An Australian sea captain has said that his yacht is detained in Sri Lanka for six years, in what he describes as a “bureaucratic Catch-22” involving the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation (CFHC).

According to a statement issued by the affected party, Captain Paul Saliba’s vessel, Sea Wolf, arrived in Sri Lanka on 3 March, 2020, enroute to Europe. Mechanical failure shortly after departure coincided with the global outbreak of COVID-19, leaving the vessel stranded.

The text of the statement: “Captain Saliba was directed by the Australian Government to return home in April 2020 and entered hotel quarantine in Sydney. During his absence, Sea Wolf was placed on the hardstand at Walkers Shipyard in Colombo. The yard subsequently went bankrupt during the pandemic.

Since returning in September 2022, Captain Saliba has made seven trips to Sri Lanka in attempts to relaunch the yacht. He was repeatedly informed that the shipyard’s shiplift was inoperable and that no qualified operator was available.

In May, 2025, written permission to launch was granted. However, police allegedly intervened and attempted to arrest the operator engaged to run the lift, halting the process.

On 16 February, 2026, the Presidential Secretariat summoned CFHC officials and instructed that the vessel be allowed to depart without port charges, with launch fees to be deducted from a US$5,000 security deposit paid in 2020. At the subsequent CFHC board meeting on 26 February, 2026, no decision was recorded.

Captain Saliba says he has contacted the office of his local member of Parliament, Tanya Plibersek, and sought assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Efforts to file a local police report in Colombo were unsuccessful.

“I cannot walk away because fees will keep mounting,” Captain Saliba said. “I cannot leave because they won’t put my boat in the water. It’s the worst kind of Catch-22.”

Captain Saliba is now calling for international media attention, hoping public scrutiny will resolve, what he describes as, an unjust and protracted detention of private property.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued landslide  early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Monaragala effective untill 2100hrs on 12th May 2026.

Accordingly,

Level II landslide early warnings have been issued to the divisional secretaries division and surrounding areas of  Passara in the Badulla district.

Level I landslide early warnings  have been issued to the divisional secretaries divisions and surrounding areas of Bandarawela in the Badulla district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Pasbage Korale,  Akurana,  Gangawata Korale,  Panvila,  Yatinuwara,  Ganga Ihala Korale,  Doluwa and  Udapalatha in the Kandy district, Mawanella,  Bulathkohupitiya,  Yatiyanthota,  Aranayaka,  Kegalle and  Rambukkana in the Kegalle district, Rideegama in the Kurunegala district, Rattota, Naula and Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district and Badalkumbura and Wellawaya in the Monaragala district.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around the next 36 hours. Therefore, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in most parts of the island and Cloudy skies are expected, under the influence of the aforementioned system. Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.