- Defence clearance still pending
- University of Ruhuna holds donated vessel
- SL–China research collaboration remains stalled
A small, remotely controlled unmanned surface vessel donated by China to collect oceanographic and water-quality data in Sri Lankan waters has remained unused for nearly three years as authorities have yet to grant the necessary operational clearances, The Sunday Morning learns.
It is learnt that the vessel can operate up to 50 km into Sri Lankan waters and collect data on water quality, ocean currents, turbidity, and temperature. The data could support scientific research and provide information useful to the fisheries and tourism sectors, including sea conditions and beach water quality.
However, the vessel is not designed to detect cyclones or other severe weather systems. It can also accommodate one person.
The vessel is currently in the custody of the University of Ruhuna and has not been deployed, pending approval from several authorities.
The Sunday Morning learns that the clearance process is currently with the Ministry of Defence, following which approval will have to be sought from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant stakeholders. Sri Lanka has not incurred any expenditure on the vessel, although its value has yet to be established.
If operational, the data collected could be made available through online platforms, allowing the public, researchers, and relevant industries to access information on the condition of Sri Lanka’s coastal waters. Such information could be particularly useful to the fisheries and tourism sectors in assessing beach water quality and sea currents.
The development comes amid wider questions over scientific cooperation between Sri Lanka and China, including research activities associated with the Chinese vessel Shi Yan 6. There were reports that, during former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, a ban had been imposed on research activities conducted under Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed between the University of Ruhuna and Chinese research institutions.
The Sunday Morning reliably learns that the research proposal involving the remotely controlled vessel had previously been submitted by an academic attached to the University of Ruhuna. However, the academic had left the university and migrated to the United States before the vessel’s arrival.
Consequently, there was no active joint research project involving the university when the vessel arrived. The absence of a jointly prepared research proposal and the participation of Sri Lankan researchers prevented a structured research collaboration.
It is further learnt that future research vessel voyages should be preceded by discussions between experts from both countries to develop collaborative research projects, agree on the data to be collected, and establish arrangements for sharing research findings.
The existing MOU between the China–Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research and China’s South China Sea Institute of Oceanology remains in place, despite restrictions on carrying out research activities under university-related agreements.