Leader of Ghana’s Delegation and Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for immediate action to balance environmental preservation with economic realities by proposing a comprehensive Five-Point Action Plan.
Speaking at the delocalized Joint Committee of ECOWAS—comprising the Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, and the Committee on Infrastructure—held in Winneba on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, under the theme “Plastic Waste Management Challenges and Prospects in Implementing Community Policies,” Mr Afenyo-Markin underscored the urgency of addressing plastic waste.
He noted that records show Ghana has witnessed a staggering 59% decline in small pelagic fish landings between 1993 and 2019, with neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire seeing a 40% decline in less than two decades.
“The crisis extends far beyond our shores. It threatens livelihoods, food security, and our cultural heritage. In 2018 alone, coastal West African countries generated 6.9 million tons of plastic waste. Nigeria, our largest economy, accounted for 4.7 million tons of this figure. Alarmingly, 20% of this waste was produced within 30 kilometres of our coastlines, with most ending up in our oceans.”
Afenyo-Markin, Ghana’s Majority Leader, emphasized the economic toll, stating that each ton of plastic waste causing marine pollution costs regions between $10,000 and $33,000. He warned that the menace could lead to food insecurity in ECOWAS if immediate action is not taken and expressed confidence in the participants’ expertise to propose sustainable solutions.
“The cost of doing nothing far outweighs the challenges of change. We owe it to our fishermen, market women, children, and future generations to act now.”
Five-Point Action Plan:
Harmonized Legislation: Push for harmonized legislation across ECOWAS member states to phase out single-use plastics within three years, learning from Rwanda’s success.
Innovative Waste Management: Invest heavily in innovative waste management solutions, taking inspiration from initiatives like Safisana and Recuplast.
Enforcement Against Illegal Fishing: Strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers to protect declining fish stocks.
ECOWAS Coastal Protection Fund: Establish an ECOWAS Coastal Protection Fund to support communities most affected by plastic pollution and declining fish stocks.
Public Education Campaign: Launch a comprehensive public education campaign to change behaviours and attitudes towards plastic use and waste management, emphasizing collective responsibility.
By: Mary Quartey/newsalertgh.com
