ECONOMYNEXT – The Sri Lankan authorities has not selected permitting a United Nation-flagged analysis vessel into the island nation’s water, International Minister Vijitha Herath mentioned, amid repeated requests from the UN and high officers assembly the Minister.
The UN has already mentioned Sri Lanka might be disadvantaged of key advantages in marine ecosystem analysis by the UN’s Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO) because of the authorities’s delay in formulating customary working procedures (SOP) to deal with international analysis vessels.
“(We) didn’t take (a) remaining determination. Course of is happening,” International Minister Herath informed EconomyNext when requested if the Sri Lankan authorities has rejected the UN request.
Sources conscious of the analysis vessel have informed the EconomyNext that the “Dr Fridtj of Nansen” (F. Nansen), a state-of-the-art vessel is now docked in Mauritius and Sri Lankan scientists are anticipated to be onboard earlier than it sails to Colombo for marine ecosystem analysis from July 15-August 20 on the request of earlier Sri Lankan authorities.
As soon as it finishes analysis in Sri Lanka, it’s scheduled to sail Dhaka and Bangladesh scientists are anticipated to get into the vessel whereas it’s in Colombo.
“The International Ministry is ok with Bangladeshi scientists utilizing Colombo port to get on board, nevertheless it has not to date agreed to permit the vessel for analysis functions,” a supply who’s conscious of the dialogue between the UN and the federal government mentioned.
A International Ministry official mentioned: “till the SOP is formulated there isn’t a solution to accommodate the request”.
The official additionally mentioned a committee has been shaped as of now to look into the SOP and the “first assembly might be convened quickly”.
The FAO has coordinated the deployment of the “Dr Fridtj of Nansen” vessel to Sri Lanka following a November 2023 request from the earlier Sri Lankan authorities.
The federal government has not allowed the UN analysis vessel “pending the event of ordinary working procedures for international analysis vessels”, a UN doc mentioned.
The cancellation of the go to would incur direct losses of over $1 million to Sri Lanka via the FAO and more likely to scale back the efficacy of upcoming programming financed by the Inexperienced Local weather Fund which might closely depend on the information generated by the F. Nansen,” the doc mentioned.
If the present go to is cancelled, one other wouldn’t be possible till after 2030.
Cancelling the UN analysis vessel’s go to would deprive the nation of vital information important to the federal government’s determination making, damaging the prospects for financial growth in a key sector of the economic system, the UN has mentioned.
The UN mentioned the vessel is provided to assist Sri Lanka within the sustainable administration of marine ecosystems and aquatic assets, in step with the request expressed by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Sri Lanka’s one-year moratorium over international analysis vessels resulted in December final yr.
That moratorium was imposed by Sri Lanka’s earlier authorities amid strain by India and america over Chinese language vessels coming for analysis functions.
Each the US and India have pressed Sri Lanka after two Chinese language analysis vessels got here to the island nation inside 14 months.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake authorities’s cupboard in January determined to nominate a brand new committee to assessment the prevailing SOP and provide you with a brand new SOP to facilitate international analysis ships.
Sri Lanka is going through diplomatic challenges in permitting international analysis vessels inside its waters because of geopolitical points associated to India and China.
Sri Lanka and China have agreed to signal a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on maritime cooperation amid Indian considerations over Chinese language analysis ships visiting the Indian Ocean.
In April, Sri Lanka signed a Defence Cooperation MOU which mentioned each neighbour international locations will change data in maritime and different domains on mutual consent with out elaborating.
International Minister Herath in January mentioned Sri Lanka doesn’t must take approval from India or inform the neighbour on go to of any international vessels. Authorities officers have mentioned some earlier governments have maintained such practices to keep up higher relationships with India. (Colombo/June 16/2025)
