INCREASED POPULATION DENSITY WEAK GOVERNANCE, LEGISLATION AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

5.6 CHANGES IN SPECIES COMPOSITION AND TROPHIC BALANCES

Some species such as the gastropods Cymbium spp. and the spiny lobster Panulirus sp. appear to be declining in abundance while the sea star Astropecten sp. and other starfishes have disappeared completely. The triggerfish Balistes capriscus was of little interest prior to 1973 but assumed great importance in the demersal fishery from that year Mensah and Koranteng, 1988 to 1987. The species has since disappeared Mensah and Quaatey, 2002 a phenomenon that has been attributed to changes in physical oceanographic parameters in the Gulf of Guinea Koranteng et al., 1996; Aggrey-Fynn, 2007. Collapse of the grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus fishery in Ghanaian waters since its dominance in the demersal fishery in the 1970s and 1980s is a major example of a fish species under threat of extinction.

5.7 INCREASED POPULATION DENSITY

Population growth has been identified as an important factor impacting resource conservation planning in the Region. Population growth in rural areas tends to increase the rate of exploitation of resources of fragile ecosystems such as wetlands, the demand for arable land and fuel wood, often resulting in loss of vegetation in marsh and swamp lands. As urban populations increase, demand for food, timber, wood energy and other natural resources grows. The wave of urbanization and development currently taking place in the coastal areas where 60 per cent of all industries are sited has contributed largely to the increasing population density. With the recent oil and gas find in the Region, coastal wetlands are increasingly being encroached upon for different purposes notably, agriculture, aquaculture, beach sand winning, residential housing development, and economic and social infrastructural development. The net effect is degradation of the coastal environment including wetlands. While national population density is around 67 persons per km2, the population density in the coastal zone is 263 persons per km2 WBEPA, 1996. The Western region has an average population density of 80.5 persons per km2 which is about a quarter of the coastal population. Between 1960 and 1970 the population in the Region grew by 23, and more than doubled between 1970 and 1984 while increasing by 66 between 1984 and 2000 Jubilee Field EIA, 2009.

5.8 WEAK GOVERNANCE, LEGISLATION AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Environmental legislation in Ghana is fragmented, and much of it has been initiated on ad hoc basis due to lack of coherence in environmental planning and policy process. This has resulted in poor coordination of biodiversity conservation and management actions among Government departments, institutions and agencies. The lack of political will, tenure and access rights, non-compliance with regulations, inadequate penalties, unreliable judicial systems, inadequate funding and logistical resources for biodiversity conservation, breakdown of traditional management and cultural traditions militate against good biodiversity conservation practices. 39

5.9 DEVELOPMENT OF OIL AND GAS RESOURCES