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Lanka takes UN pledge in sea clean-up bid
Sri Lanka has joined the United Nations CleanSeas campaign and pledged to make it marine environment free of pollutants by 2030.
Representing Sri Lanka at a conference held in Nairobi, Kenya to coincide with the World Environment Day on December 6, Environment Ministry secretary Anura Dissanayake, joined 40 other countries in pledging to keep the country’s marine environment clean, void of plastic and polythene.
The pledge included to ban the use of polythene, single use plastic products and stepping up of the facilities to recycle plastic waste that pollutes the ocean, endangering marine life.
The participating nations pledged allegiance to the campaign and promised that a concerted effort would be made to prevent ocean pollution.
Mr. Dissanayke said that joining hands with 40 countries would be an advantage in the effort to clean up Sri Lanka’s marine environment.
As part of this campaign, Sri Lanka has teamed up with SAARC nations India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in a bid to make the South Asian part of the Indian Ocean free of non-biodegradable solid waste before next year’s World Environment Day conference in New Delhi.
Meanwhile the environment Ministry has earmarked a further three areas as marine protected areas (MPA) in addition to the ten MPAs already in Sri Lanka. These areas include the Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary, the Bar reef Maritime Sanctuary and several lagoon areas in the south and east coast of the country.
“The three new MPAs have to be gazetted and presented in parliament for approval,” Mr. Dissanayake said. Mr. Dissanayake said Sri Lanka’s participation in the UN cleanSeas campaign was a boost to tourism as it would add credibility to the country’s image as a nation striving to have clean-green beaches. “Not just clean but green beaches,” he said.