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Sri Lanka Mangrove Conservation Project — Press Resources

May 12, 2015

Seacology, in collaboration with Sri Lanka-based NGO Sudeesa (formerly known as Small Fishers Federation of Lanka), is working to make Sri Lanka the world’s first nation to comprehensively protect all of its mangrove forests. Seacology will harness Sri Lanka-based NGO Sudeesa’s experience in implementing job-training and microfinance programs, fields in which Sudeesa has been a leader for more than 15 years. This partnership will give many more impoverished Sri Lankans alternative ways to earn a living that do not entail cutting down mangroves.

Press release | Project fact sheet

B-Roll

Download (NTSC | PAL — .MOV format. If you require another file type, please contact us)

B-roll shot list

Photos

Eng. Nihal Rupasinghe, the Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka and Duane Silverstein, the Executive Director of Seacology, exchanged the signed agreement to protect all of Sri Lanka's Mangroves on 12th May 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa
Eng. Nihal Rupasinghe, the Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka and Duane Silverstein, the Executive Director of Seacology, exchanged the signed agreement to protect all of Sri Lanka’s Mangroves on 12th May 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa

Eng. Nihal Rupasinghe, the Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka and Duane Silverstein, the Executive Director of Seacology, exchanged the signed agreement to protect all of Sri Lanka's Mangroves on 12th May 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa
Eng. Nihal Rupasinghe, the Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka and Duane Silverstein, the Executive Director of Seacology, exchanged the signed agreement to protect all of Sri Lanka’s Mangroves on 12th May 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa

Sudeesa Chairman Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Seacology Executive Director Duane Silverstein, Douglas Tisera of the Sudeesa staff, and Seacology field representative Vineeta Hoon review Sri Lanka mangrove project plans.
Sudeesa Chairman Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Seacology Executive Director Duane Silverstein, Douglas Tisera of the Sudeesa staff, and Seacology field representative Vineeta Hoon review Sri Lanka mangrove project plans.

Mangrove forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei
Mangrove forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei

Sri Lanka forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei
Sri Lanka forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei

Duane Silverstein (right) and Anuradha Wickramasinghe (second from right) with a government agent of Puttlam District tour conserved mangrove Forest in Pambala-Chilaw lagoon on 10th May 2015 in Sri Lanka
Duane Silverstein (right) and Anuradha Wickramasinghe (second from right) with a government agent of Puttlam District tour conserved mangrove Forest in Pambala-Chilaw lagoon on 10th May 2015 in
Sri Lanka

Sudeesa Chairman Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Seacology Executive Director Duane Silverstein, and Douglas Tisera of the Sudeesa staff walk through formerly dense mangrove forest destroyed during the Sri Lanka civil war. Photo credt: Teng Wei
Sudeesa Chairman Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Seacology Executive Director Duane Silverstein, and Douglas Tisera of the Sudeesa staff walk through formerly dense mangrove forest destroyed during the Sri Lanka civil war. Photo credt: Teng Wei

Duane Silverstein, Executive Director of Seacology with Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Chairman of Sudeesa at conserved mangrove forest at Pambala-Chilaw Lagoon during Duane's visit on 10 May 2015 in Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa
Duane Silverstein, Executive Director of Seacology with Anuradha Wickramasinghe,
Chairman of Sudeesa at conserved mangrove forest at Pambala-Chilaw Lagoon during
Duane’s visit on 10 May 2015 in Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Sudeesa

Mangrove forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei
Mangrove forests of Sri Lanka. Photo credit: Teng Wei

Signed the agreement by Seacology and Sri Lanka Government
Duane Silverstein and Secretary of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment Nihal Rupasinghe

Video overview

Copy of video files available upon request.


Case study of a Sudeesa client: Jospin Kumari

jospin-530

Jospin Kristina Kumari lives in Samidigama Village, in the Puttlam District of Sri Lanka. She was living in poverty with four children, a sick husband, and no regular source of income. She joined Sudeesa and received training on running a bakery. Jospin was able to get a small business loan to set up a bakery of her own and now employs three other members of the community. In the future, she hopes to expand her bakery’s product line. She is a member of her village organization that protects local mangrove forests.


 

For more information, contact

Seacology office (California-based)
(510) 559-3505
mangroves@seacology.org

Europe media
Simon Forrester (U.K.-based)
+44 (0) 7932-755515
simonjforrester@gmail.com

India media
Vineeta Hoon
011-91-944-436-8457
vineetahoon@gmail.com

Philippines media
Ferdie Marcelo
+63 918-905-0948
ferdiemarcelo@gmail.com

Australia, New Zealand and S.E. Asia media
Arnaz Mehta (New Zealand-based)
+64 27 3058823
arnazmehta@gmail.com


Previous news coverage

Featured

Geographical Magazine (UK), May 12, 2015
Saviours of Sri Lanka’s Mangroves
Christian Science Monitor, July 15, 2015
Women Lead Effort to Protect Sri Lanka’s Mangroves
SciDev.net, June 26, 2015
Mangroves Against Monsoons
Mother Nature Network, June 23, 2015
Women Lead Fight in the Poaching War
Dhaka Tribune, June 16, 2015
We Need Our Mangroves
The Alternative (India), June 13, 2015
Mother Of All Plans to Save Sri Lanka’s Mangroves
Huffington Post, June 9, 2015
Save the Mangroves
Youngzine, June 1, 2015
Sri Lanka Protects Its Mangroves
KCBS Radio, May 17, 2015
[segment 1] [segment 2]
Sri Lanka television network, May 13, 2015
[Mangrove project featured on Sri Lanka National News]
BBC World Service (audio), May 13, 2015
Sri Lanka Mangroves: Preservation Agreement
The Hindu, May 13, 2015
Mission Mangroves in Sri Lanka