Scientist says dead whales not as a result of oil drilling

Marine environmental experts, Acorn International, has said 20 dead whales that were washed ashore along the coast of the Western Region was not as a result of oil drilling activities on the Jubilee Field.

Prof Ayaa Kojo Armah, a lecturer in the University of Ghana, Legon and leading marine scientist, said this at a day’s preliminary findings verification workshop on underlying causes and proposed solutions to Ghana’s marine environmental concerns at Half Assini.

He said he suspected that the whales died in the western countries and were carried by the currents of the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Guinea, adding that they were washed in deteriorating state since they kept long in the sea.

Prof. Armah said if the whales had died in Ghanaians waters they would not have been washed ashore decomposed.

According to the professor routine discharges of drills, cuttings, produced water, submarine noise, accidental spillages and other operational discharges cause whale deaths.

It was organized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with Acorn International and funded by Kosmos Energy.

About 60 participants made of chief fishermen, fishmongers and some assembly members, chiefs and heads of departments from Jomoro and Ellembele attended.

King Kaku Ackah III of Awiaso and Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin attended.