Rs. 200,000 Reward for Fishermen Who Rescued Endangered Dugong

Fishermen who rescued a rare dugong trapped in fishing nets off the coast of the Vedithalathivu Nature Reserve were formally recognised by Sri Lanka’s wildlife authorities on Monday. The Department of Wildlife Conservation honoured five fishermen at its Colombo head office for rescuing the endangered marine mammal on November 15. The dugong had become entangled in fishing nets while the fishermen were operating in waters adjacent to the protected reserve. Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi attended the ceremony alongside the Director General of Wildlife Conservation Ranjan Marasinghe and senior wildlife officers. Officials said the fishermen made a personal sacrifice by cutting…

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