Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has proposed a low-cost ticketing system for tourist attractions, arguing that cheaper entry to lesser-known sites would draw visitors away from the country’s most congested wildlife parks.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Caucus on Climate Change, Premadasa said an affordable ticketing structure could encourage tourists to spread across a wider range of destinations, easing the heavy traffic that builds up at national park entrances while supporting tourism in areas that currently see few visitors.
Wildlife department short of vets
Premadasa said the Department of Wildlife Conservation should have 33 veterinary surgeons but has only 17 in service, a shortfall he said has persisted for decades.
Wildlife vets are central to managing human-wildlife conflict and to treating animals such as elephants and leopards, he said, but they lack adequate legal recognition and powers under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. He called for them to be properly integrated into the department’s structure, with career advancement and promotions.
He also urged better facilities and support for wildlife officers, whose duties run around the clock because human-wildlife conflict occurs both inside and outside designated wildlife areas.
Desilting tanks as dry spell bites
Premadasa proposed removing accumulated silt from reservoirs inside national parks during the dry season so they hold more water. He said water levels in tanks within Yala National Park have fallen sharply in the current dry conditions, with bowsers being used to supply some of the smaller water sources.
The remarks land during a prolonged dry spell that has driven temperatures toward 39-45°C in parts of the country and pushed reservoir storage to 37% of capacity.
Premadasa co-chairs the climate caucus, which called earlier this month for anticipatory crisis governance to handle El Niño and other climate shocks, covering agriculture, water management, wildlife conservation and human-elephant conflict.
