News

Environmentalists against sending Toque macaques to China! (Video)

Published

2 months ago

April 13, 2023

editor

Animal welfare organizations have protested against sending Sri Lankan animals to other countries either for meat or scientific research purposes.

They said this in response to a discussion held yesterday (11) regarding the sending of Sri Lankan Toque macaques (known as ‘Rilau’ in Sinhala), to China.

Environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardena said that Sri Lankan animals can be sent to foreign countries only for conservation programmes or animal exchange programmes.

Environmentalists also said that a proper survey must be conducted before sending Sri Lankan Toque macaques to China.

Discussion held with Minister of Agriculture

Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has proposed to send 100,000 Toque macaques to China as a method to minimise the crop damage caused by these animals and to control their population.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that the minister has taken this decision following a request made by China to provide these animals to China.

A delegation from China met with the minister yesterday (11) to discuss the matter.

The ministry said that the Chinese authorities have made this request to display these Toque macaques in their zoos.

A group of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Zoological Gardens Department and the Wildlife Department also joined the discussion held between the Chinese delegation and the Minister of Agriculture.

Under the first phase, it has been discussed to send 100,000,000 Toque macaques to China.

Committee to be appointed

It is planned to appoint a committee consisting of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Department of Zoological Gardens, Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Attorney General’s Department to prepare the required legal proceedings in this regard.

It has also been decided to immediately prepare the Cabinet paper needed to set up this committee which will be appointed to study the legal background to send Toque macaques to a foreign country.

According to a study conducted by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in 2022, it has been revealed that in the first six months of the year from January to June, 93 million coconuts have been destroyed by monkeys, Toque macaques and giant squirrels.

The farmers alleged that although various solutions have been proposed in the past regarding the alternative measures that can be taken to avoid the crop damage caused by animals, none of them have been implemented in a positive manner.

At present, the population of Toque macaques in Sri Lanka is close to 3 million, and the Ministry of Agriculture said that all the efforts made by the government to reduce this population have failed.

Meanwhile, a group of farmers have requested the Minister of Agriculture to give them firearms to kill the animals that damage crops.

(Video: Hiru)

News

Cabinet green light to ratify Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Published

14 hours ago

June 6, 2023

editor

Cabinet approval has been granted to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and to take the necessary steps for legislation to enforce the provisions of the agreement.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Sep. 10, 1996. By the treaty, member states agreed to ban “any nuclear weapons test or other nuclear explosion” anywhere in the world. So far, 186 countries have signed the agreement and 177 countries have ratified the agreement.

Sri Lanka signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on October 24, 1996. Sri Lanka is currently cooperating with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in the areas of training, capacity development, data and information sharing. Sri Lanka’s ratification of the treaty would recognize Sri Lanka’s diplomatic role as an active proponent of international peace and security in a world free of nuclear weapons.

According to the government, ratifying the agreement will also enable the country to obtain useful data for civil and scientific purposes that will benefit many developing countries including Sri Lanka, such as tsunami warnings, climate change and geographical studies.

News

Overseas travel ban slapped on Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam

Published

14 hours ago

June 6, 2023

editor

The Kilinochchi Magistrate’s Court has issued an overseas travel ban on Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress (AITC) MP – Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam over the recent incident of verbally abusing police officers during a function, police spokesman – SSP Nihal Thalduwa says.

Yesterday, the magistrate ordered to remand the AITC’s main female organizer in the North – East region, over the incident.

News

Verdict on petition challenging Diana Gamage’s MP seat, postponed

Published

15 hours ago

June 6, 2023

editor

The Court of Appeal has deferred the pronouncement of the verdict on the petition filed seeking an order to annul the Parliamentary seat of State Minister Diana Gamage.

Accordingly, the verdict is expected to be pronounced on the 25th of July.

The petition was called this morning before President of the Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice A Marikkar.

Court heard arguments pertaining to the petition previously and was expected to announce the verdict today.

The writ petition was filed before the Court of Appeal calling for State Minister Diana Gamage to be stripped of her Parliamentary seat by activist Oshala Herath on the 15th of November 2022.

State Minister Gamage, the Immigration and Emigration Controller, the Minister of Public Security, the General Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the National Election Commission and its members, and the General Secretary of Parliament were cited as respondents in the petition.

(newsradio.lk)