Sri Lanka has missed a significant opportunity to advance its understanding of marine ecosystems and long-term food security due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and delayed political decision-making, resulting in the cancellation of a high-level UN-supported marine research mission.
The research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, operated under the United Nations flag and coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), was scheduled to conduct marine research in Sri Lankan waters from July 15 to August 20. However, delays in obtaining official clearance led to the cancellation of the visit. The vessel will now conduct its mission in Madagascar, which, according to UN sources in Colombo, “responded quickly and replaced Sri Lanka.”
The initiative was initially requested by the Ministry of Fisheries in 2023, which also handled all necessary clearances. However, according to a UN source, “they took back the clearance after receiving communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).”
The MFA had maintained that permissions for foreign research vessels entering Sri Lankan territorial waters would not be granted until a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was finalised. A committee chaired by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath had been appointed for this purpose.
Despite this, President Ranil Wickremesinghe intervened, discussing the matter with the National Security Council and subsequently instructing that clearance be granted via the Ministry of Fisheries. However, by the time the decision was communicated, it was too late to proceed with the deployment.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office had written to the MFA on June 12, formally requesting permission to proceed based on the prior request from the Sri Lankan Government. The letter also stated the Resident Coordinator’s willingness to meet urgently to provide further information or clarification.
It wasn’t until June 23, following the President’s involvement, that verbal confirmation was conveyed—more than ten days after the UN had made its appeal.
The cancellation marks a major loss, as such research missions occur only every 6 to 10 years, with the previous visit having taken place in 2018.
In a letter to the MFA, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office expressed deep concern over the decision, noting that the cancellation would not only result in direct losses exceeding USD 1 million through the FAO but would also undermine future climate resilience programs supported by the Green Climate Fund, which relied heavily on the data expected from the F. Nansen.
Postponing the mission to a later date is highly unlikely, as the next available opportunity would not arise before 2030. The loss of this data, the UN stated, could significantly hinder the Government’s capacity for evidence-based decision-making in the marine sector, ultimately affecting economic development in a key area.
The F. Nansen’s mission was a joint initiative between the FAO and the Sri Lankan Government, operating under the UN flag. The vessel’s team was to collaborate closely with Sri Lankan fisheries experts, scientists from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), and officers from the Sri Lanka Navy, ensuring all activities adhered strictly to national legislation.
“All data collected would have been published only with the Government’s prior clearance,” the UN clarified. “This would have been the fifth such mission, the last one having visited in 2018.”
The FAO ultimately received a formal letter dated May 19, 2025, from the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, officially cancelling the F. Nansen’s visit pending the development of the required SOP for foreign research vessels.
