The effects that foreign trawlers are having in African waters are not simply confined to our fisheries. They are having strong ripple effects in local communities as well.

One of our ships, the Arctic Sunrise, has just arrived in Dakar. It was welcomed by more than fifty local fishermen, eager to tackle the problem of overfishing in their waters.

Today we highlighted the plunder of West Africa's once rich fishing grounds through presentations under the theme: Towards sustainable fisheries: Greenpeace and West African fishermen map out the future.