Lanka heading for international black mark, warns JVP 

MP Bimal

By Saman Indrajith-April 4, 2019, 9:22 pm

The ‘CITES CoP18’ to be held in Colombo from May 23 to June 3 might be cancelled if the prevailing disputes were not resolved soon, JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament, yesterday. 

The CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat in Geneva announced as far back as December 2017 that the next meeting of its Conference of the Parties (CoP18) would be held in Colombo in 2019. 

Speaking at the Committee Stage of the Budget debate when the Expenditure Heads of the Environment and Mahaweli Development Ministry and Defence Ministry were taken up, the MP requested the President to step in to resolve the disputes to avoid a black mark on the country.

The MP said that all five environmentalists in the Project Office had collectively sent a letter to the Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary on March 19, giving the reasons for their resignations.     

The MP, tabling the letter, told President Maithripala Sirisena who was present in the Chamber, to summon the five officials to inquire into their problems. The MP pointed out the officials had complained of interference.

The MP pointed out that Sri Lanka, in spite of being a signatory to the CITES since 1979, had so far been unable to formulate the required laws to prevent the trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. "Because of this reason we have been downgraded to ‘category three’ from ‘category one’. Though not much highlighted the non-compilation of laws on par with the CITES Convention was one reason for the deprivation of the GSP plus benefit. I request the President to look into this."

Commenting on attempts at biopiracy, the MP observed that it was the Slovak Ambassador in India who had paid the fine of Rs 10.6 million imposed on five Slovak nationals found guilty of illegally collecting endemic animal and plant species in Sinharaja. "Sri Lanka needs to pay more attention to these bio-piracy attempts. Land in East Sinharaja known as ‘Morning Side’ are not gazetted as part of the Sinharaja forest. I request the President to do so."