BCNP officers seized 76 Tomato Hind fish (Cephalopholis Sonnerati) at the Air Cargo Village Terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake on 10.03.2021 while attempting to export illegally to UK by flight UL 503. These fish were found mis-declared as Red Grouper (Epinephelus sp) in a shipment of Edible fish containing 48 boxes weighing 796.4kg.
Tomato Hind fish (Cephalopholis Sonnerati) also known as “Thambuwa” is a protected marine fish in Sri Lanka under the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2014/04 of 11.04.2017 issued under the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No. 2 of 1996. Accordingly, no person shall catch, possess, transport, purchase, exhibit for sale, sell or export the fish within Sri Lanka or Sri Lankan Waters. The 76 Tomato Hind fish were forfeited and the exporter was penalized under the provisions of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235).
