On Friday, September 4, Dr Andrews Agyekumhene, Executive Director of the Wildlife and Human Resources Organisation (WHRO) Ghana, urged coastal residents to become active partners in sea‑turtle conservation at the 5th Ghana National Sea Turtle Conference in Accra.
He stressed that meaningful community participation is essential for sustainable marine protection, noting that coastal communities live in areas where turtles nest, fish, and where development pressures rise. “Community stewardship means moving beyond conservation for communities to conservation with communities,” he said, emphasizing that locals should be custodians rather than mere beneficiaries.
Dr Agyekumhene, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, highlighted that threats such as coastal development, light pollution, human activity and climate change directly impact turtle survival. He called for stronger collaboration between scientists, practitioners and residents, and for integrating local knowledge with scientific research.
He encouraged conference participants to devise innovative approaches and build lasting partnerships that extend beyond individual projects. The event, organized by WHRO and the university department, brought together researchers, conservationists, government officials, community members, students and volunteers to discuss long‑term protection strategies.
Moving forward, Dr Agyekumhene urged that empowering communities to monitor and decide on conservation measures would help sustain efforts beyond the lifespan of funding arrangements.
