Speech by MOS Alvin Tan at the Asia Dive Expo 2026

Introduction

Good afternoon, and welcome to the 32nd edition of ADEX.

Thirty-two years is a big milestone, and many of you here are part of a a very thriving diving community, and we welcome you to Singapore and to the many other wonderful diving sites all around Southeast Asia. ADEX has grown into Asia's largest and longest-running dive expo, welcoming over 20,000 visitors over the next three days. But what brings everybody here together is not just tourism officials, people who love diving, but the whole community. It's a deep passion for our oceans.

Today I'll speak about three things very quickly: why our oceans are important, what we are doing, and how ADEX is contributing to these efforts.

Needless to say, many of you know why our oceans are important. Singapore may be one of the smallest nations, but we are also at the gateway of the Coral Triangle - one of the most biodiverse regions in marine life. Our oceans also sustain ecosystems, livelihoods and communities, yet they are under increasing pressures from climate change and human activity. At the same time, as we have learnt over time, oceans are incredibly resilient and if we do the right things, we can help them to recover. From the smallest reef species to the largest whales, every part of this precious ecosystem helps keep our oceans in balance.

Reopening of Diving Activities at Sisters' Island Marine Park

So it brings me to my next point - what are we doing to safeguard and protect our oceans? We are strengthening our efforts to protect and restore our marine environment.

Last month in Parliament, I shared that we will formally designate a second marine park later this year, and we will invest $60M in a new marine science research centre of excellence. All of these are small but important steps for us to take to strengthen our Nature Conservation Masterplan.

We also continue to work closely with the diving community - many of you, who are avid divers.
In that spirit, I am pleased to announce that in consultation with dive operators, NParks intends to reopen diving activities within Sisters' Islands Marine Park later this year. So thank you to the NParks community for doing so. Many of you may have remembered that diving was paused in November 2021 to facilitate enhancement. With this reopening that I have just announced, divers can once again explore these waters with approved operators.

But more importantly, beyond that, this is about deepening our connection to the marine environment so that we can better understand, cherish, and protect our big blue. We will share more on our NParks website in due time..

What ADEX is doing

Finally, what is ADEX doing, and why is ADEX so important in working together with our community and the Government to safeguard our big blue. This year's theme, "The Blue Revolution: Reduce, Innovate, Reuse", is very timely - because it reflects the practical actions we must take, to reduce our footprint, innovate solutions, and chart a more sustainable path forward.

So I'm encouraged by this year's initiatives - The inaugural Blue Legacy Awards honours recognises those of you who have been making waves in marine conservation, with Ocean Academy extending the outreach beyond the diving community to include our youth, our next generation. These efforts help nurture a new generation of ocean stewards.

And this year, we are focusing on the Humphead Wrasse, an endangered species growing over two metres long, which plays animportant part in safeguarding coral reef health., But the Humphead Wrasse actually faces a serious threat from overfishing.

To protect it and other marine species, we must work closely across government, industry, researchers and our diving community. We must work closely, and that is why Governments, tourism officials, the diving community, researchers are all here today - all of you play an important role and platforms like ADEX bring all these different partners together. Because we have a strong community of student volunteers, partnerships with conservation groups and support from tourism boards all over Southeast Asia, like a reef that is built over time.

Conclusion

So please continue to safeguard this very precious resource, and together, let us turn the tide. Let us build a more sustainable future for our oceans.

Thank you, and I wish you a fruitful ADEX 2026.