The ocean provides the home to a wide variety of marine animals and plants
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development is coordinating an inter-agency investigation into the reported incidents of dead fishes of various species washed ashore beaches in Accra and Axim over the Easter weekend.
The Fisheries Commission, Food and Drugs Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ghana Maritime Authority, the Ghana Navy, the Marine Police have been tasked to determine the causes of the incidents and possible preventive measures for the future.
Despite this being a good move, it is the usual reactive approach to tackling serious issues as a nation.
Admittedly, the issue of dead marine species being washed ashore is not a new thing but the scale of the recent incidents demands a more proactive approach if we could secure our marine resources and the livelihoods of coastal dwellers who depend on that
Over the last few decades, excessive human activities such as the spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into the sea have greatly affected marine life.
It is time for Ghana, as a coastal state, to ensure the safety and sustainability of its marine resources and much of that step will come from the findings of this inter-agency investigation.
The ocean provides the home to a wide variety of marine animals and plants, it is the responsibility of every citizen to play his or her part in making these oceans clean so that marine species can thrive for a longer period.
We are counting on the team to come up with workable recommendations and enforceable sanctions to industry players whose inactions continue to put the lives of marine species in danger.
While we are it to unravel this mystery, the security agencies must fish out the unscrupulous persons that harvested these unwholesome fishes and are selling them to unsuspecting members of the public.
