News

Blue whale population in Lankan waters shows rapid decline

Published

8 months ago

2025/05/2

Whale-watching tours, when done irresponsibly, can cause stress to these gentle giants. (Mongabay Pic)

The blue whale population that has lived for many years in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka, has shown a rapid decline in their sightings in recent years, said a report published by the Mongabay yesterday.

“With multiple pressures on these massive creatures — from ship traffic on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, to disturbance from whale tourism, pollution and surface sea temperature rise and climate change — there are several possible factors for the disappearance of the whales,” it said.

For decades, the North Indian Ocean has been known to have its own distinct population of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). They have their own vocalisation or dialect, distinct from other blue whale populations. They also spend all year in warm waters, unlike most other blue whales, who migrate to feed in cold waters and breed in warmer seas, says Asha de Vos, a marine biologist and founder of Oceanswell, a marine conservation research and education center in Sri Lanka.

De Vos told Mongabay that the North Indian Ocean blue whales are “grazers not gorgers,” feeding throughout the year. The coasts of Sri Lanka, and particularly the southwest coast between Galle and Dondra, has long been a hotspot for this resident population.

Ranil Nanayakkara is a conservation biologist specialising in terrestrial and marine mammals and founder of Biodiversity Education and Research (BEAR). Both de Vos and Nanayakkara have studied these whales the year around — feeding, mothers nursing calves, and courtship behaviour — the whole life cycle playing out within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the Sri Lankan coast.

Deep waters close to the coast and upwelling currents from sea canyons have created conditions supporting phytoplankton, and in turn, zooplankton and shrimp, the ocean’s tiniest creatures that sustain its biggest. “In terms of weight it could eat a fully grown African elephant every day,” author and biologist Mark Carwardine wrote of Sri Lanka’s blue whales in his On the Trail of the Whale.

However, it’s not easy to estimate blue whale numbers around Sri Lanka with certainty. A 2023 study by Upul Liyanage from the Sri Lankan National Aquatic Resources and Research Development Agency (NARA) and others noted 729 blue whale sightings, with many of the same whales likely observed multiple times. Nanayakkara’s research has identified 81 different blue whales from their distinctive tail fluke patterns. Meanwhile, Oceanswell is carrying out a database analysis.

The population and consistency of blue whales has given birth to a thriving whale-watching industry in the eastern city of Trincomalee, Kalpitiya in the northwest, and, most prominently, in Mirissa, in the south. One published study estimated nearly 80,000 visitors to Sri Lanka take whale-watching trips each year. Blue whales used to be abundant enough that some operators guaranteed a sighting or offered a free additional trip if there wasn’t one.

Oceanswell and BEAR have both conducted surveys on sightings at sea and spoken with whale-watching operators and fishermen, who agree that whale numbers are in decline.

“The reduction in numbers has been going on for a while,” de Vos told Mongabay. “We have seen dwindling numbers of blue whales in the last few years, not just 2024.”

Nanayakkara added that since 2018, “we observe a decline in blue whale sightings. In 2024, we saw one in the northwest, zero in the eastern coast and three off Mirissa, a total of four sightings this season. Even hydrophones haven’t been picking up the sounds from blue whales.” Compared to the reported 729 blue whale observations from 2015, this marks a dramatic decline.

Liyanage said NARA, the government’s marine research agency, is paying close attention to the trend. In 2024, it carried out a transect study that indicated a decline of more than 90%. More research is planned, he told Mongabay, adding that this year, “the scientific research vessel Fridtjof Nansen” — operated by the Norwegian government — “will undertake a comprehensive coastal study of marine mammal abundance and water quality parameters including plankton, chlorophyll and sea temperatures and there will also be short term surveys focusing on the hotspot between Dondra Head to Galle.”

All News Advertisement

News

Noritake Company Limited donates Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme

Published

3 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

Noritake Company Limited of Japan has donated Rs. 20 million to the Government’s disaster relief programme.

The cheque was presented to Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya by the Managing Director of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Kenji Obara, at the Parliament Complex on 18 December.

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne, Director and General Manager of Noritake Lanka Porcelain (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sujatha Egodagedara, and Assistant General Manager Captain M. M. Athula Rohan Senarath also participated in the event.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division].

Latest News

GovPay Concludes 2025 with Rs. 2 Billion in digital transactions, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital transformation

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

GovPay, Sri Lanka’s Government Digital Payment Platform concluded the year 2025 by surpassing Rs. 2 billion in total digital transaction value, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. Notably, GovPay doubled its collections from Rs. 1 billion to Rs. 2 billion in just 45 days, reflecting rapid adoption, growing public trust, and strong institutional uptake across the public sector.

Since its official launch on 07 February 2025, GovPay has processed over 69,000 digital transactions, enabling payments for 3,372 government services across 215 government institutions. This accelerated growth underscores the increasing reliance on secure, convenient, and transparent digital payment mechanisms by both citizens and government institutions.

Implemented under the strategic leadership of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) in collaboration with LankaPay, GovPay has emerged as a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s national digital public infrastructure. The platform plays a critical role in advancing financial inclusion, improving service efficiency, and strengthening transparency in public service delivery.

A key milestone in 2025 was the launch of the Online Traffic Fine Payment System through GovPay on 10 April 2025. Since its introduction, the system has facilitated over 50,000 digital traffic fine payments, generating more than Rs. 66 million in revenue. The service is currently operational across the Western, Southern, Northern, North Western, and North Central Provinces, including the Southern, Katunayake, and Central Expressways. While the island wide rollout planned for December 2025 was postponed due to adverse weather conditions and disaster-related challenges, ICTA, in coordination with the Sri Lanka Police and with the support of LankaPay, has agreed to complete the nationwide rollout in January 2026, with a landmark launch in the Central Province.

GovPay has continued to expand its reach across local authorities, including Divisional Secretariats, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, significantly enhancing access to government services in citizens’ day-to-day activities. The platform has enabled digital transactions for all local authorities in the Northern Province and all Divisional Secretariats in the Southern Province, with a national target to digitize all local authorities by 2026.

Institutions such as Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Technical Education and Training, the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board emerged as some of the highest contributors to GovPay in 2025. Strong adoption by the education sector in particular highlights the readiness of younger generations to embrace digital transformation and demonstrates the platform’s scalability and reliability.

Beyond routine government services, GovPay also supported national disaster response efforts. Since 30 November 2025, the platform facilitated digital donations to the Rebuild Sri Lanka Disaster Relief Fund, collecting almost Rs. 14 million across 909 transactions, including contributions from Sri Lankans living abroad, ensuring transparency and ease of contribution during a national emergency.

As GovPay continues to grow, ICTA is working on revamping www.govpay.lk with enhanced features to support institutional onboarding, service management, and reporting capabilities. With Rs. 2 billion in digital collections achieved within its first year of operation and the last Rs. 1 billion reached in just 45 days, GovPay stands as a strong testament to the impact of coordinated digital transformation, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s vision of achieving a USD 15 billion digital economy by 2030.

News

Swift restoration of Religious, Cultural and Archaeological sites damaged by the disaster

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/19

Priyan

A discussion on the restoration of religious, cultural and archaeological sites affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held on Thursday (18) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, with the participation of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the three Chapters and other religious leaders.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister stated that more than one thousand religious, cultural and archaeological sites across the country had sustained damage due to the disaster. He assured that prompt measures would be taken to commence restoration work and reinstate these sites to their original condition without delay.

The Minister further stated that all restoration work is expected to be carried out while preserving the historical and cultural authenticity of the sites, under the guidance of the Most Venerable Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Prince Senadheera, noted that arrangements are currently underway to mobilize the required human resources and financial assistance for the restoration process. He also stated that steps have been initiated to recruit the necessary technical officers on a contractual basis to conduct technical assessments of the affected sites. In addition, plans are in place to involve officials of the Ministry as well as officers of its affiliated institutions in carrying out these restoration activities.

The Secretary to the Ministry further stated that generous financial contributions from donors are currently being received to the fund established under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs for the reconstruction of damaged religious places of worship.

The meeting also considered continuing the gathering as an interfaith committee to oversee the restoration activities. Accordingly, it was agreed that the progress of construction work would be regularly reported to the committee and that the committee would be entrusted with mobilizing support for the fund in a transparent manner, including assistance from foreign donors, international organizations, Buddhist organizations and other religious institutions.

It was noted that the Central Cultural Fund has identified eight sites that were severely damaged by the disaster and are difficult to restore through conventional construction methods, requiring the specialized expertise of archaeologists, mural conservation specialists, and architects. The cost of restoring these sites has been estimated at over Rs. 500 million.

It was further decided that the committee would meet once a month to review and discuss the progress of these restoration activities.

Religious leaders commended the Government’s intervention in providing relief to those affected by the disaster and in restoring livelihoods, expressing appreciation for the effective management of the response. They also praised the Government’s prompt action in initiating restoration work at damaged religious sites.

The event was attended by several eminent religious leaders, including the Registrar of the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Venerable Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Nayaka Thero; the Registrar General of the Amarapura Siri Saddhammawansa Maha Nikaya, Venerable Balapitiye Siri Seevali Nayaka Thero; the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, Venerable Attangane Sasanarathana Nayaka Thero; the Chief Secretary of the All-Ceylon Shasanarakshaka Board, Venerable Professor Mugunuwela Anuruddha Nayaka Thero; and the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, led by the Chairman of the National Bhikkhu Front, Venerable Wakamulle Uditha Thero.

Also in attendance were Hindu religious leaders, including Venerable Swami Aksharatmananda, representatives of the Catholic Church and the National Christian Council, including Father Alec Roy Samantha Fernando, All-Ceylon Muslim religious leaders, including the General Secretary of the Jamiatul Ulama Organization, Ash-Sheikh Arkam Nooramith, Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Muneer , as well as senior officials of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and relevant line institutions.