Mr. Joe Oteng-Adjei, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, on Thursday appealed to chiefs and the people to support the government to stamp out illegal gold mining.

He said this after he had seen devastation that illegal miners had caused to the concessions of Bogoso/Prestea Mines of the Golden Star Resources Limited.

The minister’s tour of Golden Star Resources Limited marked the end of his week-long tour of mines in the Western Region.

Mr. Oteng-Adjei said illegal mining was an organized crime that must be eliminated in order to protect the environment and that it could have a long-term effect on the country’s economy if nothing was done about it.

Dr. Oteng-Adjei expressed worry that the illegal miners were using mercury in their operations and were polluting rivers with the chemical that could cause cancer.

He said the policy on small-scale mining needed to be amended to ensure a more efficient exploitation of minerals.

Dr. Oteng-Adjei commended Golden Star Resources Limited introducing an alternative livelihood project for illegal miners and urged them to take advantage of the project.