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Tuesday, 31 December 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
“The oceans have always had a profound influence on man. In addition to providing food, they have fascinated and inspired generations of artists, writers, poets, composers and musicians. They have provoked the imagination of adventures and explorers and stimulated the curiosity and intellectual pursuits of scientists. For generations low human populations with low levels of technology have safeguarded the ocean from human interference, but that is no longer so.
Sri Lanka possesses a territorial sea of 21,500 km2 and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coastal line an extent of 517,000 km2. Sri Lanka has the rights to the resources in the water column, seabed and subsurface in the EEZ.
According to the last comprehensive survey conducted in 1979-80 states that coastal fishing could lead an annual yield of 250,000 tons and another 90,000 – 150,000 tons from the rest of the EEZ. Under the UN Law of the Sea, Sri Lanka is entitled to claim for an extended area of seabed where the thickness of the sediment layer exceeds one km. This claim has been made and if accepted, Sri Lanka could gain an additional seabed area. Therefore the EEZ is likely to expand further with the delimitation of the outer edge of the continental margin of the country, which would permit Sri Lanka to own an EEZ equivalent to 23 times (approximately 1.400,000 km2) the size of its land mass.
Apart from living resources, this Zone contains a variety of exploitable minerals and hydrocarbons (oil and natural gas).
In addition, Sri Lanka can promote oceanic recreational opportunities such as surfing, whale and dolphin watching, deep sea diving, sea entertainment and sea sports. With the restoration of peace in the Northern and Eastern Provinces which comprise of two thirds of the coastal area including some world renowned beaches namely Pasikuda, Nilaveli and Arugambay are freely accessible to tourists. Thus maritime recreation and sea sports which hitherto remained almost untapped can be an important foreign exchange earner for the country,
In view of the strategic location of Sri Lanka close to the world’s busiest shipping lane it could become the naval hub in the region. The Hambanthota harbour when fully operational will open new avenues of lucrative employment and income generating opportunities.
The rich marine resource base biological, chemical and physical in Sri Lanka and its EEZ coupled with the strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes it a country of great promise. The future prosperity of this country lies in the sea which surrounds it. The paramount importance to formulate appropriate strategies and develop necessary manpower in the fisheries, marine and maritime sectors to harness the hitherto under-exploited and unexploited marine resources of the country is expected from the Ocean University,” disclosed Professor Ranjith Senarathne its Chairman.
