A senior government source stated that although the Sri Lanka Navy assisted in bringing an ailing crew member from a Chinese research vessel anchored within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to shore, the vessel itself will not be permitted to enter the country’s territorial waters.
The Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6, currently located approximately 700 nautical miles off Sri Lanka, had issued a distress signal requesting medical assistance for a crew member suffering from a kidney disease. In response, the Sri Lanka Navy dispatched a vessel and retrieved the patient near the country’s territorial waters. The individual was first admitted to the Galle General Hospital for treatment and was later transferred to the National Hospital in Colombo, where he is currently receiving medical care.
Although Shi Yan 6 docked at the Colombo Port in 2023, government sources confirmed that no request has been made for it to dock on this occasion, despite the vessel remaining in the region.
A moratorium on visiting foreign research vessels has been in effect since December 2024. However, the government recently granted special permission to the United Nations-flagged research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, operating under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to carry out a marine scientific survey within Sri Lanka’s EEZ.
Meanwhile, the government is in the process of finalising a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for foreign research vessels visiting the country.
