With a population of about 20,000 people, majority of inhabitants-both the men and women sometimes children- depend on the ocean for their livelihood.

The sea is their most cherished asset for their survival.

Aside fishing, the beaches also serve as avenues for entertainment activities which are often commercialized by both locals and business people.

But this is gradually threatened because of how the water body is being treated in recent times.

One of such is the popular ‘5’ beach located in Tema Newtown which is now a shadow of itself due to the insanitary conditions here.

The shores of the sea is now home for sunscreen plastics, body lotion cans, insect repellents, hair products, and makeup containers deposits.

Emmanuel Kobina, is a resident who has lived here for the past 21 years. For him, the dirt at the sea-shores is new normal.

“We have been here for the 21 years and we have been told the filth is a seasonal thing. When the sea is dirty, it always brings the dirt out to the shores like this”, he told SOA fellow, Jackline Favour Asassey.

It is estimated that this community produces about 14,800 tons of waste daily, of which about 2,072 tons are plastics illegally dumped along the coastal area.

Emmanuel lamented that, “the sanitation situation over here is very poor; people also think it is because we are illiterate but I don’t believe it. I think when the sanitation agent is being paid well, we would have a clean environment. I think cleaning the beach should be compulsory for everyone.”

These substances negatively affect algae, sea urchins, fish, and mammals in the ocean as well as coral reefs. Most die of starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris.

Over 1 million marine animals including mammals, fish, turtles, and birds, are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world.

Plastic waste can encourage the growth of pathogens in the ocean. According to a recent study, scientists concluded that corals that come into contact with plastic have an 89 percent chance of contracting diseases.

The Effects

At the time of the visit by the SOA team, the sea had vomited a wide range of plastics and other wastes to the shores.

Both women and young men were frequenting the shores to fetch water for their home chores and other business activities.

One can visibly see plastics and other wastes in the water even from meters away.

This confirms a UK-based Eunomia Reseascha and Consulting report that revealed more than 80 percent of the annual input of plastic litter, such as drink bottles and plastic packaging, comes from land-based sources.

The remainder, according to the report, comes from plastics released at sea, such as lost and discarded fishing gear.

The danger is that at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, which as much as 80 percent of that litter is plastic, according to the United Nations.

It is estimated that up to 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year which is an equivalent of a garbage truck load worth every minute.

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Humans are not immune to this threat While plastics are estimated to take up to hundreds of years to fully decompose, some of them break down much quicker into tiny particles, which in turn end up in the seafood we eat.

Plastics have been identified to take 100 years to degrade in the environment.

A United Nations statistics show 90 percent of bottled water found to contain plastic particles. Dangerously 83 percent of tap water were found to contain plastic particles.

Efforts to address the menace

In July, 2017, private company FanMilk Limited launched the ‘Pick-IT’ project with the Tema Traditional Council and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly to test the feasibility of waste collection.

Tema Newtown and neigbouring Kpone were the targets due to the notorious nature of the insanitary conditions at the beaches and sea.

The inclusive recycling initiative has increased plastic waste collection and solid waste management.

Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Felix Mensah Annang Nii La, at the time commended the company for introducing the ‘Pick it’ project which will ensure the collection of plastic waste and rubbers from the streets.

He promised to follow the progress of the sorting centre and ensure it receives the necessary support it deserves from the Assembly.

But though the intervention has since its inception help collect over 7 tons of plastic and sold them to recyclers, the insanitary situation keep worsening especially at the beaches.

The NESSAP 2010 report estimates that 12,710 tons of municipal solid waste are generated per day in Ghana, 14 percent of which is plastic.

Another resident, Teye Joshua who leaves close to the shore in Tema Newtown, admitted residents indiscriminately produce most of the waste.

“We the people living here are to be blame for the filth in the sea.”

Way forward

Unless action is taken soon to address this urgent problem, scientists predict that the weight of ocean plastics will exceed the combined weight of all of the fish in the seas by 2050.

Due to the magnitude of the situation globally, President of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for instance, included the issue of plastic pollution as a priority during the 73^rd Session.

“if we get this right, if we win the battle against plastic pollution, it will not only be a tangible victory for people and planet, but a clear example of how the United Nations is relevant to the lives of citizens around the world.”

He revealed the assembly will work together with Member States, UN agencies, civil society groups, and private sector to support efforts that help reduce plastic consumption, raise awareness and support efforts to find global, regional and local solutions.

Locally, there are calls for local assemblies to recruit guards at the sea or beaches in the coastal areas to help improve the conditions there.

Read Also: Unsung & undervalued: How a plastic waste collector in Ghana risks his life to defend our ecosystem

The late John F. Kennedy once said, “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it’s to sail or to watch-we are going back from where we came.’’

This report was produced with support from SOA Ocean Solutions Micro-Grant.

Report by Jackline Favour Asassey | SOA Ghana Fellow

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Morris Johnson is one of the numerous plastic waste collectors at Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra. Like all other waste collectors, Morris plays a vital role in the waste management and the recycling industry. However, despite their important contribution to the plastic supply chain, waste collectors are constantly stigmatised and undervalued.

Morris earns a living by collecting plastic bottles from the Korle Lagoon at Agbogbloshie. A significant amount of trash (plastic waste) that ends up in the Korle Lagoon originates from the major towns in Accra through the Odaw River. The Korle Lagoon collects all those urban junks and empties them into the Gulf of Guinea, northeast of the Atlantic Ocean.

“Usually after it rains, the water carries all the plastics bottles and other trash from all over the city and empties them here, into the Korle Lagoon. When that happens, you’ll see the bottles floating on the surface so I just pick the neat ones, gather them and sell them to get my daily bread. Sometimes when the bottles are too far to reach, I use a stick to pull them close to me,” Morris said as he recounted his daily experiences on the job.

Plastic waste collectors work under terrible conditions. They risk their lives by diving into the heavily polluted Korle Lagoon to retrieve plastic bottles. “My work is very difficult but I don’t have a choice… Sometimes if I’m not careful the water can take me away… We find dead bodies in the water all the time. There was a guy who drowned during the coronavirus lockdown period. (buy Diazepam) He thought he was standing on a firm ground not knowing it was a pile of trash. So, he just sank into the water and nobody has seen him since then.” Morris narrated.

The bottles these collectors pick up are sold to recycling companies, which are then taken through a rigorous process of recycling to be used again and again for new products. However, these collectors are given meager amounts as payments for their hard work. “I pick the bottles with my hand… I pack them into mosquito nets and sell them… For each mosquito net I sell, they give me GH₵30 [an equivalent of $5].”

In addition to their unfair wages, plastic waste collectors are constantly stigmatised and undervalued. Just like frontline health workers fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic, plastic collectors are frontline workers fighting ocean pollution. They are not recognized for the important role they play in defending our ecosystem.

“Some people don’t even come close to us because of the work we do. They think they’re better than us simply because we collect plastics from dirty water. Others don’t even respect us,” a partner of Morris said.

Researchers have estimated that about 8 million metric tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s ocean every year. The World Economic Forum equates this to emptying the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. And by 2050, this is estimated to increase to four garbage trucks every minute.

A 2016 research by Dyck I. suggests that plastic waste accounts for 63% of marine debris in the Gulf of Guinea. This is a reminder of what is at stake if there is not a concerted effort to deal with plastic pollution around the world.

Read Also: Catching Plastics: How fishers in Ghana are battling ocean pollution for survival

The work of plastic waste collectors like Morris Johnson provides an important solution to plastic pollution and presents a lucrative venture for employment. Their effort must be recognized, encouraged and celebrated.

This report was produced with support from Sustainable Ocean Alliance Ocean Solutions Micro-Grant.

Report by Claudia Adusei, | SOA Ghana Fellow

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