Ghana risks losing seed sources due to illegal mining – Dr Asomaning

The National Tree Seed Centre (NTSC) has expressed grave concerns over the continuous destruction of seed sources in the country by illegal miners.

According to the Centre, all the endemic species peculiar to Ghana are being destroyed, stressing that “It is likely the country’s biodiversity will soon be lost if care is not taken to reverse the situation.”

Dr. Joseph Mireku Asomaning, Seed Conservation Technique Course Project Coordinator at the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-FORIG), disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times during the opening ceremony of a week-long intensive training programme on “Ex Situ” conservation of seeds in the country.

Ex Situ conservation refers to the removal of seeds from their original or natural location for conservation in a specialised environment, for research, or other purposes.

Organised by CSIR-FORIG, participants and experts from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom attended to find ways and means of conserving the country’s seeds. The event was held in collaboration with the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) and Royal Botanic Gardens (KEW).

Dr. Asomaning, a former head of the NTSC, expressed concern over the “massive destruction of seed sources in the country due to ‘galamsey’ activities.” He warned that government efforts to restore degraded lands could be in vain “because the seeds are getting extinct…we need the seeds, without which we can’t do anything.”

The Project Coordinator highlighted the expertise and efforts being made by the Institute to regenerate the country’s forest estate and store seeds, describing the training as crucial to Ghana.

He emphasised the need to remove seeds from the forests and conserve them, with the training aimed at learning new conservation techniques. According to Dr. Asomaning, developing seed sources is essential for protecting the forests.

“We are doing our best by using the existing plantation to obtain our seeds, but we need to create many more seed sources ourselves, or reforestation activities in the country will decline,” he stressed.

He also appealed to cocoa and other farmers to plant trees on their farms and avoid cutting down tree species.

Mr. Tim Pearce, an official with MSB, KEW, stated that they were committed to using the best possible practices to conserve seeds and boost the country’s biodiversity. He noted that vegetation worldwide is being affected by population growth, not just in Ghana, and new techniques are needed to conserve seeds for future generations.

Dr. Kwame Antwi Oduro, Director of CSIR-FORIG, stated that the Institute’s mandate includes undertaking forest products and related research, disseminating results, and commercialising research outputs.