Filling a blank on the map: 60 years of fisheries in Equatorial Guinea

Despite a scarcity of pertinent information, it has been possible to reconstruct time series of marine fisheries catches for Equatorial Guinea from 1950 to 2010 using per capita fish consumption and population numbers for small-scale fisheries, catch rates and number of vessels for industrial fisheries and discard rates to estimate the discarded bycatch. Small-scale fisheries, industrial large-scale fisheries, domestic and legal and illegal foreign fisheries and their discards are all included. Total catches were estimated at 2.7 million tonnes over the time period considered, of which 653 000 t were caught domestically compared to 187 000 t reported by FAO. This shows that fisheries have more importance for Equatorial Guinea's food security than the official data suggest. In contrast to what is suggested by official figures, fisheries were shown to be strongly impacted by civil and political unrest; notably, they declined overall because of civil and political conflicts, socio-demographic dynamics, and a growing role of the newly discovered oil resources, which directly and indirectly threaten the food security of the people of Equatorial Guinea

Book Review: Africa and Europe in the Twenty-First Century

Title: Africa and Europe in the Twenty-First CenturyAuthor: Osita C. Eze and Amadu SesayPublisher: Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 2010, xvi + 397pp, Tables, Index.ISBN: 978-002-102-

Bitterness on a Sugar Island: British Colonialism and the Socio-Economic Development of Jamaica from 1655- 1750

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Different Strokes: Spanish Policy toward Cuba and Equatorial Guinea during the Colonial Period

Spanish policy toward Cuba and Equatorial Guinea up to the end of the 19th century differed markedly. The policy itself is difficult to define but the general principle emphasized the exploitation of the resources of the colonies for the benefit of Spain. It also provided for the spread of Spanish culture and the Christian faith. It is therefore somewhat similar to the French assimilation policy. The emphasis on the economic benefits derivable from the colonies influenced Spain to pay attention to the development of infrastructure and establishment of effective administration in Cuba. This was very different from the situation in Equatorial Guinea. Since Equatorial Guinea did not hold much economically, Spanish policy toward the colony up to the early 20th century provided for the maintenance of loose control over the territory and very little effort was made to establish infrastructure and promote development. The article undertakes a comparative analysis of the experiences of Cuba and Equatorial Guinea under Spanish rule. It argues that although the focus of Spanish colonialism in Cuba, as elsewhere, was the exploitation of minerals and the development of plantation agriculture, the Spanish authorities established administrative structures and social infrastructure in the process. This was however not the case in Equatorial Guinea until the loss of Cuba in 1898 compelled Spain to turn attention to its African colony. The paper therefore disagrees with the view that the primary motive of colonial enterprise was to bring ‘civilisation' to the colonised, and concludes that the economic benefit to Spain was the most important consideration in the colonial enterprise, as was the case with most other colonial powers in Africa and elsewhere. Lagos Historical Review Vol. 7 2007: pp. 57-7

Development crisis and ideological shift: Africa’s economic policy in an era of global recession

Many countries of the world have undertaken a review of economic policy since the global economic crisis of 2008-2010. This has been the experience of many African states as well and a good number have assessed economic policy in line with global economic realities. This article examines the impact of the crisis on Africa and the continent’s general response. Africa’s economic performance was negatively affected by the global recession, especially in 2009, when growth levels were exceedingly low. The work also analyses development choices across Africa in the past four decades and contends that many African states have adopted inappropriate policies over the years. A major problem revolves around perceiving African economies as the same and the tendency to adopt a uniform model. African economies are not as uniform as some have suggested and the article argues than no single model can be appropriate for all African countries because of differences in the economic and social environment. Effective economic policies would be those that reflect the realities of each country. It is concluded that Africa could achieve positive economic transformation in the post-recession period by adopting effective policy options in line with the peculiarities of each state.Desde a Crise económica mundial de 2008-2010, muitos países procedem a revisões das suas políticas económicas. Esta tem sido a experiência de muitos estados africanos bem como um bom número deles reavaliaram as suas políticas económicas tendo em conta as realidades económicas globais. Este artigo examina o impacto da crise em África a resposta geral do continente perante a crise. O desempenho da economia de África foi negativamente afectada pela recessão global especialmente em 2009 quando os níveis de crescimento foram excessivamente baixos. O trabalho também analisa as escolhas de desenvolvimento no continente nas últimas quatro décadas e conclui que muitos países africanos adoptaram políticas inapropriadas ao longo dos anos. O maior problema reside em volta da percepção de que as economias africanas são iguais e a tendência de adoptar um modelo uniforme. Economias africanas não são tão uniformes como alguns sugeriram. O artigo argumenta que não existe modelo único que possa ser apropriado/aplicável para todos para todos os países africanos por causa das diferenças económicas e ambientes sociais. Políticas económicas efectivas deviam ser aquelas que reflictam as realidades de cada país. Assim se conclui que África poderia atingir transformações económicas positivas no período pós recessão adoptando opções políticas efectivas de acordo ou em linha com as peculiaridades de cada estado