The Environment Ministry is preparing to consider policy changes to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, following discussions at the International Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion on Human-Wildlife Coexistence held in Gaborone, Botswana.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody stated that as the said conference did not identify any long-term solution to eradicate the human-elephant conflict (HEC), the focus has shifted toward mitigating the gravity of the issue. He confirmed that the Ministry will now review potential policy adjustments in wildlife conservation. He further added that most of the techniques and methods identified at the conference cannot be directly applied in Sri Lanka and will likely require significant adaptations. "We are the only Asian country to represent the discussion. No participating country has identified any long-term solution for the HEC. Further, the nature of the issue as it is experienced by the countries differs as well. For instance, Botswana is the country with the highest density of elephants. But, in relation to its elephant population, the land is relatively larger and the human population is smaller. But, in Sri Lanka, both the density of the elephant population and the human population is higher and relatively, the land area is smaller as well. Hence, all the methods that are taken by these countries are not applicable to our country. But, we can go for adjustments," he detailed.

The International Parliamentary Roundtable Discussion officially commenced on Monday (19) in Gaborone. It included participation from Parliamentarians from 12 countries, including Botswana, other African nations, selected Member States of the European Union, and several other countries. The Sri Lankan delegation was represented by Jayakody, MP Kins Nelson, several other Government officials, civil society activists, local community representatives, and wildlife conservation experts. The objective of this Discussion is to exchange knowledge, experiences, and best practices on how public representatives can support effective approaches to human-wildlife coexistence in a manner that benefits both the parties.