Partners of the Creating Synergies between Indigenous Practices and Scientific Knowledge (ISIPSK) project, also known as the Sankofa Project, have paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, at the Naval Headquarters.
The delegation, led by Dr Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer in Sustainable Futures at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, officially introduced the initiative, which was implemented in 2023 by the University of St Andrews in partnership with the Fisheries Commission (Ghana), the Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), and the Fisheries Committee for the West and Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), with funding support from the Pew Charitable Trust. The project seeks to bridge indigenous and scientific knowledge while examining the gendered socio-economic effects of Ghana’s fishing closed season.
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Dr Okafor-Yarwood stressed the importance of integrating traditional knowledge into policy-making and empowering fishing communities through research and cooperation. She also highlighted the need for inclusivity among all stakeholders to ensure the project’s goals are met. On his part, Nana Kweigyah, National President of CaFGOAG, announced that from September 1, 2025, the validation of research findings will begin in Sekondi in the Western Region. He expressed confidence that reintroducing some indigenous practices would foster responsible fishing and enhance the sustainability of marine resources.
Rear Admiral Bessing commended the initiative, reaffirming the Navy’s collaboration with the Fisheries Commission to safeguard artisanal fishers and preserve Ghana’s fisheries sector. He emphasised the project’s importance in addressing livelihood concerns tied to the marine economy. Also present at the meeting were Mr Emmanuel Tenkorang, Fisheries Officer with the FCWC, and Mr Randolph Johnson, Local Supervisor of the ISIPSK Project.
