Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 23(1) (2018): 1-2

On the retirement of an eminent scientist in fisheries and aquatic science in : a personal approach

Upali S. Amarasinghe

Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, University of , Kelaniya 11600, Sri Lanka

Correspondence ([email protected]) http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0465-6950

Professor M.J.S. Wijeyaratne

At the age of 43 years as At the age of 65 years; time Dean of the Faculty of of retirement Science

The current issue of Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Professor Wijeyaratne has so far authored 100 Sciences is dedicated to Professor M.J.S. research papers in indexed journals and scholarly Wijeyaratne (Department of Zoology & volumes, 14 textbooks and edited volumes, 97 Environmental Management, University of research communications and also contributed as a Kelaniya, Sri Lanka) for his 40 years of consultant for 81 development projects both in Sri uninterrupted contribution to research on fisheries Lanka and overseas. and aquatic sciences in Sri Lanka. After his has recently celebrated secondary school education at Royal College, 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Science. After , he entered the , establishment of the Faculty of Science in this Vidyalankara Campus and was graduated with BSc university in 1967, the research culture in the Sri Special degree in Zoology in 1975 with a Second Lankan university system has moved towards a new Class Upper Division Honours. After joining the paradigm, especially in the field of fisheries and Vidyalankara Campus of the University of Sri aquatic sciences. Professor H.H. Costa, the founder Lanka (presently University of Kelaniya) as a Professor of Zoology in the University of Kelaniya probationary lecturer in 1976, he won the Fulbright (then Vidyalankara University) was instrumental to scholarship and obtained MSc degree in the field of make the Department of Zoology in University of Natural Resources from University of Michigan, Kelaniya the Centre of Excellence in research on USA in 1978 and subsequently PhD from fisheries and aquatic sciences in Sri Lanka. University of Kelaniya in 1984. During his career, Professor Wijeyaratne was the first BSc Honours

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U.S. Amarasinghe degree student in Zoology in this university and later appointed as the Honorary Editor of the once joined the department, he shouldered the journal. With all these roles in various scientific responsibility of maintaining the status quo. bodies in the country, Professor Wijeyaratne has Scientific publications manifest a marked been contributing immensely to the development of turning point in the early 1980s, in research on Science & Technology sector in Sri Lanka. fisheries and aquatic sciences in Sri Lanka. He is one of the six scientists in the field of Analytical approaches for inland and estuarine as fisheries and aquatic science in Sri Lanka, whose h- well as marine fisheries in Sri Lanka first appeared index (according to Google Scholar Citations) is during this period (Wijeyaratne and Costa 1981, greater than 12. Three of them (including Professor 1986, 1987; Amarasinghe et al. 1983; Wijeyaratne Wijeyaratne) are from the Department of Zoology and Amarasinghe 1987; Karunasinghe and and Environmental Management, University of Wijeyaratne 1991). Kelaniya, one is from University of Sri Professor Wijeyaratne served as the Dean of the Jayawardenepura, one from Faculty of Science and the Vice-Chancellor of the and one is a retired scientist from the of Kelaniya. He is a Chartered Biologist, Institute of Fundamental Studies. Service of Fellow of the Institute of Biology of Sri Lanka eminent scientists like Professor Wijeyaratne (IOB) and a Fellow of the National Academy of therefore is indispensable. While wishing him a Science of Sri Lanka (NASSL). He has served as the healthy and peaceful retirement, I reiterate the fact General President of Sri Lanka Association for that sensible mechanisms should be put in place to Advancement of Science (SLAAS), President of receive input of scholars of the caliber of Professor IOB, Founder President of Sri Lanka Association Wijeyaratne beyond their retirement. for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (SLAFAR), General Secretary of NASSL and also as the REFERENCES Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors (CVCD) of Sri Lanka. He has been Amarasinghe, U.S., H.H. Costa and M.J.S. serving in the Governing Boards of many Science & Wijeyaratne 1983. Limnology and fish Technology (S&T) and Research & Development production potential of some reservoirs in (R&D) Institutions of Sri Lanka, including National Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka. Journal of Science Foundation, National Aquatic Resources Inland Fisheries 2: 14 -29 Research & Development Agency, National Karunasinghe, W.P.N. and M.J.S. Wijeyaratne Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering 1991. Selectivity estimates for Amblygaster which was the predecessor of institution of Ocean sirm (Clupeidae) in the small meshed gill net University, Sri Lanka Standards Institution, Arthur fishery on the west coast of Sri Lanka. C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, Fisheries Research 10: 199-205. Industrial Technology Institute and National Wijeyaratne, M.J.S. and U.S. Amarasinghe, 1987. Institute of Fundamental Studies. He was also the Estimations of maximum sustainable fish Chairman of the National Science and Technology yields and stocking densities of fish Commission of Sri Lanka. fingerlings in freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Professor Wijeyaratne has won several awards Archiv für Hydrobiologie–Beiheft Ergebnisse for his scientific research. They include the prize for der Limnologie 28: 305-308. the best young scientist in biology awarded by the Wijeyaratne, M.J.S. and H.H. Costa 1981. TWAS World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy Stocking rate estimates of Tilapia mossambica in 1989, Kottegoda Memorial Oration Gold fingerlings for some inland reservoirs of Sri Medal in 1999 awarded by SLAAS, the most Lanka. Internationale Revue gesamten outstanding senior researcher in biology award Hydrobiologie 66: 327-333. 2010, which is a lifetime award by the CVCD of Wijeyaratne, M.J.S. and Costa, H.H. 1986. Sri Lanka. Furthermore, he has won presidential Application of "yield per recruit" and "surplus awards for scientific research in several yield" models to the grey mullet fishery in occassions. Negombo lagoon, Sri Lanka, Journal of Inland He was the editor-in chief of Sri Lanka Journal Fisheries 3: 3-14. of Aquatic Science for its first 10 volumes. He was