Artisanal fishing canoe in the coastal area of Cap Esterias, located north of Libreville, Gabon, on the Atlantic coast.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
The NGO Global Fishing Watch announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Gabon, which, according to both parties, in addition to strengthening the fight against IUU fishing, marks a strategic step towards improving ocean governance and responsible management of the country's fisheries sector.
Signed last week, the agreement lays the groundwork for Gabonese fisheries authorities and Global Fishing Watch to accelerate initiatives aimed at improving the monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) of the country's marine resources through the exchange of fisheries data.
By leveraging satellite technology and data analytics, the partnership will also support Gabon's efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, particularly in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where intrusions by foreign vessels remain a persistent concern.
During the MoU signing ceremony, Gabon's newly appointed Minister of the Sea, Fisheries and Blue Economy, Laurence Mengue-Me-Nzoghe Ndong, stated that this agreement is in line with the vision of the country's newly elected President, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. "Gabon has chosen transparency, control and compliance with international standards," she said.
It is certainly significant that one of the first actions of Gabon's new government was an agreement to fight illegal fishing and improve ocean governance. However, this is not the first time Global Fishing Watch has collaborated with the Central African nation.
The independent international non-profit organization, whose goal is to create and publicly share knowledge about human activity in the sea to enable a fair and sustainable use of the oceans, initiated its collaboration with Gabon to strengthen the monitoring of the fisheries sector through the use of advanced satellite technology in 2020.
Four years later, in 2024 - already with Nguema as head of the military board and transitional president - Global Fishing Watch formalized a partnership with the Gulf of Guinea Regional Fisheries Commission (COREP), a coalition of 11 African nations including Gabon, to address urgent maritime challenges, such as IUU fishing, across the Gulf of Guinea's 5,700 km coastline.
That was an important milestone, taking into account that the Gulf of Guinea has long been considered one of the world's most biodiverse marine environments, and its waters are a key economic driver for the region, supporting livelihoods, providing an essential source of food for coastal states, and generating exports to key markets.
Recently, in May this year, Gabon also participated in the 14th edition of 'Exercise Obangame Express 2025' (OE25), the largest maritime security exercise in West Africa, aiming to improve regional law enforcement, communication, legal coordination, and naval interoperability to combat IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
The new MoU will now ensure the transfer of skills and technology to support the Gabonese authorities in their efforts to trace the country's industrial fishing fleet, and will also be a powerful tool in the fight against IUU fishing
Global Fishing Watch's manager for Africa, Dame Mboup, and Gabon's Minister of the Sea, Fisheries and Blue Economy, Laurence Mengue-Me-Nzoghe Ndong, shaking hands after signing the Memorandum of Understanding.
By providing crucial information about individual boats, including their location and activities, vessel tracking is fundamental to ocean transparency. In addition, it also supports broader marine governance efforts such as protecting sensitive marine habitats and biodiversity, conducting marine spatial planning, and ensuring the safety of fishers at sea.
As such, the new agreement with Gabon will also allow Global Fishing Watch to support Gabonese authorities with data, analysis and training to boost surveillance of both, industrial vessels and artisanal fishing boats; monitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs); implementation of the FAO's Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA); and monitoring transshipment policies at sea.
Moreover, it will also provide an open door for technical cooperation in Gabon's ambitious initiative to equip its artisanal fishing fleet - comprising some 1,000 canoes - with vessel tracking devices. With more than 300 units already installed using the CLS NEMO system, the government is looking for analytical support to make the most of this data and inform policy and law enforcement.
Finally, the partnership will also enhance the Gabonese government's efforts to monitor fisheries, protect marine biodiversity and improve maritime safety by working together to expand the use of automatic identification systems (AIS) by vessels operating in Gabon's EEZ and reviewing and strengthening the policies and regulations guiding both industrial and small-scale fisheries management.
"By formalizing this agreement, Gabon is reinforcing its leadership in regional fisheries transparency and ocean governance," said Dame Mboup, Global Fishing Watch's manager for Africa. "This partnership enables smarter, more effective management of Gabon's marine resources, benefiting both local communities and the broader West African ecosystem."
"Together, we're working to put data at the heart of decision-making for healthier oceans," Mboup added. "With transparency as the foundation, Gabon is setting a standard for others to follow."