Accra, Nov. 4, GNA - Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, on Tuesday said the problem of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in the country should be combated, to save the environment and indigenous biodiversity from the scourge.

She made the call at the annual workshop of four participating countries of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environmental Faculty (GEF) on the theme: "Removing Barriers to Invasive Plant Management in Africa (RBIPM)," in Accra.

The participating countries are Ghana, Zambia, Uganda and Ethiopia. The workshop is being hosted by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with support from the UNEP and GEF. Ms Ayittey said most of IAS such as the Acheampong weeds, the Pulp Mulberry also known as Yorke had gained national attention, after an initial experiment as a raw material for the paper industry had failed. The workshop would address the pertinent issues of global warming and its repercussion on biodiversity.

The menace of water hyacinth to water resources and fisheries resulted in more than 100 per cent reduction in fish catches for the past few years, leading to the abandonment of entire fishing communities.

The weed also contributes to the prevalence of diseases such as bilharzia and malaria especially in the Volta River system, where water hyacinth is a refuge for the intermediate hosts of the parasites. Ms Ayittey said in the Tano River and lagoon complex as well as the Volta River systems, water hyacinth and Kariba weeds had adversely affected fisheries, water supplies and the livelihood of the people living in those communities.

Government, she said would not shirk its responsibility towards the problem and gave the assurance that the needed resources would be provided to support the successful implementation of the IAS management project because of the damage it caused to the ecosystem, economy and health of the people.

Dr. Maame Estua Mensah, Deputy Director-General of CSIR said the management of IAS could not be effective without the direct contacts with the grassroots and called for a national body to co-ordinate activities of stakeholders to ensure discipline and sustainability.

She noted that many hectares of maize in 13 communities in the Nkoranza North District had been destroyed by worms and called on government not to spare efforts in supporting scientist to play the crucial role of protecting the environment and productive systems to ensure adequate food security and poverty reduction.

Dr Mensah called for an apex body to co-ordinate activities of stakeholders in the fight and management of IAS to avoid duplication, waste and harmonise activities and efforts against 'enemies' that had the potential to make individual efforts look ordinary.