Sri Lanka Navy personnel, in coordination with the Fisheries Inspectorate in Mannar, have arrested a suspect for the illegal possession of 1,158 undersized conch shells, the Navy said.
The arrest was made during a coordinated operation on Jan. 25 in the Irukkalampiddi area, conducted by SLNS Gajaba under the North Central Naval Command. Officers inspected a suspicious house and seized the stock of conch shells, which failed to meet the legally required minimum circumference of 70 mm.
The suspect, a 65-year-old resident of Irukkalampiddi in Mannar, was taken into custody and handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Inspectorate for further investigations and legal action.
Authorities have warned that harvesting and possessing undersized marine species is illegal and poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and fisheries sustainability. (Newswire)