Deputy Lands Minister calls for strict adherence to wildlife closed season

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands and Forestry, Mr Akwasi Konadu, has implored hunters and bush meat traders to strictly adhere to the ban on wildlife hunting.

He stated that adopting this practice would promote wildlife conservation, allowing animals to breed and repopulate.

He made the remark during the launch of the 2024 Closed Season Observation, themed "Wildlife: A Heritage We Must Conserve" on Thursday at Mankessim.

He explained that the closed season, which runs from 1st August to 1st December annually, prohibits the hunting, capturing and destroying of wildlife.

He noted that the recently enacted Wildlife Resources Management Act, 2023 (Act 1115), assented to by the President, would regulate the wildlife sector to enhance socio-economic development.

Mr Konadu noted that one of the purposes of the closed season was to protect wildlife species and secure their habitats for ecotourism development.

"Through the promotion of ecotourism, significant revenues can be mobilised to boost economic development, as is the case in many African countries, like Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania," he said.

He stated that the Ministry, together with other state and non-state actors, is pursuing several interventions to promote sound environmental management.

That, he said, included strengthening law enforcement through specialised 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, including the flagship Green Ghana Project.

Mr Konadu urged all stakeholders to abide by the Closed Season ban and support the Forestry Commission to achieve its vision of leaving future generations with richer and better forest and wildlife endowment than inherited.

On his part, the Chief Executive of Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey reiterated the value of protecting animals and the effects of climate change on both the environment and human lives.

By regulating resource use, he noted that establishing a limited season would ensure sustainable use during crucial breeding seasons.

He explained that enforcement of the regulatory mechanism requires that during the four months, there should be no hunting, capturing or destroying of any wild animals except grasscutters.