Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability Meets for Two Days

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• March 24, 2026
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• The Committee focused on obstacles, challenges, and issues related to the administration of national parks in Sri Lanka
• Attention was given to issues concerning the licensing of fishing nets and other equipment used by the fishing community 
• The Committee also examined issues related to the government’s paddy purchasing process and price determination over the past few years 

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability met in Parliament on 04.03.2026 and 05.03.2026 under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy. During these meetings, discussions were held with officials from relevant institutions on several sectors requiring timely attention.

Accordingly, the Committee held extensive discussions on the challenges, obstacles, and issues related to the administration of national parks in Sri Lanka, issues concerning the licensing of fishing nets and other equipment used by the fishing community and matters relating to how successive governments have carried out the paddy purchasing process and determined prices in recent years.
Following discussions on national parks in Sri Lanka, the Committee recommended that a comprehensive report containing all relevant information on these parks be submitted. The Committee also decided to conduct inspection visits to the relevant national parks in order to identify existing issues and propose solutions, along with engaging in discussions with the necessary officials.

The Committee also paid extensive attention to fishing nets and other equipment used by the fishing community. The Chair recommended that a report be submitted regarding fish imported into the country as raw material for canned fish production in recent years.

Furthermore, the Committee focused on issues related to the paddy purchasing process carried out by governments over the past few years and the determination of prices. In this regard, the Committee recommended that a report be submitted including data for 2023, 2024, and 2025 on the total extent of cultivated land in the country, the extent actually cultivated, and the reasons for lands not being cultivated.

Members of the Committee were present at these meetings.