Eat more fish to combat malnutrition

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratna recently said fish contains high protein and urged schoolchildren to add fish to their everyday meals, as 14 per cent of school children in the country are malnourished.

He said in addition, fish contains many other important medicinally valued substances and therefore fish consumption could help to increase the brain development of schoolchildren as well as others. Minister Senaratna was speaking after an inspection tour, of the Sri Lanka National Aquatic Development Authority recently. He said children are the leaders of the next century and therefore it is the responsibility if all adults to ensure that the health and well-being of children are monitored and taken care of.

"Consumption of fish could save the country's future generation, especially schoolchildren from malnutrition," he said.

The Minister also said our country is surrounded by the sea and adequate fresh water resources and, using modern technology will help reap a better fish harvest.

"When an adequate fish harvest is reaped, the prices too would come down, enabling everybody to consume fish at affordable prices," he said.

"I have also plans to initiate several programmes to develop inland fish breeding in order to increase the current fish production by at least ten-fold in the next five years," he added.

The Fisheries Minister also said several developed countries such as Japan, Singapore and South Korea use modern technology to maximise their fish harvest and also encouraged their people to eat enough fish that will help them to maintain good health.

Sri Pada to be declared a World Heritage site

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage has initiated action to proclaim Sri Lanka's sacred mountain Sri Pada,well known over the world as Adam's Peak, as a world heritage site, the Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told the Junior Observer.

According to her, the proposal to this regard is to be submitted at the conference of the UNESCO to be held in Brussels, Belgium next month.

Sri Pada is located in the Samanala mountain range in Sri Lanka's hill country, in a unique natural environment. Thousands of Sri Lankans of many faith as well as foreign tourists visit the place annually. The Ministry has decided to do this taking into consideration its importance to Sri Lanka and the world, the Minister added.

Seven historical sites; Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy's ancient cities, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Rock Temple, Galle Dutch Fort and Sinharaja Rain Forest have been named as World Heritage sites under the International Convention on Protection of World Culture and Environmental Heritage which was passed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO).

Meanwhile The Central Cultural Fund source said that UNESCO entered Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya (in 1982), Galle Fort, Kandy and Sinharaja (in 1988) and Dambulla (in 1991) to its historical site list.

At present five historical sites, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, and the ancient cities, Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla Rock Temple are being managed by the Central Cultural Fund.

Sri Lankan wins top awards at ISEF in USA

IESL JIY winner Ganindu Nanayakkara wins top multiple awards at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in USA.

by Rohan Mathes

The winner of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) competition 2009, Ganindu Nanayakkara, has done Mother Lanka proud by winning several top awards at the 2010 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), in San Jose, California.

Ganindu Nanayakkara, (Ananda College Colombo), won the First Award of US$3,000 for his project "Novel Computer Controlling Wireless Device for Handicapped People", a device that allows persons with disabilities to wirelessly operate a computer, in the Computer Science category at the Intel ISEF 2010 Grand Awards Ceremony held last Friday (May 14), by the Society for Science and the Public, in partnership with the Intel Foundation.

According to Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda, the Chairman of the IESL JIY Committee who was in San Jose California with the Sri Lankan contingent, Ganindus project has also won three special awards, at the Special Awards Ceremony, held on Thursday night.

He has received a US$1,000 cash award from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance and the Lemelson Foundation which recognises the innovation and invention that addresses critical basic human needs. Symantec Corporation has awarded Ganindu another US$1,000 cash award.

China Association for Science and Technology has grantedhim a trip to attend the China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest in August. The award is inclusive of round trip flights, accommodation and cultural visits, Meegoda said. Over 1,600 high school students from 59 countries had participated in this year's Intel Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest pre-college science competition, from May 10 -14 in San Jose, CA. They had competed for awards and scholarships worth nearly four million dollars.

The Sri Lankan contingent comprised those who won the annual Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair. They were:

Dimalka Maduranga Karunajeewa of Ruwanwella Rajasinghe Maha Vidyalaya who presented an individual project and T. Lasitha Lakmal, H. D. Vinushi Lakshani Kulawansa and G. K. Adeesha Udayarekha of Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara, who presented a team project.