Fishing for development: A question for social work

Abstract

This study explores the consequences of the European Union’s fishing agreements with a number of African countries for individuals in local communities. The empirical results show that European fishing in African waters has destructive consequences for local fishing communities and leads to increasing migration from fishing communities to Europe, where immigrants are facing increasing discrimination. It is argued that social work should consider new global transformations and build global alliances in order to fight against structural inequalities and improve individual life chances.