Accra, Aug. 15, GNA - Mr Kwaw Appiah Kubi of the Daily Dispatch was on Thursday night adjudged the first prize winner for the 2003 Biodiversity Reporting Award (BRA) with a package of a round trip airfare of an Accra-New Orleans-Accra ticket.

In addition, he took home a press kit of videotape with the inscription "Getting the story" and a number of handbooks for journalists.

Mr Kubi won the prize along with seven others from both print media and radio out of a total of 28 entries.

Mr Edmund Smith Asante of the Independent was adjudged second whilst Mr Emmanuel Kojo Kwarteng of the Daily Graphic took the third position.

Mrs Dzifa Azumah of the Ghana News Agency, Mr Joseph Mensah of the Daily Guide and Mr Gordon Deku Zaney all received honourable mentions for their articles while Miss Joyce Gyekye of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation News Room was adjudged the best in radio.

Mr Jonathan Allotey, Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency said biodiversity deals with the web of life which has been difficult for humans to understand through the years. The linkage of this web, he said, has been studied by scientist whose works have been brought to the understanding of ordinary people through the efforts of journalists.

He urged Ghanaian journalist not to relent in their efforts at reporting on the environment and biodiversity issues. Okyeame Ampadu-Agyei, Country Director of Conservation International- Ghana said the BRA Award would as from next year be held in conjunction with the Ghana Journalists Association as is being done in Brazil and other countries where the award is held.