Mozambique Fishing Collapse and Piracy Kidnappings in Gabon Shake West African Waters
Mozambique’s Prawn Fishery Collapses Amid Environmental Challenges
Mozambique’s largest fishing operator, Nueva Pescanova, has announced it is withdrawing from the country’s lucrative prawn fishery, which is now effectively closed following a severe collapse in stocks. Once a supplier of premium prawns to markets in Asia and Europe, the Spanish-owned firm cited overfishing, pollution, and climate change as key factors forcing its exit.
Environmental Impact and Business Withdrawal
The fishery, previously supported by a large international fleet, suffered a dramatic decline due to degradation of mangrove forests—critical breeding habitats for prawns. This environmental damage has led to diminishing catches and a withdrawal of major investors.
Pescanova had heavily invested in the fishery, including commissioning the 32-meter beam trawler Ponta Timbue in 2021, designed to catch and freeze top-quality prawns at sea. The company’s departure marks the end of industrial-scale prawn fishing in Mozambique, a significant blow given its importance as a foreign currency earner.
Rising Piracy Threats Hit Gabonese Fishermen
Off the coast of Gabon, a new wave of piracy has emerged with the kidnapping of fishermen aboard the Chinese-owned vessel IB Fish 7. Local pirates boarded the vessel during the night while it was fishing just seven miles offshore, abducting nine crew members—five Chinese and four Indonesian—leaving a minimal crew aboard to send out distress calls.
Somali Piracy Model Spreads West
This incident represents the first recorded piracy targeting fishermen in Gabon, linked to the influx of Somali criminal groups allegedly exporting their piracy operations to West Africa. These networks reportedly finance local fishermen to seize vessels, paying daily retainers and bonuses upon ransom payments.
Across two decades of piracy off Somalia, ransoms totaling approximately $300 million have been paid, alongside significant increases in security and insurance costs for vessels passing through these waters. The Gabon kidnapping underscores the growing risk that piracy now poses on West African maritime activities.
Regional Implications
The combined collapse of Mozambique’s prawn industry and the increase in pirate activity near Gabon highlight escalating environmental and security challenges that threaten West Africa’s fishing sectors. With a critical economic role in these nations, fishing communities now face uncertain futures amid these developments.