Mr Akwasi Konadu, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands and Forestry, has implored hunters and bush meat traders to strictly adhere to the ban on wildlife hunting during the closed season. He was of the belief that adhering to the ban on wildlife would help the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wildlife and allow them to breed and procreate. The Deputy Minister gave the advice during the launch of the 2024 Closed Season Observation in Mankessim in the Central Region on Thursday. It was on the theme: 'Wildlife: A Heritage We Must Conserve'. The closed season on wildlife officially begins from 1st August to 1st December annually. It prohibits hunting, capturing, and destroying of wildlife animals. Moreso, the long-awaited Wildlife Resources Management Act, 2023 (Act 1115) which was assented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo regulates the wildlife sector for enhanced socio-economic development. Mr Konadu explained that the purpose of the closed season o n wildlife was to protect wildlife species and secure their habitats for ecotourism development. 'Through the promotion of ecotourism, significant revenues can be mobilised to boost economic development, as it is the case in many African countries, like Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania,' he stated. The Deputy Minister stated that the Ministry, together with other state and non-state actors, is pursuing several interventions to promote sound environmental management. Those measures include strengthening law enforcement through specialised para-military training of the Rapid Response Teams, provision of logistic support to enhance field monitoring operations, expansion of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) to other communities to foster closer community engagement, and promotion of various models of reforestation and afforestation, including the flagship Green Ghana Project. Mr Konadu urged all players in the sector to abide by the closed season ban and support th e Forestry Commission to achieve its vision of leaving future generations with richer and better forest and wildlife endowment than inherited. Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI, the Omanhene of Mankessim Traditional Area, who chaired the event, said disobeying the closed season directives would cause generational loss. He underscored the need for a holistic approach towards preserving wildlife to enjoy the benefits of biodiversity. The traditional leader admonished Forestry Commission officials to strictly monitor and enforce the ban and called for community involvement to ensure effective wildlife management. The Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey reiterated the importance of protecting wildlife resources, which has positive effects on climate change on both the environment and human lives. Mr. Allotey also explained that the enforcement and regulatory mechanism required during the four-month period. He said there should be no hunting, capturing, or destroying of any wild anima ls except grass cutter, which a licence is required to do so. Mr Ike Lord Ennu, the Municipal Chief Executive of Mankessim, called on all Ghanaians, particularly the people of Mankessim, to respect the closed season and support government initiatives to combat illegality in the wildlife and forest sectors. Source: Ghana News Agency