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| | Environmental Disaster In The Making - Oceanography and Fisheries Warns |    | | | ‘Galamsey Gold Mining’ at Elmina Beach –
Scientists from the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries have carried out a rapid assessment of the 'gold mining' activities currently taking place at the beach of Elmina to ascertain its impact on the coastal environment. The major impacts from this activity would include increased erosion of the shoreline, reduction of biodiversity from degradation of sandy shore habitat, and reduction of nearshore fisheries production. These impacts may be short-term depending upon the intensity and duration of the activity. However, if it continues for some few months more the impacts will be very disastrous and harm done to the immediate shoreline would be severe. The mining activity, which initially concentrated more on the western side of the Elmina castle, has spread over to the eastern side thus covering the entire coast in this region.
Miners at work in Elmina
Dr. Francis K. E. Nunoo and Mr. Ayaa K. Armah, scientists from the Department, have discovered that the ‘galamsey’ activity will lead to the destruction of species habitat. The sandy shore is an important and dynamic ecological system, which normally harbours a variety of benthic organisms including worms, crabs, clams and smaller crustaceans such as isopods and amphipods. These organisms serve as food for the fishes in the ocean. The disturbance of the habitat will lower the quantities of these organisms for fish to feed on them. The dynamic features of sandy beaches and organisms attract tourists, as well as birds, sea turtles and other animals to feed, nest and breed on open beaches. Some of these organisms include immotile larval stages of important invertebrates and fishes. The sandy shore is also a store of essential nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates for the entire marine ecosystem. Continuous disturbance of this important ecosystem in prospecting for gold will not only rob the beach of some of its key essential functions but may deprive the nation of some revenue from tourism.
It is considered that the’ galamsay’ activity at Elmina beach may contribute to further lowering fish production of nearshore fisheries, a major economic activity for the artisanal fishers of Elmina and its surrounding communities. It is worthwhile to note that Elmina is the second most important fish landing site in Ghana, in terms of fish quantities landed and numbers of persons engaged, after Tema harbour. Wave action on the beach would allow a lot of sand particles to entrain in the water column which can contribute to sedimentation and a reduction in photosynthetic activity. Depending on the scale, such a reduction could affect local marine productivity. Use of chemicals in washing gold dust could contribute to elevating heavy metal pollution in fish tissue which will then pose a health risk to those who eat fish from the area. Disturbance of the beach will also not allow fishing canoes to launch or land fish catches. Elmina has a sheltered harbour so this may not pose a major threat. But should the practice become widespread we would have a major national problem to grapple with.
Interaction with the “miners” revealed that the presence of the gold could be as a result of dredging work in the lagoon in 2005. The “miners” are getting more gold around where the debris from the lagoon was dumped. Some also suspect the gold may be coming from the Pra and Ankobra rivers. High interest is being sustained due to the presence of a ready market for the precious mineral around the mining sites.
Miners at work in Elmina
A co-ordinated management action is immediately required. The people of Elmina and those from surrounding communities should be sensitised on the dangers and gains of the mining activity both in the short, medium to long term. Further, the stretch of beach should be declared an important security area and protected from both land and sea. The District Assembly and all relevant stakeholders; including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Minerals Commission, Geological Survey, Civil society, NGOs, Traditional authorities of Elmina, and the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries should convene to map out an environmentally friendly and sustainable way of mining the resource. Such measures will include licensing prospective small scale miners who will be required to exploit the resource under some specific regulations as well as pay taxes to the state.
Since 2008, the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries has been carrying out research on coastal erosion in the country with Dr. George Wiafe as the principal investigator. The effort seeks to advise government on the best approaches to protecting the shoreline from erosion, exacerbated by storm surges and in the long term sea level rise. The studies have shown that the Elmina area is not stable and eroding at a fast rate higher than the national average of about 1.5 m/yr. In view of the on-going activities at Elmina, this is expected to increase. The Department will continue to monitor the situation at Elmina and commission a team of researchers to conduct in-depth scientific study to support management decisions. | | | | Date Published: 12/12/2011 | | | |   |
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