By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama
After the X-Press Pearl ship tragedy, Sri Lanka’s ornamental fish exporters claim that many species of marine ornamental fish endemic to our sea areas have become extinct and many small fish species have become emaciated, Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development chairman Ajith Mannapperuma said.

He told the Daily Mirror that ornamental fish exporters are unable to find these fish species as easily as earlier.
Moreover, he said many forage fish varieties, like sprats, have become emaciated, and carcasses of large fish species and turtles were washed ashore.
He claimed that more small fish species have become emaciated after the tragedy of the X-Press Pearl ship, and that effect is still seen in the sea. As a result, it is hard to find most small fish species. The condition of the seawater has not returned to normal yet.

Due to the toxic waste on the ship, the colour diversity of ornamental fish has been severely damaged, the Minister added.
“I used to visit the sea area where the ship sank after six months, I saw fuel patches still on the sea surface. The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) claimed that fuel from the X-Press Pearl ship was removed and there is no possibility of emerging fuel patches on the sea surface. But still, fuel patches were seen in the area,” the Minister claimed.
“The fishermen used to claim that they were unable to find fish in the sea areas where the ship sank. Therefore, an annual assessment of the fish harvest after the ship tragedy is needed, and the reduction should be monitored,” he said.