The vanishing guardians of Ghana’s oceans: Exposing the sea turtle poaching crisis

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network. 

Nyanyano, Ghana — In an open, unsanitary seaside shed in Nyanyano, a coastal town in Ghana’s Central Region, eight massive sea turtles lie helpless under the blazing sun, their shells baking in the heat. Flipped on their backs to prevent escape, these ancient guardians of the marine ecosystem struggle weakly in the filth, their long flippers, designed for graceful swimming, now flap weakly against the harsh conditions surrounding them. Overhead, the sun blazes on, unaware of the grim fate awaiting these Olive Ridleys.

Standing nearby, Kweku Essien, a sea turtle trader, is unapologetic about his illegal business. He openly buys sea turtles from poachers and local fishers, profiting from the dwindling populations of one of the ocean’s most majestic species. Scattered around the shed, journalists also discovered the shells of previously slaughtered turtles, underscoring the grim reality of Essien’s operation and the severity of the problem.

“I sell the large turtles for 500 [$40] cedis each,” he revealed to iWatch Africa’s undercover team. The team watches as Essien proudly gestures to the captured turtles and a nearby slaughterhouse.

“We will kill all of them and transport them to the market in Mankessim [a nearby town] if we do not get buyers by the beginning of the closed fishing season on Monday.”

“We also have customers who come with their own means of transportation to buy them alive. They need to be sold quickly—after a week, they will die. These ones [turtles] have already been here for four days,” he said casually, flipping one of the massive Olive Ridleys onto its belly to show the journalists it’s still alive. 

“We can also transport it to your choice of location,” he added.

Essien is far from alone in the turtle poaching business. His partner, known in the community as “Maame Turtle [Mother Turtle],” has been involved in the trade for several years, building a reputation in the illegal market.

The casual admission to journalists about their illegal trade highlights the grim reality: the illegal trade in sea turtles is thriving, despite international and local laws aimed at protecting them. In Ghana, where economic hardship drives fishers to seek quick profit, these majestic creatures have become victims in the relentless quest for survival.

The investigation also uncovered more captured sea turtles around Nyanyano, caught by fishers and awaiting the same grim fate. This paints a sobering picture of the ongoing poaching crisis, showing just how perilous the situation is for sea turtles in Ghana.

A struggling economy and a desperate Trade

In Ghana’s coastal waters, the primary nesting season for sea turtles—Olive Ridley, Leatherback, and Green—runs from September through February. According to Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, a marine scientist from the University of Ghana, Olive Ridleys are the most commonly observed species. 

Olive Ridley nesting sites in Ghana are considered as “major” due to the high nesting density according to a 2020 report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group.

However, a 2021 research paper co-authored by Dr Agyekumhene revealed a shocking decline in nesting activity in some parts of Ghana—a 46% drop since the peak in 2013.

The IUCN red list, categorizes six of the seven marine turtle species as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered globally with Leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles listed as “Vulnerable” on a global scale.

“For years, these turtles have returned to our shores, only to find fewer safe places to nest,” Dr. Agyekumhene told iWatch Africa. His research points to human activity as the main culprit.

“All seven species of sea turtles are globally threatened with extinction due to a range of anthropogenic sources of mortality,” he adds. 

But in Ghana, the illegal poaching and sale of sea turtles, like those in Essien’s shed, represent “one of the gravest threats” to their survival.

The sea turtles Essien sells are often captured by local fishers like Okyeame Kwesi Atta, who face a difficult choice between adhering to the law and providing for their families.

Kwesi admitted to the iWatch Africa team: “When we get enough money from fishing, we won’t be tempted to engage in illegal activities, but when times are hard, and a turtle is caught in the net, we sell it. I can get 300 cedis [$20] for one.” 

For Kwesi and others like him, the temptation is too great. Despite knowing the sea turtles’ importance to the ecosystem and the legends that surround them—some communities even worship turtles as gods—the economic pressures of daily life override reverence.

“We have been told not to poach sea turtles,” Kwesi admits. “But the sea turtles are always there. We can’t ignore them when we are struggling to catch fish to feed our families.”

The loss of sea turtles has far-reaching consequences for Ghana’s coastal waters. According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, an international sea turtle research and conservation group, sea turtles play a crucial role in maintaining marine ecosystems by grazing on seagrass, which helps keep seagrass beds healthy and supports a wide range of marine life.

Dr. Agyekumhene has also spent years researching how sea turtles contribute to the health of the ocean emphasizes this point: “When you kill one turtle, it affects several other aspects of the ocean. Sea turtles feed on jellyfish, keeping their population in check, which in turn supports fish populations. They also feed on sponges, which helps maintain coral reefs. If turtles disappear, the entire marine ecosystem could collapse.”

Despite their critical role in the ecosystem, sea turtles continue to be targeted, not just for their meat but also for their shells, which are “illegally sold and transported to neighboring countries like Togo and Ivory Coast,” he disclosed.

“Poaching happens in all the communities in Ghana where turtles nest, even in protected areas,” says Dr. Agyekumhene underscoring the widespread nature of the threat.

“The fishers know it’s illegal, so they often sell the turtles secretly to fishmongers who smoke the meat and sell it in the market.”

Laws and enforcement: A struggle to protect the vulnerable

Ghana is a signatory to several international agreements that protect sea turtles, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Ghana’s Wildlife Conservation Regulations Bill of 1971 (LI 685) classifies sea turtles as a Schedule 1 species, granting them full protection. This means it is illegal to capture, possess, or sell any part of a sea turtle, whether in the water or on nesting beaches, Dr. Agyekumhene explained.

However, the reality on the ground tells a different story as Essien’s open trading shows, enforcement of these laws is often lacking.

Vivian Addo, manager of the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site under Ghana’s Wildlife Division, is one of the officials tasked with protecting these endangered species. She acknowledges the difficulties in enforcing the law, especially in coastal communities like Nyanyano, where illegal poaching is rampant.

“We’ve arrested people for poaching sea turtles before,” she told journalist Gideon Sarpong. “But it’s difficult to sustain these efforts without adequate time and logistics. We’ve been aware of the poaching in Nyanyano for months, but we haven’t been able to act on it due to lack of resources.”

Despite clear evidence of illegal poaching provided to her team during this investigation, no arrests have been made. Vivian’s frustration is palpable. “These are first-schedule animals. We should be prosecuting offenders, but without support, it’s hard to make a lasting impact,” she argued.

The challenge of enforcement, coupled with the economic realities of fishing communities, creates a perfect storm for the continued decline of sea turtles in Ghana. While officials like Vivian strive to uphold the law, traders like Essien, and the fishers who supply him, continue to operate with little fear of repercussions.

The 2020 report by the IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group reinforces the lack of action by Ghanaian authorities, noting that “regulation is rarely enforced beyond coastal communities that contain a Wildlife Division field office.”

The gap between legislation and enforcement leaves sea turtles in a vulnerable position, caught between survival and extinction.

The future of Ghana’s sea turtles

As the sun sets on the beaches of Nyanyano, the future of Ghana’s sea turtles remains uncertain. Dr. Agyekumhene remains hopeful that continuous community-based interventions can eventually turn the tide in favor of conservation. But without significant intervention, the outlook is grim.

So far, community driven projects by groups like the Environmental Justice Foundation, Ghana Turtle Conservation Project, Meridian Port Services geared towards protecting sea turtles offer a glimmer of hope.

“The future of our oceans depends on these creatures,” Dr. Agyekumhene warns. “If we lose the sea turtles, we risk losing everything else. It’s not just about them—it’s about the entire ecosystem.”

For now, the battle continues, with dedicated conservationists, struggling fishers, and illegal traders locked in a complex and fragile dance.

The survival of Ghana’s sea turtles, and the health of its coastal waters, hang in the balance, caught between the pressures of economic survival and the desperate need for environmental protection.

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This investigation is part of the Pulitzer Ocean Reporting Network Fellowship. Reporting and writing by Gideon Sarpong.