Ghana’s fish is in trouble.
And because fish is on the plate in almost every home, we are all in trouble too.
New research from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI) has revealed alarming levels of microplastics in the fish in our rivers and coastline.
The six-year study shows that fish in some communities contain microplastics at levels dozens of times above international safety guidelines.
The benchmarks universally range from 112 to 3,078 particles a year.
Yet, the estimated exposure for Ghanaian children is already 209 particles a year. For consumers of farmed tilapia it jumps to 2,561 particles.
For consumers of wild freshwater fish, 4,785 particles.
Along the coast the numbers are starker: about 31,238 particles a year in James Town, 75,819 in La, and 81,257 in Teshie.
These are not abstract figures.
They are what enters the bodies of Ghanaians who eat fish daily.
Fish supplies up to 80 per cent of animal protein in Ghana.
To tell people to stop eating fish is neither realistic nor wise.
What the CSIR-WRI findings demand is that we protect the water the fish live in, and change how we handle plastic from source to sea.
Where is it coming from?
The study traces the problem upstream to downstream.
In the Volta Basin, about 45 per cent of plastic pollution comes from boats, cages and aquaculture operations.
PVC pipes used in cage infrastructure are fragmenting.
Asikuma, where cage farming dominates, recorded the highest presence, followed by Kpong and Sogakope.
Along the coast, 50 per cent comes from urban runoff and sewage.
On beaches, 80-93 per cent of plastic is land-based — from drains, markets and households.
PVC alone accounts for 79.4 per cent of microplastics found in marine fish.
Anti-fouling paint, PET bottles, rubber and road markings make up the rest.
In short, we are feeding our waters with plastic, and our fish are eating it.
The economic cost is already visible.
Microplastics are killing fingerlings and now account for up to 20 per cent of net catch volume in some areas.
That is income lost directly from the pockets of fishers.
Regarding issues of health implications, the study was careful to state that what we have now is proof of exposure, not yet proof of direct disease in the country.
But the risk profile is troubling. Microplastics are tiny — up to five millimetres — and act like sponges for toxic contaminants.
Once ingested, they can leach into blood, urine and even breast milk.
The risk is highest for fish eaten whole — head, gut and gills — which is common among children and low-income households.
That part accounted for 69 per cent of the plastic load found.
Early research globally also suggests possible links to suppressed gut immunity, lung inflammation, oxidative stress, hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage.
We do not need to wait for a Ghana-specific cancer study to act.
The precautionary principle demands action now.
The solution is not panic, it is prevention.
There is good news in the data too.
Because contamination is concentrated in gills and guts, discarding them before cooking already cuts exposure substantially.
This is not about abandoning fish.
It is about cleaning the water. And Ghanaians are ready.
The survey found 85 per cent of coastal respondents understand the risks of plastic pollution, and 78 per cent are willing to help.
What is missing is infrastructure — bins, collection systems, and a system that makes the right choice the easy choice.
That is where policy must step in.
The late Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, championed a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility framework.
It would require producers and importers to fund collection and recycling of the packaging they put on the market.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed naming the forthcoming plastics legislation in his honour.
That would be a fitting tribute.
The issue is bigger than the environment.
It is about food security, public health, jobs and the future of our fisheries.
Every plastic bottle tossed in a gutter, every PVC pipe left to degrade in a cage, every uncollected sachet ends up in a fish, and eventually in us.
The Daily Graphic urges the government, industry, fishers, market women and households to treat this as an emergency.
Producers must own the waste they create.
The assemblies must provide bins and enforce bye-laws.
Citizens must separate waste and demand better services.
We cannot eat our way out of this problem, but we can prevent our way out of it.
Let us protect our fish, so our fish can continue to nourish Ghana
