Connect with us

News

Environmentalists against sending Toque macaques to China! (Video)

Published

on

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)

BIZ

CBSL urged to seek overseas travel ban against Dharmasena

Published

on

By

Chairman of the ‘Magen Ratata’ organization – Sanjaya Mahawatta has submitted a formal complaint to the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), with regard to the “Pintanna Plantation” cultivation project founded by former cricketer – Kumara Dharmasena.

In his complaint, Mr. Mahawatta says that the project is accepting investment deposits from the public without a license from the CBSL to do so.

Noting that this project has misled the public and accepted deposits violating the provisions of the Part II of the Finance Business Act. No. 42 of 2011, Mr. Mahawattha’s complaint further notes that the project is being advertised on print media and on Facebook.

In a recent media briefing, the CBSL had stated that it is illegal to obtain investments from the public for cultivation projects such as Agarwood, Vanilla, Mango, Teak etc. in the promise of high interest rate returns. The CBSL added that their Non-Banking Financial Institutions Supervision Department has initiated a comprehensive investigation on such companies.

Speaking,  Assistant Governor of the CBSL – K.G.P. Sirikumara had said that it was a criminal offense to go against the rates implemented by the CBSL and accept deposits from the public.

Only companies authorized by the CBSL are legally allowed to accept such deposits, he pointed out.

The CBSL further disclosed that they are looking into details pertaining to the former cricketer’s project.

Continue Reading

News

Showers expected after 2pm

Published

on

By

Showers or thundershowers can be expected in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Southern provinces after 2 p.m., the Department of Meteorology says.

Showers or thundershowers may occur over the coastal areas of Galle to Pottuvil via Matara and Hambantota during the morning.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces in the morning.

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

Sea areas:

Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Pottuvil to Matara via Hambantota. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Matara via Colombo and Galle in the evening or night.

Winds will be south-easterly or variable and wind speed will be 20-30 kmph.

Sea areas around the island will be slight.

Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

Continue Reading

News

Man who jumped off from Sri Pada, found alive

Published

on

By

Nallathanniya Police said that the 33-year old Sri Pada pilgrim who went missing after jumping off the protective fence at the Mahamaluwa was found yesterday evening.

An official of the Nallathanniya Police Station said that this person in question is among a group of pilgrims from Suriyawewa, Hambantota who climbed Sri Pada mountain on April 19.

He had participated in religious observances before jumping off the protective fence at Mahamaluwa and thereafter went missing.

Security personnel from the Laxapana Army camp and Ricarton, STF camp in Nallathanniya launched an operation to trace the missing youth. But they couldn’t find him.

But a group of people from the Rajamale estate had informed the Nallathanniya Police about the recovery of a missing person yesterday. Nallathanniya Police took the man who was injured and admitted him to the Maskeliya Regional Hospital.

He was later transferred to Dickoya Hospital for further treatments.

The individual, Dinesh Hemantha, has informed the police that he cannot remember the incident involving leaping from the Mahamaluwa.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved