Ban on foreign research boats is bad for research – Experts

Sri Lanka’s ongoing moratorium on foreign research vessels has restricted the ability of the country’s universities to engage in collaborative research with foreign institutions and hindered access to advanced technology and funding opportunities critical for marine science research, experts have said.

Sri Lanka lacks its own resources and technology to conduct deep-sea research, making international partnerships essential.

Experts, who hope the ban will be lifted early next year, say research collaboration with foreign universities would provide access to vessels and advanced technologies crucial for conducting comprehensive oceanic studies.

The Sri Lankan government banned foreign research ships from its ports for a year starting in January 2024.

The decision followed concerns over spying which were raised by neighbouring India, and by the United States, after a port call by several Chinese vessels. In recent years more than 15 Chinese research and survey vessels have visited Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry this month said the country is considering whether to lift the ban on foreign research ships from its ports next year.

During a broadcast interview with Channel News Asia (CNA) on 8 July, Sabry said the government had not yet decided to lift the moratorium. “Towards the end of the year, we will reassess the situation,” he said, indicating that the decision “will depend on the circumstances and the country's readiness at that time”.

He denied earlier comments made to Japanese public broadcaster NHK during his visit to Japan from 2 to 7 July that the ban would be lifted. He told NHK his government cannot have different rules for different countries and block China only.

“One thing is clear for Sri Lanka: we will not take sides or align with any group, whether Western or Eastern. We will continue to be an independent country. Sri Lanka supports the freedom of navigation for all countries, not just for certain ones,” he stressed.

On 4 July, during Sabry’s visit to Japan, Tokyo announced it would provide Sri Lanka with a vessel equipped for underwater surveys to aid in hydrographic research.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa highlighted the importance of maritime cooperation between the two island nations, reinforcing Japan's commitment to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.

The vessel and sonar system, worth about JPY1 billion (around US$7 million), will enhance Sri Lanka's oceanographic survey capabilities. Expressing gratitude, Sabry said this will enable Sri Lanka to conduct its own surveys, gather data, and share them commercially worldwide.

Geopolitical pressure

The moratorium was a “buy-time strategy” by the government, implemented purely to survive political pressure, said retired rear admiral YN Jayarathna, former chief of staff and chief hydrographer of the Sri Lanka Navy.

“Declaring the foreign vessels’ moratorium was not based on research, a scientific study or expert advice, but appears to be the only way out of the burning issues because the government wanted to survive the external political pressure they were under,” Jayarathna told University World News.

During the moratorium period, the government's intention was to “build capacity and streamline processes”.

“However, these goals have not been met”, according to Jayarathna. “When Chinese research vessels started coming to the Indian Ocean, all of a sudden this interest came [to the fore] and the government declared a moratorium on all vessels,” he said.

The ban isolated Sri Lanka from numerous international collaborations that are essential for advancing marine science research.

Universities and research institutions in other Indian Ocean countries have seized these opportunities, partnering with foreign entities to conduct vital research, he noted.

“We ran away from those opportunities and offers and confined ourselves in a comfortable zone, and Sri Lankan students are going to pay the price for this,” Jayarathna added.

In January 2024, following the denial of entry into Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 reached the Maldives.

The Chinese government had requested permission for Xiang Yang Hong 3 to conduct research in Sri Lankan waters before the ban was implemented.

Following the ban, the government only allowed research ships, including those from Germany and the United States, into Sri Lanka’s ports for replenishment.

Towards a blue economy

Lifting the moratorium will be crucial for research, benefitting not only Sri Lankan universities but the national economy as Sri Lanka aims for a blue economy to promote sustainable growth.

With a 1,300-kilometre coastline supporting tourism and coastal livelihoods, Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone in the Indian Ocean spans over 500,000 square kilometres, about eight times its land area. Much of this underwater wealth remains untapped.

“This island nation cannot survive without marine science research. Sri Lanka's climate, agriculture, economy, livelihood, hydro-power generation and socio-political status are all dependent on oceans and the oceanic environment.

Our capacity for the betterment of future generations and their thinking depends on oceans. Due to this moratorium, many things are at stake as we lost a year of oceanic research,” Jayarathna said.

In 2022 Sri Lanka suffered its deepest economic recession since independence in 1948 and during the recovery period since then the government has invested less in new technologies and research infrastructure, allocating less money to research and development.

This has left Sri Lankan universities heavily reliant on international collaborations to access the resources and expertise needed for research. The moratorium effectively cut off an essential lifeline, leaving students and researchers with limited options to pursue their studies and projects.

Hopes of an end to the ban

Admiral Jayarathna expressed hope that Sri Lanka would lift the foreign vessels moratorium next year.

“There are many global initiatives looking at climate change and ocean research. We need to be an active partner in the region in these global partnerships and equally engage in forums. So we need to lift this ban and engage – with national focus,” Jayarathna said.

“Lifting the ban and engaging with international research communities will be crucial for our future. It will enhance skill and capacity building for our students and researchers,” according to Professor Disna Ratnasekera, co-director of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research (CSL-CER) at the University of Ruhuna.

“Lifting the ban will reopen Sri Lankan universities to ocean-related studies and develop crucial collaborations with foreign universities and institutes,” Ratnasekera told University World News.

“This will not only improve our access to technology but also open up new funding opportunities that are currently inaccessible,” she said.

Before the moratorium, CSL-CER regularly conducted research with foreign vessels, but no such research has been undertaken this year due to the ban, she said.

In 2023, the University of Ruhuna had to withdraw its maritime research collaboration with Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6 (Experiment 6).

The Japanese government plan to provide a vessel equipped with underwater sonar is a positive development, Ratnasekera noted, saying it will facilitate research with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).

Established in 1981, NARA is the focal institute for research, development, and management of the country's aquatic resources, with extensive experience in scientific studies of fisheries and aquatic resources.

However, Ratnasekera emphasised the importance of aligning research proposals with local needs.

“A strong joint project proposal is essential. Research should help solve a problem specific to Sri Lanka. Both local and foreign institutes should develop these proposals jointly to ensure relevance and impact,” she said.

“A foreign research vessel without a strong joint project proposal is not beneficial to Sri Lanka. We need targeted research efforts to make meaningful progress,” she explained.

Key research areas identified by CSL-CER include marine resources, climate change, disaster response, and deep ocean studies. These fields are important for Sri Lanka's environmental and economic sustainability, and collaboration with foreign researchers could provide significant advancements.

US-Sri Lanka collaboration

On 12 July, the US and Sri Lanka held the Fifth US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue in Washington DC, focusing on enhancing maritime collaboration.

The US plans to support Sri Lanka’s hydrographic mapping and personnel training and will gift a King Air aircraft to improve maritime domain awareness and humanitarian response.

Sri Lanka will also receive the EX-USCGC Decisive vessel from the US Coast Guard, boosting its ability to patrol the Exclusive Economic Zone and conduct search and rescue operations.

The ship, following modernisation, will join the Sri Lankan fleet in 2025 and will be the fourth such vessel transferred to Sri Lanka by the US.

Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and resolved to continue their cooperation on maritime security in the Indian Ocean.