Written answer by Ministry of National Development on crow shooting operations

Question No.: 1722, 1748
Question by: Dr Charlene Chen, Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh

To ask the Minister for National Development in respect of the resumption of shooting operations to mitigate crow-related disamenities (a) what is the expected timeline for implementation; (b) what operational constraints affect rollout; and (c) how interim hotspot management is calibrated to protect residents, especially children and seniors while balancing safety and ecological considerations.

To ask the Minister for National Development in respect of the resumption of crow shooting operations (a) what are the criteria that will determine when and where shooting is deployed; (b) how are officers selected, trained and certified and what safety protocols will apply; (c) how effective is shooting relative to other methods; and (d) what frequency of operations is expected to achieve sustained reduction of crow population.

Answer:

As announced by the Minister for National Development on 23 Feb 2026, NParks will resume crow shooting operations progressively from the second half of March 2026.

NParks has worked with MHA and SPF to develop strict shooting protocols to reduce potential safety risks. These include ensuring that the shooting trajectory of the shotgun pellets is always directed upwards, cordoning off the shooting zone with signs, and deploying additional personnel to manage public access and restrict movement during operations. All shooting operations will be conducted by licensed wildlife management contractors who are certified in the handling of firearms, and carefully overseen by appointed personnel to ensure full compliance with the safety controls.

Sites will be prioritised based on several factors including the volume of public feedback regarding crow-related issues and the technical feasibility of conducting safe shooting operations at each location. The progressive rollout of crow shooting operations will allow NParks to refine safety protocols and finetune risk mitigation measures before scaling up its operations.

The resumption of crow shooting operations is one component of NParks' holistic pest bird management strategy. It will complement existing crow management efforts such as direct population control through crow trapping and removal, as well as crow nest removal.

Ultimately, we need everyone to work together. Do not feed the crows and pigeons. Keep our environment clean. These small steps will help keep our estates liveable for everyone.