The European Union has expressed its willingness to address Gabon’s concerns in a constructive and transparent manner following the country’s decision to terminate their long-standing fishing accord.
In June 2025, President Brice Oligui Nguema initiated an unilateral denunciation process for the agreement, citing a profound imbalance that required renegotiation to better serve Gabon’s interests.
The EU’s Gabon-based delegation affirmed its readiness to negotiate a next-generation Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, along with a mutually beneficial new protocol. The bloc emphasized a forward-looking approach aimed at establishing a renewed, balanced, and effective framework that prioritizes fairness and sustainability.
The original 2007 agreement granted European vessels access to Gabon’s waters under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Deal (SFPD). However, the Gabonese government has long argued that the financial returns from the pact fail to reflect the true value of catches, nor do they cover the country’s expenses for surveillance and monitoring. Additionally, Gabon highlighted the lack of local value addition, as fish caught under the agreement are rarely processed within the country.
In a June statement, officials pointed out that the deal’s earnings do not offset the costs borne by the state, nor do they account for investments in local development, job creation, or capacity building. The absence of shared transparency mechanisms and scientific oversight has also raised concerns about the risk of overfishing in Gabon’s waters.
The SFPD was renewed multiple times, most recently in 2021 for another five-year term, with an estimated total value of 17 billion CFA francs (around 26 million euros) according to Gabon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
