The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has called on fisheries and wetlands managers to recognize and integrate indigenous knowledge and traditional
practices into modern conservation and fisheries management systems. Nana Kweigyah, the National President of the CaFGOAG, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in commemoration of World Wetlands Day, said the theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day was timely and underscored the need to acknowledge the critical role of local communities in the protection and sustainable management of wetlands and aquatic resources. World Wetlands Day, which is celebrated on February 02 annually, is being observed this year on the theme: “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage”. Nana Kweigyah noted that long before the advent of modern fisheries science and regulatory frameworks, many coastal and fishing communities practiced conservation methods that ensured the sustainability of fish stocks and wetland ecosystems. According to him, traditional practices such as prohibiting fishing on specific days or during certain months, often linked to spawning seasons, functioned in the same way as present-day closed fishing seasons. It said many communities also designated lagoons, rivers, estuaries, and mangrove areas as sacred, with strict taboos against cutting mangroves or fishing in certain zones, practices comparable to modern Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). He further explained that selective fishing gear was traditionally used during particular seasons to protect juvenile fish species, while fishers adjusted seasonally to protect juvenile species and allow stocks to regenerate. Nana Kweigyah added that spatial and temporal planning, which is now promoted through modern fisheries management frameworks, was already practiced through deep indigenous knowledge of fish migration patterns, breeding grounds, and nursery areas, as well as tides, lunar cycles, and weather conditions. He said:“Enforcement of these rules was the responsibility of traditional authorities, who ensured compliance through social sanctions that were widely respected and effective within communities.” Nana Kweigyah said reintegrating these traditional practices into present-day fisheries governance would strengthen conservation outcomes, improve compliance, and enhance community ownership of management measures, stressing that going back to these practices would strengthen fisheries governance.
