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Game meat banned in National Park bungalows

by Florence Wickramage

Taking in, cooking and consuming of game meat in Wildlife Department's bungalows in National Parks has been banned with immediate effect by the Environment and Natural Resources Minister Rukman Senanayake.

In keeping with the Ministerial directive, letters have already been sent to Bungalow keepers to strictly abide by the Minister's order.

The directive comes in the wake of complaints received by the Environment Ministry that visitors to park bungalows take with them game meat. Instances have also come to light that game meat was being stealthily sold near National Parks.

A spokesman for the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) said that flying squad officers had successfully raided places where game meat had been sold and had confiscated the meat, taken several suspects into custody and had produced them before Magistrates. The suspects had been fined. The DWLC has a 24 hour hot-line to receive complaints regarding poaching, illegal sale of game meat and illegal logging of timber from National Parks.

Minister Rukman Senanayake told the 'Daily News' that punishments and fines imposed on those contravening the provisions of the existing Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance were too lenient. Therefore action is now being taken to strengthen the Ordinance which will also include stricter punishments to those contravening the provisions of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance.

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