Traditional Ecological Knowledge Integration and Aquatic Conservation among Fisherfolk Communities in Orashi Kingdom, Rivers State

This study examined the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in promoting conservation of aquatic lives among fisherfolk communities in Orashi Kingdom of Rivers State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the analytic descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was 2,834, comprising 2,792 fisherfolks and 42 Agricultural Extension Officers registered with local government areas in Orashi Kingdom. The sample size was 336 respondents consisting of 294 fisherfolks and 42 Agricultural Extension Officers. The study used a self-designed questionnaire for data collection. The instruments were validated by three experts from Rivers State University. Reliability coefficients of 0.86, 0.87, and 0.91 were obtained using Cronbach Alpha method. From the analysed qualitative and quantitative data, the findings of the the study revealed that to a high extent, traditional ecological knowledge integration promotes conservation of aquatic lives among fisherfolk communities in Orashi Kingdom. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Chieftaincy Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment should develop a formal framework for integrating traditional ecological knowledge into modern conservation programmes.