The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to urgently revise and update laws protecting the country’s wildlife and plant life, including the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO).
In a letter to the President, the BASL stressed the need for short-term amendments to strengthen fines and penalties, noting that existing punishments are outdated and ineffective.
“Such measures, if implemented, would necessarily become short-term deterrents to the unlawful killings of these protected species that we now witness,” the BASL said.
The association highlighted growing concern over rising numbers of elephant deaths — the highest in the world — as well as the killing of leopards and other protected species. It emphasized that Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity is not only a vital part of the nation’s heritage but also a key attraction for international tourism and an important contributor to the economy.
The BASL added that it will shortly present detailed proposals to the President for comprehensive legal reform in this sphere, but urged immediate steps to update the FFPO to safeguard wildlife in the interim.
