Jumbos should not be confined to parks – Dr. Jasinghe

Text by PRIYAN DE SILVA

Welcoming panelists and presenters to the International Research Symposium on Biodiversity and sustainable Tourism, held on Friday (23), Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Dr Anil Jasinghe said that elephants should not be confined within wildlife parks; they should be allowed a free range while villages and crops should be protected by electric fencing. He added that the villagers and farmers would protect themselves  by maintaining the fences, earn an additional income by providing services to tourists.

Dr Jasinghe said that an elephant roaming in its natural habitat was a gold mine because that was what tourists wanted to see rather than elephants on the road or in zoos.He said that tourists were attracted to Sri Lanka for its natural environment and biodiversity, and questioned whether any tourist

would want to visit a country where environment was polluted and there was a serious loss of biodiversity.  He reiterated that biodiversity loss could lead to extinction of fauna, flora and even result in the destruction of eco systems. Over 70 research papers were to be presented at the symposium which was organised jointly by the Ministry of Environment and the University of Colombo.

The keynote address was delivered by Vidya Jothi Emeritus Professor Sarath Kotagama while Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo Senior Professor H D Karunarathne, and Symposium Chair Professor D A C Suranga Silva addressed the morning session.