The Norwegian research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen has cancelled a planned 2025 survey in Sri Lankan waters after delays in government clearance. The vessel, operated by Norway’s Institute of Marine Research and commissioned by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization under the EAF‑Nansen Programme, was reassigned to Madagascar when approval did not arrive in time.
Sri Lanka imposed a one‑year moratorium on foreign research vessels in December 2023; at the time Foreign Minister Ali Sabry called it a technical pause, while observers linked the ban to geopolitical tensions and concerns from India about the dual‑use nature of some research ships. The moratorium was lifted in December 2024, but standard operating procedures were not finalised. A special approval by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came too late for the planned July–August 2025 mission.
The Nansen has visited Sri Lanka before, in 1978 and 2018, and its work has covered the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone out to 200 nautical miles, about 517,000 square kilometres. Past surveys collected temperature, salinity, oxygen and chlorophyll data and studied plankton, deep‑sea organisms and seafloor habitats. Scientists warn the missed mission will slow understanding of fish abundance, seasonal patterns and changing ocean conditions, and have called for clearer rules, full participation of local scientists, transparency and development of domestic research capacity including a national research vessel.
Difficult words
- moratorium — Temporary official stop to an activity or practice
- research vessel — Ship equipped for scientific study at searesearch vessels
- dual-use — Designed for both civilian and military purposesdual‑use
- exclusive economic zone — Sea area where a state has special rights
- standard operating procedures — Established step-by-step methods for routine tasks
- chlorophyll — Green pigment in plants and marine organisms
- transparency — Openness and clear sharing of information or data
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Discussion questions
- How could clearer rules and full participation of local scientists improve future surveys in Sri Lanka?
- What are the main benefits and challenges of developing domestic research capacity, such as a national research vessel?
- How can geopolitical concerns, like those mentioned in the article, affect international scientific cooperation at sea?
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