GNPC visits towns affected by seaweed invasion

A delegation from the Ghana National Petroleum (GNPC) led by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Frederick Worsemao Blay and the Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr Dominic Eduah, visited 5 towns in the Nzema East Municipality and Ellembelle District in the Western Region on a fact-finding mission related to the invasion of seaweed along the Western Coast of Ghana, which is threatening both fishing activities and the local economy.

Starting in Axim and moving to Asanta, Ankobra, Esiama and finally, Eikwe, the delegation, joined by the Nzema-East Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Elizabeth Dorcas Amoah, and the District Chief Executive for Ellembelle, Mr Kwesi Bonzo, inspected the shorelines and noted with alarm, the rate at which the seaweed had washed ashore and the resulting implications on the livelihoods of the townspeople.

Speaking to the media, Mr Blay called on oil companies and other stakeholders to take immediate steps to relieve the suffering of the fishermen and their families.

He said, “What we have seen today is alarming, and we cannot ignore the negative impact it will continue to have on people living in these communities if urgent steps are not taken to find solutions.” He, however, debunked wide speculations of the existence of a causal relationship between oil exploratory activities and the emergence of sargassum along the coast. Lastly, he assured that measures will be devised to help address the problem to bring some relief to the people, and called on others to lend their support.

The Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr Eduah, in a statement, reiterated the need for a swift response, saying, “This is a serious environmental problem which has affected the fishing value-chain for the past two months, and we cannot allow it to cause further agitation in these communities. GNPC Foundation is committed to supporting relief efforts so that people can have access to the sea to resume their activities.”