• Pearl Protectors founder and Coordinator, and economist Muditha Katuwawala on citizens’ responsibility in conserving the ocean

The theme of the World Oceans Day this year (2024) was ‘Awaken New Depths’, which ‘Kaleidoscope’ aims to do by delving deep into the heart and lungs of the world – the oceans. Based on the World Register of Marine Species, there are about 242,000 marine species that we are aware of that are living in the world’s oceans and we are discovering and naming about 2,000 new species on average per year. But, what are we doing to protect the amazing marine life that our oceans are home to? What must we do to conserve our oceans? What is our role in all this?

Pearl Protectors founder and Coordinator, economist Muditha Katuwawala dove into many a wave on this week’s ‘Kaleidoscope’.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

What should we know about oceans?

The world is covered mostly by oceans: 71% of the world is the oceans themselves and more than 70% of our biodiversity is in the oceans; it’s the largest ecosystem ever. The air that we breathe and the food that we eat are all thanks to the oceans; 70% of our oxygen is generated thanks to the oceans. 

Sri Lanka is no stranger to this; we are an island and the ocean is all around us. Our monsoons, our weather patterns, the food that we eat, the industries that we depend on – 30% of our population are on the coast – are ocean based and there is huge potential when it comes to the benefits that we get from the ocean. In Sri Lankan waters, we see so many tropical marine biodiversity species; five out of seven species of sea turtles come to our beaches to lay eggs or to nest in our shorelines. We also have multiple species of whale, including non-migratory whales. There are species of coral and about 400 different species of reef fish. 

The sea around Sri Lanka is 20 times bigger than our island itself; a lot of people don’t know this fact because many have seen the sea or the ocean only at the shoreline or the beach. But, the moment you dive down, it’s a different world. It’s so beautiful and so vast. Sri Lanka is also special because we see some of the most beautiful shipwrecks in our waters, which is home to a lot of marine species as well. 

Do Sri Lankans really value what we have in the sea? 

No, we don’t. There’s a lack of awareness and understanding that we, the Pearl Protectors, are trying to solve. We’re trying to link the beauty of the ocean to the importance of conserving and protecting the ocean and the people of this country. When we talk about the environment or wildlife in Sri Lanka, everyone thinks of elephants and leopards; the ocean isn’t really spoken of, although it has some of the most amazing marine species which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Another valuable feature is that we have more than 15 species of mangroves – these are massive carbon sinks and because of this carbon sequestration, we have cleaner air. Sri Lanka has a unique type of seagrass as well. In Mannar for example, the geography under the sea is very unique. Similarly, in the South or the East coast, it’s totally different. Many don’t know these facts; it could be because of a lack of resources to explore and learn. Since we don’t frequently do deep sea diving or even snorkelling, we don’t see the beauty of our oceans.

How big is our coastal pollution problem, given that the litter may not necessarily originate from Sri Lanka?

If you see the positioning of Sri Lanka, we’re right in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The countries in the Indian Ocean are mostly developing countries. Many of these countries do have a challenge with waste management. And, most of their waste, along with ours, ends up in the environment or in the ocean. This pollution gets added to the ocean through rivers and canals. If you visit some of our beaches, you wouldn’t even be able to see the sand because there are layers upon layers of plastic along with other non-biodegradable waste that has washed up. There are plastic bags, food wrappers, sachets, and plastic bottles. Marine litter on our beaches originating from other countries is called ‘transboundary marine litter’ which travels through the sea using oceanographic currents and then pushes up on our beaches. This has now become a regional issue and finding solutions to regional issues means collectively working together and seeing how each country can support each other to better manage waste. And through that, we can make the Indian Ocean a much cleaner place. This also highlights how much of a global problem plastic pollution is. It travels through water. It breaks into small particles called microplastics. Marine life sees this as food and consumes it, and at the end of the day, humans also consume seafood, and the microplastics enter our bodies. Plastic isn’t biodegradable – it lasts for over 500 years. The first plastic product is still in our environment – it hasn’t broken down and disappeared. It seems like we’re not stopping plastic consumption and this problem will only get worse if we don’t address it right away. 

Marine tourism is getting bigger and bigger in Sri Lanka – we’re swimming with the turtles, dolphin watching, and whale watching. Is this being done properly?

Not at all. There are so many gaps when it comes to recreational activities involving the marine environment and marine life. In the last 10-15 years, there has been an increase in individuals attempting to take tourists out to sea, charging large amounts of money in the guise of swimming with the whales. The boats race towards these whales and these tourists jump right on top of them. Most of these whales are non-migratory, seen in our deep waters throughout the year. The ocean is their home. Just as we wouldn’t want people walking into our home and jumping on top of us, the whales get stressed when these incidents happen. Even the whole exercise is illegal; it continues unabated because of the large amounts of money these individuals earn. This is one of the reasons that the whale population has decreased this year – we’ve sighted only four blue whales in our waters compared to other years when there were many more sightings. 

There has to be more awareness because there is over-tourism and people not being aware of rules, regulations, and local guidelines. Another issue is spear fishing: a barbaric way of killing fish by simply stabbing at any fish that is moving. Some of our most endemic and protected marine life have been killed due to this illegal and unethical leisure activity. There’s footage of children jumping on top of sea turtles, trying to ride them, and adults grabbing them and holding them for photographs. This stresses out the animal and is absolutely horrible behaviour. We are trying to formulate a code of conduct for tourists, on how they should spend their time in Sri Lanka, especially when it comes to respect for the environment.

Policy wise, how much needs to change and how can we implement it?

There’s much to change in Sri Lanka when it comes to conserving and protecting the marine environment. The ocean based resource economy is something that will potentially benefit Sri Lanka if we do it right. It would also incentivise the protection and conservation of the marine environment. Small island nations like the Maldives, Seychelles, and even those in the Pacific Ocean, harness the benefits of their ocean. Because they are small islands, they have to protect their marine environment. Sri Lanka is no different to these places but the only problem is that we don’t protect or manage our marine environment efficiently. There is a definite need for a long-term national policy framework to better manage our fisheries, better conserve and protect our marine environment and to see how Sri Lanka can benefit by utilising the ocean in an effective and sustainable way without harming it. 

You are a deep sea diver; what are some of the fascinating and intriguing things in your time in the water?

There are no words to explain how beautiful it is. Diving is an addiction that all divers have, because we escape into unparalleled beauty. The moment that we get into our scuba gear and dive in, it’s a completely different world. I’ve been to some of the most amazing shipwrecks around Sri Lanka. They harbour so much marine life that there’s no vacant space. It’s completely overtaken by coral and other marine life. It’s just so pristine. Sri Lanka has some of the most beautiful places to dive and I believe that everybody should see the beauty of the ocean, because the more you see, the more you’re willing to protect it.

Any last words to those visiting our coastline and our oceans?

The oceans begin in hearts and minds. Everybody should be ocean-minded. You don’t have to visit the ocean to have the ocean in your hearts. Always be responsible for what you do. Begin with small acts like refusing single use plastics; this will directly benefit the ocean. Our waste ends up in the ocean because of our addiction to plastic. If you see plastic on the beach, don’t ignore it – pick it up and dispose responsibly. Because if you throw it away, it will return to the sea, end up on our beautiful reefs with our fish feeding on it and us feeding on the fish in turn. Volunteer to help conserve the ocean. The simple things that you do can make a big change. Volunteering means that you will focus your passion and energy towards conserving the ocean and the marine environment. Through volunteering, you will build a really healthy network, doing something for the greater good.  Small acts like these could really stop this destruction from taking place, and we can collectively work towards protecting our marine environment. Sri Lanka depends on the ocean and therefore, we must have a healthy ocean around us.

(The writer is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media)