Yala sacrificed, once again, for local political gain

The events of 9 November were predictable! The early opening of Yala and the sudden decision to curtail the number of jeeps entering it were a political scam to do nothing, at the expense of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), of the jeep drivers who make a living from taking visitors into the Park and, most importantly, the people of this country. After all, Yala is a National Park! 

To understand this better, it is of worth to learn of how this situation arose. In December 2016, a special committee was set up, at the Prime Minister’s behest, to propose ways in which to reduce the visitation to Block I of the Yala National Park. It had long been recognised that the hundreds of vehicles that were entering the park every day were causing irreversible damage to its environs, and in the behaviour of its animals. In some instances, animals had been killed.

Consisting of officers of the DWC and Forest Department, scientists, conservationists, the police, representatives from the World Bank, the President of the WNPS, and even diplomats, they came up with a comprehensive Plan of Action that if implemented, could ensure the preservation of the biodiversity of the Park, as well as the financial benefit for the local community, and most importantly with such a national asset, for the people of this nation, for generations to come. 

One of the proposals was that the park should be closed for a period of three months to allow it some respite. This the DWC readily agreed to, but the Minister for Wildlife and Sustainable Development had this period reduced to two months. This was implemented from 1 September and the park was scheduled to open again on 1 November. 

A Member of Parliament for the area, however, demanded that the park be opened nine days early. Here it must be noted that the jeep drivers of Yala did not request this, and were quite happy to wait until 1 November. Of even greater concern is that the Prime Minister’s Office gave its authorisation for this…despite the recommendations of his own Committee!

The Minister for Wildlife agreed without too much fuss and instructed the DWC to open the park early. He also added a caveat that they should restrict entry of vehicles to 150! This was, once again, not at the DWC’s request. This was his own decision!

A second proposal of the Prime Minister’s Committee was that there should be limits on visitation, based on a study to assess the carrying capacity of the park, and phased in over three to five years to allow all stakeholders time to adjust to this change. 

Now, in just five days, the DWC were expected to set in place mechanisms and the logistics to limit 150 vehicles into the Park! How was it to be monitored? On what basis were the jeeps to enter be chosen? Where was the manpower to be found to do all of this?

The jeep drivers went on strike and refused to take visitors into the park. Their argument was that they did not ask for this early opening, that had it not been done they would have recommenced their business in November, without restrictions. They ran to the man who had started this all, the aforementioned Member of Parliament!

At his insistence, the Minister for Wildlife instructed that the limit be increased to 250. And then today, after further pressure, the limit has been gone up to 500! In December, when visitor numbers may go up by another 200, no doubt, the limit will be increased yet again! The jeep driver’s associations have mooted a figure of 1, 000!

The events of today clearly show that Yala has become the victim of local political expediency. This is jeopardising the future of a national monument, and of the future economic prosperity of the local community, to feed personal political gain.

In addition, if the actions of the Minister of Wildlife, and his supposed coterie of erudite consultants, are not to be construed as a political scam for party rather than national benefit, then the kindest thing would be to assign to their actions the charge of abject ineptitude. The Minister has obviously no interest or empathy with wildlife! He should not be in charge of a subject he does not understand or care for!

With the situation as it is today, discipline is of paramount importance as whether there are 20 vehicles in the park or 500, if there is no discipline, the park will be destroyed. This was another important feature in the proposals of the Prime Minister’s committee. One wonders, however, with their powers eroded as they have, by the consistent undermining of them by the relevant politicians, whether the DWC has the authority, any longer, to impose the rules and regulations of the Park. 

We call on the Prime Minister to resume the leadership of this country, and of his party, and instigate an inquiry into this whole shambolic affair while assigning those more competent to administer the National Parks of Sri Lanka. Most importantly, he must let the DWC get on with what it is supposed to do, protect the natural heritage of this country, for the future health and prosperity of this nation. 

Ranil Pieris, Praveen Abhayaratne, Jehan CanagaRetna, Rahula Dassenaieke, Nadika Hapuarachchi, Tilak Jayaratne, Sumith Pilapitiya, Yohan Weerasuriya, Rohan Wijesinha, Eric Wikramanayake, Rukshan Jayewardene, Spencer Manuelpillai.