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No permission for Chinese vessel, but ailing researcher brought to Colombo for treatment
View(s):While the Sri Lanka Navy assisted in bringing to shore an ailing member of the crew of a Chinese research vessel anchored in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the vessel will not be allowed into the country’s territorial waters, a senior government source said.
The Chinese research vessel Shi Yan 6, which is 700 nautical miles off Sri Lanka, had sent a distress signal seeking medical treatment for a crew member suffering from a kidney disease. The Sri Lanka Navy had responded by sending a vessel and picked up the patient near the country’s territorial waters before bringing him to the Galle General Hospital for treatment. From there he was transferred to the National Hospital, Colombo, where he is undergoing treatment.
Even though Shi Yan 6 docked at Colombo port in 2023, government sources said there has been no request for it to dock here this time even though the ship remains in the region.
Since December 2024 there has been a moratorium on visiting research vessels. However, last week the government granted special permission to the United Nations-flagged research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, operating under the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to conduct a marine scientific survey in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The government is also finalising a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for foreign research vessels visiting the country.
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