Despite claims about denudation of forestlands belonging to Sinharaja, a top UNESCO official said no such damage had been done to the natural heritage site.UNESCO Secretary General for Sri Lanka Dr. Punchinilame Meegaswatte said Sri Lanka had eight world heritage sites and six of them were cultural sites. He said the two others- Sinharaja and central highlands – were natural heritage sites.According to him, a dozen government institutions have been assigned to take care of these sites.“These sites are well taken care of in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Sri Lanka submits proposals for India to address fisheries issue – Minister
Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said Sri Lanka had submitted a set of proposals for India to resolve the fisheries issue between the two countries.He said this was aimed at resolving the issue of fishermen from India poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The Minister said a license system would be introduced for fishermen to carry out fishing under this programme. The fisheries issue has been an irritant to bilateral ties between the countries. Recently, 54 Indian fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lanka navy while they were carrying out unlawful fishing activities.