Individuals in the inland and aquaculture fishing sectors are sounding the alarm over the devastating impact of illegal mining activities, also known as galamsey on major water bodies in Ghana.
The National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council and the Ghana National Aquaculture Association are calling for urgent action to protect the country’s aquatic life.
The National Inland Canoe Fishermen Council has expressed concerns about the negative effects of galamsey on its operations, citing the severe pollution of major rivers in the Savannah and Eastern regions.
The council’s national president, Jacob Kabore Tetteh Ageke, said that the Volta Lake, the largest man-made lake in West Africa, is being severely affected by illegal mining.
Tetteh Ageke warned that if nothing is done to address the issue, the country’s fish stocks will dwindle, and eventually, the country’s people will suffer.
He appealed to Ghanaians to support sustainable mining practices that do not harm the environment.
“In fact, the Volta Lake is the largest man-made lake in West Africa and illegal mining, or when we say the Volta Lake, it means that the tribute of all the rivers that are joined together, so anything that happens, even in our houses in the gutter end up into the Volta Lake. And so the illegal mining is affecting us greatly. It’s because the lake is vast, you are not seeing the turbidity of the water.”
“Seriously, on the Black Volta, all the way from the Savannah region especially, on the Bui Lake, and then to the dam site. And then from the dam site, a place called Bole kame, all the way to Bamboi, all to Buipe, the illegal mining is very serious there, and the water has changed.”
“Even if you go to Yeji, you see that the stability of the water that you see before is all the same. And then from the eastern region, all the water bodies enter into the Afram and enter into the Volta Lake. So our appeal is that we are not saying that Ghanaians should not mine, but they shouldn’t mine close to river bodies or water bodies.”
“When they mine, they should make sure that the wasted water, can create a dugout that goes in speed, not entering into the lakes. Otherwise, maybe two or three, four years to come, we all die in the country.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Aquaculture Association has reported that members in the Ashanti Region are losing their fish farms to galamsey activities.
The association’s national organiser, Francis deHeer, said that illegal miners are gradually taking over fish farms, threatening the livelihoods of many fishermen and women.
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