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First Linnean Medal Winner in SL wants to help his country

Published

4 years ago

2022/06/10

By Ifham Nizam

Sri Lankan engineer turned naturalist Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, who recently became the first Sri Lankan to be awarded the Linnean Medal for his outstanding contribution to science and the second Asian to be a recipient of the Medal, says he now wants to help address some of the problems caused by the present economic crisis.

Sri Lanka is looking at a decade or two of extreme stress and poverty he told The Island : “My main concern is the under-12 generation, who are at serious risk of being malnourished. Anything we can do to make sure every child gets sufficient food, especially protein, is worth doing. Malnutrition will result in stunting, lowered intelligence and poor education outcomes. This is the greatest challenge of this hour, and I want to engage with it. There are many others who are willing and able to address the biodiversity crisis.”

Pethiyagoda channelled proceeds from his book, Freshwater Fishes of Sri Lanka to a foundation he had created, the Wildlife Heritage Trust (WHT) dedicated to biodiversity research in Sri Lanka. Headquartered at Agrapatana, WHT became a national focal point for emerging scientists. “We built up a huge reference collection there”, explains Pethiyagoda, thanks to zealous fieldwork by Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi, Mohammed Bahir, Sudath Nanayakkara, Dinesh Gabadage and others. WHT went on to host large numbers of world-renowned scientists such as Robert F. Inger, Alain Dubois, Maurice Kottelat, Peter Ng, Fred Naggs, Franky Buossuyt, Chris Schneider and James Hanken. They in turn mentored young Sri Lankan students, most of whom went on to be outstandingly productive.

“Four of the students who worked closely with WHT in the early 2000s are now university professors”, says Pethiyagoda, “Madhava Meegaskumbura, Suyama Boyagoda, Anjana Silva and Kalana Maduwage. I think Anjana and Kalana were perhaps the youngest people to be appointed full professors in their respective universities”, says their former mentor with pride. “Kelum was perhaps the most productive. He was responsible for the discovery and description of dozens of new species of amphibians, while Bahir focused mainly on the crabs, going on to describe some 40 new species. Madhava became the first graduate in Sri Lanka to be first author of a paper in Science, which is among the world’s most pre-eminent scientific journals. In all, I think more than 150 new species have been described from WHT’s collections.”

As a result, the turn of the century saw immense activity in biodiversity research activity in Sri Lanka. WHT published increasingly more papers, among which Pethiyagoda was an author in more than 60. And WHT’s specimens came to be widely studied by other scientists across Sri Lanka. Not content with research, WHT went on to publish more than 30 natural-history books authored by others, including guides to the amphibians and snakes (also in Sinhala), along with biographies of such eminent naturalists as WWA Phillips and GM Henry. It also published a peer-reviewed scientific journal, “Journal of South Asian Natural History” and a popular magazine “Sri Lanka Nature”.

“The largest initiative I undertook was to establish a National Institute for Biodiversity Research,” says Pethiyagoda. “Both Chandrika Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe, who were president and prime minister at the time, supported the project wholeheartedly. Donors pledged more than US$ 20 million to create the institute and, through an endowment, to fund it in perpetuity. It would be a government-owned research institution but funded privately, rather like SLINTEC. But it came before its time. All this was too much for some people, and a vicious campaign against the institute began. Sadly, several individuals associated with leading NGOs such as the Wildlife & Nature Protection Society, Ruk Rekaganno and EFL also took up cudgels against the institute. So vicious was the opposition that eventually, I gave up and the donors withdrew. Eventually, the millions of dollars went to India. Sri Lanka’s loss was India’s gain.

“By 2008 the atmosphere was so toxic that I decided to close down WHT as well. I donated WHT’s specimens to the National Museum, where it is now perhaps the biggest single component, certainly in terms of type specimens, of their collectionMuch of WHT’s library went to Peradeniya. And I myself decided to migrate to Australia and take up a fellowship at the Australian Museum.”

Pethiyagoda has continued his research work. “We have so much talent, and the dedication, passion and abilities of these youngsters is astonishing”, he says with pride. “They give me so much hope for the future.”

So, what makes the Linnean Medalist tick nowadays? “When I see a teenage birdwatcher carrying around a well-thumbed copy of Professor Sarath Kotagama’s ‘Siri Lanka Kurullo’, published by WHT in 1998,” he says, “my eyes well up. This was the first comprehensive birding guide published in Sinhala, and it transformed ornithology from a pursuit of the English-speaking urban elite to a pastime for the masses. If that was all I did in my life, it would have been enough.”

But it was not enough, and Pethiyagoda went on to found the Agra Arboretum. Here, in 1998, he set out to transform a 50-acre tea estate back into submontane forest. “Now, almost a quarter century later,” he explains, “we have learned valuable lessons on how this can be done at the landscape level. Even after I sold the property in 2008 to Raja Gnanam, he and his sons continue with the reforestation and conservation work and Sudath Nanayakkara, who has managed the property since the inception, continues to curate it. This project also benefited from recognition by the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2000. In some ways it complements Sam Poppham’s arboretum at Dambulla, though 1500 metres higher.”

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President chairs 2027 Pre-Budget talks on Agriculture Ministry

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

A discussion to review the progress of projects being implemented under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and to consider the Ministry’s budgetary requirements for 2027, was held on Tuesday (07) morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

During the meeting, the progress of projects implemented in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, the Department of Export Agriculture and the Institute of Post-Harvest Technology (IPHT), was reviewed individually. Attention was also focused on institutions requiring restructuring to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

The President instructed that all irrigation projects maintained by various institutions, departments and local authorities should be regulated through a single district-level unit. He also directed that irrigation rehabilitation projects being implemented across the island be comprehensively mapped.

Emphasising the need to maximise the utilisation of funds allocated under the 2026 Budget, the President instructed officials to further promote concessionary bank loan facilities available to young entrepreneurs in the agriculture and industrial sectors.

The President also instructed officials to submit a report containing proposals for the integrated and systematic management of extension services currently operating under various ministries. He further highlighted the importance of holding separate discussions on individual subject areas to ensure seamless coordination between the Provincial Councils and the Central Government.

The President also directed officials to submit new proposals and projects aimed at promoting export agricultural crops and increasing the value of related products.

The meeting also reviewed projects launched in recent years with foreign loan assistance. As many had exceeded their scheduled completion dates, the President instructed officials to expedite their completion. He further emphasised that, in future, no project financed through foreign loans should be approved without a clear understanding of its intended outcomes.

It was also noted that the Government had incurred a significant financial burden due to the failure to complete certain projects initiated in previous years within the stipulated timeframe. Accordingly, it was decided to review projects that had not been completed on schedule.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of replacing outdated projects and programmes that have continued for many years without delivering tangible results with more productive agricultural programmes.

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha; Minister of Labor and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne; Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath; Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr.Harshana Suriyapperuma; Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara; Secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu; Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe; and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation were also present at the discussion.

News

Committee Appointed to investigate unrest at Negombo Prison

Published

7 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

A Committee of Inquiry was appointed on Tuesday (07) by Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, with Cabinet approval, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the unrest that occurred at Negombo Prison on 5 and 6 July and to report on the circumstances that led to the incident.

The Committee is chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Priyantha Fernando. Its other members are Additional Solicitor General and President’s Counsel Milinda Gunatilake and President’s Counsel Mohan Weerakoon. Senior Assistant Secretary to the President K.L.D. Asela has been appointed Secretary/Convener of the Committee of Inquiry.

News

“Badhu Shakthi 2026” National Tax Week begins

Published

13 hours ago

2026/07/8

Priyan

The inaugural ceremony of “Badhu Shakthi 2026” (“බදු ශක්ති 2026”) National Tax Week, organised by the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Unit of the Presidential Secretariat with the objective of strengthening State revenue generation and accelerating the country’s future development process, was held on Monday (06) morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne.

“Badhu Shakthi 2026” is a year-round national programme aimed at transforming the negative public perception of taxation into a positive one while fostering a culture of voluntary tax compliance. To mark its commencement, a National Tax Week will be observed across the island from 6 to 10 July.

A nationwide media and public awareness campaign will be conducted in parallel, including the distribution of leaflets and a range of promotional activities designed to educate the public directly and encourage greater tax compliance.

Addressing the inaugural event, Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne stated that “Badhu Shakthi 2026” is not simply a tax collection campaign but a national initiative aimed at cultivating responsible citizens who love their country.

Further elaborating, the Speaker said:

“Today marks a significant milestone in our country’s future development and economic stability. The strength and sustainability of any sovereign nation depend on its economic independence. Taxation is one of the key instruments for strengthening State revenue and driving national development.

However, taxation has long been viewed negatively by many people. That perception was largely shaped by those responsible for collecting taxes and by successive administrations. When people develop a sense of national responsibility, their attitudes begin to change. For many years, taxes were regarded as a burden. History has shown us that tax evasion occurred on a significant scale, and it must be acknowledged, however reluctantly, that such practices often enjoyed political patronage.

In the past, the public had little understanding of how their tax contributions were utilised. Taxpayers lacked a clear vision of the benefits derived from the taxes they paid. The present Government has succeeded in changing this situation by fostering a more positive public attitude towards taxation. I wish to pay tribute to all taxpayers who contribute towards the Government’s national development agenda.

Today, people have confidence that the taxes they pay are being put to good use. Expressways, highways and power infrastructure projects are now being implemented using domestic funds. There is a sense of pride among the public that construction of the Kandy Expressway has commenced without obtaining loans from any external source. Cabinet approval has also been granted to commence work on the Kurunegala–Galewela Road.

Today, Sri Lanka has grown stronger as a nation capable of financing development activities through domestic resources rather than relying on foreign borrowing.

In ancient times, the country’s great stupas, reservoirs and irrigation networks were built through the collective contribution of the people. Likewise, Sri Lanka can become a prosperous and developed nation only through collective effort. The taxes collected today are being utilised for the welfare of the people. This was clearly demonstrated when the Government allocated Rs. 500 billion in response to Cyclone Ditwah. In addition, substantial benefits are now being provided to the public through the President’s Fund. Educational assistance is being extended to schoolchildren across every corner of the country. All of these initiatives are being financed through domestic resources.

It is essential that the public are made aware of the real benefits derived from tax revenue and of the development projects being implemented. This will strengthen public confidence in the transparent use of tax revenue. The primary objective of this national programme is to broaden the country’s tax base, improve tax compliance, reduce tax evasion and foster a positive attitude towards taxation. If everyone pays their fair share of taxes, the tax burden borne by others can be reduced.

We do not build a beehive with a single bee. It is created through the collective effort of thousands of bees, making it a remarkable achievement. Likewise, ‘Badhu Shakthi 2026’ is not merely a tax collection campaign. It is a national movement to cultivate responsible citizens who love their country. I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who has dedicated themselves to making this important initiative a success.”

Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando:

Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said that a proper understanding of taxation among citizens would enable Sri Lanka to make greater progress towards economic and social transformation.

He noted that while individuals naturally pursue their own personal goals and aspirations, many of these objectives cannot be achieved in isolation. The success of any society depends on cooperation and collective effort.

He further stated:

“Today, paying taxes has become a much simpler process. As a result, tax collection is now carried out more efficiently and systematically. At the same time, the Government recognises its responsibility to ensure that tax revenue collected fairly is managed prudently and utilised for the benefit of society. If the Government fails to demonstrate sound financial discipline, people will lose confidence and become reluctant to pay taxes. This was evident in the past.

Accordingly, the Government has introduced a tax administration system founded on strong fiscal discipline. We will not tolerate fraud, corruption or waste. If we are to rebuild this country, every citizen must contribute willingly and with a sense of national responsibility. This should not be driven solely by legal obligation. We are confident that the people of Sri Lanka will fulfil this responsibility.”

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera, Director General of Customs Wimal Liyanagama, Director General of Excise M.B.N.A. Premaratne, and Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Rukdevi Fernando also addressed the gathering.

Among those present were Director General of Public Relations to the President Dharmasiri Gamage, senior officials of the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka Customs, the Department of Excise, the Inland Revenue Department, as well as taxpayers and other invited participants.