Gabon ends eu fishing deal amid calls for fairer terms

The European Union has expressed readiness to address Gabon’s concerns with transparency and constructive dialogue, as announced in a recent statement from its delegation in Libreville.

This development follows President Brice Oligui Nguema’s June 2025 announcement of Gabon’s intention to unilaterally terminate its long-standing fishing agreement with the EU. The move stems from longstanding grievances over an alleged deeply unbalanced partnership that fails to deliver equitable benefits for Gabon.

The EU has since proposed negotiating a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), emphasizing a forward-looking approach aimed at establishing a fair, efficient, and mutually advantageous framework. This would replace the current protocol, which has been in place since 2007.

Under the existing arrangement, European vessels have been granted access to Gabon’s waters in exchange for financial compensation. However, government officials have highlighted critical shortcomings, stating that the financial gains do not reflect the true value of catches, nor do they cover the costs of surveillance, enforcement, or the loss of added value from local processing.

Additional concerns include minimal investments in local development, job creation, and capacity-building initiatives. There are also growing fears of overfishing due to the lack of shared transparency mechanisms and robust scientific monitoring.

The agreement, last renewed in 2021 for a five-year term, carries an estimated total value of 17 billion CFA francs (€26 million), as reported by Gabon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.