WNPS’ monthly lecture on bio-piracy at BMICH on November 21

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society’s (WNPS) monthly lecture titled ‘Stolen from the Wild: Confronting the crisis of illegal wildlife trade and bio-piracy’ by Samantha Gunasekara and Hasantha Kaushalya to be held in Lotus Hall, BMICH on November 21 (Thursday), at 6 p.m.

This month’s lecture presents an opportunity for the public and stakeholders to confront the alarming trends and to understand the role they can play in dismantling the networks that fuel IWT. WNPS invites all who care about wildlife conservation to join this session and take a stand against the exploitation of Sri Lanka’s natural resources.

This lecture features two of Sri Lanka’s leading experts on IWT:

Samantha Gunasekara

Former Deputy Director of Customs, Samantha Gunasekara is a leader in wildlife protection, credited with establishing World’s first customs Bio-diversity protection cell and has over 30 years in wildlife crime detection and anti-corruption in wildlife crimes. He has led significant efforts in wildlife crime detection, initiated the Sri Lanka Customs Museum, and contributed to national conservation efforts. Recognised with the Presidential Environmental Award, he serves on multiple bio-diversity committees and is a lecturer in conservation.

Hasantha Kaushalya

Hasantha Kaushalya is a prominent figure in counter-wildlife trafficking with over 15 years of experience at Sri Lanka Customs. As a World Customs Organisation (WCO) accredited expert on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT), he has led technical missions and training workshops for Customs authorities across Asia and Africa. Known for his expertise in detecting and investigating cross-border wildlife crimes in Sri Lanka, Hasantha has also developed a comprehensive training programme to strengthen wildlife trafficking enforcement within Customs. His achievements have earned him the 2023 WCO Certificate of Merit for knowledge-sharing and the Wildlife Law Enforcement Excellence Award from the Sri Lanka Wildlife Enforcement Network (SLaWEN). The lecture is supported by Nations Trust Bank and is open to both members and non members. Entrance free.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) is committed to driving awareness and action on critical conservation issues. Through its monthly lecture series, WNPS brings to the forefront the often-overlooked crisis of Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and bio-piracy – issues that threaten not only Sri Lanka’s biodiversity but the global ecological balance. The November edition of Nations Trust WNPS lecture aims to shed light on the dark underworld of wildlife trafficking, expose legal gaps, and highlight the need for collective action to protect natural heritage.

Illegal wildlife trade is a high-stakes, clandestine operation that generates up to US$ 23 billion annually, fueled by complex networks that exploit animals, plants, and entire ecosystems. Despite global regulatory efforts like CITES, the trade continues to grow in sophistication, often outpacing enforcement. Sri Lanka’s unique wildlife, including endangered species like pangolins and star tortoises, is particularly vulnerable to collection, poaching and trafficking, with devastating impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.

Illegal wildlife trade devastates bio-diversity, but bio-piracy – exploiting resources through patents – adds a serious, emerging threat. The shift toward Digital Sequence Information enables entire genomes of Sri Lanka’s unique species to be exploited, often without consent or awareness.

Source: Daily News