One day training programme was conducted by Inland Aquatic Resources & Aquaculture Research Division (IARAD) of NARA on hormonal induced breeding at Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) belong to NARA, recently.

Fifty nine stakeholders from different disciplines of ornamental fish industry viz, fish breeders, collectors, exporters, professionals, beginners, and under graduate university students were participated to this programme. They were given theoretical knowledge and vast individual hands on experience on dosage calculation, preparation of homogeneous hormonal solutions, proper administration to the fish body and observation of post-behavioral changes of fishes during the training session. The training course was conducted by Ms. A.M.A.N Adikari, Scientist and Ms. K.L.W.T. Maduka, Research Assistant with the assistance of supportive staff of IARAD. The participants were given certificates after end of the programme. After receiving more positive feedback from the participants during Q & A session NARA has decided to conduct series of similar training programmes throughout the country in the near future, and this initiative will undoubtedly benefit many individuals and contribute to the growth of aquaculture knowledge and skills nationwide.

As per the memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between NARA and Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO) China in 2017, to conduct a Joint oceanographic expedition, on board training of NARA scientific staff, Joint post-cruise data/lab analysis and bring out several scientific publications already completed. Now both esteemed institutions agreed to carry out research on Ecosystem and marine environment monitoring program in Sri Lanka Coastal waters using R/V Samuddrika; the only marine research platform of Sri Lanka. Here, SIO will provide financial assistance for state of Art oceanographic instruments, weather buoys and sediment trap moorings together with technical support to mount the instruments, data acquisition and processing.

Recently, high ranked officers from SIO lead by Professor Li Hua Ran visited NARA to finalize the list of equipment requirement and fund allocation for R/V Samuddrika’s operation for future surveys. This collaborative approach will enhance capacity of the marine research and survey activities of R/V Samuddrika which is a requirement for addressing climate change issues and other maritime resource surveys.

Chirman; Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Director General; Dr. T.D.K.D. Tennakoon, Deputy Director General; Dr. (Ms.) G.  Ganegama Arachchi, Project Coordinator; Dr. (Ms.) W.N.C. Priyadarshani and several other officers representing technical divisions have participated to this event on behalf of NARA.

A new Regional Research Center of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is established on April 05, 2024 at Thelikarei, in Poonaryn Divisional Secretariat in ​​Kilinochchi district. The idea of initiate this center is for conservation, management and development of the aquatic resources sector in the Northern Province in order to get maximum economic benefits to the country.

The Minister of Fisheries Hon. Douglas Devananda, Vanni District Member of Parliament Hon. Thilipan, representatives of the Northern Provincial Councils, District Secretaries of Mannar and Kilinochchi Districts, Additional District Secretary of Jaffna District, Northern Commander NAVY, Rear Admiral K.S.B. Banagoda, Divisional Secretary of Poonaryn DS Division, Governing Board members of NARA, Additional Directors of Department of Fisheries and NAQDA in the Northern Province, Officers from  Forest, Wildlife, Coast Conservation Department  belong to Districts of Mannar, Kilinochchi and Jaffna, representatives from University of  Jaffna and Ocean University branch of Jaffna, were graced this occasion.

Chairman, Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Director General, T.D.K.D. Tennakoon, Deputy Director General Research & Development, Dr. G. Ganegama Arachchi, Governing Board Members of NARA, Mrs. Meegahakotuwa and Mr. Aravindan,   and Head of the all Technical and non-Technical Divisions, Scientists and other supporting staff, have participated to this event on behalf of the NARA.

The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) have been carried out monitoring programme to evaluate the environmental damage caused due to the fire of the X-Press Pearl ship since 2021. As this was the first experience that NARA Scientists experienced, they often had to rely on external facilities for their experiments and analyses due to there were no state-of-the-art laboratory facilities within the NARA as well as in the country to analyze all the parameters required to evaluate the environmental damage, therefore had to get foreign laboratory support frequently. Meanwhile, NARA submitted a project proposal to Asian Development Bank (ADB) seeking assistance for capacity building and infra-structure development. The ADB recognized that the importance of NARA's work on study of ship damage and agreed to provide funding and technical assistance for the project. Accordingly, with ADB and Scripps Institute in the United States of America support, NARA was able to implement their capacity building and infrastructure development initiatives, leading to significant improvements in their environmental damage monitoring programme. Prof. Uwe Send and Prof. Lihini Aluwihare, representing the Scripps Institute, contributed as resource persons of these workshops. The ADB programme was ended recently, being provided the necessary field and laboratory equipment to the NARA Head Office and Regional Research Centers for the formal conduct of the relevant research activities. Prof. Uwe and Prof. Aluwihare, representing the Scripps Institute and Z. A. M. Azmi, National Co-ordinator of the ADB-Scripps Project, have participated to the equipment handing over event while Dr. T.D.K.D. Tennakoon, Director General, NARA Dr. K.W.S.S. Weerasekara, Head, Environmental Studies Division, Dr. W.N.C. Priyadarshani, Head, Fishing Technology Division and NARA Scientists were grace this occasion

Since 2019, the China Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been steadfastly supporting NARA's marine data collection efforts through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This collaboration underscores CAS's commitment to advancing oceanic research and highlights NARA's dedication to enhancing marine data acquisition. Together, they are forging new pathways for scientific exploration and understanding of our Indian ocean.

The collaboration between the China Academy of Sciences and NARA to strengthen the marine data collection system is a significant step towards enhancing our understanding of marine ecosystems and promoting sustainable ocean management. By combining their expertise and resources, these two esteemed institutions can work together to improve data collection methods, enhance data accuracy, and expand research capabilities in marine sciences. This partnership has the potential to lead to valuable insights, innovative solutions, and informed decision-making in the field of marine research.

Recreantly, high ranked officers from CAS lead by Mr. Yaping Zhang, Vice President of CAS visited NARA to discuss the future collaborative effort and look forward to the positive impact it will have on advancing the knowledge of the oceans and supporting conservation efforts. Meanwhile, this discussion they paid special attention to the inauguration ceremony and future operation works of newly built Sea Level Monitoring Station at Dondra by which CAS provided financial support.

Chairman, Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Director General, T.D.K.D. Tennakoon, Deputy Director General Research & Development, Dr. G. Ganegama Arachchi and several other Officers representing technical divisions, have participated to this event on behalf of the NARA.

The CNRS, or the National Center for Scientific Research, is indeed the largest fundamental research organization in France and plays a crucial role in bringing together all scientific disciplines under its umbrella. By encompassing a wide range of fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, humanities, and social sciences, the CNRS fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. This comprehensive approach allows researchers from different backgrounds to work together, exchange ideas, and address complex scientific challenges collectively. The CNRS's commitment to supporting diverse disciplines contributes to the advancement of knowledge and the development of groundbreaking research across various fields. It's truly a remarkable organization that promotes collaboration and excellence in scientific research. This is why the CNRS encourages the sciences to come together in a dialogue that also includes stakeholders from wider society.

Mr. Srini V. Kaveri, representative based in Delhi of the CNRS,  Ms. Aurélie Vollerin, Attachée for Cooperation and Education of the French Embassy and  Olivia Bellemere - Conseillère de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle/ Cultural & Cooperation Counsellor attached to French Embassy, Sri Lanka recently visited NARA with object to build up collaboration with purview to above objectives.

Mr. Kaveri, pointed out that by pooling together diverse expertise and resources, organizations like CNRS and NARA can work together to develop innovative solutions, conduct cutting-edge research, and make a meaningful impact on a global scale. This collaborative approach can lead to new insights, breakthroughs, and advancements in various fields, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future. He encouraged NARA to explore this collaboration further and leverage the strengths of both organizations to tackle pressing global issues effectively.

Chairman, Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe Director General, T.D.K.D. Thennakoon, Deputy Director General Research & Development, Dr. G. Ganegama Arachchi and several other Officers representing technical divisions have participated to this event on behalf of the NARA.

A newly constructed sea level monitoring station was inaugurated on March 26, 2024. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was jointly presided over by Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Chairman of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) and Dr. Yaping Zhang, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The event was attended by Dr. Kamal Thennakoon, Director-General of NARA, department heads, as well as Professor Weigiang Wang, Executive Director of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Research and Education (CSL-CER), University of Ruhuna alongside other officials.

This station was established to strengthen the capabilities of ocean observation in the southern tip of the country, aligning with the objectives of the United Nations’ Ocean Decade 2030, particularly Challenge 7: Expand the Global Ocean Observing System for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The functionality of the centre fully automated with capability of collect, stove temporary, and transmits data to the head office of NARA via the local communication system by extending existing sea level monitoring network of the country.

The fundamental data collected by these stations can be applied for: Development of coastal infrastructure such as harbours, Jetty, Port cities, breakwater, wastewater management, coastal low laying agricultural land use planning, river mouth management, salt water intrusion, coastal flood, policy planners of disaster management, hydrographical survey, and validating oceanic models. The real-time and near-real-time data are utilized for the prevention and mitigation of ocean-based disasters such as tsunamis, meteo-tsunami, storm surges, and cyclones. Time series data on sea level are useful for quantification of local and regional sea level rise, and seasonal variations with in-depth assessments in relation to the effects of climate change, and phenomena such as El Nino and La-Nino. 

A technical discussion was conducted on 13^th March, 2024 at the NARA boardroom with Scientists from the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), The Republic of China (ROC), and the Scientists of NARA lead by Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Chairman of NARA. During the session, there were several presentations given by both NARA and FIO scientists regarding the global challenges that are currently being faced. These presentations provided valuable insights and information that will aid in the ongoing efforts to address these challenges.

Dr. Dejun DAI, Senior Scientist, Laboratory of Marine Science and Numerical Modeling, conducted a presentation on ‘Climate Disaster Prevention and Reduction System.’ During his presentation, he highlighted that the United Nations’ Ocean Decade 2030, Challenge 7: Expand the Global Ocean Observing System for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Dr. Chengjun SUN, Director, Marine Bio-resource and Environment Research Center, shared his thought on ‘Marine Ecosystem Health and Micro-plastic Pollution Mitigation.’ Mrs. Kishara Bandaranayake, Senior Scientist, Marine Biological Resources Division, shared findings on ‘Ecosystem Health Management and Marine Ecosystem whil ’ Mr. Damith Perera, Scientist, NARA shared his findings on ‘Coastal Water Chemistry around Sri Lanka,’ K.W. Indika, Scientist NARA shared the importance and progress of Joint Research Investigation on ‘Sea Level and Early Warning System’ as an Island state country. Prof. Fangli QIAO, Deputy Director of First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, and former member of the Ocean Decade’s Executive Planning Group (2018-2021) and then Decade Advisory Board (2021-2023), explained potential collaboration for Ocean Science for sustainable development.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between USAID and NARA was signed recently, on Fisheries Post Harvest Modernization and Resilient (FPMR) Project under USAID – In Kind Grant (IKG) at NARA Head Office. It is evident that empowering the community with knowledge and skills is crucial for sustainable practices and growth in the fishing industry. With purview to this, the project aims to reduce the impacts of climatic changes on the Maldive fish and dried fish industries in Southern Province and ensure the steady production throughout the year. Development of a single unit for fish smoking and drying powered by biomass burning for Maldives fish production, dissemination of technical know-how to the fisher community through awareness & training programmes, disbursement of Maldives fish smoker & utensils for beneficiaries and establishment of proper marketing channel for the final products are the objectives of this project. Dr. N. Kumarasinghe (Chairman), Mr. S. Ariyarathne, Ms. P. Ginigaddarage (Senior Scientists of Institute of Post Harvest Technology (IPHT)) and Mr. Nick Hobgood (Chief of Party- Climate Adaptation Project) represented NARA and USAID respectively, for signing the MoU.

Two day educational workshop for the NARA Junior Scientists’ fellowship programme was held on 4^th and 5^th March 2024 at the NARA auditorium. Fifty-six students and 11 teachers from 11 schools including Visakha Vidyalaya, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, Nalanda College, Mahanama College, Asoka Vidyalaya etc., took part in this event. The main objective of this workshop was to make students aware of the fellowship programme that is to be held for 9-month period, starting from April 2024. The planned two-day workshop was an abstract of the entire fellowship programme funded by the International Ocean Institute (IOI). Participated students were very keen on attending the planned lectures and field trip to the R/V ‘Samuddrika’ Research Vessel, and were actively engaging with the group activities they were assigned to. Overall the event was a success and received positive feedback from all students and the teachers. This educational programme was a resounding success, and the students were grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a enriching and fulfilling experience. They left the programme feeling inspired and motivated to continue their pursuit of knowledge and learning.

Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, Chairman, Dr. T.D.K.D. Tennakoon Director General, Dr. G. Ganegama Arachchi, Deputy Director General, Heads of the Technical divisions, Scientists were participate to this event representing NARA while Mr. Vipula Kulathunga, Deputy Director of Science Promotion Section was attend the programme representing Ministry of Education.

It is evident that operation and maintenance of effective fish farming system can increase the income of the fisher community. NARA has taken efforts to uplift the living standards of rural communities in the Rekawa lagoon area through sustainable use of coastal water resources and the establishment of sea bass cage farming with active community participation. The successful harvests of the first culture trial, with the fishes have reached sizes of 650 g – 750 g which is plateble size commonly served at hoteliers. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication put into the project with both NARA Rekawa Regional Research Center (RRC) staff and the community. Regular monitoring of environmental parameters in the Rekawa lagoon was crucial for the success and sustainability of these efforts. As a result of that they were able to maintain the survival rate around 75%. This initiative not only promotes livelihood activities but also aims to achieve food security and improved nutrition in the riparian villages surrounding Rekawa lagoon. NARA expects to map productive zones of the lagoon for further expansion of the sea bass aquaculture in terms of productivity and nutrients.

Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe, has officially assumed duties as the new Chairman of NARA today, 28^th February, 2024. A brief ceremony was held at the Head office of NARA with the participation of State Minister of Fisheries Hon. Piyal Nishantha de Silva, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Fisheries Ms. Anusha Gokula Fernando, Dr. T.D.K.D. Tennakoon Director General, Heads of Divisions and other officials of NARA.

Dr.  Kumarasinghe, as a research scientist, has worked in various Government Research Institutes for 35 years, conducting and managing researches including Director, Sugarcane Research Institute, Chairman, Institute of Post-Harvest Technology, and Chairman, Sugarcane Research Institute. He was a consultant in the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Sri Jayewardenapura and consultant Director of the Ministry of Minor Export Crop Promotion.  Also, he served on a number of national committees, including the Pesticide Technical Advisory Committee (Petac) and the National Species Conservation Committee of the Bio Diversity Secretariat. Dr. Kumarasinghe serve as a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, SL Institute of Agriculture, the Afro Asian Society of Nematologists, and the Institute of Biology SL. Currently, I have been serving as the representative member of the Agriculture sector at the Executive Committee of the Organization of Professional Associations' (OPA), Council member at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and the Ocean University of Sri Lanka and the Board Member of the Post Graduate Institute of English in OUSL.

That is an impressive and extensive background and experience in the field of research and agriculture. Dr. Nimal Kumarasinghe's wealth of experience and involvement in various organizations and committees will surely be valuable in his new role as the chairman of NARA. His diverse expertise and contributions to the field will likely contribute to the growth and success of the organization.

The staff of the National Aquatic Resource Research and Development Agency (NARA) began their duties for the year 2024 under the guidance of the Director General of NARA at the NARA premises this morning, on the 1st of January 2024.

Ministry of Fisheries is conducted a Fisheries Mobile Service with the assistance of its sister- in organizations DFAR, NARA, NAQDA, Cey-Nor, CFHC and CFC. This event was held at Gurunagar in Jaffna on 19.12.2023. Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Piyal Nishantha State Minister of Fisheries, Ms. Indu Rathnayake, Secretary of the MoF, Additional Secretaries, Chairman NARA, Prof. M. J. S. Wijeyaratna, Director General

NARA, Dr. T.D.K.D. Thennakoon, other Institutional Heads and government officials graced this occasion. NARA Scientists here exhibited theirs role & services provide to fisheries and aquculture sector.