Daryl Bosu of A Rocha Ghana has warned that the Atewa Forest Reserve could be lost before the end of 2026 if the government fails to take decisive action to halt the activities of illegal miners in the forest.

He said the forest is facing an unprecedented level of encroachment, despite the repeal of L.I. 2462, which previously allowed mining in forest reserves.

Speaking on TV3’s NewDay on September 15, 2026, Bosu said the government’s position that forest reserves are no-go areas for mining must be matched with concrete action to protect them.

“In the case of Atewa, the presence of illegal miners is nothing we have seen before. And we think that if the government doesn't act decisively, we are likely to lose a forest by the end of the year,” Bosu warned.

According to him, illegal miners have entered the Atewa Forest in large numbers, using pickaxes, changfans and other tools to destroy the forest and its water bodies.

He said the situation had become particularly worrying, with the Forestry Commission struggling to contain the scale of the illegal mining activities.

Atewa forest at edge of extinction as illegal mining intensifies - Stakeholders warns

“What we have seen, however, is that we are not seeing that reflect in the way actions are taken to protect our forest reserve,” he said.

He further alleged that an operation involving 55 police officers resulted in only five arrests due to the alleged leakage of information, while some cases involving arrested illegal miners had subsequently stalled at the police and court levels.

Bosu also called for greater support for the Forestry Commission, arguing that the agency was not adequately equipped to deal with the current scale of illegal mining in forest reserves.

He said the influx of foreigners into communities around the Atewa Forest had worsened the situation, with some allegedly making illegal gold mining in the reserve their daily activity.

“The numbers are just too much for the government agencies to contain. And that's why we think that the risk is real and the government must act decisively,” he stressed.

MRA/BAI

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