9 June 2014, Rome – Norway is building one of the most advanced research vessels in the world. This is the latest phase of a 40-year programme for the EAF-Nansen Project, and is part of an ongoing collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project works with 32 coastal countries in Africa to help them get detailed information on their marine resources so that they can develop fisheries management plans, with a focus on maintaining ecosystem health and productivity. The new $80 million research vessel, Dr Fridtjof Nansen, will replace an older craft of the same name that has been navigating the coast of Africa since 1993.