Axim(W,/R),Nov 03, GNA – An Environmental Health Expert at the Nzema-East Municipal Assembly, Mr.Kwabena Dramani has expressed concern about the invasion of Sargassum Seaweeds on the West Coast and called for immediate attention to stem the situation.
According to him, the quantum of Sargassum Seaweeds heaped on the shores of the West Coast, was alarming and could affect the fishing industry.
Mr Dramani who expressed these sentiments to the Ghana News Agency during a visit to the shores of Axim, attributed the seaweed invasion to sea waves from the Mediterranean Sea.
He said the presence of the Seaweeds impeded the free movement and access of canoes and fishermen on the coast.
Mr.Dramani was worried that the situation had dire consequences on the tourists industry in the country taking cognizance of the stench from the decomposed weeds.
According to the Environmental Health Expert, the Sargassum Seaweeds, started emerging from the deep sea to the shorelines in 2009 when Ghana started exploration of oil in commercial quantities.
He advised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delve deep into the causes of the Seaweeds in a holistic manner to ascertain what could be done about it.
On the way forward, Mr.Dramani advised the District Assembly to train people to get rid of the Seaweeds from the shorelines at a fee.
Touching on benefit of the Seaweeds, the environmental expert said when dried, it could be milled and mixed with special chemicals which could serve as feed for piggery and manure for vegetable farms.
It would be recalled that Sargassum Seaweeds recently invaded the West Coast starting from New Town in the Jomoro Municipality to Cape Three Points.
The situation wrecked much havoc on fishermen along the coast thereby threatening their survival and resulted in the shortage of fish in the affected areas.
GNA