Gabon has hosted the launch of the Sustainable Ocean and Blue Economy in Central Africa (ODEBAC) programme, a seven-year initiative backed by €42 million in European Union funding and covering six coastal countries in the region.
The first session of the programme’s Strategic Steering Committee opened in Libreville on November 9, bringing together representatives of the Gabonese government, the EU and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Gabonese Press Agency reported.
ODEBAC covers Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe. The programme is financed by the EU and implemented in partnership with ECCAS. Its three main pillars are ocean governance, sustainable blue economy development and the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity, Expertise France said.
The initiative is designed to promote responsible use of marine resources while supporting economic opportunities for coastal communities. Its activities include strengthening sustainable fisheries, tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, protecting marine habitats and developing blue economy value chains.
The programme also supports the conservation and restoration of marine protected areas, mangroves and coastal ecosystems, as well as efforts to improve resilience to coastal risks.
ODEBAC brings together a portfolio of 12 projects involving organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Research Institute for Development (IRD), Expertise France and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The initiative is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and aims to strengthen regional cooperation on ocean governance while linking environmental protection with sustainable economic growth.
