Entering Jenal Jetty Near Yishun Dam - Said to be the Last Fishing Village in Singapore @ Lower Seletar Reservoir

Frequent visitors to Yishun Dam would find it extremely hard not to notice the rickety-looking piers floating on water beyond the dam. Some of you might have read about them on the newspapers; illegal jetties built without permission on state land.

A compromise was eventually reached and the jetties shall remain as they are until further notice. There are supposed to be additional terms and conditions, which i could not recollect at this point.

No matter what, i am very blessed to have an uncle who knows the people in one of the jetties and i was therefore allowed entry to check the place out!

It has a rustic village feel to it and i could almost imagine myself back to my childhood days when i was living in the kampong and enjoying that carefree lifestyle, except for the rare occasion when i stopped on dog shit.

Said to be the last fishing village in Singapore; i believe most people would agree based on the appearance although deeper down, these jetties are essentially business operatives where rent was collected from those who docked their boats there. Some history about this place can be read here.

I hate low tide as you can see a lot of rubbish on the exposed seabed and the decomposed smell was a constant torment for my sensitive nostrils! 

Ever wonder the need for these wooden frames? They were definitely not to protect one against the rain or the sun. Their purpose was to guard one against the dark; very rudimentary lamp posts. 

An abandoned boat! 

If you have mischievous and hyperactive children, never ever bring them here. The fences stretched only 20-30 meters away from land and the wooden planks that made up the floor had holes big enough to have their legs half way through.

Owners of these boats are mainly retirees who enjoy fishing and the low rent charged at these jetties help in the affordability to pursue their hobby. 

Enjoying fishing does not equate to enjoy eating their catch. Hence, this is one good place to get fresh seafood at prices cheaper than your usual wet market. The catch (pun not intended) is how you can gain entry into the premises. 

Hazy view of the Johor Strait.

See the island in the picture? That's Seletar Island which is totally inaccessible unless you have a boat. A wakeboarding school frequently conducts sessions around its water; click here if you are interested. 

Besides Jenal jetty, there are two parallel jetties managed under different operators.

I am unsure how long the arrangement with the authority (to keep the jetties) is going to last as the surrounding area is undergoing a lot of development; the aerospace hub, expansion of Seletar airport, a direct road connection to Punggol, expansion of road lanes etc. 

Looking back from the end of the jetty - how long do you think it stretches? Two to three hundred meters? 

This sheltered spot was the waiting area for delivery of fresh seafood! Unfortunately, i had an appointment at noon and could not wait for the boats to return with live and flipping spoils! :(

Nevertheless, it served a secondary purpose as a shade provider for my mom and female relatives while i took photographs in a slow and relaxed mood. 

Bags of fishing nets! Do you know it is a great hassle to maintain and keep the nets in tip top position? That's why i have always insisted i don't mind eating fish yet you would never see me catching a fish; watching a thought provoking movie is more therapeutic than waiting aimlessly for a fish to bite the bait! 

Polluted air!!!! There's nothing we can do about it since the power station is located in Malaysia territory. Don't underestimate its power; the occasional burning flare can be seen even from my block. 

Time to walk back.

A fisherman had returned with baskets of shellfish!! We didn't purchase any since i have never eaten this kind before. Anyone has any idea what type of shellfish these belong to?

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As mentioned before; no entry to its premises.

And please be careful of crocs!!!

Location Map

As above.