Lagoon management plan on way

The IUCN Sri Lanka Office - the UN environment organization - is implementing several coastal zone management related projects in and around the Puttalam Lagoon including bio-diversity and socio-economic assessment as a prelude to formulating a lagoon management plan.

The plan also includes a lagoon management project restoring mangrove replanting and providing alternative livelihood for fisher families, awareness raising, assisting land use work, introducing measures to ease the pressures on the lagoon by solid waste management and infrastructure development.

These projects are aimed at promoting sustainable fishing and include construction of fish landing sites and storage facilities, ICUN Country Representative Dr Ranjith Mahindapala said in a press release. Puttalam lagoon is one of the areas that is to be developed as a tourist attraction by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board as a location rich in bio-diversity and scenic beauty but due to pressures on it by local prawn farmers and even some fishermen the rich mangrove and bio-diversity was threatened during the past several years.

The IUCN program seeks to revive the lagoon and its environs to its former richness.