US Embassy marks World Earth Day

Accra, April 22, GNA - The United States Embassy in Ghana, on Thursday joined the global celebration of Earth Day in Accra with the focus on the preservation of biodiversity.

The celebration of the Day brought together Junior High School students from PRESEC (Presbyterian Secondary School), to learn about the conservation of sea turtles, chimpanzees and the sustainable management of fisheries and coastal areas.

Mr Aaron Fishman, First Secretary at the Regional Environment, Science and Technology Office of the Embassy, said the programme was focused on the students to enable them have a better understanding of biodiversity.

He expressed the hope that the students through such educational activities would learn to become environmental advocates and help preserve animals that were otherwise getting extinct.

Mr Henry Okine, an official of the Coastal Resource Centre, a project supported by the Embassy that aims at protecting the coastal and marine environment gave a presentation on the importance of preserving Ghana's coastal and the marine environment.

He said the coastal areas had a large number of different plants and animals, which helped to balance the environment.

He therefore called for environmental laws and policies to protect the environment.

Mr Okine explained that legislation on the environment is fragmented, adding: "The Environmental Protection Agency has its own laws; the Wildlife Division has its own laws."

He mentioned increased population along the coast, uncontrolled development and indiscriminate solid waste disposal as some of the threats to the marine environment and urged people to desist from activities that destroyed the coast lines.

Mr Andrews Agyekumhene from the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site for the protection and preservation of sea turtles, said the creatures helped increase fish stock; they served as food, could help generate revenue through ecotourism and were also useful for the fashion industry.

He advised the students to educate their peers about sea turtles and help preserve and protect them.

Mr Emmanuel Akom, an official of A Rocha Ghana, a non- governmental organisation that conserves wildlife also spoke to the students about chimpanzees and said they are almost becoming extinct due to hunting activities.

He said his organisation with the support of the US Embassy was in the process of conducting a study on the location and potential viability of existing chimpanzees in Ghana.

Mr Akom said the project would hopefully contribute to local training and capacity building for wildlife research and monitoring in Ghana.