The Conservation Education Officer of the Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), Ms Vivian Larbi, has stressed the need for the country’s beaches to be maintained and kept clean, to attract more tourists to promote blue economy in Ghana.
She said the country was blessed with huge marine resources which could be exploited to develop the economy through the proper management and use of those resources.
“Yes as a country, we are blessed with large marine resources ranging from beaches through fishes to oil but if we continue to view the ocean as a dump site where we continue to pollute with our liquid and solid waste, then we will not be able to benefit from it,” she emphasised.
Ms Larbi made the call during a clean-up exercise at the Titanic beach at Sakumono, organised by the GWS with support from Ecozoil Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies.
The exercise formed part of activities to mark this year’s World Earth Day (WED) which was on the theme: “Planet versus Plastic”.
Other organisations that participated in the exercise included the Achimota Senior High School and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
The WED is a day set aside to celebrate the environment, biodiversity, nature, water bodies, and the contribution of plants to human lives, the health of the planet and to reflect on what the Earth provides for humanity.
Ms Larbi noted that blue economy remained the pathway for future development, it was therefore important for Ghana to protect its resources that would help her take advantage and develop its own blue economy.
Touching on the clean-up exercise, she said the partnership for the clean-up exercise was aimed at strengthening conservation education as well as raise awareness on the negative impact of plastic pollution on our oceans and marine life among members.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL