Time to embrace paper bags is now!

A Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim North, Kwame Anyimadu-Adu, has expressed concern over the level of aquatic pollution in the country.

According to him, the situation, if not checked immediately, would have a rippling effect on aquatic life and fishing activities, a phenomenon, he said, would have a heavy toll on the country’s scarce resources.

His concern was born out of the continuous littering of plastic bags and other materials into the sea and waterbodies across the country.

Anyimadu-Antwi was speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, after a delegation of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing, led by David Tetteh Assumeng, recently visited Ada to familiarise itself with the ongoing ‘Ada Coastal Protection Urgent Measures’, a project aimed at reclaiming lost lands, whilst protecting lives and properties from the devastating sea erosion.

“Something needs to be done to protect aquatic life in the country. Everywhere along the coast is polluted. There is so much plastic bags in the sea, and this should tell you the level at which it has been polluted. As a country, we need to sit up and address this issue. We have to re-examine the laws governing waterbodies, and see if we can do something to reduce this level of pollution,” he noted.

He added: “Maybe it is time we start introducing paper bags in the country. Another school of thought is the introduction of a levy on the producers of plastic bags, to raise revenue to address the problem. We can employ people to start picking these plastic bags along the coastal communities, and that is another way of creating employment.”

Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi said protecting aquatic life should be the number priority of the country, and called for all hands on deck in addressing the issue.