Weaving science and traditional knowledge: Toward sustainable solutions for ocean management

The UN Ocean Decade has demonstrated its potential as a transformative platform for integrating traditional knowledge into ocean science and management. This paper highlights practical examples of how the Ocean Decade's efforts could be enhanced from local to global levels. Although the recognition of traditional knowledge within the Decade marks a significant step forward, there are still ways to further improve their engagement and participation. Many actions endorsed by the Ocean Decade acknowledge the importance of including traditional knowledge holders, yet only a few incorporate essential elements for effective knowledge co-production, such as co-design and co-management. Emphasizing knowledge co-production is crucial for developing innovative solutions to complex ocean management challenges. The Ocean Decade offers a valuable opportunity to address these obstacles by fostering a more participatory framework that actively engages diverse knowledge systems and stakeholders, promoting a way for more effective and sustainable ocean management solutions both locally and globally, and providing lessons for the implementation of policies and treaties such as the BBNJ Agreement.