TMT welcomes decision by Guinea Bissau to ban fishmeal operations

Last week the government of Guinea-Bissau took the landmark decision to ban the production of fishmeal and fish oil both by factory vessels and land-based units. This ministerial declaration by the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Dr. Virgínia Pires Correia, marks a significant and welcome step toward greater sustainability of the region’s fisheries. 

TIAN YI HE 6 fishmeal factory vessel operating in West Africa. Photo: CFFA

By banning fishmeal operations both at sea and on land, and suspending authorisations for fishing activities that supply factory vessels, the authorities have sent a clear signal that practices such as this, which risk laundering of illegal fish into supply chains, are curtailed.  This ban goes a long way to support the regional consensus that small pelagic fish should be redirected for direct human consumption rather than fishmeal for aquaculture feeds.  

For TMT, this is a significant milestone. Over several years, we have documented these at-sea fishmeal operations which represent a major blind spot for fisheries monitoring control and surveillance.  It is also clear that additional collaborative analysis produced with the Joint Analytical Cell, including satellite imagery provided by Skylight and analysis from C4ADS, contributed to strengthening the basis for action.

The investigations that started in 2019 in support of FISCAP (Guinea Bissau fisheries authorities) and continued until 2025 combined vessel tracking, remote sensing and human intelligence and led to verifications with relevant States in the SRFC region and beyond - proving once again that fighting IUU fishing is a regional challenge.  

This cannot be the end of the story. Regional cooperation and harmonisation will be essential to ensure that this important measure does not simply displace operations to neighbouring waters or more permissive jurisdictions.  

Fisheries governance does not stop at national borders, and neither do industrial operators. Coordinated monitoring control and surveillance, information-sharing, and aligned regulatory frameworks across Africa will be critical in ensuring that this progress translates into lasting protection for marine resources, communities and economies.