Ocean Health: Nurturing a Resilient Coastal Economy – Event Highlights

A New Year, A Renewed Commitment to Ocean Health

We’re back with another insightful edition of In The Box, our flagship knowledge series. Kicking off 2025 with an urgent and timely conversation, our first episode focused on “Ocean Health: Nurturing a Resilient Coastal Economy.”

With Ghana’s coastal ecosystems under increasing threat, the event brought together experts, advocates, and thought leaders to explore pressing environmental challenges and uncover opportunities for sustainable conservation and economic growth. If you missed it, don’t worry—I’ve got the key takeaways for you!

Diving Into the Discussion

Held on January 29, 2025, and streamed live on Linkedin and YouTube, the session was expertly moderated by Rhodalove Aba Baidoo , Program Manager at Boxplay Ventures. We were honored to host two distinguished guest speakers:

• Richmond Kennedy Quarcoo – Founder of Plastic Punch
• Jennifer Bampoe – Founder of Clean Ocean Project Ghana
• Abdul Na-eem Muniru – National Geographic Young Explorer

Together, they provided invaluable insights on the state of Ghana’s ocean health, the threats facing marine ecosystems, and the policies and actions needed to protect our coastal communities.

Key Takeaways from the Event

1. The Growing Threats to Ghana’s Ocean Health

Richmond Kennedy Quarcoo opened the discussion by outlining the urgent environmental challenges facing Ghana’s coastal ecosystems. He highlighted key threats such as:

??Marine pollution – Increasing levels of plastic waste and chemical contamination.

??Illegal fishing practices – Disrupting marine biodiversity and reducing fish populations.

??Weak policy enforcement – While Ghana has developed initiatives like the Sustainable Ocean Plan and Marine Spatial Planning, funding and enforcement remain major obstacles.

??Threats to marine species – He emphasized the critical role of species like sea turtles in ecotourism and ecosystem balance.

To address these challenges, Richmond stressed the need for stronger policy enforcement, improved waste management systems, and stricter measures against illegal fishing. He called for a collaborative approach between government agencies, NGOs, and local communities to protect Ghana’s marine wealth for future generations.

2. Turning Challenges Into Opportunities

Jennifer Bampoe shed light on the conservation efforts led by NGOs and local initiatives such as Clean Ocean Project Ghana. She shared first-hand experiences from conservation projects in Jamestown, Labadi, and Station Sangwena, where pollution levels remain alarmingly high.

Her key insights included:

?? Education and engagement – Programs involving students in beach cleanups are making an impact, but sustained efforts are needed.

?? Tourism as a driver for conservation – She proposed leveraging eco-tourism to incentivize better environmental practices.

?? Stronger policies and enforcement – Many existing marine protection laws are outdated and weakly enforced, requiring urgent revision and stricter monitoring.

Jennifer’s call to action emphasized the importance of policy reform, long-term conservation efforts, and cross-sector collaboration to create a more sustainable future for Ghana’s oceans.

Final Thoughts: The Way Forward

This discussion underscored a critical reality: Ghana’s coastal economy depends on the health of its oceans. Without urgent action, unchecked pollution, weak policies, and unsustainable practices will continue to threaten marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.

From advocating for stronger policies to supporting local conservation efforts, we all have a role to play. The time for action is now.

?? How can we collectively protect Ghana’s oceans? Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts in the comments.

See you ‘In The Box’!

By Kuebah S. Adjapong

Digital & Social Media Associate

Boxplay Ventures

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed by the author are her personal views, not those of Boxplay Ventures Ltd.