Guinea-Bissau Bans Fishmeal and Fish Oil Production Citing Food Security

Guinea-Bissau's transitional government issued a comprehensive, nationwide prohibition on all fishmeal and fish oil manufacturing, effective immediately on January 29, 2026. The decree targets both land-based processing facilities and offshore factory vessels, a move driven by critical concerns over the depletion of small pelagic fish stocks and the resulting threat to national food security. Virginia Pires Correia, the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, concurrently suspended the licensing for purse seiners that supply these reduction units and restricted the delivery of fish from artisanal vessels to onshore processors.

This regulatory shift signals a clear prioritization of sustainable marine resource stewardship over industrial extraction for animal feed, aligning with broader regional efforts supported by organizations such as the FAO's EAF-Nansen Programme and the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC). The immediate cessation of production directly impacts major industrial actors, including the large factory vessels Tian Yi He 6 and Hua Xin 17, which were observed anchored near the ecologically vital Bijagós Archipelago UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. These offshore processing units, reportedly associated with Chinese interests, received their catches from Turkish-flagged industrial purse seiners, including the Turk Yilmaz, which had been active in Guinea-Bissau waters since February 2023.

The government's decision followed a February 2025 resource assessment, conducted in cooperation with the Russian Federation, which indicated a substantial decline in small pelagic fish populations, particularly sardinellas, attributed to intensive fishmeal production. The Bijagós Archipelago, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1996 and a Ramsar site, is a biodiversity hotspot where local Bijagó communities have traditionally managed resources sustainably for centuries. The government explicitly noted that converting fish into animal feed directly competes with the population's access to essential protein, thereby undermining nutritional security.

This sweeping ban, issued as Dispatch No. 16, represents a strategic reorientation of fisheries governance in West Africa, testing the balance between national food security and distant-water industrial interests. The Ministry warned that any violation of the January 29 directive would incur legal sanctions under Articles 63 and 70 of the General Fisheries Law. Béatrice Gorez, coordinator for the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA), commended the action, stating it reflects deep concern over the social, food security, and ecological consequences of the industry's expansion.

Guinea-Bissau became a destination for fishmeal operations following increased regulatory pressure in neighboring nations, such as Mauritania, which began tightening controls around 2021. The first Chinese-owned factory vessel, Tian Yi He 6 (147 meters long), arrived in 2019, followed by Hua Xin 17 (125 meters long) in May 2024, both supplied by purse seiners previously operating in Mauritanian waters. Furthermore, onshore industrial development was underway, marked by the inauguration of a Chinese-owned plant in April 2025 and at least one additional facility under construction as of February 2026. The suspension of industrial purse seiner licenses aims to alleviate pressure on small pelagic stocks, which are crucial for the region where West Africa annually catches approximately 1.3 million tonnes, though per capita consumption has decreased over the last decade.