The Okaikwei North Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Boye Laryea on Friday joined the Deputy Lands Minister to launch the 2022 Close Season .The launch organised at the Accra Zoo in the Municipality was under the theme: “Wildlife is Critical to Our Welfare, Protect Wildlife, Protect Nature, Save lives”.The 2022 Close Season begins from August 1 to 1 December, 2022, during which period a ban would be placed on hunting, capturing and destroying of wildlife animals as stipulated in the Wildlife Conservation Regulations, L.I 685 of 1971.Speaking at the event the Deputy Lands & Natural Resources Minister Honourable Benito Owusu-Bio said the Forestry Commission has witnessed increased cases of poaching and destruction of wildlife species in most of the 21 Protected Areas (PAs) in Ghana.
He stated that Indiscriminate hunting, bushfires and unregulated farming activities are other ways through which wildlife is destroyed. According to the Deputy Lands Minister, Poaching activities if not checked will bring some of the wild animal species under serious threat of extinction. Honourable Laryea for his part noted that the preservation of wildlife is crucial to the sustainability of all lives on earth without which their sustenance, human’s existence is greatly affected.
He said the launch and observation of the close season would not only create awareness but also protect Wildlife to sustain animal species population for socio-economic development “We are all responsible for the sensitization and awareness creation of the general public on Wildlife issues and the importance of sustaining them. We must promote the Accra Zoo and its potential to bring more awareness to Wildlife.”
The Okaikwei North Municipal Chief Executive urged Teachers to educate their students and pupils on the importance of animal protection, conservation and arrange domestic tours, educational field trips to the protected tourist sites in the Ghana. This, Honourable Laryea indicated would go a long way to make students have better understanding and appreciate Wildlife in order to promote attitudinal change towards indiscriminate killing of Wildlife “In addition, traders and hunters must also observe and respect Wildlife Laws and not only be interested in sustaining their businesses and livelihood.
