This week, countries from West Africa, Europe, South America and the United States launched Exercise Obangame Express 2025 (OE25), the largest maritime security exercise in West Africa focused on countering IUUF and the transnational crimes it fuels. 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 IUUF, 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. “IUUF 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, IUUF costs African countries more than $11 billion each year, with the Gulf of Guinea accounting for nearly $2 billion in lost revenue alone due to depleted stocks and underreported catches. Officials say 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% 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.

"Illegal fishing is robbing our partners of resources, security, and sovereignty,” said Lt. Elizabeth Barker, Atlantic Africa Desk Officer and IUUF Team Lead with U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. “IUUF is no longer just a maritime issue—it’s a national security concern.”

Security Threat Grows as Fish Stocks Dwindle

The exercise comes as international fishing fleets increasingly target West African waters amid dwindling fish populations elsewhere. U.S. officials warn that the surge in IUUF is not only unsustainable but is enabling broader criminal networks involved in drug smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal transshipment.

“IUUF acts as a force multiplier for other illicit activities,” Barker said. “It creates ungoverned space on the water, and that threatens regional and global security.”

Exercise Expands Focus on Legal Finish

Now in its 14th iteration, OE25 has significantly expanded its IUUF-related training. The exercise includes 21 IUUF-focused scenarios, legal finish simulations, and new cross-border interdiction drills. Training emphasizes 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-F activities directly into the exercise, beginning with the role of Maritime Operation Centers in enhancing surveillance, coordination and information sharing among regional maritime forces,” said Scott.

U.S. 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.

Continued Partnerships

While hosted by Cabo Verde, the exercise stretches across five maritime zones from Senegal to Angola and involves over 100 U.S. personnel, including boarding teams and legal advisors.

As part of the U.S. Navy’s Africa Partnership Station initiative, Obangame Express aims to build long-term capacity among African navies and coast guards to independently secure their waters and protect their economies.

Officials say exercises like this are more urgent than ever. “Every fish stolen by illegal operators is one less meal on the table, one less job in the community,” Barker said. “That’s why we’re here.”

Participating nations in OE25 include: Angola, Benin, Belgium, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Togo, United Kingdom and the United States.

Obangame Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Sixth Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.

Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allies, international partners, and other U.S. government departments and agencies to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.