Ban on unlicensed hatcheries

25 February 2010 11:23 am

By Indika Sri Aravinda


The government says it will be compelled to ban turtle hatcheries which do not follow guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry, Minister of Environment and Natural resources Champika Ranawaka told Daily Mirror online.

He added that hatcheries operating with the motive of making financial gains will be given time to operate on an educational and conservation level but ones that are not doing so will be banned.  

Further he stated that many turtle hatcheries were operating in the Southern coast of Sri Lanka mainly under the guise of turtle conservation but that they were illegally selling, processing turtle meat or using turtles for leisure purposes, he said adding that the authorities will take action against such hatcheries.  (Daily Mirror online)