Integrating communities’ customary laws into marine small-scale fisheries governance in Ghana: Reflections on the FAO Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

Although Ghana has ratified several relevant treaties related to the ocean, and the country recognizes local communities’ customary laws as an important source of law, there is limited research on the integration of customary laws and practices into marine small-scale fisheries governance. This article addresses this gap by analysing customary law systems and practices of the various ethnic communities occupying the coastlines of the Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta regions. Our analysis draws on the ‘respect for cultures’ principle of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. The article focuses on the relevance of custodianship, consensus building and empowerment norms that are operational among Ghana’s coastline ethnic groups. The article concludes with a research and policy agenda on the importance of and challenges around recognizing and integrating coastal communities’ customary law into marine small-scale fisheries governance in Ghana.