Asian fleets operate in African waters under regional flags.
The Organization of Associated Producers of Large Freezer Tuna Vessels in Spain (OPAGAC, by its Spanish acronym) has denounced the "progressive" displacement from its traditional fishing grounds in the Eastern Atlantic, due to the expansion of Asian fleets flying the flags of third-party African countries.
To be more precise, OPAGAC has stated that since 2016, the number of European tuna vessels operating in the region has decreased by 38%, and their tropical tuna catches have dropped by 24%. In contrast, Asian fleets flying the flags of countries such as Ghana, Senegal, or Guinea have increased their catches by 68%.
"We are being displaced from our traditional fishing grounds in West Africa, where the European fleet has been operating since the 1960s and has played a decisive role in generating employment and land-based infrastructure, especially in strategic ports such as Dakar and Abidjan," said Julio Morón, Managing Director of OPAGAC.
Additionally, Morón warns that allowing these newcomer players unrestricted access to the EU market without proper oversight will lead to a fisheries model that is far from being "socially responsible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable."
OPAGAC also denounces the regulatory pressure imposed on the European fleet and the operational and financial burden borne by European vessels.
For example, the ban on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), established by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in 2016.
Just a few days ago, countries from West Africa, Europe, South America, and the United States presented the 14th edition of 'Exercise Obangame Express 2025' (OE25) to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the transnational crimes it generates.
According to African entities' data, up to 90% of industrial fishing vessels in West Africa are suspected to be owned by foreign entities, primarily from China.
