Report by Citizen Amo Blay, Esiema, Western Region.
Sargassum Seaweed has invaded the West Coast of Ghana. It has washed ashore in unprecedented quantities and this has brought economic activities of the coastal towns to a halt. Our citizen journalism slot takes us to Esiema in the Western region.
Sargassum Seaweed is a type of brown algae and grows in the ocean. Although the seaweed itself cannot harm your health, tiny sea creatures that live in Sargassum can cause skin rashes and blisters. Our Citizen journalist, Amo Blay reports that at Esiema, a coastal town in the Ellembelle District of the Western region, fishermen can no longer go fishing as a result of the seaweed, which had engulfed the entire coastal line.
According to a fisherman, he suspects that the invasion of the seaweeds is a result of the activities of the oil and gas operations being undertaken upstream. According to the fishermen, they noticed the seaweed along the shore about 2 years ago. But, it became worse about 3 months ago. They are therefore appealing to the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant authorities to immediately take steps to address the situation. They are concerned that the seaweed releases compounds that are harmful to marine life.
https://youtu.be/aOTaWouUm68
