China’s Distant Water Fishing Industry and Its Impact on Food Security: Case Studies in Senegal and Sierra Leone

Fish plays an integral part in sustaining food security and the livelihoods of millions in West African coastal states. Its productive waters have also drawn many external actors looking to meet domestic demand for fish. China has invested significantly in its distant water fishing program since 2000, becoming the largest global fleet and the largest presence in West Africa. Amid declining global marine stocks and growing demand, fish is becoming an increasingly valuable resource. This thesis has two main research goals. The first is to explore China’s motives in their pursuit of a robust distant water fishing program. The second is to investigate Chinese distant water fishing activities in West Africa and examine the implications it presents for food security and livelihoods for the coastal nations that have traditionally relied on fish. Through these goals, it aims to answer the main research question: How has Chinese distant water fishing impacted the state of food security in West Africa from 2000 to 2022? This research roots its theoretical framework in the conceptualization of food security and uses a qualitative approach to consider the perceptions of those directly threatened by food insecurity. The empirical portion of the thesis consists of case studies on China’s fishing presence in Senegal and Sierra Leone, two countries that have high levels of fish dependence.