‘Sankofa’ in Policy and Practice: Valuing Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Sustainable Fisheries Management

‘San-kofa’, translated from Akan means “go back and get it”. Sankofa, is also an Adinkra symbol of the Akan people of Ghana that embodies the wisdom of learning from the past to build the future. At the recent World Fisheries Day celebrations, Ghana held its first National Conference of Chief fishermen and Queen Fishmongers which evoked principles akin to Sankofa for fisheries governance. The event was themed: “Resetting Fisheries – Chief Fishermen and Fish mongers as Guardians and Partners in Sustainable Fisheries Management”.

The event was hosted by the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, with the Ga Mantse, His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II as the Special Guest. The Guest of Honour was the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. More than 500 participants graced the event, which comprised Chief Fishermen and Queen Fishmongers (representing fisherfolk across the four coastal regions), policymakers, distinguished personalities from Academia, Civil Society and development partners. This epoch-making event brought resource users into direct conversation with policymakers, practitioners and scientists, and fisherfolk claimed the opportunity to assert their voice in shaping fisheries governance.

The principal investigator of our ISIPSK (Sankofa) research project, Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation and Lecturer in Sustainable Futures at the University of St Andrews, UK, Dr Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, spoke on the panel, ‘Integrating traditional knowledge with modern fisheries management’, proffering valuable contributions alongside Prof Rashid Sumaila (an Ocean and Fisheries Economist at the University of British Columbia, Canada), Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako (Vice-Chancellor of University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana) and Chief Fishermen from the four coastal regions in Ghana. In her submissions, Dr Okafor-Yarwood made a strong case for traditional ecological knowledge of fisherfolk to be given legal recognition in the laws, highlighting the wealth of knowledge fisherfolk possessed drawing from the ISIPSK (Sankofa) research findings.

While there are existing engagement between with national authorities and fisherfolk at various levels of management, fisherfolk and/or their traditional ecological knowledge are scarcely acknowledged in the national fisheries laws for management. Dr Okafor-Yarwood highlighted the pathway in the Fisheries Act 1146 (2025) that could bridge this gap to legally unify practice with policy. She urged that the critical window of opportunity presented in Section 169 of the Act should be leveraged to legally incorporate traditional and local ecological knowledge into laws governing fisheries management. Dr Okafor-Yarwood’s ‘San-kofa’ call was echoed by fisherfolk leaders who emphasised their readiness to lead change and advocated for formal recognition and codification of indigenous knowledge in the laws.

This resounding call by fisherfolk and academics alike earned a prompt response from the President of the nation, H. E. John Dramani Mahama. In his statement, the President of Ghana pledged that his government, among other actions, will restore respect and formalise the integration of traditional roles and knowledge into formal co-management structures, and the non-fishing days will be legally recognised in the various community by-laws. Essentially, he confirmed that indigenous knowledge will be incorporated into stock assessment, closed season planning and coastal resource management. Currently management measures in the Fisheries Act are based on scientific knowledge with limited acknowledgement of traditional ecological knowledge thus the President’s statement bears a bold promise for an inclusive future of fisheries governance in Ghana. He in turn made a call to fisherfolk saying:

“The well-being of millions of people depends on the decisions we make today. Together, we can develop a thriving, inclusive and sustainable blue economy that will nourish our people, strengthen our communities and protect our national heritage for future generations. I therefore urge you to champion responsible fishing practices, lead community education and discipline, work closely with enforcement agencies, support peace, unity and the elimination of illegal practices, and stand firm as guardians of our marine resources.”

Ghana is blazing the trail for inclusive fisheries governance in (West) Africa and has sparked a movement where communities are brought directly into leadership as their traditional knowledge is valued and given the due recognition in governance. The journey has however only begun, and all fisheries stakeholders bear the onus to ensure the fulfilment of inclusive, fair, equitable and sustainable fisheries management for present and future generations. In recognition of this milestone, commendations are equally in order for all organisations working at local, national and international scales to empower communities in actualising their leadership in governance.