[1]An underwater image of a dugong grazing on seagrass at the ocean floor.
The large, gentle marine mammal, stirs up sediment as it feeds, with
plumes of sand floating around its body. Two small yellow-and-black
striped fish swim nearby, possibly following the dugong for food scraps.

The home of Sri Lanka's dugongs is in danger!

These adorable “sea cows” are under threat as their only home in Sri Lanka
could be upheaved into an industrial seafood farm. 

Public pressure stopped a similar plan before – let’s help local activists
do it again. 

Tell the Sri Lankan government: save the dugongs and protect the
Vidattaltivu nature reserve!


[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 

   
John,

Dugongs are manatee-like sea mammals that are nicknamed “sea cows” because
they spend most of their time grazing and laying in sea grass. 

Now Sri Lanka’s only home for them, the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve, is
under threat as the government plans to remove its environmental
protections in favor of industrial seafood farming.

This would be devastating not just to the dugongs, but also other wildlife
and even local communities that depend on the nature reserve. 

This plan was proposed before, but public pressure got it scrapped. Let’s
help do it again and show the Sri Lankan government that people in every
corner of the planet want to save this special reserve:

[ [link removed] ]Government of Sri Lanka: Protect the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve -
protect the dugongs and local fishing communities!

A local organisation, the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, has
secured a temporary halt -- but time is running out and together we can
turn this into a permanent ban.

Vidattaltivu Reserve is the lifeblood of the local fishing communities and
home to many precious animal species -- from migratory birds to the gentle
dugongs. Its waters provide a safe haven for animals and breeding grounds
for fish, ensuring there is sustainable supply. 

If all of that gets destroyed, local communities will lose their income
and food sources – and dugongs will lose their homes.

We can win this. Ekō members have been resisting the destructive
industrial aquaculture sector for years – from Lidl’s shrimp supplier's
labour conditions, to Wagamama’s salmon feed. Together we can help save
this precious nature reserve, but only if there’s huge public pressure.

[ [link removed] ]Tell the Sri Lankan government: save the dugongs and protect
Vidattaltivu!



[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 



Thanks for all that you do,
Ildem and the team at Ekō


More information:

[ [link removed] ]Sri Lanka’s blue carbon ecosystems at risk as government seeks way out
of economic crisis Mongabay 16 August 2024

[ [link removed] ]A community’s fight for resilience: Saving Sri Lanka’s vulnerable
marine ecosystems Climate Champions UNFCCC 05 June 2024

 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

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