Dolphins swim around the Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza, on the Defending Our Oceans Tour. This leg of the expedition focuses on the problems of pirate fishing around West Africa.
Pirate fishing is happening right now in every ocean. Greenpeace and the Environmental Justice Foundation have been patrolling the waters off Guinea, one of the poorest countries in Africa, to document fishing activities. Illegal activity can be linked to fish imports in Las Palmas, a number of licensed boats and leads also to the forgotten men inhabiting the ‘zombie’ vessels off the coast of West Africa. Over one hundred vessels were observed during this investigation and nearly half are engaged in, or linked to illegal fishing activities. The UK Department for International Development estimates this cash and food starved nation is losing US$100 million each year in stolen fish.