The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), through its Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Centre (RMCSC), actively participated in the Main Planning Conference for Exercise Grand African NEMO 2026. The five-day conference was held from 1 to 5 June 2026 in Brest, France

 

The conference brought together the French Navy Commander in Chief for the Atlantic (CECLANT) personnel, representatives of the Yaoundé Maritime Security Architecture, delegates from 19 Gulf of Guinea navies and coast guards, and several regional and international partner organizations.

 

The main objective of the conference was to approve the exercise concept, finalize operational scenarios, and coordinate the participation of all stakeholders in the upcoming maritime security exercise, scheduled to take place from 29 October to 6 November 2026.

 

As a key partner within the Yaoundé Architecture, FCWC participated in working group sessions focused on the development and refinement of operational scenarios addressing Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing.

 

Through the RMCSC, FCWC contributed technical expertise on fisheries intelligence and IUU fishing scenarios, helping to ensure that fisheries-related threats are properly integrated into the broader maritime security exercise.

 

FCWC also shared lessons and feedback from past joint patrol operations, highlighting opportunities to strengthen coordination between fisheries enforcement authorities, navies, coast guards and other maritime security actors.

 

This contribution reinforced the growing recognition that maritime security and fisheries governance are closely connected, and that effective responses require coordinated, multi-agency approaches.

 

Exercise Grand African NEMO is an annual regional cooperation initiative conducted in support of the Yaoundé Process. It aims to strengthen the security of maritime spaces by enhancing operational cooperation among Gulf of Guinea states, partner navies and international organizations.

 
The 2026 edition is expected to involve coastal states, Yaoundé Architecture centres, partner navies from Europe and the Americas, partner fisheries institutions in the Gulf of Guinea, sub-regional fisheries bodies including SRFC and COREP, and organizations such as EFCA, UNODC, Expertise France and INTERPOL.

 

FCWC’s participation in the Main Planning Conference underscores its commitment to ensuring that fisheries protection is fully integrated into the wider maritime security framework. By contributing to scenario development and operational planning, FCWC is helping to align efforts against IUU fishing with naval and coast guard operations across the region.

 

The insights gained and relationships strengthened during the conference will directly support FCWC’s continued work with its Member States in fisheries monitoring, intelligence sharing and joint patrol coordination.

 

The October and November 2026 exercise will provide an important opportunity to test and refine these collaborative mechanisms in a live operational environment.

 
FCWC remains committed to working with all partners under the Yaoundé Architecture to build a safer, more secure and sustainably governed maritime domain in the West and Central Gulf of Guinea.

 
Brest, France, 1–5 June 2026