networks, and the development of port supervision systems were implemented, but the overcrowding of the sea area was not resolved and accidents continued to occur. Web-based records show pictures of oil on mangroves and images of oil fences being deployed, showing the reality of the environmental burden of Asia's oceans.