Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-04-26

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Expo 2012 YEOSU Korea Foundation and Marine Environmental Protection Authority of Sri Lanka for Capacity Building to Manage Marine Debris in Sri Lanka

- The marine environment can be considered as a vital resource base which affects a country's socio-economic upliftment as well as the development in the fields of fishery, harbour and tourism. Due to waste and debris released to the environment through human activities in and around marine and coastal areas, the marine and coastal environment has to be restored incurring a huge cost. Sometimes the damage caused to the marine environment is irreparable. It has been identified that 60 - 80% of marine debris is composed of plastics and Sri Lanka is in the 5th place in the world pertaining to the release of marine debris. The 'Expo 2012 YEOSU Korea Foundation' established in the year 2012 on the financial assistance granted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea, functions with the objective of contributing towards the sustainable development of the world marine environment. The above Foundation has agreed to provide assistance to commence a research project on capacity building to manage marine debris in Sri Lanka and the proposal made by H.E. the President, Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the above Foundation and the Marine Environment Protection Authority of Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet.