Gabon has decided not to renew its fishing partnership agreement with the European Union. The accord expired on 29 June 2026 after nineteen years of implementation. President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema instructed the Government to terminate the arrangement.
The 2007 agreement underwent several evaluations. These assessments revealed a structural imbalance in economic benefits. Most fish resources from Gabonese waters went to foreign markets.
This limited local fish processing industry development, job creation, and national value addition.
Gabon now asserts full sovereignty over its maritime resources. The country aims to launch a new fisheries sector development dynamic. The goal is to make fishing a genuine engine for economic diversification.
This includes promoting local processing, strengthening food security, creating added value, and building a competitive national industrial base.
The decision reflects a break with an economic model focused on raw resource exports. Gabonese waters’ riches must now contribute primarily to national prosperity.
Benefits should flow to local operators, communities, and sustainable development.
President Oligui Nguema reaffirms his ambition to build a more sovereign and resilient economy.
This decision aligns with the vision of a modern, competitive, and prosperous Gabon. National wealth must first serve national development and the well-being of Gabonese people. The country maintains its commitment to resp
