Invasive alien species affecting food security- Sherry Ayittey

Abofour (Ash), May 23, GNA- Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology (MoEST), has expressed concern about the increasing rate of invasive alien species and the way and manner they have taken over productive landscapes of the country.

She noted that, the situation has rendered community efforts at utilising agricultural lands for food production and the forest for useful timber and non-timber resources useless.

Ms. Ayittey was speaking at the celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity at Abofour in the Offinso North Municipality of the Ashanti Region on Friday.

The programme, organized by the MoEST and attended by farmers, traditional rulers, heads of departments and others was under the theme; “Invasive Plants and Animals are Threats to Food Security, Control them”.

Invasive alien species are plants or animal's species or micro organisms which become established in natural or semi natural ecosystems or habitats which invade a new area causing negative impacts on biological diversity, agriculture, socio-economic development and others.

She said most inhabitants have suffered huge socio-economic cost whilst government had to bear the cost of guaranteeing and securing food and other genetic resources for the people and also resulting in loss of biodiversity and revenue from royalties and other forest products.

Ms. Ayittey gave the assurance that the government would not sit stay unconcerned about the menace of invasive alien species in several parts of the country and that everything possible would be done to remove the barriers in the management of the species.

She said the problem of invasive alien species is not only localised in Ghana but also in several parts of the world, adding that, there were currently pilot studies in Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia and that the Ministry was waiting for the recommendation that would come out of the project here for consideration.

The Minister mentioned the common alien species in the Abofour area as “BOTO HOMA” or “Yorke” plantation and appealed to the people to make conscious efforts to stem the introduction of those destructive plants and animal species to help them improve production in agriculture.

Ms. Ayittey announced that the Ministry through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other government agencies would monitor and certify the environmental friendliness of all foreign animal and plants species before allowing them to be introduced in the country.

Prof. Oteng Yeboah, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Committee, said the Committee has been advising the MoEST on issues concerning the environment and making effective suggestions to help address environmental degradation.

He said the committee would double its efforts to educate the public on the need to protect the environment for sustainability and future posterity.

Mr. Kofi Opoku-Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister in a speech read for him said the occasion was to remind the public about the loss being made as a result of the misuse of the biodiversity and the need to reserve the ecosystem.

He appealed to them to be conscious and reflect on the way they conducted affairs in our environment so as to avoid any cause of drastic imbalance to the ecosystem.

Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Paramount Chief of the Offinso Traditional Area, who presided over the function appealed to all stakeholders to help in fighting against the alien species to improve agricultural productivity.

GNA