- UN has urged the Ministry to reconsider and allow the mission to proceed under the UN flag
- Sri Lanka at risk of losing $1 million UN funds, undermining key climate programmes and could result in delay any future such visit until after 2030
- The research vessel F. Nansen is set to visit Sri Lanka from July 15 to August 20, 2025 following a request from the SL government on November 24, 2023.
- Ministry of Fisheries on May 19, 2025, informed the FAO cancelling the visit due to the pending development of SPO for foreign research vessels
Sri Lanka has rejected a UN request to allow a research vessel into its waters from July 15 to August 20, which will assess the long-term food security in Sri Lankan seas, citing delays in finalizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for foreign research vessels as the reason for the refusal, a UN document revealed.
“The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) received a letter dated 19 May 2025 from the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources cancelling the F. Nansen’s visit pending the development of standard operating procedures for foreign research vessels,” the document stated adding that stated it “could result in over $1 million in losses, undermine Green Climate Fund programmes relying on the vessel’s data, and delay any future visit until after 2030.”
“The cancellation of the visit by the research vessel F. Nansen, prompted by the lack of approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to accommodate foreign research vessels, could not only result in direct financial losses but also undermine the effectiveness of upcoming climate adaptation projects financed by the Green Climate Fund, which rely heavily on the data expected from the survey, a UN document has stated.
According to the UN document sent to the government stated that it would also deprive the government of vital data for decision-making in a key economic sector. The UN has urged the Ministry to reconsider and allow the mission to proceed under the UN flag.
“The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator would therefore request the esteemed Ministry’s consideration to allow the visit to proceed under the United Nations flag, on the basis of the formal request from the Government. The Resident Coordinator remains available for a meeting at the earliest convenience to discuss the way forward and provide any additional information required.”
It also said that “the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka the assurances of its highest consideration”.
It also stated that the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Colombo that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has coordinated the deployment of the ‘Dr Fridtj of Nansen’ (F. Nansen), a state-of-the-art vessel to Sri Lanka from 15 July to 20 August 2025, following the request by the Government of Sri Lanka to the United Nations dated 24 November 2023.
Highlighting the urgency of the mission, the UN noted that “against the backdrop of declining fishing yields, the vessel’s visit will play a vital role in helping Sri Lanka’s marine institutions gain critical insights into the health of the marine ecosystem and ensure long-term food security from the sea.”
“Sri Lankan fisheries experts and scientists from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency as well as officers from the Sri Lankan Navy will be closely working with the F. Nansen technical team in implementing activities in full adherence with all pertinent national legislation. All data collected will be published only with the Government’s prior clearance. This is the fifth visit of such a vessel, the last one visiting Sri Lanka in 2018,” it stated.
Colombo, June 19 (Daily Mirror)