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Kalpitiya fishermen ride roughshod over beautiful corals
The Kalpitiya coral banks are being badly damaged by thoughtless and unethical fishing practices and the continuous dumping of garbage into the once-pristine waters.
Picking out the garbageand the fishing nets that become caught between the corals
Tourism, which now provides most of the jobs in the area and is dependent on the coral drawcard, will soon be affected, experts say.
Kalpitiya Beach is a unique tourist destination with its marine sanctuary rich with rich coral beds in the shallow lagoon area.
The coral has become an unnatural colour. It was suspected that this could have been caused by recent floods in the area and the increased release of river water into the lagoon.
The International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), however, suspects other causes as the destruction has affected a 2km stretch of the
The fast disappearing corals
lagoon.
The Kalpitiya coral sanctuary was gazetted a protected reserve in 1992 by the Department of Wildlife.
The head of the Kalpitiya Divers Association, Dilshan Perera, said the reef was one of the best coral locations in this part of Asia and admired by many overseas visitors.
Tourists are drawn to Kalpitiya for its marine sanctuary rich with coral beds
It was sad to see the decay of a coral bed that was once “so marvellous”, he said.
There are around 136 varieties of coral in the sanctuary with 400 species of fish breeding in the coral as well as unique plant life, making the area rich in biodiversity.
“The fisherman cast their nets on the coral and damage them,” Mr. Perera said.
“We have to pick out the garbage and the fishing nets that become caught between the corals.
“There are instances when the fishermen even use dynamite. Some dump sand on the reef. Much damage has been caused,” Mr. Perera said.
He said the reef brought money into the area with the tourists who take an interest in this sanctuary. Most of the local people gain employment through the arrival of the tourists.