Joyce Bawah Mogtari, an Advisor and Special Aide to President John Dramani Mahama, has raised alarm over the environmental implications following the discovery of a large number of dead fish washed ashore in Tema.

In a post shared on X on April 11, 2026, she described the incident at the Tema Shipyard (Slipway) as a matter of serious concern.

According to her, the Ghana Health Service, through its Tema Port Health Unit, has led a coordinated response involving key stakeholders to address the situation.

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Joyce Bawah Mogtari explained that the phenomenon could be linked to what are known as “dead zones”: areas in oceans or large water bodies with extremely low oxygen levels.

“These fish may be coming from what we describe as dead zones,” she noted.

Dead zones are hypoxic environments caused by deoxygenation, often resulting from pollution. When oxygen levels drop significantly, marine life is unable to survive, leading to mass fish deaths.

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She warned that waters in the region are not immune to such pollution, pointing to the discharge of waste, industrial effluents, and chemicals into the sea and other water bodies without proper treatment.

According to her, these practices create persistent environmental conditions that not only lead to fish deaths but also disrupt marine ecosystems and damage the seabed.

The situation, she cautioned, poses a significant threat to fish populations, with potential consequences for food security and the livelihoods of those in the fishing industry.

Authorities are expected to continue investigations into the incident as concerns grow over the long-term impact of pollution on Ghana’s coastal environment.

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The Ghana Health Service, through its Tema Port Health Unit, has led a coordinated response involving key stakeholders following the discovery of a large number of dead fish washed ashore at the Tema Shipyard (Slipway) in Ghana’s industrial city, should be a cause for concern.… pic.twitter.com/KfsOpYRlxT

— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) April 12, 2026