Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 20 -- Ministry of Defence and Urban Development issued the following news release:
Taking a decisive step toward safeguarding Sri Lanka's maritime heritage, a high level discussion was held on18 May at the Ministry of Environment. Jointly chaired by Deputy Minister of Environment Mr. Anton Jayakody and Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), the meeting focused on the urgent need to prevent environmental pollution and protect the coastal waters around the northern seas and their adjacent islands.
The discussion placed a strong emphasis on declining environmental threats and identifying Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the northern region. Officials emphasized that protecting this marine zone is crucial for conserving biodiversity, securing the livelihoods of local fishing communities, and enhancing Sri Lanka's strategic maritime profile on the global stage. Primary attention was drawn to the severe ecological destruction caused by Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Deputy Ministers stressed the grave threats these unlawful activities pose to both marine biodiversity and the economic stability of local fishermen, stressing the immediate need for comprehensive surveillance and stricter enforcement mechanisms. Furthermore, extensive discussions took place on how to divest a strategic destructive fishing practices such as blast fishing, unauthorized spearfishing, and the use of banned fishing gear which inflict irreversible damage on fragile coral reef ecosystems and endangered fish species.
The meeting also addressed infrastructure and governance gaps within fishing harbours, identifying the lack of proper management and formal regulatory mechanism as key vulnerabilities. As a progressive step forward, suitable islands and surrounding marine zones in the Northern Province have been identified as Marine Protected Areas.
Moreover, during this discussion, it was proposed to establish a working group comprising experts from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Justice to implement a joint mechanism for protecting the country's coastal and marine resources, with the Ministry of Environment taking the lead in this initiative.
This conservation initiative marks yet another milestone in the country's ongoing journey toward achieving a sustainable biosphere and an evergreen future.
The event was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, the Commander of the Navy, the Additional Secretary (Civil Security & Development) of the Ministry of Defence, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, the Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), the Director General of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, and the Conservator General of Forests. In addition, senior ecologists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and senior officials from the SL Navy, SL Coast Guard, SL Police, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Fisheries participated.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
