Our Sustainable City: 5 minutes with ACE Fish Market’s Leow Ban Tat

We go from land to sea this week to speak to Leow Ban Tat who launched ACE Fish Market, which supplies chemical- and vaccine-free fish from the Eco-Ark®, ACE’s floating containment farm. He farm uses high-tech fish farming methods which eliminates use of chemicals and increases the yield of fish stock. What this means is fresh, natural fish that is always available year-round. The impact on the environment is significant too, with operations that eliminate water pollution and maximises green energy. We find out more.

How does ACE elevate the standard of fish farming in the industry?

“ACE is Singapore’s, and in fact, the world’s first integrated floating closed-containment fish farm. Currently, older methods of farming in the open sea are subject to harmful, toxic algae blooms and marine pollution as well as climatic change. However, our close containment method works with Mother Nature to ensure that we are energy-saving and environmentally friendly to our oceans – while producing high quality fish.

“Eco-Ark® (our patented Closed Containment Floating Farm, where we raise and harvest our fish) with its innovative flow through closed-containment, provides game-changing technology to grow fish in conditions similar to that of a clean ocean environment – without micro-plastic, plankton, bacteria, viruses and all its diseases, so our fish have an oceanic fresh taste, which is starkly different from the fish harvested from net cage farms. We farm our fish in ozonated water to prevent our fish from getting sick and at the same time, treat the discharge water responsibly before returning clean water to the ocean. In short, we are able to champion long-term environmental sustainability.

“As we embrace high-tech aquaculture farming methods, we are also able to keep our fish at an affordable price, so that our customers are able to enjoy nutritious, healthy fish at great value.”

How does this impact the quality of the fish in terms of taste and texture?

“We are well-aware that our customers want to enjoy their meals and that it is important to know what goes into our bodies. ACE fish are all-natural, and without vaccines and chemicals so our customers can have the assurance that they are eating the highest-quality fish.

“In terms of taste, we strictly monitor and make sure that Eco-Ark® maintains optimal conditions at all times, so that our fish grow in optimum conditions similar to that of a clean, deep seawater ocean environment. This means that our fish are free of the muddy taste that many naturally caught fish possess. We have also received many satisfied reviews from our customers – no muddy taste, only firm, fresh fish meat.”

As a B2B supplier, how does ACE appeal to the demands of chefs?

“Restaurants, like us, would want to give the freshest fish to their customers. But not all fish are created equal – we are offering sustainable fish that are all natural with no antibiotics, vaccines or chemicals. In short, we are able to provide our top chefs with nutritious fresh fish, which are rich in health benefits.

“Currently, there is demand for high-value and locally produced fish like grouper and barramundi at top restaurants and hotels in Singapore. Some chefs have difficulty sourcing for high quality seafood in Singapore that comes from a traceable, known source. This is where ACE comes in to plug the gap because we farm our fish sustainably. We also provide traceability for our customers so that they know where their fish have been – from farm to table. ACE fish are harvested directly from our Eco-Ark® and taken to the post-harvest upper deck, then straight to the processing facility for blast freezing, then our warehouse.

“ACE also has a great local advantage in that our fish are chilled fresh and can be delivered directly from our farm on the same day, hence providing top chefs with quality ingredients to make delicious dishes to satisfy their customers. Whereas with imported fish, it may be difficult to ensure that the fish are kept fresh. In Singapore, most of the fish we consume is imported (90%), which leaves us vulnerable to disrupted supply chains or fluctuating prices in times of crisis. At ACE, we are able to produce high-quality fish locally, so our chefs can continue to rely on our supply of fish even in rough, difficult times such as now.”

*To order, log on to www.ace-fishmarket.com