By way of battle West Africa’s Plastic Predicament the ECOWAS Parliament assembled in Winneba to…

By Abdul Rahman Bangura-

ECOWAS Building
Photo Credit: Africainvestor

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Curled up…Ghana’s sun-drenched coastline, Winneba recreates innholder to an essential conference of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament, to contend a pressing regional issue.

From July 29th to August 3rd, 2024, parliamentarians across West Africa will coalesce in this historic groping village to handle the environmental emergency threatening coastal precincts.

Owing to a ground of rhythmic waves and the depressing sight of plastic litter, the parliamentarians strive to chart a path onward in the fight against marine pollution. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, 3rd Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and MP for Effutu emphasizes the urgency: “Plastic waste is suffocating our oceans, imperiling our ecosystems, and jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions in our region.”

The stakes are lofty as West African fisheries face phenomenal challenges. Overfishing and the addition of plastic waste have ushered in substantial deterioration in fish stocks, affecting food security and economic resilience across the region. Nations like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have noticed dire reductions in small pelagic fish, affecting millions dependent on fishing for their livelihoods.

Ghana has initiated criteria such as an annual closed fishing season to permit marine ecosystems to recover. Nevertheless, fishers like Kofi Akakpo from Akosua Village in Winneba contend that plastic pollution hangs around an integral issue that requires instantaneous and sweeping measures.

The ECOWAS Parliament’s meeting in Winneba gives a sign of a climacteric juncture in regional environmental policy. Dialogues will centre on methods to govern plastic waste virtually while offsetting the financial realities of the plastic industry, which utilizes millions across the region.

As parliamentarians preplanned, West Africa’s visions are on Winneba, awaiting judgments that could shape the future of the region’s coastal ecosystems and the communities that hinge on them.

The consequence of this conference carries the commitment to breathing life into West Africa’s marine environments and protecting the traditional livelihoods critical to its cultural heritage.

For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports, Africa Correspondent