News
Over 200 endangered tortoises labelled as ‘seafood’ seized
Live tortoises, stuffed inside cloth sacks and packed in six boxes labelled as “dried seafood”, were being smuggled out to Kuala Lumpur
Customs officers have seized 206 live star tortoises listed as an endangered species while they were being smuggled to Malaysia in boxes labelled as ‘dried seafood’.
The Biodiversity, Cultural and National Heritage Protection Division of Sri Lanka customs seized the live tortoises at the Air Cargo Exports Terminal of the Colombo international airport (BIA) on Saturday, Customs sources said.According to the Customs officials, it was the largest seizure, since mid-2015, when a bid to smuggle 124 tortoises was foiled.
Lankan star tortoises were the same species (Geochelone elegans) as those found in India and Pakistan but have a specific geographic identity, customs officials said.
“It is one of the most beautiful tortoise species found in the world and due to the same reason they have been highly sought after in the illegal pet trade, especially in the South East Asian countries,” they said.
“As a result, the species has become threatened with extinction and included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of species and also in Appendix I of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” the officials added.
They said that according to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (section 40), any attempt to export any mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, coral or invertebrate, eggs, among others, without the permission of the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department is an offence and also simultaneously violates the Customs Ordinance.
Prime Munister Dr Harini Amarasuriya returned to the island this (23rd) morning after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,
The Sri Lanka Navy successfully conducted a diving operation on 19 Jan 26 to inspect and restore the sluice gate of the Bomburuella Reservoir.
Acting on a request from the Department of Irrigation, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed a specialized diving team from the Western Naval Command, for the urgent requirement.
Through concerted effort, the Navy divers successfully cleared accumulated debris, including a significant quantity of wooden fragments, which had impeded the sluice gate mechanism.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya held a series of high-level bilateral meetings on Wednesday [January 21] on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, engaging with representatives of the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, and the global private sector.
The Prime Minister met with Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. During the meeting, she expressed Sri Lanka’s appreciation for the support extended by the European Union and its member states following Cyclone Ditwa. The Prime Minister also briefed the Commissioner on the key findings of the World Bank’s GRADE report and requested continued EU support for Sri Lanka’s development and recovery efforts.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Alexander De Croo, representing the United Nations Development Programme. She expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership between Sri Lanka and the United Nations and acknowledged the UN’s support in flood relief and livelihood assistance. The Prime Minister noted that, following the mandate received at the parliamentary election, the government is focused on meeting public expectations through national rebuilding grounded in public trust and good governance. She further reaffirmed the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening social protection systems and safeguarding vulnerable communities.
In addition, the Prime Minister met with Robert M. Uggla, Chairman of A.P. Moller Holding. The discussion focused on engagement with the private sector and potential areas of collaboration.
These meetings reflected Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with international partners and global stakeholders to support recovery, development, and long-term economic stability.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
PM returns to the island
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