SriLankan Airlines launches eco-tourism project with UK-based Whale group
View(s):SriLankan Airlines has announced the launch of Project BLUEprint in partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), UK.
The airline and wildlife charity will work together to jointly develop a community-based responsible whale and dolphin watching industry off the coast of Sri Lanka and encourage responsible behaviour amongst local boat tour operators,
From left -- Philip Hoare and Johnny Reed of WDC at the launch in London with Chairman SriLankan, Nishantha Wickremasinghe
according to an airine media statement.
As well as raising awareness at a community level, SriLankan Airlines will show a film by Philip Hoare and Andrew Sutton, on board the flights to highlight the WDC partnership. The airline will raise money for the charity through the on-board sale of plush whales, with all profits going to WDC. The partnership will engage local stakeholders and wildlife tourism industries which will help to fund and promote project BLUEprint, the statement said.
Sri Lanka is one of the best countries in the world in which to enjoy whale watching, with a variety of blue whales, sperm whales and 25 other cetacean species to be seen. However, these beautiful creatures are increasingly threatened and endangered by a combination of irresponsible, unregulated whale watching and ship strikes, it said.
To combat this, project BLUEprint aims to raise awareness, provide training and scientific support to the burgeoning industry so that whales can continue to inhabit the waters and a responsible industry can benefit local people.
The initial focus of the project will be in Mirissa, in the south west of the island, currently the most popular whale watching destination in Sri Lanka. Once established, responsible whale watching will be rolled into two less-developed whale watching sites, Trincomalee in the north east and Kalpitiya in the north west, to safeguard the industry before there is any rapid increase of untrained vessel operators or a lack of community leadership which can manage the growing whale watching industry as a result of an expected influx of tourists wanting to see the whales.
Partners associated with the project include Jetwing Hotels and Keells Hotel Management.
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