Over the last few years, the sight of canoe boats packed with young African migrants arriving on the shores of the Spanish Canary Islands has raised a number of questions. Here we examine the role played by communities of African artisanal fishermen. These highly dynamic fishermen are critical to West Africa’s economy and have, throughout their history, acquired skills that have in many ways prepared them for playing their part in seaborne migration. We also describe the chain of events that have encouraged migrant networks to use their services. What becomes clear, however, is that the artisanal fishermen have not been the prime movers in the actual organization of migration, and that they themselves do not make up the bulk of the migrants.