The Galamsey menace - Farmers and fishermen’s award winners association speaks
Illegal mining (galamsey) has been on the ascendancy in the country with its dire consequences on the economy, social life and health of the inhabitants and the environment. The effect on the environment has been very devastating, with serious threats to farming and agriculture in general.
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The executive and members of the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association, Ghana (NFFAWAG) have always made their stand against “galamsey” very clear because of the dangers it is causing, which are summarised below:
Economic
Many farmers and their families have been affected economically. There has been severe decline of farmers’ income in galamsey communities as a result of land degradation and the destruction of farmlands which has negatively affected food production and agriculture.
Many water bodies have been destroyed, leading to damage to aquatic life, depletion of fish stock and fishermen being thrown out of jobs with its consequent effect on livelihood and the protein intake of inhabitants.
Most of the forest cover in galamsey areas have been eroded due to the clearing of vegetation and top soil, posing a big danger to biodiversity and medicinal plants which are very critical. According to statistics from the Ghana Export Promotion Council, revenue from non-traditional export commodities such as pineapple, smoked fish and bush meat contribute more to Gross Domestic Product [GDP] than mining, so we cannot encourage illegal mining.
What is worrying is the invasion of foreigners in this galamsey. These foreign nationals, especially some Chinese, apart from flying foreign exchange to their home countries also indulge in all these vices with impunity.
There are reports that these foreigners, besides destroying our water bodies with their illegal activities, go to the extent of easing themselves into the rivers. We ask the government to gather all the political will and flash these miscreants out.
Fresh water resources also hold great economic potential for agriculture, tourism, irrigation, transport and industry, so why do we look on unconcerned for our natural resources to be destroyed by this devilish act.
Social
Galamsey operation areas are bedevilled with a lot of moral and social problems. Many women and children work in these galamsey sites and there is open prostitution by girls between 10 and 15 years, increase in school dropout rate, abuse of alcohol, illicit use of marijuana and other hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin, leading to child delinquency.
There is also the growing incidence of armed robbery, falling educational standards in the affected communities and flagrant disrespect for law, order and customs. Teenage pregnancy is also a problem in these communities with its consequent effects on the income of households, most of whose heads are farmers. Some of them have lost their farms and farmlands to illegal mining.
Health
The health hazards on the inhabitants are very enormous. These illegal miners use crude and careless methods. These methods involve mining techniques that cause pollution of rivers, streams and lakes. They use toxic chemicals such as mercury that have long-term health implications on communities.These poisonous chemicals tend to pollute surface and underground water which has severe health implications on the population.
Apart from the dangers posed by mercury and arsenic poisoning, the threat of HIV/AIDS is also coming up in these communities as a result of rising prostitution.
Abandoned gaping holes resulting from galamsey have become suitable breeding grounds for mosquitoes due to the stagnant water collected in these trenches. No wonder, malaria fever is the number one cause of infant mortality in these galamsey communities.
Most of our rivers have been polluted and millions of Ghanaians who are mostly farmers and fishermen live along the banks of these river bodies and use the water which is heavily contaminated for domestic purposes. In all these, the subsistence or peasant farmer and fisherman are the most affected, with its toll on their meagre incomes. Nonetheless, the government’s expenditure on health will continue to rise.
Environment
The effects of galamsey on the environment are very glaring and cannot be overemphasised because the damage is very massive. Large stretches of land have been degraded as a result of these illegal mining activities. This damage often leaves gigantic pits in the earth and the topsoil, making it almost impossible to return the earth to a usable status.
Galamsey has left in its trail seriously degraded lands, including major forests, causing degradation and deforestation. The loss of forest cover has changed the atmosphere of the affected areas and has resulted in the greenhouse effect. Even the forest reserves, such as the Atiwa Forest, have not been spared either, with its serious impact on rivers and waterways with an estimated 75 per cent of these water bodies being polluted.
NFFAWAG’S position
The executive and members of NFFAWAG have always maintained a strong position against galamsey activities because of the dire consequences on members of the association who are all farmers and fishermen. The Chairman of NFFAWAG, during his address at the 2016 National Farmers’ Day celebration at Kintampo, emphasised the association’s position. He stated, among other thing that land degradation, especially through illegal mining (galamsey), continues to be a serious menace and threat to farming and agriculture in general. Once upon a time, illegal miners operated under the cover of darkness, using simple implements such as hoes and pickaxes to dig deep narrow pits, with occasional reports of some getting trapped underground. Now we see them all around us with very visible earth-moving equipment operating on large fields during the day and night, destroying large tracts of farmland, forests and water bodies. They are depriving entire communities of safe drinking water and a secure livelihood.
The way forward
NFFAWAG, therefore, fully supports the government’s effort and determination to clamp down on this nefarious activity. This menace must be addressed with all the seriousness that it deserves. It must be attacked head-on without fear. Our security agencies, environmental agencies, chiefs, political leaders and all well-meaning persons should rise up and stop any attempt to destroy the nation in the name of gold.
We also hear of alarming reports of farmers who are allegedly selling their cocoa and cashew farms in some parts of the country to illegal miners. This situation will obviously affect the production of cocoa, one of Ghana's major economic crops. On this, we suggest to the government to encourage cocoa farmers by ensuring that the fertiliser subsidy programme and other interventions are successful by reaching them directly.
We also recognise and appreciate the media’s efforts in fighting this menace which, if left unchecked, could be disastrous. We call on chiefs, politicians, opinion leaders and our fellow farmers to cooperate and flash galamseyers out and save our environment for the future generation.
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For our part, NFFAWAG as an association is also rolling out a mentorship programme targeted at the youth. Award winners will mentor a number of youth, train and motivate them to take up agriculture as a full-time business.