Accra: As the world marks World Environment Day 2025 with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution,’ Ghana, like many coastal countries, is facing a silent emergency that threatens not just its marine ecosystems but the very survival of communities and the planet. Marine plastic pollution is escalating, turning the ocean from a life source into a potential death trap. This problem is alarming along the coastline of Ghana, where tonnes of plastics are seen floating on the surface of the sea, with most beaches being taken over by marine litter, especially plastics.
According to Ghana News Agency, the plastics are replacing fish stocks, endangering food security and livelihoods, as indicated in a report from the UN Environment Programme titled ‘From Pollution to Solution: A Global Assessment of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution.’ The report reveals that plastic accounts for 85 percent of all marine litter. It further revealed that by 2040, the figure will triple, churning out 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste into the ocean per year. ‘This means about 50kg of plastic per metre of coastline,’ the report said.
Mr. Jens Otto Krakstad, Senior Researcher with the Institute of Marine Research in Norway and cruise leader for the research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, in 2024 revealed that plastic is now a constant presence in the marine waters of Ghana and C´te d’Ivoire. Mr. Krakstad led a team of researchers on the vessel Nansen to carry out marine research in Ghana’s and C´te d’Ivoire’s waters, stressing that, ‘there is a clear need to do something about the pollution of plastics; we see the plastic is almost everywhere in Ghana and C´te d’Ivoire. We are catching it in almost every tour, and it is certainly a big problem for the whole region, not just for Ghana.’
According to the United Nations (UN), the ocean covers over 70 percent of the planet. It is humans’ life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean, the UN noted, produces at least 50 percent of the planet’s oxygen, is home to most of Earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. It is also key for economies with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
The concern of plastic pollution in the ocean stretches far beyond marine species and fishermen. Plastics in the ocean pose a direct threat to human health and survival. According to fish scientists, as plastics break down into microplastics, they are ingested by fish and shellfish and eventually make their way into human food chains. Studies worldwide have already found microplastics in salt, drinking water, and even in human blood and lungs.
In Ghana, where thousands depend on fishing for income and nutrition, plastic pollution is also a socioeconomic issue. Fisherfolk now spend more time disentangling plastic waste from nets than harvesting fish. Some even incur costs to repair gear damaged by debris, deepening poverty in vulnerable coastal communities.
As the world is celebrating World Environment Day, and World Oceans Day approaches, plastic pollution must be tackled with a concerted effort from all stakeholders. Indeed, this is also in line with the ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us’ theme for World Oceans Day 2025.
To collectively achieve this aim, there is a need to enforce maritime regulations against illegal dumping of waste into the ocean, both from land and from vessel crews at sea. We must also stop paying lip service to waste management and invest in waste collection and recycling infrastructure. National campaigns to reduce single-use plastics must also be intensified while encouraging sustainable ocean use through education and policies.