the Africa they Never show You

Nouadhibou — The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise continues its protest against European factory trawlers that are overfishing West African waters and putting at risk the future of local coastal communities. Today’s protest is happening as West African politicians become more outspoken against the risk of foreign fishing vessels fishing away African fish.

With a huge 10 by 30 meter traffic sign reading “dead end” and hanging down from a helicopter dwarfed by the 143 meter long super trawler Willem van der Zwan, Greenpeace protests against the lack of progress in Europe to effectively tackle the bloated and way too efficient European fishing fleet

Rather than decommissioning it’s excess of fishing vessels, the EU allows some of the biggest vessels to plunder the waters of poor countries.

Earlier in March, European ministers met in Brussels to address the impact of industrial trawlers like the Willem van der Zwan in foreign waters, but they failed to recognize that the root of the problem is the fleet’s excessive size and capacity to catch large quantities of fish that cannot naturally be replenished (1).

“Ministers meeting in Brussels in March once again dodged the problem of fleet capacity. Unless this issue is tackled head on, European trawlers will be allowed to suck the life out of every corner of the ocean, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries.” said Pavel Klinckhamers, oceans campaigner onboard the Arctic Sunrise. “Super-sized European trawlers like the Willem van der Zwan will continue to plunder the world’s oceans and European governments have so far been blind to the critical imbalance between the bloated size of the fleet and dwindling stocks” added Klinckhamers.

The EU fishing fleet catches about 1.2 million tonnes of fish per year outside European waters - almost one quarter of its total catch. There are about 300 vessels from 14 EU countries with fishing interests in foreign countries. Increasingly, EU fishing vessels compete with local fishermen of foreign coastal states in developing countries.

While European ministers fail to address the problem of overcapacity, newly elected Senegalese president Macky Sall used his first official message to the nation to address the poor state of the Senegalese fishing sector and the urgency to act. One of the main concerns he mentioned, was the authorization of fishing licenses to foreign vessels. Although the EU has terminated the fishing agreement with Senegal in 2006, Greenpeace has been able to spot several European vessels fishing in Senegalese waters operating under dodgy arrangements.

Washington D.C. — Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa remains strong and is poised for lift-off after growing at 4.9 percent in 2011, just shy of the pre-crisis average of 5 percent. Excluding South Africa, which accounts for over a third of the region’s GDP, growth in the rest of region was 5.9 percent, making it one of the fastest growing developing regions, according to a new World Bank report on Africa’s economy.

Over a third of countries in the region attained growth rates of at least 6 percent, with another 40 percent growing between 4 - 6 percent. Among fast- growing economies in 2011 were resource-rich countries such as Ghana, Mozambique, and Nigeria, as well as other economies such as Rwanda and Ethiopia, all posting growth rates of at least 7 percent in 2011.

“In view of the turbulence that has beset the global economy in the last five years, many would be right to think that the prospects for Africa are terrible. But as this issue of Africa’s Pulse shows, African economies continue to show resilience and some of the fastest-growing economies in the world are now in Africa. The urgent agenda remains sustaining the macroeconomic reforms while accelerating the structural reforms that will deliver the right quality of growth that creates jobs and raises incomes on the continent,” says Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, The World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, and a former Nigerian Minister of Mineral Resources.

Tourism slows but private investment up

The latest Africa’s Pulse reports that the weakening global economy in the second half of 2011 affected tourist arrivals. For the year, tourist arrivals in Sub-Saharan Africa were up by 6.2 percent, higher than the global average of 4.4 percent, but lower than the 9.6 percent recorded for the region in 2010, when it benefitted from hosting of the World Cup. Tourism arrivals from Europe saw a decline in major destination markets such as Mauritius.

In a significant development, the World Bank says that overall capital flows to Sub-Saharan Africa rose by $8 billion in 2011 to $48.2 billion. Foreign direct investment, which accounts for about 77 percent of all capital flows to the region, contributed to about 83 percent of the increase.

Recent foreign direct investment to the region has been spurred by increased global competition for natural resources, higher commodity prices, robust economic growth and a fast rising middle class. The region is increasingly being recognized as an investment destination, including from private equity investors.

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President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf last Wednesday joined hundreds of women at a program marking the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2012, in Tubmanburg, Bomi County. At the event, President Sirleaf launched the Liberian Chapter of the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) and the Adolescent Girls Unit at the Ministry of Gender and Development.

The African Women Entrepreneurship Program, which was started in 2010, based on the recognition that African women are so often the engine of national growth and development, is the brain-child of United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The first chapter of AWEP was formed in Zambia, and since then dozens of African countries have followed. AWEP aims to empower African businesswomen through training, strengthening public-private partnerships, and expanding business capacities and relationships.

In remarks, the President indicated that the themes for this year’s IWD celebration were very appropriate because they support Government’s initiatives to develop and empower women and girls.

She acknowledged the growing number of Liberian women entrepreneurs who are making positive contributions to the country’s economy and other sectors, and appealed for support not just from Government but all Liberians and other nationals within our borders. We must encourage these entrepreneurs to develop by purchasing their products, President Sirleaf said.

The need for the Adolescent Girls Unit at the Ministry of Gender and Development stems from the fact that girls are generally overlooked by many existing structures addressing youth and women issues in Liberia, the President indicated. This Unit will address the issues, needs, and concerns of girls, ages 10-12, with special emphasis placed on girls ages 10-15. Its purpose is to ensure national programs and policies are optimized to work better for girls in order to accelerate growth and reduce poverty.

An Executive Mansion release quotes President Sirleaf as saying that the global theme for this year’s celebration, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Future” and the national theme “Connect, Reconcile and Empower Girls and Women for the Future,” give Government the opportunity to look at the challenges, opportunities and potential for the younger generation of Liberian women. She described the population of Liberia today as one of the world’s youngest populations, with more than 50 percent under the age of 35, half of whom, she pointed out, are girls.

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