First it was Yala, then gradually the
other National Parks, and now it is the Whales, and I don’t know countless
other traditions, and skills have been killed off along the way in the Sri
Lankan version of development.
We HAVE NOT still taken the simple step
of restricting entry to Yala to just 200 vehicles and 1000 people a day. There
is NO other way to obtain a balance between man and nature, and HOW you do it
is up to Policy makers, whether it is by auction, a hybrid of lottery and
auction, (remember then the lottery winners will auction their ticket to the
highest bidder too) or some other method so that the animals and humans will
both be able to enjoy the spectacle of GOD.
In the same light, it is only recently
that we have begun to exploit the richness of the seas around us. GOD has been
kind enough to give us the chance of allowing the greatest number of Blue
Whales that are concentrated in one place on the face of the earth. What we do
with it is up to man. This bounty is such that man has not found a method to
balancing this windfall, without destroying it.
So who must step in? In all cases when
man’s greed gets the better of him, that is when we need a state to mandate
rules, so that this windfall is available for future generations too, and not
just the present to squeeze every ounce
of life there is to from it, so their own self aggrandizement or riches! However
one defines it.
It is with that in mind that I propose that
the whole matter of Whale watching in Mirissa, just like dolphin watching and whale
watching in Kalpitiya or Trincomalee, take some form of state intervention to ensure
that this tourist treasure is managed for the greater good of man and beast!
What I propose is just one persons idea from
a moments visit, and putting the heads of experts on the subject will better create
a lasting and balanced solution.
Any number of sail boats with NO engines
to be permitted in the area so both rich and poor alike can enjoy. For the armchair
tourist from whom the dollar signs are most, two large ships be given exclusive
rights, well regulated as to how they observe, and the proximity to animals. The
license will be auctioned to two bidders who will then compete with each other for
quality service and price, and they then charge for the daily outings, which will
raise about Rs50M to the state coffers for the privilege whilst not preventing the
truly dedicated rich and poor, in two hulled catamarans from enjoying the show.
I am told that Sri Lanka boat builders have built the double hulled sailing boat in the picture that can just be moored on the whale watching site and stay in one place while the whales frolic about not disturbing the whales at all, and not creating waves of destruction, and waves on the sea that make the traveler sea sick either!
The details and photos of the Mirissa Whale Watching Trip are shown in the Blog entry on 31st December 2015
1 comment:
It's a conundrum because what you have proposed is a beautiful solution to balance the demand showered the implementation is subject to gross mismanagement and corruption if there is no good governance. The record of good governance in Sri Lanka is not a promising indicator of implementing such a good plan as you have proposed.
So the question should once again return to that of governance. We are still learning. How can good governance be achieved in Sri Lanka?
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