Gabon seeks fairer fishing terms from european union

The European Union has affirmed its commitment to engage constructively and transparently with concerns raised by Gabon over recent months regarding their long-standing fishing pact. This assurance was communicated by the organization’s office in Gabon.

In June 2025, President Brice Oligui Nguema had declared his intention to initiate a “unilateral denunciation procedure” for these agreements. He characterized the existing partnership as “profoundly unbalanced” and emphasized the necessity for renegotiation.

The EU maintains its readiness to negotiate a “new generation Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement” along with a “mutually beneficial new implementation protocol.” The bloc advocates for a forward-looking approach to establish a “renewed, balanced, and effective framework.”

Initially signed in 2007, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the European Union and Gabon has historically permitted European vessels to conduct fishing operations within Gabonese waters.

The Gabonese government, in a Council of Ministers report from June last year, specifically highlighted several issues with the agreement. President Oligui Nguema noted that the revenues generated from the accord failed to adequately offset the true value of the catches, nor did they cover the state’s significant costs for surveillance and control. Furthermore, the absence of local processing resulted in substantial losses of added value.

The report also criticized the insufficient investments made by partners towards local development, job creation, and strengthening national capacities. It further pointed to increased risks of overexploitation of fishery resources, exacerbated by a lack of shared transparency and scientific monitoring mechanisms.

The SFPA had seen multiple renewals, most recently extending until 2021 for a five-year period. According to Gabon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its total estimated value stood at approximately 17 billion CFA francs (around 26 million euros).