On May 16th 2023, the Mannar region Systemic Solutions (MARESSOL) project hosted an international event in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to present findings from the recently published report “Marine litter from Fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait – Knowledge basis and recommended avenues for change“. The conference was attended by more than 80 distinguished guests, both in room and online, ranging from government officials, NGOs, IGOs, private sector and academia. The conference was opened by a list of distinguished speakers, followed by a presentation of the report findings. Conclusively, a panel discussion was facilitated by Prof. Pradeep Kumara from the University of Ruhuna, followed by an open floor for questions and answers from the audience.
On behalf of the project partners, we thank all participants of the conference, and a special regards of gratitude to all the exceptional contributions from distinguished external speakers and panelists who contributed at the conference:
• Mr. H. M. K. J. B. Gunaratne, Director (Development), Ministry of Fisheries
• Dr. Ananda Mallawatantri, Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka (Environment, Climate Change, and Green Finance)
• Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment
• Ms. Kalyani Hewapathirana, Director, Department of Fisheries
• Mr. S. Ranawaka, Director General, Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management
• Dr. Sajith Edirisinghe, Secretary, Sri Lanka Medical Association
• Mr. Sreeram Sirinivasan, Former Chief Project Director, Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company
• Mrs. Cecilie Lind, CEO, the Norwegian Retailers Fund
• Dr. Sandun Perera, program coordinator, IUCN
• Dr. Shamen Vidanage, Country Representative, IUCN Sri Lanka
