Artisanal fishers' ecological knowledge and implications for sustainable fisheries management in Ghana

This study explores traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and focusses specifically on Artisanal Fishers’ Ecological Knowledge (AFEK) in Ghana and reflects on the tensions and possibilities of engaging with this knowledge in the context of sustainable fisheries governance. Rather than treating local knowledge as a supplementary dataset for policy development, this research considers AFEK as a relational practice embedded in intergenerational lifeways and ecologies. The study interrogates how efforts to “integrate” local knowledge into state-centered management systems may risk reproducing extractive logics if not accompanied by relational accountability and epistemic humility. Drawing on qualitative methods—primarily semi-structured interviews and document analysis—the research reveals the depth and nuance of fishers’ ecological understandings, including their attunement to environmental cues, seasonal dynamics, and conservation ethics. It reveals that AFEK of Ghanaian artisanal fishers is transmitted through diverse modes, including oral narratives, apprenticeships, experimental learning, documentation, and community meetings, which highlight its place-based nature. Whereas AFEK held by Ghanaian artisanal fishers has historically been marginalized in formal management systems, there have been uneven but noteworthy efforts — some dating back to the 1990’s to recognize and incorporate this knowledge into formal management frameworks. The study also reveals that the reliability of certain ecological knowledge of artisanal fishers, which was once reliable in predicting migration and spawning patterns, are increasingly challenged by climate change and IUU fishing. The study also highlights structural barriers to relational collaboration, such as bureaucratic hierarchies, preference for scientific-based data, policy impositions, and epistemic asymmetries. Furthermore, it documents that mistrust and uncertainties prevail among artisanal fishers rooted in inconsistent and unclear communication from authorities which create tensions that affect fisheries regulation adherence. This study thus invites a rethinking of “collaboration” beyond institutional frameworks, toward forms of engagement that honor the epistemological integrity of diverse fishery knowledge. It gestures toward the need for governance models rooted not only in inclusion but also in reciprocity, care, and shared responsibility.