An extensive coastal wetland rehabilitation project achieved a significant milestone today, October 1, 2026, with the successful planting of 15,000 native mangrove saplings across 25 hectares of degraded intertidal mudflats surrounding the Nayaru Estuary in Mullaitivu.

Supervised by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in collaboration with marine ecologists, school environmental clubs, and local lagoon fisheries societies, the replanting effort focused on resilient indigenous mangrove species, predominantly Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, and Avicennia marina. The saplings were nurtured in community-run coastal nurseries for six months to ensure robust root establishment before transplantation into the saline mudflats.

Marine biologists underscored the immense ecological significance of Nayaru Estuary as a critical biological buffer zone along the northeastern coastline. The intricate stilt root systems of mature mangroves act as natural wave breakers, dampening storm surge energy during monsoon depressions, preventing bank erosion, and filtering terrestrial silt runoff before it reaches coastal coral patches. Furthermore, the submerged root thickets serve as irreplaceable breeding and nursery grounds for juvenile tiger prawns, mud crabs, and over 40 species of coastal fish.

Community leaders in Nayaru affirmed their commitment to long-term stewardship. Protective bamboo fencing has been erected around planting sectors to shield young saplings from grazing cattle, while youth ecological monitors have been equipped with GPS cameras to track sapling survival rates and growth metrics over the coming monsoon season.