MoU between Coast Guard and Wildlife Conservation Department
July 18, 2019The Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) and Department of Wild Life Conservation had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the operation and training procedures of Wave Rider Inshore Patrol Craft, on Wednesday (17th July 2019) at the Coast Guard Rear Headquarters in Wellawatta, Colombo.
According to Coast Guard media, The Wild Life Conservation Department has acquired these Wave Rider craft from the Sri Lanka Navy for assisting whale watching regulatory operations at Mirissa on the Southern coast.
The MoU, signed by the Director General of Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Rear Admiral GDAS Wimalathunge and Director General of Wild Life Conservation Department, Mr. MGP Sooriyabandara will facilitate training and operational competencies to Wild Life Conservation Department personnel in handling/ operations of Wave Rider Craft by the SLCG. Senior Coast Guard and Wildlife Conservation Department officials were also present at the occasion.
Sri Lanka is a major destination for whale watching and the Southern coast is a hot spot, as the warm waters of the Indian Ocean in these parts are a popular ground for marine mammals including whales and dolphins. Whale watching attracts a large following from wildlife enthusiast and other tourists, both local and foreign. This sector of the tourism industry provides direct and indirect livelihood to hundreds of families in the region.
The SLCG and Wildlife Conservation Department are involved in wildlife and natural resource protection and this MoU will be a fillip for implementing whale watching and marine mamal regulatory mechanism while helping to sustain the local tourism industry.
Mirissa and Galle in the Southern coast, Trincomalee in the Eastern coast and Kalpitiya seas are popular whale and dolphin watching destinations in Sri Lanka.
