The Government has finally granted clearance to a research vessel of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) scheduled to commence research engagements in Sri Lanka in August.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Public Diplomacy Division Director General Thushara Rodrigo stated that the FAO vessel is due to commence research activities from 15-20 August.

The FAO has long-assisted Sri Lanka by helping map the fisheries stocks in the coastal and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the island. However, despite the long-standing practice with the UN agency, the Government was dragging its feet on providing approval for the vessel. This, as the Government let end the moratorium on foreign Marine Scientific Research (MSR) on 31 December 2024, but has failed to enact an effective mechanism to regulate such MSR research or grant approval for them thus far.  

The research vessel is equipped with the most recent technology and is on a mission to generate scientific knowledge about marine resources and ecosystems that can be used to support science-based decisions for the sustainable management of the ocean.