- YZA calls for intelligence units in key Departments
Sri Lanka risks becoming a major regional hub for illegal wildlife trafficking unless urgent and coordinated action is taken, the Young Zoologists’ Association (YZA) warned yesterday (11), urging the Government to immediately establish dedicated intelligence divisions within all key enforcement agencies.
Addressing the media, Senior Instructor of the YZA, environmentalist and attorney Dr. Jagath Gunawardana, cautioned that the illegal wildlife trade has evolved into a sophisticated, network-based criminal enterprise that cannot be countered through conventional enforcement mechanisms alone.
He stressed that while four institutions are tasked with curbing wildlife trafficking — the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Forest Conservation Department, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Sri Lanka Customs — only Customs currently operates with an intelligence division.
“The other Departments do not have dedicated intelligence units to gather real-time information and respond swiftly to incidents. Without that capacity, enforcement becomes reactive rather than preventive,” Dr. Gunawardana said.
He warned that the absence of institutional intelligence support would leave Sri Lanka vulnerable to organised trafficking networks.
“If immediate action is not taken, it will be impossible to prevent the country from turning into a hub for illegal wildlife trading in a very short period of time,” he added.
The YZA’s concerns follow recent findings by its researchers and analysts, who have identified an increase in cases involving the export of endemic and endangered species. According to the Association, Sri Lanka is also being used as a temporary transit and storage point for trafficked wildlife before the animals are shipped to their final destinations.
Such practices, Dr. Gunawardana noted, are prohibited under the provisions and legal interpretations of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
He emphasised that combating the illegal wildlife trade requires a strengthened regulatory framework, inter-agency coordination, and access to timely intelligence to dismantle trafficking networks before species are irreversibly harmed.