This week, the United States and countries from West Africa, Europe, and South America launched Exercise Obangame Express 2025 (OE25), the largest maritime security exercise in West Africa focused on countering illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and associated transnational crimes.
The exercise focuses on improving regional enforcement, legal coordination, naval interoperability and communication in the increasingly contested waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
"We are seeing a steady increase in the focus given especially to the global threat of IUU fishing, a threat that exists also in Africa's coastal waters and maritime domain," said Ambassador Robert Scott, Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagements, US Africa Command.
"IUU fishing poses a significant threat to the conservation and management of shared fish stocks, undermining the sustainability of fisheries and posing significant risks to marine ecosystems."
According to regional estimates, IUU fishing costs African countries more than US$11 billion each year, with the Gulf of Guinea accounting for nearly US$2 billion in lost revenue alone due to depleted stocks and underreported catches.
Officials said more than half the fish caught in the region fall into the illegal or unregulated category.
Much of the damage comes from foreign-owned industrial fleets, many of which operate under local flags.
In some West African nations, up to 90 per cent of their industrial fishing vessels are reportedly owned and crewed by foreign entities, primarily from China. While legally flagged, these vessels often bypass enforcement and funnel profits offshore.
The exercise comes as international fishing fleets increasingly target West African waters amid dwindling fish populations elsewhere. US officials warn that the surge in IUU fishing is not only unsustainable but is enabling broader criminal networks involved in drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal transshipment.
"IUU fishing acts as a force multiplier for other illicit activities," said Lieutenant Elizabeth Barker, Atlantic Africa Desk Officer and IUU Fisihing Team Lead with US Naval Forces Europe-Africa said. "It creates ungoverned space on the water, and that threatens regional and global security."
Now in its 14th iteration, OE25 has significantly expanded its IUU fishing-related training.
The exercise includes 21 IUU fishing-focused scenarios, legal finish simulations, and new cross-border interdiction drills. Training emphasises not just stopping vessels at sea but following through with evidence collection and prosecution.
"In response to these threats and strong interest from African partners, OE25 has incorporated counter IUU fishing activities directly into the exercise, beginning with the role of maritime operation centres in enhancing surveillance, coordination and information sharing among regional maritime forces,” said Ambassador Scott.
US Coast Guard and interagency experts are supporting legal tabletop exercises during the two-week operation. These sessions are designed to strengthen the ability of African nations to apply maritime law and prosecute offenders under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct—a regional security framework signed by 25 West and Central African states.
While hosted by Cabo Verde, the exercise stretches across five maritime zones from Senegal to Angola and involves over 100 US personnel, including boarding teams and legal advisors.
Obangame Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by US Navy's
Sixth Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.