The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands and Forestry, Hon. Akwasi Konadu has implored hunters and Bush meat traders to strictly adhere to the ban on the closed season for wildlife.
He said, adopting this practice will promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of wildlife and also allow it to breed and procreate.
The Deputy Minister made this statement during the launch of the 2024 Closed Season Observation themed “Wildlife: A Heritage We Must Conserve” on Thursday, 1st August 2024 in Mankessim, Central Region.
Hon. Konadu indicated that the closed season which begins from 1st August to 1st December annually prohibits hunting, capturing and destroying of wildlife animals.
Moreso, the long-awaited Wildlife Resources Management Act, 2023 (Act 1115) which has been assented by the President of the Republic of Ghana HE. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will regulate the wildlife sector for enhanced socio-economic development.
He noted that one of the purposes of the closed season is to protect wildlife species and secure their habitats for ecotourism development.
“Through the promotion of ecotourism, significant revenues can be mobilized to boost economic development, as is the case in many African countries, like Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania”.
The Deputy Minister disclosed that the Ministry together with other state and non-state actors are pursuing a number of interventions to promote sound environmental management.
This, he said, includes strengthening law enforcement through specialized para-military training of the Rapid Response Teams, provision of logistic support to enhance field monitoring operations, expansion of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) to other communities to foster closer community engagement, promotion of various models of reforestation and afforestation
