In this article, we examine several elements of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Gabon from the perspective of local small-scale fisheries. We also raise broader ocean governance issues, particularly in light of the debt-for-nature swap between Gabon and the American environmental NGO TNC, and the role that the EU should play in promoting transparency and stakeholder participation.
Reading time: 11 minutes
Small-scale fisheries in Gabon are affected by the decisions made without consultation with stakeholders, particularly regarding arrangements granting access to the country’s marine resources and coastline.
These include the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) with the European Union, oil concessions, and a debt-for-nature swap that designated nearly 30% of the coastline as marine protected areas (MPAs). Small-scale fishing (SSF) communities have almost not been involved in these decision-making processes. As Gabon and the European Union (EU) now consider renewing the tuna SFPA, local fisheries remain largely excluded from negotiations and see few benefits from the agreement.
1. Smale-scale fisheries still await sectoral support
The protocol currently in force between the EU and Gabon, which was signed in 2021 for a five-year term, grants European tuna vessels access to Gabonese waters. With a reference tonnage of 32,000 tonnes of tuna per year — based on historical catches by European fleets — Gabon has become the EU’s second-largest partner in tuna fishing.
In return for access to Gabon’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to fish the tuna quotas allocated by the regional fisheries management body ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas), the EU provides financial compensation of €2.6 million annually. Out of these, €1 million is earmarked as “sectoral support” intended to assist Gabon’s fisheries sector. As listed in Article 15 of the Protocol on the implementation of the EU-Gabon SFPA, these funds are meant to support a range of measures, including: measures to support and manage fisheries, including small-scale fisheries; to monitor, control and surveil fisheries; to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; to develop and strengthen scientific capacity in the field of fisheries and aquaculture; to protect fragile ecosystems contributing to the good health of stocks and the management of MPAs. It should be noted that this last item is the only one for which a guaranteed amount is specified, i.e. €100,000 per year.
Despite these commitments on paper, details on how sectoral support has been deployed remain scarce. Field visits conducted in December 2024 allowed EU and Gabonese officials to assess progress under the protocol. During these visits, the EU reiterated the crucial role of small-scale fisheries for Gabon’s economy and food security. Yet with the current protocol set to expire in 2026, the visits appeared more focused on “identifying future actions to maximise the impact of the protocol.”
Among the recommendations put forward were the modernisation of several fishing centres – Cocobeach, Franceville, Makokou and Mayumba – including improvements to access routes, landing sites, and logistics infrastructure. However, beyond the promising language, these proposals reveal that, to date, little tangible support has reached Gabon’s small-scale fisheries.
This is confirmed by the Gabonese Federation of Small-Scale Fisheries Actors (FEGAPA), founded in 2023 and now comprising around 20 cooperatives of fishers, fishmongers, and processors. “The fishers were never consulted about the fishing agreement,” says Jean de Dieu Mapaga, President of FEGAPA. “It is true that we hear talk of government projects to develop certain fishing centres, such as Mayumba, but no one has ever explained that these investments are linked to sectoral support funding for small-scale fisheries under the EU-Gabon SFPA.” While the lack of consultation might have been understandable before 2023 – when small-scale fisheries had no national representation – this is no longer the case. In response, FEGAPA has drawn up a detailed “cahier de charges” (specification note) outlining the sector’s challenges, proposing solutions, and sharing these recommendations with the European Union delegation.
Gabon’s demand for fish is estimated at 70,000 tonnes per year for a population of around 2 million. Small-scale fisheries provide two-thirds of the annual production of around 30,000 tonnes. Industrial catches are mainly exported, and Gabon is therefore forced to rely on imports to meet local demand. Support for SSF sector is essential to improve the supply of fish products to the local market. This has been understood by the new authorities, which are taking several measures in this direction, such as the construction of the Omboue fishing centre. Sectoral support from the SFPAs must not remain theoretical; it must contribute concretely and transparently to these national efforts — something that, to date, has not been the case.
Moreover, it is critical that small-scale fishers are not sidelined. They must be fully informed and meaningfully consulted, both regarding the current protocol’s implementation and in negotiations for its renewal. As is already the case for support to MPAs, establishing a guaranteed minimum allocation for the small-scale fisheries sector would be an important step toward ensuring real impact.
2. Exploratory shrimp trawling: what are the risks for the environment and small-scale fisheries?
The current SFPA also authorizes exploratory fishing for deep-water shrimp. The EU has confirmed that the arrival of European trawlers under the agreement will depend on the results of exploratory fishing and the identification of a surplus in deep-water shrimp stocks – a necessary condition for any fisheries agreement covering resources located in the partner country’s EEZ. However, as SSF communities in countries like Senegal have repeatedly pointed out, surplus calculations must go beyond target species alone, such as deep-water shrimp in this case. Species caught as by-catch, such as hake – which is also caught by local small-scale fisheries – must also be taken into account.
“In the context of exploratory fishing campaigns, accurate and transparent recording of both target and by-catch species is fundamental to sustainable fisheries management.””
The latest report by the joint scientific committee of the EU-Gabon fisheries agreement (2023), which brings together European and Gabonese scientists, raises serious concerns. Spanish operators selected to conduct the experimental fishery reportedly failed to follow the fishing plan agreed upon with scientists, instead fishing only in commercially attractive areas – a practice that undermines the very principle of exploratory fishing, which must be driven by scientific management. This pattern is not unique to Gabon. In countries like Liberia, so-called “experimental” fishing has similarly served as a backdoor for accessing high-value resources for which a surplus had not yet been established.
It should also be noted that not all by-catch species were properly recorded by operators, including black hake, a species with high commercial value. The only study conducted on the subject, in 2013, revealed that for every kilo of deep-water shrimp caught in Gabonese waters, up to 30 kilos of by-catch (including juvenile hake and sparidae) were also caught – posing a serious threat to marine biodiversity. Accurate and transparent recording of both target and by-catch species is fundamental to sustainable fisheries management. Yet European operators have failed to meet this requirement.
In their most recent meeting, scientists from the joint EU-Gabon scientific committee warned that “although initial yields for deep-water species appeared good, this may simply reflect the fact that these stocks had not been exploited for over a decade. Moreover, given the narrow fishing zones, concentrated effort could deplete these resources.” Scientists stressed the need for a biomass estimate, conducted via a research vessel campaign, before any commercial exploitation is considered. In their view, “in the absence of biomass estimates, caution should be exercised when opening a commercial fishery and, if necessary, a limited effort fishery with enhanced monitoring should be considered.”
“Spanish operators selected to conduct the experimental shrimp fishery reportedly failed to follow the fishing plan agreed upon with scientists, instead fishing only in commercially attractive areas.””
Provided operators respect the areas assigned to them, shrimp trawlers would not, in principle, compete directly with small-scale fishers, who operate within 3 miles of the coast. However, the impact through by-catch of species that may be caught by small-scale fisheries remains unknown. Significant concerns persist over the potential damage this fishery could cause to Gabon’s marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on them.
3. Increased control of small-scale fisheries to prevent them from entering MPAs
“The profitability of artisanal fishing in Gabon also depends on the fight against illegal fishing.” This is the justification given by the Gabonese government for installing tracking devices on artisanal fishing canoes since 2021. By equipping the SSF fleets with the NEMO system, developed by the French company CLS, to better monitor the movements of SSF canoes, the authorities say they primarily aim to protect MPAs – which now cover a quarter of Gabon’s EEZ – creating the largest network of MPAs in Africa.
The government has installed tracking devices on artisanal canoes for two reasons: to prevent illegal entry into marine protected areas and to improve safety at sea. However, for the tracking devices to be useful, they must be functional and there must be a fully operational sea rescue system in place. Photo: Lambaréné, Gabon, by Jealife.
Another goal cited by the government for installing the tracking devices is to improve the safety of fishers at sea. But for the devices to actually be useful, Gabon would need to implement a fully operational maritime rescue system – which is still not the case, despite some hesitant steps in that direction.
Today, four years after the rollout of the NEMO tracking devices began, artisanal fishers from FEGAPA mainly point to their exorbitant cost and frequent malfunctions (waterproofing issues, unexpected data transmission failures, etc.). They also describe a loss on the investments: 45 million CFA francs were collected by the government for devices that have yet to be delivered. Devices that turned out to be defective and were returned to the Directorate General of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGPA) were, in most cases, neither replaced nor refunded. “There aren’t many working devices left,” concludes the president of FEGAPA.
When it comes to preventing artisanal fishers from entering MPAs, it’s important to underscore that the law governing national parks allows surrounding communities the freedom to carry out fishing, hunting, gathering, and other activities. To better monitor these activities, each national park has set up a body called the Local Management Advisory Committee, which serves as an interface between the parks and local populations. But, as the president of FEGAPA explains, “for fishers living outside the peripheral zones, it’s more complicated, because no legal provision allows them to carry out their activities in any part of the park.”
This perspective from the fishers echoes a recent study revealing that the establishment of MPAs has led to a significant reduction in areas accessible to Gabonese artisanal fishers. This restriction has impacted their livelihoods, as they heavily rely on these zones for their livelihoods. The study also points out that the MPA creation process did not adequately involve artisanal fishers. Although consultations were held, they were not always inclusive or representative of all affected communities. This exclusion from decision-making has led to a lack of understanding of local realities.
4. Debt-for-nature swaps drive the creation of MPAs on the Gabonese coast
The debt-for-nature swap concluded in August 2023 between Gabon and the American organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC) represents a financial initiative aimed at restructuring $500 million of national debt, thereby freeing up around $163 million for marine conservation, particularly to expand MPAs to 30% of Gabon’s waters. Beyond the challenges of accessing MPAs, this mechanism – the first of its kind in continental Africa – has significant implications for the Gabonese SSF sector.
However, the terms of the agreement, including how the funds are used and the conservation commitments involved, have not been made public. This lack of transparency raises concerns about whether the needs and rights of SSF communities are being considered. As confirmed by FEGAPA, fishers’ concerns were ignored: “The deal had been clearly and categorically rejected by fishers during a meeting with SSF representatives.” That did not stop the debt-for-nature swap from being signed.
The funds are managed by an entity based in the United States, with significant management fees and a substantial portion of the funds allocated to foreign NGOs. This limits the ability of local institutions to decide how marine resources are used.
The debt-for-nature swap between Gabon and the American NGO The Nature Conservancy refinanced $500 million, freeing up $163 million for ocean conservation, including the creation of MPAs. These initiatives have been criticised for the lack of participation of affected communities and the reduction of areas accessible for their activities. Photo: Libreville, by Ralph Messi.
As part of the European Union’s support for conservation initiatives, particularly MPAs, through the sectoral support provided under the SFPA, it is crucial that the EU promotes the following measures and principles: transparency in the management of funds; the involvement of artisanal fishers in the decision-making process; allocation of a significant share of the resources generated to programmes supporting small-scale fisheries, such as capacity building, safety, improved transport for market access, and processing infrastructure for women; establishment of compensation mechanisms for fishers affected by new restrictions on access to fishing areas.
At the moment, none of these measures have been implemented, and conservation initiatives implemented under debt-for-nature swaps risk further marginalising artisanal fishers and compromising the sustainability of marine conservation initiatives if they are not carried out in consultation with fishing communities.
5. What about governance?
Gabon is identified as one of the countries where corruption is rife, reaching new heights in 2024. When the SFPA between the EU and Gabon was signed in 2021, MEPs raised serious concerns about governance in the sector and the lack of transparency in the management of funds dedicated to sectoral support. In a context where corruption taints decision-making at every level, how can we possibly believe that the SFPA stands as an island of good governance?
As far as small-scale fisheries are concerned, one thing is certain: they have the right to full and clear information about agreements that shape their future, like the SFPA. They must not be sidelined from decisions that directly impact their livelihoods, especially in the allocation and management of sectoral support.
Header photo: A canoe in Libreville, by Ralph Messi.
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