Conservation of the Anlo Beach wetland

The wetland known as Anlo Beach (1,500 ha) is located in the Shama district of Ghana’s Western Region (5 hours by car from Accra). It encompasses the estuary of the Pra River, mangroves, lagoons and salt marshes that are very rich in birdlife and fish species, but which are degrading rapidly due to the overexploitation of mangrove wood used to fuel fish smokehouses, illegal fishing practices, and the accumulation of solid waste in the channels.

Friends of the Nation is a major Ghanaian NGO that is running a USAID-funded project in the area called the Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Initiative, aimed at improving governance through, among other things, the development of land-use plans.

The PPI would complement these actions with components focused on strengthening local populations’ capacities for the sustainable management of the wetland’s resources and the creation of income-generating activities — aspects not covered by the USAID project — such as the production of improved smokehouses to reduce pressure on wood cutting.

Friends of the Nation plans to bring the project into synergy with organisations such as the Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA) and the Daasgift Quality Foundation, which already run major improved smokehouse installations in the region.

Three target communities of the project live at Anlo Beach, representing 1,000 households and 8,000 people.