CIMAG urges Ghanaian government to enforce plastic policies before it’s too late

GHANA – The Centre for International Maritime Affairs Ghana (CIMAG) has called on the government to urgently enforce existing plastic management policies to combat the growing threat of plastic pollution to the country’s oceans and public health.

Speaking at a media forum organized by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), CIMAG’s Executive Director Mr. Albert Derrick Fiatui stressed that Ghana’s challenge is not the absence of sound policies but the lack of implementation.

“We have very fantastic policies in place; the challenge is the implementation,” he said.

“About three years ago, the UN Ocean Panel urged all nations to develop sustainable management plans to tackle issues like plastic pollution.

“Ghana has done that, but we are not seeing real implementation. The solution now goes beyond policies, if we do not enforce them, nothing will change.”

Mr. Fiatui emphasised that plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine life and human health.

He explained that plastics ingested by marine animals eventually enter the human food chain.

“We should all be conscious that this is a danger to our health. Even school children should begin learning about ocean literacy. The ocean is not a dumping ground,” he said.

Citing alarming data, Fiatui warned that the ocean currently contains about 250 million tonnes of plastic, with an additional eight million tonnes entering it annually.

“If we do not act concretely, plastics will overtake fish in the ocean sooner than the projected 2050,” he cautioned, adding that the ocean, as the planet’s largest carbon sink, is crucial in mitigating climate change.

Mr. Kweku Amponsah Boahene, a board member of Plastic Punch and panelist at the event, echoed the need for coordinated action.

He noted that Ghana’s National Plastic Management Policy already provides a strong framework but requires robust enforcement and community-level implementation.

He urged that responsibility for addressing plastic pollution must be shared among individuals, manufacturers, and government agencies.

“People should reduce single-use plastics and segregate waste to enable recycling,” he said.

“Government must provide policy direction and ensure implementation through the metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) to reach communities directly.”

Both speakers agreed that without swift enforcement and public awareness, Ghana risks severe environmental and health consequences, a crisis that could undermine national development and marine sustainability.

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