Mar 23, 2017 9:30 AM

Gallery: Inside China’s Almost-Totally-Legal $400M Fishery in Africa

Yuyang Liu
01
Chinese-Fishing-West-Africa-at-Sea-Yuyang-6.jpg
This Chinese ship fishes with side trawlers. Nets hang from struts extending from each side of the ship, dragging behind and catching anything and everything in its path.
Yuyang Liu
02
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-11.jpg
On the local fishing boat, sailors pull in their nets.

Yuyang Liu
03
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-18.jpg
A fisherman on a local boat tosses lunch to another worker. Food consists of roasted fish and baguettes.
Yuyang Liu
04
Chinese-Fishing-West-Africa-at-Sea-Yuyang-2.jpg
A Chinese ship scouts places to drop their nets.

Yuyang Liu
05
Chinese-Fishing-West-Africa-at-Sea-Yuyang-9.jpg
After sailors draw in the nets, they sort and clean the fish. Here a sailor cuts the fins of a guitarfish, the only part of the fish that sells.
Yuyang Liu
06
Chinese-Fishing-West-Africa-at-Sea-Yuyang-7.jpg
A Chinese trawler ship heads back to Dakar after being at sea for a month.

Yuyang Liu
07
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-16.jpg
Local fishermen cast their nets three to four times over a 12-hour day. They work in two boats, fishing from one and storing the catch in the other.
Yuyang Liu
08
Chinese-Fishing-West-Africa-at-Sea-Yuyang-3.jpg
The captain of a Chinese industrial ship talks over a radio with a nearby vessel.

Yuyang Liu
09
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-1.jpg
A local ship returns to Joal Fadiout, Senegal’s biggest fishing port, after a 12-hour day.
Yuyang Liu
10
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-2.jpg
Local fishermen carry freshly caught fish to land to sell.

Yuyang Liu
11
Chinese-in-West-Africa-Yuyang-8.jpg
Workers waiting to transport fish from local boats to trucks.
Yuyang Liu
12
Chinese-in-West-Africa-Yuyang-19.jpg
A Chinese cemetery in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, established in the 1990s for workers who die far from their homeland.

Yuyang Liu
13
West-Africa-Fishing-Yuyang-4.jpg
At 1 am, a local captain finally eats his dinner. In five hours, he’ll rise for another long day of fishing.

What’s Worse Than Romance Scams? Adoption Scams

This week in WIRED Book Club, we recap the final chapters of The Yahoo Boys.

Kate Knibbs

Beatbot’s New Pool Robot Cleans Itself (Mostly)

The AquaSense X brings self-cleaning technology to pool robots for the first time, but is it worth nearly twice the price of Beatbot’s flagship cleaner?

Christopher Null

Skylight’s Touchscreen Calendar Got my Whole Family on the Same Page

The Skylight has become the informational and organizational hub of my household. My touchscreen-native kids have also gained more agency over our family activities.

Jaclyn Greenberg

The Samsung Micro RGB R95H Is a Good, Not Great TV

There’s a new fleet of TVs using new mini and micro RBG display tech, and Samsung’s R95H model isn’t as impressive as it should be.

John Brandon

AI Found a Root Bug in Linux That Everyone Missed for 15 Years

Plus: The Pentagon is training amateurs to become part of its hacker army, a Flock license plate reader error led to cops surrounding a car reviewer, and more.

Dell Cameron

We Make Lovely Home-Cooked Meals for Ourselves. Why Not Do the Same for Our Dogs?

More dog owners have begun cooking for their canine companions in recent years. When my own dog fell ill, I became part of this growing group.

Alicia Kennedy

The Best Hiking Boots and Shoes for Any Adventure

From strenuous hikes and serious summits to weekend rambles in the park, these boots help you make the most of your time outdoors.

Chris Haslam

China’s Tianwen-2 Space Probe Has Rendezvoused With Earth’s Quasi-Moon

The probe sent back the first pictures of the asteroid Kamo’oalewa. Next step: landing on the surface and collecting samples to send back to Earth.

Ritsuko Kawai

El Niño Is Already Wreaking Havoc on Pacific Fisheries

As the climate phenomenon sends warm water surging across the eastern Pacific, some parts of the fishing industry are suffering—but other regions are seeing a windfall.

Joseph Winters

Exclusive: How Jay-Z Pulled Off a Surprise-Filled Show During New York’s Wildest Summer

Summer 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s debut Reasonable Doubt. To honor it, he put on a massive concert at Yankee Stadium—complete with performances from Beyoncé, Nas, and Alicia Keys.

Angela Watercutter