Protected Water Areas and Illegal Activities on Gabon’s Coastline

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Protected Water Areas and Illegal Activities on Gabon’s Coastline

Aires protégées aquatiques et activités interlopes sur le littoral gabonais

Abstract / Résumé
EN – Since 2002, Gabon has been committed to a policy of biodiversity conservation through institutional and legal efforts to regulate and manage maritime areas. Interest in the maritime and coastal domains has led to the creation of Aquatic Protected Areas (APAs), ecosystems that are home to unique reservoirs of biodiversity. Thanks to these tools, Gabon aims to sustainably exploit and conserve its marine and coastal resources. However, this determination is undermined by a variety of illegal activities. The aim of this article is to reveal the main illegal uses perpetrated in the APAs and the means to counter them. For this purpose, a literature review was carried out, as well as fieldwork based on semi-directive interviews with administrative agents, economic promoters and local residents of APAs.

FR – Depuis 2002, le Gabon s’est engagé dans une politique de conservation de la biodiversité à travers des dispositifs institutionnels et juridiques destinés à encadrer et gérer les espaces maritimes. L’intérêt croissant pour les zones maritimes et côtières a conduit à la création d’Aires Protégées Aquatiques (APA), des écosystèmes abritant d’importants réservoirs de biodiversité. À travers ces outils, le Gabon ambitionne une exploitation durable et une préservation efficace de ses ressources marines et côtières. Toutefois, cette volonté est fragilisée par diverses activités illégales. Cet article vise à identifier les principales pratiques illicites recensées dans les APA et les moyens mis en œuvre pour les combattre. Pour ce faire, une revue de littérature a été réalisée, complétée par une enquête de terrain reposant sur des entretiens semi-directifs avec des agents administratifs, des opérateurs économiques et des riverains des APA.

Authors / Auteurs
Aline Joëlle Lembe Bekale
Université Omar Bongo, Libreville (Gabon)
Centre d’Études et de Recherche en Géosciences Politiques et Prospective – CERGEP, Libreville (Gabon)

DOI : https://doi.org/10.7358/gn-2023-002-lema


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