‘A Green Country, A Clean Environment’ - Navy replants corals in northern and eastern seas
 

In support of the vision, ‘A Green Country, A Clean Environment’ set by the Ministry of Environment, which incidentally comes under the purview of His Excellency the President as the subject minister, navy divers attached to the Northern and Eastern Naval Commands have embarked on replanting corals in the seas off the Coral Cove in Trincomalee and the Charty beach in Jaffna under the guidance of the Wild Life Research and Conservation Trust (WRCT). The ambitious conservation measure is being implemented utilizing the financial assistance provided by Tokyo Cement, the main sponsor, in a bid to bring the fast diminishing beauty back to the blue ocean.

Prior to the commencement of their Naval Social Responsibility (NSR) project, SLN divers took part in an awareness programme conducted by the Blue Resources Trust, a marine research and consultancy organisation based in Sri Lanka, on collecting data related to coral reefs. Armed with the requisite knowledge and techniques, they set about planting corals in pre-identified reef boulders, clearly demarcating the planted areas in order to minimise possible damage caused through fisheries activities in the vicinity. Continuous monitoring has shown the healthy growth of corals under the loving care of naval personnel who make sure not only to remove invasive weeds growing on the coral reefs but also remain vigilant not to allow the dislodging of painstakingly planted corals due to rough sea conditions.