Projects

The Marine Pollution Prevention Act No. 35 of 2008 has designated the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) as the “Agency responsible for marine pollution prevention-related activities”. Formulation and implementation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCOP) are one of its most important functions with relation to its responsibility. The NOSCOP which has been prepared by MEPA provides guidance to control the procedures when dealing with an oil spill contingency.

The NOSCOP would establish a mechanism for mutual understanding of legal and institutional foundation among the supportive agencies, state authorities, private and public sector organizations including oil, fishing, supply, and port industry to co-operate under the control of MEPA.

The NOSCOP applies to oil spills that cause or could cause damage to the environment covering coastal areas and the sea. It applies to the waters, which are under the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka for pollution prevention purposes, including the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or pollution zone and the territorial sea. The main priority is to protect the most sensitive areas, lives, properties, and processes affected by oil spill events.

The Marine Environment Protection Authority organizes a training program (SPILLEX) every year with relevant stakeholder agencies to test whether the NOSCOP is implemented correctly or not.  It also provides a practical experience or a rehearsal for controlling an oil spill emergency and prepares the stakeholders to deal with a real oil spill in the future while identifying the shortcomings of this plan.

One of the main functions of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) is to formulate and execute a scheme of work for the prevention, reduction, and management of pollution in the marine environment arising out of ship-based activities and shore-based activities. Also, the mandate of MEPA has given powers to this authority to effectively safeguard and preserve the territorial waters of Sri Lanka or any other maritime zone, its foreshore, and the coastal zone of Sri Lanka from pollution arising out of any ship-based or shore-based activity. Any new development activity carried out in the above area should be obtained approval from this Authority and which should ensure that the development activity does not pose any risk of pollution in the marine environment.

The requirement to obtain the approvals of MEPA:

Approval of MEPA should be obtained for,

• Any project or activity implemented within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka or any other maritime zone, its foreshore, and the coastal zone of Sri Lanka.
• Any change/improvement/modification of an approved project or activity which is implemented within the above-mentioned zones.

In addition, approval of MEPA should be obtained on the following occasions.

• If Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) or Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) identify that a significant impact on coastal or marine environment is likely,
• If the project approving agency decides to consider the environment approval from MEPA as a pre-requirement for the approval,
• If MEPA decides that there will be significant impact on coastal or marine environment due to proposed or ongoing project or activities,
• If the relevant local authority decides that, there will be significant impact on coastal or marine environment due to proposed or ongoing project or activities,
• If any inspection committee on environmental issue decides that a significant impact on coastal or marine environment due to proposed or ongoing project or activities can be expected,
• If the project proponent or developer decides that a significant impact on coastal or marine environment can be expected,

Project proponent, developer, industry, or hotel owner should submit a request by means of a letter which is addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of MEPA for environmental approval.

Following documents should be submitted with the letter.�

• EIA or IEE report.
• If the EIA or IEE is not required to be conducted, the detailed report of the project, activity, or operation.
• Copy of the Approval obtained from other relevant agencies, if any.

MEPA shall take the following decisions regarding the request.

1. Granting Clearance
   If MEPA is satisfied that the information submitted by the applicant is true and correct and the impacts on marine environment are well mitigated, the clearance will be granted. It may be subject to conditions which should be fulfilled by the applicant in order to complete the approval procedure.
2. Request for further information  
   If the submitted information is inadequate to make a decision, MEPA will ask for further information on the project, activity, or industry.
3. Conducting Field Inspection  
   If MEPA decides to inspect the field level information, a group of MEPA staff will inspect the site and submit an inspection report to the Chief Executive Officer of MEPA. MEPA shall arrive at the decision based on the report.�
4. Not granting the clearances  
   If the impact is significant and the mitigating measures are inadequate, MEPA will not issue the clearance.

All above decisions shall be communicated to the applicant in the form of a written document.�

Awareness Raising Programs on Preventing Marine Pollution for the Community

Marine pollution is the contamination of oceans with chemicals and trash. It has now become a global problem. The main reason for marine pollution is human activities such as improper disposal of garbage, industrial effluents, oil spills, etc. Loss of marine biodiversity, destruction of marine habitats including corals,  accumulation of microplastics in food chains are a few of many negative impacts of marine pollution.

As per the Marine Pollution Prevention Act No.35 of 2008, one of the main functions of this Authority (MEPA) is to create awareness amongst different groups of the community of the need to preserve the marine environment.  Since 2000, MEPA has taken several initiatives to enhance the knowledge of Sri Lankans regarding the importance of the marine environment, ecosystem conservation, and prevention of marine pollution, etc. Currently, there are several ongoing programs to raise awareness on the protection of marine ecosystems in the public; school children, teachers, potential marine polluters such as the fisheries community to make them aware of the importance of the marine environment and actions that need to be taken to protect the marine environment.�

Details of the ongoing awareness program designed to cater to the following different sectors.�

School Marine Groups (SMG):

The Authority has established more than 300 SMGs in the schools along the coastal belt around the country. At present nearly 7500 Marine Environment Pioneers are educated in this context, and they are currently actively involved in the continuous training programs. Annual competitions are also conducted such as posters, essays, quizes and poems among the students and awards, certificates and prizes are also offered for encouraging them. These competitions are organized to appreciate the efforts of the participants and also to encourage them to conserve the marine environment, while converting them into environment lovers by changing their attitudes.

A series of workshops were held in all 14 coastal districts to make the teachers who are directly connected with the School Marine Groups more familiar with the procedure of guiding students to become Marine Environment Pioneers. The knowledge and enthusiasm to protect and conserve oceans and related ecosystems is transferred to students by teachers using the School Marine Environment Guidebook developed according to the guidelines of MEPA. Accordingly, students from Grades 6 to 10 are required to follow these lessons. In each year an evaluation process is carried out by MEPA and medals which are ranging from Silver to Green/Gold along with certificates will be awarded for students who successfully complete the assigned activities.�

These young people are also considered as the best group of messengers to spread the message of the importance of preserving the marine environment to the society more efficiently and effectively.

Other initiatives in order to aware the General Public

A number of programs are conducted to increase the awareness among the potential polluters such as hotels and other coastal industries as well as the general public on marine environmental pollution and the importance of the protection of the marine environment. Representatives selected mainly from fisheries communities and hoteliers covering all the coastal districts around the island are requested to attend these awareness programs in order to achieve the target of a clean, pollution-free marine environment. These awareness programs are organized by the district / provincial offices of MEPA which are located in all the coastal districts.

Awareness Raising programs for the Fisheries Sector:

There are 21 fishery harbors and a number of anchorages and boatyards around the island. Contribution to marine pollution from the Fishery sector is quite significant.  MEPA is involved in the enhancement of awareness within the fisheries community and fishery harbor officials around the country to reduce marine pollution by the fishery sector, through awareness meetings, workshops, daily morning announcements, flyers, and leaflets. The main focus here is addressing waste management by the fishery sector.

Awareness Raising Programs for Hotel Sector:

There are a large number of tourist hotels which are located in all the coastal areas around the country. Most of the hotels are situated in the Western, Southern, and Eastern Provinces as those are tourists’ hot spots due to beautiful beaches. This leads to beach and nearshore pollution due to the intensity of careless waste discharge in addition to the untreated waste discharging from the hotels. In order to address this problem, MEPA has initiated several steps to enhance the knowledge on the importance of the preservation of the marine environment.

Awareness boards

Awareness boards/ hoardings have been installed at the beaches in all the 14 coastal districts for enhancing the awareness of the general public reminding them to keep the beaches cleaner. These are displayed at the beaches.

Distribution of Publications

1. Sathsamudura’ - Annual Magazine:
   Since 2010, MEPA has published the ‘Sathsamdura’ bilingual Magazine, which is launched on every World Oceans Day which falls on the 8^th�of June every year. This magazine includes articles authored by the experts in the marine & maritime sector as well as the novel research findings of university professionals, students and scientists in different areas of marine and maritime sector.�
2. ‘Samudura Puwath’ - News Letter:
   This is the first publication of MEPA which was started in 2004. Samudura Puwath  is a quarterly publication which includes articles that aims to enhance the knowledge of school children on various subject areas of the marine environment.
3. Flyers/ Leaflets:
   MEPA distributes awareness materials such as leaflets on several subject areas related to marine environment and those are available in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages. Importance of marine environment, oil spills and the relevant legal background, marine ecosystems, marine endangered species are some of the topics discussed in these leaflets.�

All of these publications are freely available at the head office of MEPA.

Exhibitions :

MEPA conducts exhibitions in schools and at national events such as “Sri Lanka NEXT”, “Gam Udawa”, “Deyata Sewana” etc. During these events, various kinds of exhibits are displayed to raise awareness among the public on marine pollution, oil spills, marine ecosystems, plastic pollution, invasive alien species, etc.

Documentary films and TV Discussions, Radio programs

MEPA uses visual media such as TV programs to improve the knowledge of the community on the importance of the marine environment and marine pollution prevention. So far MEPA has produced four documentary films that were telecasted via popular TV channels and these were also shown at workshops and other public gatherings.�

MEPA used a famous radio channel to enhance the knowledge of marine environments. “Samuduraka Asiriya” is one of such major radio programs aired with discussions with different experts in the marine and the maritime field.

MEPA uses visual media to enhance the knowledge of the public through discussions/interviews shown on TV. On several occasions, such programs were telecasted commemorating World Oceans Day on June 8th and the International Coastal Clean-up Day on the 3^rd�Saturday in September each year.

Water is the driving force of nature. Where there’s no water there’s no life. Every organism in the universe needs water for their survival. Humans need water for various purposes including drinking, cooking, washing, transport, recreational activities, agriculture, hydro power, etc. Have you ever known that there’s standards for the water we consume for our daily needs?�

Water is easily contaminated with harmful substances. Even the clearest water we obtain from springs may contain numerous microorganisms. Although many of them are not harmful, it is essential to monitor water regularly in order to prevent water contaminations as the harmful microorganisms and other contaminants will create many health problems. Even sea water needs constant monitoring to keep up with the standards .The quality of sea water around the Sri Lankan coast is important for several reasons. They are,�

01. The health of the public swimming in those beaches and for those who are involved in water sports.

02. Detection of pollution within the environment.

03. Providing information to the aquaculture industry.

The MEPA is responsible for constant monitoring of sea water as a part of the Bathing Water Directive. This includes beach water sample collection, laboratory analysis and data management. The Beach Monitoring Program covers 40 beaches in 14 different districts. All beaches are monitored once per month. In addition to those beaches identified within the Bathing Water Directive, we have added several sea outfalls to the sampling program.�

During each beach monitoring visit, beach water samples are collected where the water depth is between thigh to waist depth i.e., about 1 meter depth. The water samples are delivered to our laboratory for analysis of Fecal Coliform bacteria, and physical measurements of pH, salinity, conductivity, and turbidity, as soon as sampling is completed and are stored at about 4°C during transportation. Dissolved oxygen concentration and temperature of the beach water are measured in-situ at each of the beaches and observations such as weather and beach conditions are also recorded.

After conducting these monitoring programs regularly, at the end of each year, MEPA Laboratory develops an annual water quality report and annual water quality index report from the above information for the public’s awareness. With these constant monitoring of  the quality of sea water, we, the MEPA, prevent the coastal zone and territorial waters from pollution and ensure the health of all those who are engaged in swimming or sea related recreational activities.

MEPA has taken immediate steps to reduce beach pollution in many ways including but not limited to establishing beach caretakers. With the main objective of maintaining the cleanliness of beaches around the country, establishing a program for deploying Beach Caretakers was first launched on 16th September 2018 at Dadalla beach, Galle. In this program, a person from the area is assigned as a Beach Caretaker to look after a selected stretch of polluted beach (approximately 1 km in length) and he or she is entrusted with the responsibility of cleaning the beach regularly (approximately 2 hours per day) in order to continuously maintain the beach trash-free and he or she is paid for the service provided.

For fairness and to uplift the quality of poor residents in the area, we decided to get help from the Department of Samurdhi Development (DoSD) in the process of selecting a caretaker. The involvement of DoSD in this program confirms the poor people in the community are benefitted from this program since Beach Caretakers are selected from Samurdhi beneficiaries. After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and Department of Samurdhi Development (DoSD), it was decided that DoSD undertakes the selection of Beach Caretakers and monitoring their service while MEPA undertakes the selection of polluted beaches, monitoring the duties of Beach Caretakers and making payments to Beach Caretakers for the service (beach cleaning) rendered by them.

As for the program, the beach caretakers are only responsible for collecting non-degradable waste. Recyclable waste, such as PET bottles, other plastics, glass, metals, etc. are handed over to collectors and recyclers. The rest of the collected waste is handed over to relevant Local Authorities for proper disposal.

We are proud to announce that currently, 122 Beach Caretakers are deployed for this service and MEPA aims to increase the number to 200 in near future, serving 200 polluted beaches around the island. Sooner than later all the beaches in the country will be pollution-free and a pleasant place to relax for everyone.

Beaches should be protected as those are valuable resources of nature which can be enjoyed by everyone with the unparalleled beauty and peace of mind they give In this context, we, MEPA, would like to invite the private sector too, to join this nationally important program through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds in agreement with MEPA.

A beautiful and peaceful beach, a paradise on earth we all wish to have.

An ESI provides a concise summary of coastal resources that are at risk in the event of an oil spill. Examples of risky resources include biological resources (such as bird and shellfish beds), sensitive shoreline habitats (such as mangroves and tidal flats), and resources used by humans (such as subsistence gathering and commercial fishing). ESI components are typically represented on a map or an atlas, and the data is stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS).

ESI maps,

• Use GIS Techniques to integrate maps of a region with geographically referenced biological resources, human use resources, and ESI Classified shorelines that are ranked based on their sensitivity to oil contamination.
• Contain a summary view of ESI data on the back of the paper map, and GIS versions of the ESI data that can be used for more complex digital queries.
• Are served as a quick reference for oil spill respondents and coastal zone managers to prioritize their action.
• Are available as a single map or regional collection of maps called ESI atlas.

As mentioned above, ESI focuses on three major categories of data classification,

1. Shoreline
   Shoreline classifications are usually denoted using a line that describe shoreline’s permeability and susceptibility to oil spills. Each different type of classification allows professionals to get a better idea on how difficult it would be to clean up the surface.
   
   
2. Biological Resources  
   Biological resources such as fish habitats and marine mammal zones are mapped as either polygons or field identified concentration points. Some animal and plant species are especially vulnerable to the effects of oil spills. Under the ESI method these species have been classified into seven categories, each further divided into subcategories of species similar in their sensitivity to spilled oil. Many species that are vulnerable to oil are wide ranging and may be present over large areas at any time. These species can be especially vulnerable at particular times and places.
   
   
3. Resources Used by Humans
   This includes subsistence and economic activities that depend upon the rich biological and coastal resources in the area.
   There are four categories of human use resources which are especially vulnerable to the damages resulting from oil spills.

• High use recreational and shoreline access areas, such as boat ramps, marinas, recreational beaches, and spot fishing/diving areas.
•  Officially designated natural resources management or protected areas.
• Resource extraction sites such as aquaculture sites, commercial fishing sites, mining leases, surface water intakes.
• Water-associated archaeological, historical, and cultural sites.

We have already completed ESI mapping in the Colombo Harbor up to Negombo Lagoon as a pilot project from US Pacific Command in the year 2016. Field data collection from Colombo harbor to River Bentota was done in the year 2019 and the map preparation is being continued.

Non-native species, also called exotic species, can be defined as a species that originated somewhere other than its current location and has been introduced to the area where it now lives. These non-native species have a high potential to become invasive species that are actually harmful to the marine ecosystem. However, not all non-native species are invasive species. In fact, invasive species is a non-native species of plant or animal that outcompetes other species causing damage to an ecosystem. Some species may be introduced to the current habitat passively by mistake while moving other species or washing away due to tidal currents.

Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals, destroy biodiversity, and permanently alter habitats. This can eventually result in huge economic impacts and fundamental disruptions of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

So, it is evident that the invasiveness of marine alien species has a huge impact on coastal ecosystems. As the MEPA we have the responsibility to protect our territorial waters and coastal zones not only from harmful human activities but also from the threats of these invasive exotic species too. A detailed study of biodiversity in the marine environment is essential to detect these non-native species around our coastline, to assess the risk of new introductions, to serve as baseline data, and also to understand the marine biosecurity status.�

Thus, Sri Lanka has carried out a Port Biological Baseline Study (PBBS), commensurate with the National Ballast Water Management Strategy to record the current indigenous and non-indigenous species diversity, in four of its international shipping ports and their environs, commencing with Colombo Port. Through this Port Biological Baseline Study, we identified several introduced marine species. However, further studies are needed to carry out the identification of invasive species among those pre-identified exotic species in the PBBS.

Hence, MEPA conducted a study to determine the potential invasiveness of species that occurred in commercial harbors and also to investigate other non-indigenous species that are globally known marine invasive species, in the proposed study areas. This comprehensive study is indeed important to determine the invasiveness of the globally recognized known marine invasive species and other potentially invasive species. Also, it is essential to identify the impact of those invasive species on biodiversity, human health, and socio-economic activities, especially on fisheries and other maritime industries.

Corals are the pinnacle of the beauty of the mighty oceans. The coral reefs have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet, even more than a tropical rainforest. Despite occupying less than 5% of oceans, 25 percent of all marine species live in and around coral reefs giving them the nickname “the rain forests of the seas.”

Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems formed by the accumulation of coral polyps, belonging to the Class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria. Coral reefs are important to planet Earth for several reasons; providing habitats to marine species, serving as part of the food chain, acting as key indicators of overall ocean health, providing a variety of economic benefits, including recreational activities, tourism, coastal protection, habitat for commercial fisheries, and preservation of marine ecosystems.

However, it is so unfortunate that the health of these wonderful marine ecosystems is threatened by overfishing, coral bleaching, rising temperatures in oceans, and other human interactions. If the current situation continues as usual to threaten the existence of coral reefs, it is more likely to cause major changes to coral reefs over the next few decades and centuries and if not preserved well, the Earth will forever lose these immense ecosystems forever.

Like most tropical islands, Sri Lanka possesses However it’s a tragic fact that they are found to be more vulnerable to pollution and other environmental factors. As the MEPA, responsible for the protection of the coastal zone of our country, we initiated replanting of coral reefs in Kayankerni and Mirissa areas in 2017. Coral boulders were placed, and a few species of corals were transplanted in Mirissa with our initiative. The main objectives of this project are to introduce a suitable method for coral replanting for selected areas and improve the coral ecosystem in order to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries and the coastal tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Similarly, this pilot project was conducted to determine the feasibility of replanting for the restoration of coral ecosystems. Then as the Mirissa reef is almost damaged by extensive anthropogenic and natural impacts, corals were replanted on coral boulders that were made using cement, and coral fragments were placed in holders of boulders. Reef environments were monitored to determine the survival and growth rate of newly planted corals.

Similarly, in 2019 two places were selected from Trincomalee district to restore coral reefs and in 2020 two sites were proposed from Northwestern and Northern Province to carry out this project further.

This project was considered a pilot project, and if it is successful, this research will be repeated in other areas of Sri Lanka for the restoration of coral reefs. Accordingly, the restoration of corals using reef balls on the damaged reef in Mirissa and Kayankerni was started in 2017 and continuous monitoring was done up to 2018 and unsuccessful or damaged reef balls were restored with live corals throughout the period. The average survival or live percentage of coral nubbins in boulders was 65%, while average mortality was 35%. Reef fish also have shown signs of succession by attracting towards the newly planted reefs. 25 Species that were aggregated with coral boulders were recorded during the study period. Accordingly, it is important to monitor the growth progress of replanted corals to determine the success of the replanting program.

Establishment and implementation of an Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanism to Protect Kayankerni reef

The Kayankerni reef is an alluring but obscure reef, situated between Valachchane and Vakare next to Pasikuda reef in the Batticaloa district. This reef is very rich in biodiversity, providing a home for many living coral species. Currently, 51 species of coral, 9 species of algae, 3 species of seagrass, 115 species of invertebrates, 206 species of fish, and 2 species of sea turtles have been recorded from the ecosystem associated with the Kayankerni reef.

Kayankerni reef takes a significant place among a handful of live coral ecosystems that remain within Sri Lanka. This ecosystem has long been a popular destination for the ornamental fish industry and has now faced a risk of being destroyed due to marine pollution occurring as a result of improper discharge of waste, usage of illegal fishing gear, and unauthorized tourism.

Under the patronage of the Marine Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Wildlife Conservation with the participation of stakeholders, an Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanism is carried out, with the aim of protecting this highly valued ecosystem through proper management and passing it on to future generations. The main objective of this program is to formulate and implement a management plan for carrying out a long-term program to protect this marine ecosystem from pollution that occurred due to improper disposal of waste, unauthorized fishing gear, and informal tourism, with the initiative of the Kayankerni fishing community under the guidance and coordination of stakeholder governmental and non-governmental organizations. Accordingly, the integration of those institutions will enable the program to be implemented more sustainably. Department of Wildlife Conservation, Central Environmental Authority, National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Sri Lanka Navy, Coast Guard Department, Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department, Fisheries Department, National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Tourism, IUCN institute, UNDP institute, and Blue Resources Organization act as the stakeholders of this Mechanism.

As the first step of this program, the Kayankerni coral reef was declared a Marine Conservation Zone at the Batticaloa district- “Rata Wenuwen Ekata Sitimu” program on the 11th of April 2019. Mapping the Kayankerni coral reef with the help of GPS data and studying the diversity of the reef were done as the initial activities of this program. A series of awareness programs for public officers were also conducted. Related to this, the District Secretary conducted an awareness program for all public officers at the District Secretariat, Batticaloa. Also, an awareness program was conducted for the people of the area and a youth team was formed in order to protect the Kayankerni coral reef. It is hoped to train this team more thoroughly in future programs to further protect the Kayankerni coral reef and associated ecosystem in a more organized method.

Finally, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect and heal these wonderful ecosystems while enjoying the beauty of these colorful underwater habitats.

Introduction

Mangrove forests are a group of coastal trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone that are part of larger coastal ecosystems such as mudflats, seagrass meadows.

Mangroves are a valuable ecological and economic resource and the importance of mangroves is immeasurable. Being an important nursery and breeding site for wild species, providing many kinds of ecosystem services such as renewable sources of woods, accumulation sites for sediments, protecting coastal communities against coastal erosion, are several key benefits. Furthermore, they play a critical role in climate changes due to global warming as they act as long-term carbon sinks and have a higher capacity of carbon fixation from the atmosphere.�

As an island nation, Sri Lanka owns a number of lagoons and estuaries consisting of well-developed mangrove ecosystems. Under the Commonwealth Blue Carbon Charter, Sri Lanka has been identified as the focal point for mangrove ecosystem conservation and restoration. According to the study by Edirisinghe et al., in 2010 the extent of mangroves in Sri Lanka has been estimated as 15,670 ha and  21 mangrove species and 18 mangrove associates have been identified in Sri Lanka (Jayathissa et al., 2012) and surprisingly, this represents one-third of the world mangrove species diversity.

Thus, mangrove ecosystems are mainly threatened with anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, unregulated destruction, and extraction by humans for prawn culture, landfilling and building constructions, logging, coastal pollution, etc.�

Conservation of Mangroves is a primary responsibility in order to protect the coastal environment and related ecosystems. In this regard, Sri Lanka has taken many initiatives, a leading example is the restoration of mangroves that were destroyed in 2004 tsunami hazard, in lagoons in the east, west, and south of the island. With concern to the ecological value of the mangrove ecosystem, MEPA has taken several steps to rehabilitate the mangrove ecosystem presently available in the country and plans are underway to expand the mangrove growing area of the country. This includes Mangrove restorations, maintaining nurseries, and clean-up programs.

Completed mangrove restoration programmes of MEPA

Mangrove restoration in Panama lagoon

In the year 2012, the Rehabilitation of Mangrove Forest was implemented at the Panama Lagoon (Closer to the Naval Base at Arugam Bay).

Fifteen thousand (15,000) plants were introduced on 15^th�November to commemorate the “Deyata Sewana”�planting program. This program was conducted with the association of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Green Movement (NGO).

Mangrove Restoration at Puttlam Lagoon

During the past seven-year period, 4200 plants of Rhizophora mucronata were planted in and around Mundal lagoon and Puttlam lagoon; [Distributed in Uchchamune, Narikudawa, Wattakandal, Ammathottam, and Samagipura areas].

Mangrove Restoration at Mannar

300 plants of�Avicenna marina�and 50 plants of�Rhizophora mucronata, were planted in Mannar, Naruvillikulam on 09.10.2018.

Mangrove restoration at Jaffna

One Thousand Six Hundred (1,600) Mangrove plants (Rhizophora apiculata,�Avicenna marina, and Lemnitzer racemose�species)�were planted in�Kappathu and Navanthurai areas in Jaffna during 2018 and 2019.�

Mangrove Nursery at Ichchankaduwa, Kalpitiya

The first Mangrove nursery in this country was established in 2015, located closer to the Ichchankaduwa, Kalpitiya Naval Base. One Thousand five hundred (1500)�Rhizophora�sp. plants are maintained in this nursery and whenever requested saplings are received from outsiders as well for MEPA programs, and these plants too are used to start new plantations.�

On- going Activities

Mangrove Nursery at Kalutara�

Currently, MEPA has taken initiative to establish a Mangrove nursery at Kalutara South (Near Railway Station). Plans are underway to maintain 5000 seedlings in this nursery.

We, MEPA as a major contributor in the protection and replantation of mangrove forests, would like to invite all Sri Lankans to brace your responsibility to protect and replant mangroves for a sustainable future.

The Coastal Zone of a country includes not only beaches but also many marine ecosystems and habitats with rich biodiversity. Being rich with natural resources provides a livelihood for millions of people all over the world. The natural beauty of these coastlines promotes tourism and related industries too. Thus, it is playing a considerable role in the country’s economy.  Coastal zones are easily prone to pollution due to various reasons such as adverse human activities, expansion of tourism, increased human population, etc.�

all over the coastline, The sensitive marine ecosystems will eventually cease to exist due to this pollution. Not only that but also loss of livelihoods, creating health issues as well as negative impacts on the national economy are some major impacts due to coastal pollution. �

Thus, it is very important to prevent coastal pollution and safeguard the coastal zone and related marine ecosystems in order to ensure the sustainable use of the natural resources of coastal zones.�

More than 30 years ago, the Ocean Conservancy introduced the International Coastal Cleanup Day in order to encourage people to protect the coastal environment. Thus, the third Saturday in September every year is declared as the International Coastal Cleanup Day. As the Ocean Conservancy website states, “In partnership with volunteer organizations and individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Over 16 million volunteers have collected more than 340 million pounds of trash.” It is evident what a wonderful job ICC does for safeguarding the coastal zones of the world.

 In fact, Ocean conservation groups, along with environmental organizations, are concerned about the amounts of trash that litter the world’s coastlines. Therefore, they have joined with the Ocean Conservancy to conduct beach cleanup programs commemorating the International Coastal Cleanup Day globally and more than 100 countries come together each year and participate in such programs so far.�

Since 2008, MEPA has organized programs to commemorate the International Coastal Cleanup Day nationally. Due to the decades of urbanization and development schemes, the coastline of Sri Lanka has faced a rapid decline of marine resources and immense pollution. Thus instead of one day, a week was declared as “National Marine Resources Conservation week” by a Cabinet Paper from 2016 to commemorate International Coastal Cleanup Day. We hope that expanding the event throughout the week in all coastal districts of the county would attract more attention from the public as well as the private sector and it increases the efficiency of the ultimate goals of the program and many local volunteers will come forward to safeguard our country’s coastline. MEPA invites all of you to join us to safeguard our beautiful coastline and make it trash-free.�

Oceans are the driving force of the sustainability of life on Earth. 50% to 80% of oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by the ocean. Oceans are responsible for regulating the global climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. It is the largest food reserve major protein source for more than billions of people around the world, and also oceans are rich in medicines. Oceans play a critical role in the world’s economy as 90% of world trade is carriedSeaborne and it is estimated that approximately 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030. Hence oceans are truly a blessing to humankind.�

But we are on the verge of losing our oceans and their marine population. Human activities such as intentional discharge of waste to oceans, large scale oil spills from ships, ocean mining, discharge of industrial sewage toxic to marine population, usage of unauthorized fishing gear and unrestrained fishing, etc. lead to marine pollution and ocean acidification and as a result, by now 90% of big fish populations have depleted and 50% of coral reefs have been destroyed. Due to mishaps of humankind, the delicate balance between humans and oceans has been destroyed. We are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. If it continues business as usual ocean populations and marine ecosystems will cease to exist. A proper management system and set of definite regulations are required for the sustainable use of ocean ecosystems and the conservation of them for the future. The importance of the oceans should be familiarized with the general public and the awareness of the need to protect oceans and marine life among the general public should be increased. Only then will we be able to save our oceans.�

The concept of a�World Oceans Day�was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate our world’s shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it. Following that, in 2008, the United Nations declared June 8^th�of every year as World Oceans Day. The purpose of celebrating World Oceans Day is to inform the impact of human actions on the ocean to the general public, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for protecting the oceans, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.

As the residents of an island nation, many people in our country depend on oceans for food, livelihood, and other needs. We MEPA, as the pioneer of the ocean protection of the nation, carry out many activities concurrently with World Oceans Day every year. Conducting awareness programs, events, holding exhibitions and organizing competitions, etc. are some of them. Our purpose in doing them is to increase the awareness of the importance of sustainable use of marine resources and the importance of safeguarding the oceans among communities.�

Ultimately, World Ocean Day is a day to enjoy the beauty of oceans, admire their wealth, remember the importance of oceans for life on Earth, and be thankful to oceans for everything we get, and to pledge to keep oceans safe, so that the delicate balance between oceans and humans will sustain forever.