Maartje Theadora Action near Mauritania

30 miles off the coast of Mauritania Greenpeace activists on a life raft attempt to stop the fishing operations of the German trawler Maartje Theadora by attaching their raft to the trawlers net. The banner reads "Stop fishing away Africa's future". West African waters have been subject to overfishing for decades, the effects of which are being felt by local communities. 90% of the cost for fishing rights to huge trawlers that plunder West African waters is financed by EU tax money. The scientific community recognizes that fishing capacity of many stocks must be reduced in order to ensure the long term sustainability of West Africaâ??s marine resources. Greenpeace is campaigning in West Africa for the establishment of a sustainable, low impact fisheries policy that takes into account the needs and interests of small-scale fishermen and the local communities that depend on healthy oceans.