All articles
-
A Wealth of Life – the beauty of West Africa
Sailing across the nutrient rich waters of the West African Atlantic Ocean these past two months, I have been lucky enough to see an incredible array of wildlife. Whales, dolphins…
-
“I saw the plunder of our oceans with my own eyes”
Four days, four cases of illegal fishing in Sierra Leone
-
“Fishing from the sky”, empty nets, dead fish and the plight of West African fisher folks
Travelling in Africa is bittersweet. I always appreciate the warmth of fellow Africans, the humanity that characterises daily life and the untold stories of Ubuntu. But there is a dark side. If poverty and quality of life are measured by access to clean water, basic health care, roads and infrastructure, most African countries are poor…
-
My night on board a Chinese fishing vessel in West Africa
I am currently sailing with Greenpeace’s beautiful Esperanza on a ship tour called “Hope in West Africa” to protect the invaluable fishery resources of that region. As part of our investigation and research works in Mauritanian waters, we were looking for fishing vessels and documented their activities. I am an Oceans Campaigner from Greenpeace East…
-
A day at sea: Wildlife encounters
On March 1st 2017, the Esperanza ship sailed to the Praia harbour in Cape Verde to begin its journey in West African waters. One goal: show local governments that there is a serious need for strong regional fisheries management.
-
Our oceans, our responsibility
For some people the oceans may seem vast - to me they are my garden and my home. For the last three decades I have spent most of my life as a sailor and a captain. So you can imagine I feel a special tie to our blue planet. The many years at sea also…
-
Greenpeace ships: Warriors at Sea
1971. This was the year it all began. You’ve heard the story about how a boat load of (very brave) volunteers and journalists sailed to Alaska to stop the American government from running nuclear tests? The U.S government started feeling the pressure from all directions and was forced to abandon the nuclear tests the following…
-
Donors remain indifferent as moratorium breaches occur in the DRC
The forest industry in the DRC has been plagued for years by confusion, uncertainties and illegalities. Although the country pays lip service to the principles of reducing emission from deforestation and degradation (REDD), this is only in the guise to benefit from significant donor funding. Policy makers have repeatedly violated the moratorium without regards for…
-
#BridgesNotWalls: It’s Time for Solidarity, Love and Hope
This Friday, January 20th, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, after a year when the politics of hate, fear and division blossomed around the world.
-
It’s 6 goals to green o’clock!
This very smart 4 year old inspired me to think differently of fulfilling the sometimes scary “new year’s resolutions”. With a new year, most of us feel inspired and empowered to change, stop and/or start new habits, what if we did this differently? What if we set new goals and then came up with sub-goals…