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Threat to fish at coral gardens

by Telwatta group correspondent

Fishing goes on at the coral gardens, Hikkaduwa restricted areas even at midnight.

According to some hotel employees of the tourist resort certain boatmen removing fancy fish at night by using high powered electrical bulbs.

Once the fish gather around flittering bulbs, they cast specially made tiny pocket nets around the blub and catch entire shoals.

In addition to fancy fish large numbers of mullets, octopuses, crustaceans are caught in these nets.

These people engage in this activity very secretly during the night especially after midnight.

They engage in this illegal activity without any hindrance.

There are no wildlife marine unit officers or employees on duty during the night in this restricted area.

The Hikkaduwa police station is situated close to the coral garden, but there is no police on duty to protect the coral garden area.

Some hotel minor employees told the Daily News if no immediate action was taken to ban boats operating around the coral garden's restricted zone, during the night there would not be a single fish in the garden in the future.

A large number of turtles which swam around the coral gardens have disappeared, they said. 

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