News
Controversy over plan to bring Bisons from India
By Ifham Nizam
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India and a Sri Lankan biodiversity scientist as well as a public policy advisor, are working to import six Bisons from India without permission from the Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) alleged.
CEJ Director and Chief Advisor Hemantha Withanage yesterday said that senior officials of the Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation had denied giving permission for the project.
“The Department of Wildlife Conservation states that these animals are found in the central region of India and there are problems regarding their adaptation to Sri Lanka,” he added.
Sri Lanka’s biodiversity expert, Rohan Pethiyagoda, contacted for comment said, he was under the impression that the CEJ had been misled by the claim in an Indian newspaper that there was a proposal to reintroduce gaur (which became extinct here some centuries ago) to the wild in Sri Lanka.
“The demography of Sri Lanka has changed drastically for that to be feasible, and we have enough and more problems with human-elephant conflict. All I requested High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda was to ascertain whether the Indian government might in principle be willing to entertain a request from Sri Lanka to establish a herd of gaur in our National Zoological Gardens.”
He also said if the Indian authorities had indicate their willingness to entertain such a proposal, then the Department of National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka can take a decision whether the latter would make a formal proposal.
“That is all there is to this. Of course, there may be those who are opposed to the idea of the zoo maintaining a herd of gaur. But in my opinion, most Sri Lankans would like such a move. After all, the gaur
is very much a part of our folklore. Imagine, if elephants became extinct in Sri Lanka, would anyone oppose maintaining a herd of captive elephants at Pinnawela? I doubt it. Unfortunately, many people have been misled by this erroneous newspaper article.”
Dr. Pethiyagoda also said that the reintroduction of the species to the wild was a hugely expensive, scientifically complex and time-consuming enterprise (it takes decades of planning, not years). Sri Lanka had not reached the point of considering the introduction of this propsal any time in the foreseeable future, he said. “But I would be astonished if anyone thought there is anything wrong with the last large mammal species to become extinct in Sri Lanka being represented in our national zoo.”
Withanage, who is also the current President of Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), said he did not approve of the move to bring those animals to Sri Lanka. “Do we even have habitats that suit such a species to survive? Withanage asked. He pointed out that reintroducing gaur is a problem. “Only a third of the forests that existed in Sri Lanka 300 years ago remain today.”
Commenting on the conflicts between humans and animals in Sri Lanka, Withanage said that the loss of human lives as well as the loss of animal lives should be taken into consideration. “The country loses about 350 elephants and 100 human lives a year due to the elephant-human conflict, and it is necessary to question the mindset of those who want to bringing in a problem that does not exist in the country.
“While some say that Sri Lanka already could not handle the existing number of elephants here, introducing this species to compete with elephants and feeding them in the limited pastures is something that we should not even think of.”
News
Some VIP security units disbanded, special ‘motivation incentive allowance’ abolished, with some exceptions
Defence Secy. assures regular entitlements won’t be curtailed
Defence Secretary retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyakontha has assured the armed forces that contrary to claims, reports and speculation, the NPP government will not curtail various entitlements provided to them.
The declaration was made at the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Headquarters at the Defence Headquarters Complex, Pelawatte, on Monday (Oct 07).
AVM Thuyakontha, who was in the centre of controversy in the run-up to the presidential election over his support for Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s candidature and blacklisted by the SLAF, visited several divisions of Air Force HQ accompanied by the Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa and other senior officers.
Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Padman de Costa also joined the Defence Secretary on his visit to the Air Force HQ.
During the war, Thuyakontha served as the Commanding Officer of the famed 09 Squadron consisting of Mi-24 helicopter gunships.
AVM Thuyakontha reiterated the government’s commitment to the general welfare of the armed forces.
However, the government has declared that what is called ‘motivation incentive allowance’ paid to security forces personnel attached to security units of former VIPs was stopped from Sept. 22, the day after the presidential election.
The Defence Ministry has informed the Army, Navy and Air Force commanders that there was no requirement for ‘motivation incentive allowance’ as the provision of such security has been discontinued.
According to the Defence Ministry, only security units attached to the Chief of Defence Staff, three service commanders and former presidents would continue to receive the special allowance. (SF)
The SLAF will officially take delivery of Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, donated by the United States at the Katunayake airbase.
The US Embassy in Colombo said that funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity programme was part of a long-term collaboration with the Sri Lanka Air Force.
“This advanced aircraft is designed to enhance Sri Lanka’s capabilities in search and rescue operations, drug interdiction, and combating trafficking and smuggling. It will also significantly improve the country’s maritime surveillance operations while reinforcing U.S.-Sri Lanka defense cooperation,” the Embassy said.
The Beechcraft King Air 360ER is equipped with cutting-edge technology to boost Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its waters and address maritime threats.
The aircraft would be assigned to the Number 03 Maritime Squadron based in China Bay, Trincomalee. The squadron comprises Indian and American surveillance aircraft and would be joined before end of this year by an aircraft donated by Australia.
– South Korean envoy
South Korean Ambassador Miyon Lee has assured President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of their readiness to resume investments here.
A statement issued by ROK Embassy in Colombo quoted Ambassador Lee as having reaffirmed willingness among Korean companies to recommence investments in Sri Lanka and expressed expectations on Sri Lanka’s commitment towards maintaining transparency and streamlined policies to attract Foreign Direct Investment for the country.
Ambassador Lee discussed the issue when she paid a courtesy call on President Dissanayake yesterday (09) at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the meeting, Ambassador Lee congratulated President Dissanayake on his inauguration and also conveyed best wishes from President Yoon Suk Yeol and his expectations to bolster the relationship between the two countries under the new leadership.
Ambassador Miyon Lee expressed the Korean government’s unwavering support to Sri Lanka with the continuation of people-to-people exchanges, cooperation in education, health and various other sectors. While expressing Korea’s intention to collaborate on digitalization, climatic change initiatives and in the renewable energy sector, she elaborated the role of the Korean government agencies such as KOICA, KOFIH and Saemaul Foundation working in Sri Lanka and called for Sri Lankan government’s continued support for various activities steered by these agencies in this country.
In line with the commitments set out by the International Monetary Fund, the Ambassador wished Sri Lanka for a successful Debt Restructuring Programme and emphasized the commitments by Korea Exim Bank to renew the framework agreement for loan projects to Sri Lanka.
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