01 January to 31 December 2019
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01 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2019 contents The Pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world and as of January 2020, three of the 8 species are listed as critically endangered while another three are listed as endangered and the balance two are listed as vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species. It is said that a Pangolin is killed every 5 minutes in the wild (Source: The Wildlife Justice Commission). Image courtesy of Dr. Priyan Perera. Our cover photograph is courtesy of L J Mendis Wickramasinghe. 1. Notice of the 126th Annual General Meeting ................................................................ 02 2. The Annual Report of the Hon. General Secretary ......................................................... 03 3. Subcommittee Reports 3.1. Human–Elephant Coexistence Subcommittee .................................................. 12 3.2. Youth Wing Subcommittee ...................................................................................... 16 3.3. Youth Ambassador Programme - Jawai India ............................................................ 19 3.4. Conservation Subcommittee ................................................................................... 21 3.5. Legal Subcommittee .............................................................................................. 23 3.6. Reforestation of a Rainforest ‘ROAR’ Subcommittee ................................................... 26 3.7. Green Isle Subcommittee ........................................................................................ 28 3.8. Marine Subcommittee ............................................................................................ 31 3.9. Cat Subcommittee ................................................................................................. 34 3.10. Bungalow Subcommittee ........................................................................................ 36 3.11. Member Services ................................................................................................... 38 3.12. Publications ......................................................................................................... 42 3.13. Digital, Media, and Publicity ................................................................................... 43 3.14. Fundraising Subcommittee ...................................................................................... 45 3.15. 125th Anniversary - Celebrating a Milestone Year ..................................................... 47 16. Treasurer’s Report ..................................................................................................... 50 17. Report of the Auditors to the Members of WNPS ........................................................... 52 18. Annual Audited Accounts 2019 ................................................................................... 53 19. Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 61 20. Minutes of the 125th Annual General Meeting .............................................................. 62 21. President’s Speech – 125th Annual General Meeting ..................................................... 65 22. Annual General Meeting - Notice under Rule 10.1.3 63 ................................................... 70 23. Annual General Notice - Notice under Rules 10.1.5 to 10.1.9 ........................................... 71 1 Dear Member, NOTICE OF THE 126th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE WILDLIFE & NATURE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF SRI LANKA The Annual General Meeting of the WILDLIFE & NATURE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF SRI LANKA will be held on Sunday May 17th, 2020 at the WNPS Head Office, #86 Rajamalwatta Road Battaramulla, commencing at 5.00 pm. All Ordinary Members of good standing and Life Members are entitled to attend and vote at the AGM. Junior and Honorary Members may attend but are NOT entitled to vote. Admission to the meeting will be on production of a valid membership card. AGENDA 1. Reading of the Notice convening the Annual General Meeting. 2. Two minutes silence in respect of members who have passed away in 2019. 3. Apologies for absence. 4. Adoption of the Minutes of the 125th AGM held on May 26th, 2019 5. Matters arising from the Minutes. 6. Adoption of the Report of the Hon. General Secretary for 2019. 7. Adoption of the Statement of Accounts for 2019. 8. Tabling of the Accounts of the WNPS Education and Propaganda Trust. 9. The President’s address. 10. Election of members to the General Committee. 11. Election of Office Bearers. 12. Election of Auditors. 13. Resolutions for which due notice have been given. 14. Conferment of Honorary Membership. 15. Any other matters for which due notice have been given. Jehan M. CanagaRetna, Hon. General Secretary March 23rd, 2020 2 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HON. GENERAL SECRETARY 2019 was a tumultuous year for Sri Lanka with the horrific Easter Sunday bombings of Apr 21, 2019, Those of us in the wildlife management killing and injuring hundreds of innocent civilians and seriously debilitating an already sputtering economy. and conservation community often As a nation Sri Lankan is resilient, but the Sri Lankan ask the question, why is it so difficult body politic has been dealt a series of deadly blows for someone passionate about wildlife over the past 30 years, an experience seen in very few and conservation to assume leadership countries. In the latter part of 2019, Sri Lanka also saw of our Wildlife Ministry and lead the a presidential election with the peaceful transfer of Country forward in the right footing of power to a new President. However, despite these major conservation? political and economic changes, and if political history is anything to judge by, we, here at the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), one of the leading In many instances, the answers to our conservation conservation organisations in the country, do not problems are obvious but implementing these anticipate these governmental changes having a great solutions turn out to be complex and onerous. To deal of positive impact on either wildlife management some of us, these obvious solutions would also hamper or conservation efforts in Sri Lanka. We hope and pray the illicit profit making activities of individuals. As we are proven wrong. an example, the now Cabinet approved ‘National Elephant Policy’, co-authored by conservationists Those of us in the wildlife management and and conservation organisations, in conjunction with conservation community often ask the question, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) was why is it so difficult for someone passionate about held up with different Secretaries of the Ministry of wildlife and conservation to assume leadership of Wildlife since 2006, and only got approval in late 2019. our Wildlife Ministry and lead the country forward in Is there an explanation for this 13 year delay? We, the right footing of conservation. Why has that been here at the Society, cannot fathom a legitimate, policy- such a challenge for so many decades? It appears that driven reason for this complete lack of action: except the leadership positions assigned to the Ministry of to speculate that decision makers see approving and Wildlife may not be ideal choices to take the mandate implementing the ‘National Elephant Policy’ as being of wildlife conservation forward. In the last 5 years, unfavourable to various personal interests. The Society, we have had approximately 5 or 6 different Cabinet which helped create the ‘Fauna and Flora Protection Ministers in charge of Wildlife, a development that Ordinance’ (FFPO), even after working closely with resulted in many of the administrative problems and the Department of DWC, finds it extremely difficult roadblocks that have halted the progress of wildlife to protect Sri Lanka’s forests from being destroyed conservation in our country. 3 by various political interests. In specific cases, the continued stripping of our forests and clearing of In more positive developments, the forest land for personal gain continues unabated across Society has executed an unprecedented Sri Lanka. There are also large scale illegal forest clearance projects and in other instances, smaller scale amount of work in 2019 and in some projects such as illegal chena cultivation to secure months averaging about 10-15 different votes at election time. We hope the current political activities. leadership changes this trend and makes conservation one of its key strategies to protect our country’s rich biodiversity. This act will bring quality tourism to our In an effort to commemorate and celebrate the 125th country, justifying the 2019 and 2020 tourism awards Anniversary of the Society, there was a major gala such as “Lonely Planets No 1 in the Top 10 Countries event planned for May 10, 2019 at the Colombo Hilton. to Visit” and Travel Leisure’s “World’s Best Island” to However, as a result of the Easter Sunday bombings name a few. a few weeks before, the Society postponed this event to November 12, 2019. The gala event was a roaring The Management of our national parks, specifically success and many observers noted that it was both of Yala, Minneriya and Horton Plains, leaves much innovative and unprecedented within the conservation to be desired. We hope that in collaboration with community in Sri Lanka. The work commenced in the the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board (SLTDB), latter part of 2018; three teams reporting to President, and with instructions from our political