CFP

This blog was originally posted on the New Statesman website on 9 Feb 2012.

Politicians have queued up to announce the dawn of the era of 'new capitalism'. Yet many commentators seemed less convinced; instead seeing merely the triumph of the old capitalism over any viable alternative. It seemed that having got drunk, fallen over and been sick in its hat, capitalism had woken up in 2012 feeling remarkably perky. It was the rest of us who had the hangover.

In the run up to the Senegalese presidential elections, Youssou N’dour isn’t the only controversial show on the road. Last week, a caravan tour organised by the small-scale fishing sector and our colleagues in Greenpeace Africa, called on presidential candidates to take urgent action against foreign super trawlers.  

Our friends in Greenpeace Holland have today painted the sides of three of Europe’s largest factory fishing vessels in the port of IJmuiden, identifying the amount of EU subsidies these ships have received - subsidies which enable them to plunder the waters of West Africa.