The Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the only research vessel in the world flying the United Nations flag, has completed a multi-week scientific survey of Sri Lankan waters and departed Colombo, the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) confirmed.
The mission was carried out under the EAF-Nansen Programme, a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR), which operates the vessel. It is the fifth survey of Sri Lankan waters under the programme, building on expeditions conducted between 1978 and 1980 and most recently in 2018.
Researchers assessed both pelagic and demersal fish populations, while collecting oceanographic data on water temperature, currents, nutrient levels and dissolved oxygen. The team also explored the potential of underutilised marine resources, including cephalopods and mesopelagic species, and examined marine pollution — including microplastics — alongside nutritional and contaminant analysis of seafood.
“Norway is proud to partner with Sri Lanka and FAO through the EAF-Nansen Programme to support sustainable ocean planning, where management decisions are firmly based on science,” said May-Elin Stener, Norway’s Ambassador accredited to India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives.
Sri Lankan scientists led the field work and benefited from hands-on training aboard the vessel, building national capacity in fisheries science and oceanography. The survey also generates the marine mammal observation data that Sri Lanka must report internationally to maintain access to global seafood markets — a regulatory requirement increasingly tied to traceability and ecosystem-impact disclosures.
NARA said findings will be analysed and shared with national stakeholders to guide future fisheries management strategies, complementing earlier moves such as Sri Lanka’s Blue Justice agreement with Norway on AIS-based illegal-fishing surveillance.
