The detrimental impact Chinese overfishing in Africa, exacerbating marine resource depletion and threatening regional security, underscores the urgent need for collaborative governance and international sanctions to mitigate this predatory exploitation and safeguard the marine ecosystems vital to local communities and global stability.
The expansion of the predatory logic of Chinese fishermen in West Africa.
For several years, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) overfishing in Africa has raised serious concerns about its devastating impact on marine ecosystems and local communities dependent on fishing. This issue highlights a predatory logic orchestrated by Chinese fishermen : through a comprehensive strategy of sea exploitation, they jeopardize not only marine resources but also the maritime security of the region.
Driven by a growing demand for seafood in their country, Chinese fishermen have globally expanded their activities with a significant presence on the African coasts. This aggressive expansion threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. The large Chinese fishing nets indiscriminately capture marine species, including non-targeted species and juveniles, contributing to the decline of fish stocks.
In the face of such threats, the gradual strengthening of a regional maritime security architecture
To address threats related to illegal fishing and, more broadly, maritime security, several governance tools have been progressively implemented to protect fisheries resources and ensure stability in the region.
While the African Union established a maritime security charter in 2016, focusing on combating IUU fishing, the Yaoundé Architecture, created in 2013, represents a concrete response to various illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea. This regional initiative aims to strengthen maritime security and is overseen by the Interregional Coordination Center (ICC) in Yaoundé. It relies on five multinational coordination centers (MCCs) tasked with coordinating the actions of national maritime operations centers and ensuring operational control over the assets deployed by coastal states at sea.
Despite significant progress, its effectiveness is hampered by challenges such as operational funding, technological capabilities, harmonization of legislation, and complex coordination among African nations.
The support of France and Europe for this regional maritime security architecture
In the face of this maritime threat, the French Navy’s contributions to the security of the Gulf of Guinea are manifold: CORYMBE operation, exercises like African NEMO, operational patrols like Sagne, which is dedicated to the struggle against IUU fishing. On May, 17th of 2023, an Ivorian patrol boat, in cooperation with the French warship Command Birot and the FFCI’s Fennec helicopter, intercepted the Chang Hui 2, which admitted having fished in a prohibited zone.
Regardless of the situation and tasks at hand, French units diligently patrol to assist local navies, consistently updating regional maritime operations centers about any suspicious activities. On May 13th of 2023, the warship Premier Maître l’Her reported an incident involving bunkering between a Chinese factory ship and two fishing vessels (one Chinese and one Bissau-Guinean with a Chinese name) to the Maritime Operation Center in Guinea-Bissau.
In addition, the “Gulf of Guinea” cell of the Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness Center (MICA Center) monitors and addresses acts of piracy through the French-British agreement “Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea” (MDAT GoG). It leverages French knowledge of the Gulf of Guinea, the expertise of the French Navy in naval control and British technical proficiency. The MDAT-GoG helps maintain a consistent maritime situational assessment in the approaches to Central and West Africa, with the capability to inform and support maritime professionals, thereby contributing to the safety of seafarers.
This significant French contribution was reinforced by European action since 2020 with the establishment of the Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) under the auspices of the Maritime Area of Interest Coordination Cell (MAICC) of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS). This mechanism enables the coordination of existing European naval assets and cooperative actions in the Gulf of Guinea without additional resources from the states, promoting information sharing among the countries.
Despite all these initiatives, it is imperative for the international community to intensify efforts to counter the predatory logic of Chinese fishermen in Africa. Sanctions need to be strengthened, and sustainable solutions fostering collaboration between nations should be encouraged. Chinese overfishing in Africa is a global issue that demands concerted action to preserve marine resources and ensure maritime security.
