(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Coast Guard personnel deployed at Cod Bay fisheries harbour, during a search, recovered 13.2 kg of dried turtle meat from a multiday fishing trawler anchored at the harbour on Wednesday (19). Along with the stock of meat, 6 suspects were also taken into custody.
The arrested suspects, meat and related gear were handed over to the Assistant Fisheries Directorate, Trincomalee for onward legal action.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora-CITES, trapping and slaughtering of turtle is a punishable offence. Sri Lanka became a member of the CITES in 1979.