The Hon. Sajith Premadasa

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, as India leveraged Project Tiger for major tourism revenue while conserving tigers, we too can conserve elephants, leopards, whales and dolphins and build specialized, well-planned ecotourism. Current efforts are ad hoc; we need a specialized ecotourism plan. With foreign exchange at a low, we must learn from India’s success—protect animals while empowering people.

¶ 02 Human-wildlife conflict needs systematized mitigation, adequate institutional capacity, insurance mechanisms, and continuity across administrations. Animal welfare should be prioritized. We must capitalize on global green opportunities and consider establishing an international environmental university here via PPPs, using our national parks as research anchors.

¶ 03 We must regularize long-serving volunteers and stabilize the multipurpose officers assisting wildlife protection. Wildlife censuses should be scientific and integrated; support private monitoring initiatives and harness them for national objectives, including eco-tourism and foreign exchange.

¶ 04 Let us in the Opposition and the Government unite around these proposals for sustainable development.