Commander of the Navy participates in World Oceans Day celebration
 

The World Oceans Day national ceremony was held at the Viharamahadevi Amphitheatre under the patronage of His Excellency the President Maithripala Sirisena today (8). Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne also took part in the ceremony which was followed by an awareness walk organised to enlighten the general public on the importance of protecting the marine environment. A large number of naval personnel joined the awareness walk representing the Sri Lanka Navy.

Since 2009, the United Nations officially declared 8^th of July as The World Oceans Day and this year’s celebrations are themed“Healthy Oceans - Healthy Planet”.Addressing the gathering the General Manager of Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara pointed out that not enough attention and concern are given by the general public for saving of the marine environment. Further he explained the importance and the linkage of the marine environment into the spheres such as tourism, agriculture, and monsoon seasons. Moreover he mentioned that Sri Lanka had risen to the fifth position of the world in terms of countries that have highly polluted coastal areas.