Migration – internal and international – is an important feature of the social lives of people across West Africa. While movements within the subregion are generally due to complex and multi-causal factors, natural resource scarcity has served to influence movements especially in rural areas. Drawing from research in rural north-western Benin, this policy brief looks at the effect of migration on the in-land fisheries subsector and emphasizes the need for effective participation of all stakeholders in the management of natural resources to improve livelihoods in the region facing population growth and climate variability.