News
Wildlife Dept. bureaucracy standing in way of whale watching exposed
By Ifham Nizam
Whales were neither disturbed nor harmed by tourists, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said yesterday.
Minister Ranatunga called for the lifting of restrictions imposed by the Wildlife Department on boat owners who took tourists on whale watching at Mirissa.
The Wildlife Department has recently imposed restrictions on whale watching vessels off the coast of Mirissa, according to reports.
Accordingly, Minister Ranatunga summoned the representatives of the Mirissa Tourist Hotel Owners’ Association to Colombo for a discussion and also summoned the relevant officials of the Wildlife Department.
The owners of the Mirissa whale watching boats raised their concerns and pointed out that wildlife officials only allowed whale watching after 2 pm.
Wildlife officials responded by saying that restrictions were due to numerous issues including a shortage of staff.
The Matara District Secretary was contacted by Minister Ranatunga and requested that 10 employees recruited under the Job Point programme be made available to the Wildlife Department.
The District Secretary complied with the request. Improvements to facilities at the Mirissa Fisheries Harbour for local and foreign whale watchers were also discussed at length.
State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, who was also present, discussed with Minister Ranatunga the action that needed to be taken in that regard. Accordingly, it was decided to convene a meeting of Ministers and officials of the Ministries of Tourism, Fisheries and Wildlife to expedite the resolution of issues related to whale watching in the area. The Minister instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism to take necessary follow-up steps.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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