Eight people were arrested and accused of engaging in illegal mining activities in Ghana's Atewa Range Forest Reserve.
The individuals were apprehended in February in the Potroase area by a combined force of Forestry Commission guards and a volunteer group, Adom Online reported.
"On Sunday, we didn't receive police assistance, but a youth group in Potroase helped the officer in charge and his men to successfully apprehend the eight individuals who had entered the forest reserve to mine," Forestry Commission Eastern Regional Director Isaac Noble Eshun said.
A previous attempt to take the suspects into custody had been thwarted by nightfall and the presence of "heavily built men," the outlet stated. It added that the commission's Rapid Response Unit had recently "set fire to four excavators owned by a small-scale miner."
Eshun noted that illegal mining — which can have dire impacts on communities — has been a particular problem in the Eastern Region lately and has also affected the Ashanti and Western areas. In the last two years, he said, the Forestry Commission has worked under the president and minister of the sector to stamp out the problem.
"The menace has been spreading," he said.
Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?
The reserve is in a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area and features an Important Bird Area. It's also a source of traditional and modern medicine, "but illegal mining and agriculture activities are depleting the vegetation of the reserve," according to a 2022 study. Logging is another problem, and bauxite and gold deposits present opportunities for artisanal and commercial miners.
The mountain range is known for misty conditions atop its plateaus, which help regulate the water cycle (similar to an important forest in East Africa) and make possible the domestic, agricultural, and industrial use of the vital resource locally as well as in major cities such as Accra, the capital.
No other place in the country has upland forest like Atewa. This makes it even more essential, as Ghana has lost 80% of its forest since the 1920s, according to a 2015 study, and West African forest cover has dipped below 30% of its potential extent. The deforestation is accelerating too.
|
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 
A 2007 report that revealed spectacular photographs of the reserve's flora and fauna shows what is at risk. Solutions include stronger law enforcement and governance, community involvement, and sustainable agriculture, one researcher said in The Conversation.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
