In less than two weeks, four countries in the sub-region have boarded eight industrial fishing vessels thanks to unprecedented coordination and satellite targeting. An operation that marks a turning point in the fight against illegal fishing, but which also raises the crucial question of maritime sovereignty in the long term.
It was no longer just a routine patrol, but a coordinated show of force. The Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) presented yesterday, Friday, February 27, 2026, the results of Operation Espadon, conducted jointly from February 9 to 22 by Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia and Cape Verde.
The result: eight industrial fishing vessels boarded in thirteen days, serious violations observed on board, and a clear message addressed to those involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The novelty of this operation lies not only in its results, but in its strategic approach.
Gone are the days when patrols would randomly comb while fraudsters would alert each other by radio as soon as a control ship left the port. « This time, thanks to the technical assistance of the European Fisheries Control Agency, our patrol boats went directly to suspicious targets identified by satellite and data analysis, » explained Ibrahima Salif Sylla, coordinator of the PRSC’s monitoring, control and surveillance unit.
This approach has not only significantly increased the success rate of interceptions, but also reduced fuel and mobilization costs, a major asset for states with limited resources.
Interceptions reveal the magnitude of the implications and the plundering of our resources
The distribution of boardings illustrates the involvement of each country: Mauritania in the lead with four vessels, followed by Gambia (two), then Senegal and Cape Verde (one each).
The intercepted flags reveal the extent of the phenomenon: Gambian, Mauritanian, Senegalese, but also from Spain. The infringements observed range from the absence of a licence, the non-emission of GPS signals, to the use of nets with a prohibited mesh size and the exceeding of quotas thus concern local and European actors.
For this operation, Senegal had mobilized its new-generation offshore patrol boat « Walo », Mauritania its ship « Awkar », while Gambia and Cape Verde ensured a coastal network with speedboats.
A success certainly… But the challenge of sovereignty remains
Operation Espadon received financial and technical support from the European Union, via the Agir-INN project. While this support remains essential for the time being, the SRFC has a clear ambition: to gain autonomy and transform these one-off operations into permanent and sovereign surveillance, provided directly by the Member States.
« The main thing is the exchange of information, » insists Khallahi Brahim, recalling that regional conventions, including the 2025 one on anti-IUU coordination, now prevent a fraudulent vessel spotted in Senegalese waters from finding refuge in a neighbouring country.
On the strength of these results, the SRFC is already preparing an operation in the southern zone, including Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Beyond repression, the stakes are high: preserving fisheries resources that are vital for food security and coastal economies throughout the region.
source : allafrica
