Aimé Martial Massamba, Gabon’s Minister of Fisheries, Maritime Affairs, and Blue Economy, has been tasked with spearheading preparations for a fresh fisheries partnership with the European Union. During a cabinet meeting held on Friday, September 18, 2026, at the presidential palace in Port-Gentil, the Council of Ministers gave the green light to launch negotiations for a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and its implementing protocol.
The Council also approved the formal notification of Gabon’s stance to the European Union and the creation of a national negotiating team, along with a schedule for the various rounds of talks. The government aims to forge a partnership described as renewed, balanced, and mutually advantageous, while safeguarding Gabon’s sovereignty over its fishery resources and their sustainable exploitation.
This move follows Gabon’s denunciation on June 4, 2025, of the fisheries agreement that had bound it to the European Union. The protocol signed in June 2021, which expired on June 28, 2026, had permitted up to 33 European vessels to fish for tuna species in Gabonese waters. In return, the EU paid Gabon approximately €1.6 million annually, supplemented by contributions from shipowners.
The renewal of the partnership comes as Libreville and Brussels have already initiated discussions on the future of their cooperation in the sector. In June 2026, the European Union expressed its willingness to negotiate a “new generation” agreement and a new implementing protocol, taking into account the concerns raised by Gabon.
Background
The Gabonese government had previously announced its intention not to renew the agreement in its current form, arguing that it was unbalanced to Gabon’s detriment, both economically and in terms of local valorization of fishery resources.
In this context, the European Union’s ambassador to Gabon, Cécile Abadie, granted an exclusive interview in which she advocated for dialogue over confrontation, stating: “My wish is that we can sit around the table and discuss each of these points as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
This statement reflects Brussels’ desire to maintain dialogue and pave the way for negotiating a new partnership.
Minister Aimé Martial Massamba, for his part, has made fisheries sovereignty, the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the development of a sustainable blue economy among his department’s priorities.
Nkili Akieme
