Mangroves, vital for coastal ecosystems -Wayamba provincial minister

CHRISTIE Fernando, Chilaw special correspondent

"Mangroves form a natural coastline shield as protection against floods, storms and other natural disasters, such as, hurricanes and tsunamis. Therefore, mangroves are vital for healthy coastal ecosystems, said Wayamba Provincial Minister of Electricity, Housing, Construction, Road Development and Fisheries Sanath Nishantha Perera.

"Mangrove ecosystems enhance its function as a natural water treatment system and have become spawning grounds for fish and prawn fingerlings", he said.

Mangroves

The minister was speaking at Sinhama Maha Vidyalya, Palavi, Puttalam recently, at the project launching to replant 15,000 mangrove saplings in the Puttalam district.

"Mangroves give shelter for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimp and mollusks. Mangrove forests are also prime nesting and feeding sites for hundreds of migratory bird species," the provincial minister said.

"Healthy mangrove forests absorb carbon dioxide emanated in the atmosphere. Fisheries are not productive when mangroves are destroyed. Mangrove replanting programmes increase the potential for sustainable development," he stressed.

"Reforestation programmes in these lagoon areas would therefore rebuild mangrove forest protection. Mangrove replanting programmes also increase the potential for sustainable development," Perera said.

"We have embarked on a crash plan to resuscitate mangroves cut and destroyed in the past due to large-scale prawn farming started in the North Western Province. In this venture, an ambitious project has been initiated to replant 15,000 mangrove saplings on the lagoon side by schoolchildren of 10 schools earmarked in the Puttalam district.

Each selected school is allocated Rs.50,000 free of charge for the trouble the children take to expedite this plan. It is a gift granted to them by the ministry to encourage them to replant mangrove saplings and appreciate and learn the value of mangroves," he said.

"Even prawn farmers have realized the value of mangroves. It is encouraging that they have, on thier own initiative come up and started replanting mangrove saplings on the lagoon side. Besides, through this mangrove replanting drive, students as well as adults will realise the value and worth of mangroves that exist in the environment around them," the minister added.

Wayamba Provincial Ministry Co-ordinating Secretary Asoka Jayasinghe, Palavi Sinha Maha Vidyalaya Principal N.A.D. Premaratne, students, teachers and parents participated in this programme.