Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-03-19

Appointment of Members to the Wildlife Conservation Advisory Committee in terms of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO)

- The Department of Wildlife Conservation which comes under the ambit of the Ministry of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs, has been assigned with the tasks such as ensuring the protection of the endangered wild animals living in the conservation areas as well as outside those, implementation of the National Wildlife Policy and the law, implementation of the wildlife protection environmental policy, conservation of the wildlife resources and taking measures for minimizing the human-elephant conflict. The Department of Botanical Gardens which comes under the purview of this Ministry is entrusted with the management and development of several botanical gardens including the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. In addition, the Department of National Zoological Gardens of this Ministry undertakes the management of the Deheiwala Zoological Gardens, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the Pinnawala New Zoological Gardens and the Hambantota Safari Park.

Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. John Amarathunga, the Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs, to appoint an Advisory Committee comprising of experts in the relevant field, for the purpose of advising the Minister on the said functions, in terms of section 70(I) of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, was approved by the Cabinet.