NEA to pilot weekly ferry services for ash scattering at sea from second half of 2027

SINGAPORE – Families who wish to scatter their loved ones’ ashes at sea will have a new option from the second half of 2027, when the National Environment Agency (NEA) launches a new two-year pilot ferry service.

The service will run weekly from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal under an operator appointed by NEA, and take multiple groups on a single vessel.

Each application will cost $50, covering up to six family members on the boat, NEA told The Straits Times in response to queries.

NEA said in a media release on Oct 12 that the pilot is in response to the growing demand for ash scattering as the number of cremations rises. About 82 per cent of those who die in Singapore are cremated.

The agency said the service aims to be a more affordable way to scatter ashes at sea. Inland ash scattering at NEA’s two gardens costs $320.

During the two-year pilot, NEA will monitor uptake and gather feedback to assess the long-term viability of the service.

More details, including the scattering site, booking arrangements and procedures, will be released ahead of the start of operations in 2027.

Chew Ming Fai, deputy chief executive officer and director-general of public health at NEA, said: “This pilot will make the scattering of ashes at sea more accessible, while allowing us to better understand demand and shape the service to meet their needs.”

In a parliamentary reply on Oct 7, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the scattering of ashes at sea is currently offered by funeral service providers at a designated site about 3.2 km east of Raffles Lighthouse.

She added that NEA currently does not track the take-up rates of sea scattering, but is exploring ways to encourage sea scattering.

Apart from sea scattering, families can also keep ashes in a niche at a columbarium or at home, or scatter them at inland facilities.

Since inland ash scattering was introduced in 2021, take-up has grown steadily.

The proportion of cremations followed by ash scattering at inland facilities rose from about 7 per cent in 2022, the first full year of operation, to about 12 per cent in 2025.

The first inland facility, the Garden of Peace at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, opened in May 2021. NEA told ST in 2025 that the number of people whose ashes had been scattered there rose from about 900 in 2021, a partial year, to more than 2,300 in 2024.

A second facility, the Garden of Serenity, opened at Mandai North Crematorium in August 2025.

A study by the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore found that about 42% of respondents preferred ash scattering as a post-death arrangement. Of this group, about 27% preferred sea scattering and 15% preferred inland scattering.

The study, conducted from 2023 to 2024, involved about 3,000 participants aged 21 and older.

Demand for after-death services is expected to grow as the population ages, NEA said. Annual deaths are projected to rise from about 26,500 in 2025 to around 40,000 by 2040.

The agency has been expanding capacity at government-managed facilities, including the opening of Mandai North Crematorium.