The Aborlove Nolopi community in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region is facing a severe environmental crisis with thousands of dead fish and fingerlings have been discovered floating in the Lagoon, which sparked widespread panic and frustration among residents.
The community believed the mass fish deaths were caused by the use of illegal fishing methods, including chemicals and harmful substances.
Mr. Simon Awadzi, the Assembly Member of the area, said the community depended heavily on fishing with about 98 per cent of residents relying on it for survival with the death of fishes leaving many families without a source of income, threatens their livelihoods and food security.
“The community’s reliance on the lagoon for fishing and other aquatic activities makes this crisis particularly devastating, we need authorities to intervene quickly to serve the aquatic lives,” he said.
He explained that the community was outraged and demanded immediate action from the government and relevant authorities to address the crisis for urgent investigations into the cause of the fish deaths and stricter enforcement of fishing regulations to prevent future occurrences.
Mr. Awadzi also appealed to the government to take immediate action to protect their livelihoods and the environment and improved security to protect local fisherfolk from threats and intimidation from other unauthorised fishing groups as well as take concrete steps to address the crisis to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He said the mass fish deaths have also raised concerned about potential health risks associated with consuming fish caught in the affected waters and urged that laboratory testing should be conducted to determine the cause of the fish deaths and assess any solution and potential health risks.
Some residents who spoke to the Ghana News Agency, said that government and relevant authorities must take immediate action to address the crisis and prevent further fish deaths and urged fishing authorities to act and investigate the causes and protect the lagoon.
They said that Aborlove Nolopi Lagoon was a vital part of the community’s ecosystem, and its degradation has severe consequences for the environment and the livelihoods of residents which called for stronger and stricter law to be enforced by government to take measures to protect the lagoon and the fishes.
The Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), when contacted, explained that activities such as uses of chemicals in fishing among others could cause the fish death in the lagoon in the area.
They pledged to work together with the necessary authorities including the Environmenatl Protection Agency, Food and Drugs Authority and the community to investigate the cause for possible solution to restore the lagoon and ensure a brighter future for the community.
The fisherfolks within the area have been warned to prioritise their health and always practice heathier, approximate and better methods of fishing to avoid any punishment from the authorities.