- Focus on research on seawater quality as opposed to seabed
The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) said that all the data collected by the Chinese geophysical and seismic survey vessel “Shi Yan 6” will be in the possession of the NARA and that those data will be considered as a property of the Sri Lankan Government (GoSL).
According to sources within the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry has granted approval for “Shi Yan 6” to carry out research on Sri Lankan waters with the NARA. The sources said that the approval was granted on request by the NARA and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (29), the NARA Chairman Prof. Jayantha Wijeyaratne said that this is not a new scenario as many parties claim, since a number of Chinese vessels have conducted similar research activities during the past few decades. He said that this has been a routine for Sino-Lanka research activities. “According to my knowledge, a number of Chinese vessels have arrived here for research purposes since 2010. They came here a few times even after 2015. The NARA informed them that if they are collecting data in the Sri Lankan seas, we also must be given the opportunity to join it. They permitted us. Therefore, it is not a big issue. All the data collected by them belong to the GoSL,” he said.
Prof. Wijeyaratne also said that the NARA will mainly focus on the research related to the quality of water, not about the seabed. Providing an example, he said that when it comes to the recent events like the MV X-Press Pearl and the MT New Diamond maritime disasters, these researches on the quality of water will be very important to continue the ongoing investigations.
According to reports, China had requested permission for a research ship to dock in Sri Lanka, following a visit by a spacecraft tracking vessel last year (2022) that sparked security concerns from neighbouring India. However, the Chinese State broadcaster China Global Television Network calls the Shi Yan 6 a “scientific research vessel” crewed by 60 that carries out oceanography, marine geology and marine ecology tests.
Last year, India raised concerns over a Sri Lankan Port call in Hambantota by the Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5, which specialises in spacecraft tracking and which New Delhi described as a spy ship.
When queried by The Daily Morning yesterday, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Priyanga Wickramasinghe said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not made any objection to the request made by China since it looks at this request in the context of a research vessel which had previously conducted researches in Sri Lanka with the participation of the NARA's scientists. However, she said that the dates and areas are yet to be confirmed according to the information that she has received.