News
Ghost nets entangling turtles, marine life in Lanka’s waters
In Sri Lankan waters, there’s a growing problem of ghost nets that are entangling sea turtles, fish, dolphins and seabirds, reports Mongabay.
“Ghost nets” are fishing gear that have either been abandoned, lost or discarded into the sea. As these drift with the ocean currents, they continue to trap marine animals — or “ghost fish.”
“These lost fishing gear kill scores of marine species and remains a specific problem for marine turtles,” said Thushan Kapurusinghe, project lead of the Turtle Conservation Project of Sri Lanka.
Charith Dilshan, project manager of the Galbokka Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center in Kosgoda, southern Sri Lanka, told Rodrigo they find at least 30 turtles entangled in ghost nets along their stretch of beach each year.
Turtles aside, ghost nets have also been observed entangling fish, dolphins and seabirds in Sri Lankan waters. In fact, ghost fishing can trigger chain reactions, Rodrigo writes. Small fish caught in the drifting gear can attract larger predators such as turtles and dolphins, which then become entangled themselves. “That’s why we call them ‘floating cemeteries,’” Kapurusinghe said.
Dilshan said some ghost nets found in Sri Lankan waters were likely lost or discarded elsewhere. Research suggests the problem of ghost nets can indeed be a transboundary one, with fishing gear abandoned or lost in one country’s waters drifting into those of another’s.
A 2019 study, which focused on the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, for example, documented 752 ghost nets that had entangled 131 turtles over a 51-month period. The researchers estimated that the same ghost nets could have ensnared between 3,400 and 12,200 turtles across the Indian Ocean before they were detected in the Maldives.
However, Sri Lanka also contributes significantly to the problem.
A pilot study published in 2023, for instance, surveyed 325 vessels and estimated they’d lost nearly 22,600 kilograms (about 50,000 pounds) of plastic fishing gear to the sea. The actual figure is likely to be much higher since there are more than 50,000 registered fishing vessels across the country, said Gayathri Lokuge of the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), who co-authored the study.
Lokuge and her colleagues identified gill nets as the most frequently lost gear, followed by lines and hooks. Interviews with fishers revealed that poor weather and ocean conditions are the leading causes for losing or discarding fishing gear. Poor port waste management and limited recycling infrastructure add to the problem, Lokuge said.
The Mongabay said that ghost nets washed ashore are now a common sight across Sri Lanka’s beaches. A survey of 22 beaches found that fishing gear made up 20% of marine debris.
A meeting between the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and the French Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Rémi Lambert, was held on Tuesday (09) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the discussion, the French Ambassador assured the Secretary to the President that the French Development Agency would extend its support to the Government’s programme for providing relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah and for rebuilding Sri Lanka. He further stated that steps are being taken to dispatch a team of experts to the country in the near future.
The Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy, was also present on this occasion.
India has strengthened its humanitarian support to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, providing critical air assets, emergency supplies, engineering equipment and medical aid to bolster national rescue and recovery operations.
India dispatched an additional MI-17 helicopter to assist the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in ongoing air rescue missions on Tuesday (09). Two MI-17 V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force had been operating in Sri Lanka from 29 November, conducting around 90 sorties, rescuing approximately 270 survivors, airlifting about 50 tonnes of relief material to inaccessible areas and relief camps and deploying 57 Sri Lankan troops to cut-off locations.
Having completed their flying hours, the two helicopters returned to India on Sunday (08) for mandatory maintenance and a fresh MI-17 aircraft arrived at Katunayake Airport to continue operations alongside the SLAF.
The aviation support comes alongside major maritime assistance. The Indian naval vessel INS Gharial arrived at the Port of Trincomalee on Sunday (08) carrying a 700-tonne humanitarian shipment, marking India’s fifth naval relief consignment to Sri Lanka, apart from 10 aircrafts and 5 helicopters, which have contributed towards rescues and relief operations, since the cyclone.
The shipment included essential food supplies such as pulses, sugar and milk powder, as well as bed sheets, towels, sarees, dhotis and tarpaulins for families displaced by flooding and landslides. The emergency aid is being directed to the hardest-hit districts through local relief agencies.
In a further show of engineering support, India has also handed over a 63-ton Bailey bridge and a consignment of essential medicines to Sri Lankan authorities to restore connectivity and meet urgent medical needs in affected communities.
The cargo was received by General Chaminda Wijerathne of the Sri Lanka Army Headquarters, Sunil Jayaweera, former Director Preparedness of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), now volunteering in the response and Shan Pathirana, Deputy Director of the DMC Awareness Division.
The handover was facilitated by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
These coordinated air, sea and engineering initiatives underscore India’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka during its national emergency response and long-term recovery. The assistance forms part of India’s broader partnership to restore essential services, reconnect isolated communities and provide relief to thousands affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
In a significant gesture of solidarity and support, a relief cargo from the United Arab Emirates has been officially received in Sri Lanka.
The cargo was accepted by key representatives from the Middle East Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Ms. Ishara De Silva and Ms. Sajeeda Rasheed, both serving as Assistant Directors.
Joining them were Sunil Jayaweera, a former Director of Preparedness at the Disaster Management Center (DMC), who has returned to volunteer after retirement and . Shan Pathirana, Deputy Director of the Awareness Division at DMC.
The cargo was presented by the Deputy Head of Mission, representing the UAE, highlighting the strong ties and commitment to humanitarian aid between the two nations.
French Ambassador pledges support for relief efforts
India extends multi-front support to Sri Lanka’s cyclone relief efforts
Relief Cargo from the UAE arrives in Sri Lanka
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UN pledges US$4.5 mn for post-Ditwah relief
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