The US Agency for Global Media has launched a three-day workshop to train Ghanaian journalists on nature crime reporting.
The workshop, which started on Wednesday, August, 17th and will end on Friday, August 19, 2022, is being held in Accra.
Launching the workshop, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio reiterated the government’s interventions on nature crime.
Owusu-Bio further called for support in tackling this “organized crime” saying the call has become necessary “due to the multi-complexity of the actors involved and devastating and lasting effect on the environment and food security.”
The legislator explained that plans were underway to collaborate with various stakeholders to enhance education on the new Forestry Act.
The DCM at the US Embassy, Nicole Chulick, in her address, explained that in response to “major gaps such as the lack of data, the lack of public knowledge, and the lack of awareness contributing to nature crimes”, journalists are pivotal in addressing it.
She added that this is evident in public education and investigations, which help to “educate people about nature crimes” and expose the “harm that nature crimes do to local communities”.
“The media in Ghana is fortunate to have a strong history of press freedom. And journalists like you can help educate people about nature crimes. You can help show the harm that nature crimes do to local communities.”
