The James Town coastal community, once a haven for fishermen, is now facing a rapid transformation due to plastic pollution.
According to environmentally conscious citizens, plastic bags have emerged as a significant pollutant, causing filth and harm to marine life in the area. The repercussions are severe, endangering the livelihoods of many in the community.
Expressing concern about the escalating plastic pollution along the beachfront and other wetlands, environmentally conscious citizens are advocating for immediate action. The National Coordinator for the group, Awulah Serwah, stated that it is time for the country to ban single-use plastic.
Serwah emphasized, “First of all, it starts in the home. There was a time when the town council ensured that each house was clean. Second of all, we really need to educate people, and then we have to have enforcement.”
She urged the government and relevant authorities to take action, proposing on-the-spot fines for those littering on the beach. “You can have receptacles which collect plastic and let people know to put their plastic waste there, but not on the beach. Anybody who decides that the beach is a dustbin, fine them. We say there’s unemployment, create employment. Have people who patrol the environment, the beaches, the streets, what have you. People drop litter, you fine them immediately,” she suggested.
She acknowledged that citizens also bear a responsibility to care for the beach, emphasizing the need to dispose of waste in bins, stating, “There’s absolutely no excuse to litter.”
Additionally, fishermen in the community have lamented the surge in filth along the coastline, pointing out that the pollution threatens the livelihoods of many. President of the Fishermen Association, Arnold Landlord, refuted claims that their group is responsible for the beach’s filth, attributing it to people at Agbogbloshie and areas around the Korle who dump their refuse into the lagoon.
Nii Lantey, a fisherman benefiting from the local economy created by fishing activities, fears that plastic pollution could jeopardize his income. “The filth really affects us fishermen. We have no one to speak for us on the matter. We really need help with the clearing of the waste at the seashore because of the filth; we are not able to have a good catch. We pull out our net sometimes and welcome waste instead of fish,” he expressed.
