Sri Lankan Airlines issues new Corporate Policy on Fauna & Flora

Sri Lankan Airlines have launched a new ‘Corporate Policy on the Carriage of Fauna & Flora on board Sri Lankan Aircraft’ to strengthen its numerous initiatives on species smuggling. The policy reaffirms Sri Lankan’s resolve to follow established international conservation practices, including a total ban on transporting of wild game hunting trophies and any part of a species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); ban on transporting non-human primates destined for laboratories or laboratory suppliers; and the strict adherence to national regulations and applicable best practices in relation to proper documentation and approvals of regulatory authorities.
Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said, “We believe that the launch of this policy will send a strong message to species smugglers, that we will not tolerate any activities that are unethical or endanger the survival of any species. It is important that we as a National Airline, reaffirm our commitment to conservation and strengthen our policies and procedures.”
Pradeepa Kekulawala, Convener of SriLankan Airlines’ Green Initiatives and Head of Human Resources, said, “Our new Corporate Policy was formulated after much research on global trends in conservation, and a resolve to stay in the forefront of the anti-smuggling campaign for which we have gained a sound reputation over the last decade.”