The Tide of Trash: How Inland Waste and Systemic Gaps Are Choking Ghana’s Coastlines
By Sharon Zoe Williams Every morning along the historic shores of Jamestown, local fishers push their wooden canoes into the Atlantic Ocean hoping for a bountiful catch to feed their families and supply local markets. Instead, what comes back in their nets is a bleak reflection of life on land: tangled masses of single-use plastics, […]
Along Ghana’s 550-kilometer coastline, artisanal fishing canoes face a daily challenge. Instead of hauling in fish, the nets often emerge laden with plastic waste. According to experts, 92 to 95 percent of the catch comprises garbage rather than food. Accra’s bustling urban centers, like Makola Market, dump waste into rivers like the Odaw, which carries debris directly to the sea.
This inland pollution threatens not only the fishing industry but also food security and public health. A common misconception is that plastic might benefit marine life, but it actually harms fish and other creatures by blocking their digestive systems. Beach clean-ups provide temporary relief, yet waste quickly returns. The root cause lies in inadequate infrastructure, poverty, and poor waste disposal habits.
To address these issues, experts propose extending producer responsibility, creating permanent youth employment, improving waste segregation, implementing upstream engineering solutions, and promoting corporate accountability. Without swift action, Ghana risks losing its maritime heritage and the livelihoods that depend on it.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
