The practitioners of the traditional Anlo belief system have a strong spiritual attachment to the lagoon. It is believed that the lagoon has gods who must be worshiped if the people wish to get abundant catch. One of the gods is called ‘Gbele’ where the people of Anlo Afiadenyigba once every year perform some rituals for the lagoon. At times a live cow is deposited in the lagoon so that there could be a bumper harvest. The Bate Clan assert their relationship with Mama Bate, a sea Orisha, and claim responsibility for the expansion of the land around Keta as arising from this relationship with her.
On many occasions children get drowned while swimming and people got missing during fishing expeditions and most of these accidents are attributed to spiritual forces.
In 1983, the leader of the Apostolic Revelation Society the late Apostle C.N.K Wovenu was invited to pray for increase in the waters of the lagoon since the lagoon was almost dried up because of the dry weather that year. After the prayers, fishermen were instructed not to fish on Sundays in the lagoon.
Gradually there is a reduction in the importance of spiritual significance of the lagoon. The diminished importance in the spiritual significance of the lagoon and other water bodies in Anlo which Green (2002) described could be explained by the decline in fish stocks caught from the lagoon.
Although some fishermen attribute declining catches to social-spiritual causes such as conflict in the community or as punishment from the gods, more fishermen are aware of the increased fishing effort as a cause for declining catches. Some of these fishermen are migrating to other parts of the country and outside Ghana to continue with fishing.
The lagoon is important in conserving several species of mangroves, crabs, shrimps and raffia plants.
The Keta lagoon is the most important wetland on the Ghana coast for waterbirds and together with Songor Lagoon constitutes the fourth most important waterbirds site on the Gulf of Guinea coast. The site supports 76 waterbird species with an estimated total population of well over 100,000, globally significant numbers of 21 species. The site is particularly important for waders, supporting almost one third of the estimated East Atlantic Flyway population of Tringa erythropus. Other species which occur in large numbers at the site include Calidris ferruginea, C. minuta, Himantopus himantopus, Dendrocygna viduata, as well as several heron and egret species. The most important parts of the lagoon for waterbirds are the Fiahor, Woe, Tegbi, Adina and Afiadenyigba sections.
This Lagoon is the most important water bird site along the entire Ghana coast with a record of 72 species of resident and migratory birds. The Keta Lagoon and its surrounding wetlands qualifies as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar criteria by virtue of its total bird population of around 110,000 and the fact that it supports internationally important eight species of migratory waders.
There is large salt production in some parts of the lagoon at specific times. Producing salt from the saline waters of the Keta Lagoon were unknown until 1702 because the people did not have the technology to do it.[43] Salt production has gradually developed among the people. During the harmartan season of November to February, the shallower parts of the lagoon close to Adina, Afiadenyigba and Anyako get evaporated especially during years when the rainfall is low. Salt crystal form from the sodium chloride which is available naturally in the area. The men make enclosures around the salty water to stop any fresh water from flowing into it. These crystals grow larger and are then mined or collected mostly by the women. Investors buy the salt and store it for sale when the prices are increased. This natural resource brings a lot of revenue to the people. However, in December 2013, 600 residents from Agbozume, at the eastern end of the lagoon, took part in a protest against the Kensington Salt Factory, who they claimed had endangered their livelihoods by creating a crater to remove sand to build a road. This, they said had damaged the banks of the lagoon and created the threat of flooding.[44] However, the chiefs of Adina contested the validity of the Agbozome protestors, ane explained that they had the authority to grant permission for Kensington Industries Limited to exploit this resource.
The Anlo- Keta area also abounds in native culture and tradition that could attract ecotourists.Projects involving private and public partnership could help develop play grounds and picnic areas, lagoon swimming facilities, sailing and fishing, cycling, beach volleyball and jogging as sports to attract local recreational tourism. An opportunity also exists for turning aquatic reeds harvested by women into bags, mats and other handicrafts that will provide alternative livelihoods to generate income especially for women. There are native dances such as agbadza, gahu, atsiagbekor, babasiko and misago. Salt mining is also a special skill of tourist attraction.
There are many conflicts arising from the ownership and use of the natural resources of the lagoon. On occasions fishermen from Afiadenyigba used drag nets in fishing the deeper waters near Woe and they were accused of stealing fish from the seine net used by Woe fishermen and this resulted in fights which were arbitrated at the chief’s court. On many occasions cutting of mangrove trees for smoking of fish resulted in arguments of ownership.Mangrove trees at Anyanui cut for fuelwood
These fisheries are affected by habitat degradation, pollution by domestic waste and poverty of the fisher folks. Overfishing causes changes in the size and structure of the fishes as well as species composition of the catches.
Most of the red and white mangroves[53] around the lagoons have been cut down [54] for fuelwood or to create salt pans. Thus the spawning, breeding and feeding sites of fishes are being destroyed.
Fisher folks also tend to use smaller mesh nets in fishing as a means to increase their catch. To arrest overfishing, fishing is not permitted on Tuesdays and in other towns fishing is banned on Sundays and before certain festival times. These are all means to reduce overfishing and over exploitation of the fish.
Ex-President Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings (whose mother came from Dzelukope), has called for the protection of the Keta Lagoon from harmful human activities. He mentioned activities such as disposing of garbage into the lagoon, using dangerous chemicals for fishing and over fishing as very harmful. Flt. Lt. Rawlings was addressing the 2010 Tagbaza (Lagoon Festival) organized by the chiefs and people of Anlo Afiadenyigba . He said if those activities continued, the ability of the Lagoon to sustain the people in the area economically would reduce considerably.
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