The Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) has called for the enactment of a new, stricter legal regime to regulate mining in forest reserves, following government’s decision to revoke L.I. 2462 and its amendment, L.I. 2501.
GIF said the replacement law must clearly restrict all mining activities to designated production forests and impose absolute protection on forests that safeguard watersheds and unique biodiversity.
This recommendation was contained in a communiqué issued at the Institute’s 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), on the theme: “Foresters at the Forefront of Change: Tackling Mining Challenges and Advancing Forest Restoration.”
The meeting was chaired by Professor Kyereh Boateng of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, and attended by about 150 members.
Participants commended government for initiating a new Legislative Instrument (LI) to repeal the existing regulations that permitted mining in forest reserves.
However, GIF stressed that a clearer and more stringent framework was urgently needed, given the continued degradation of critical ecosystems by illegal and poorly regulated mining.
The Institute recommended that the new LI explicitly prohibit all surface and alluvial mining in forest reserves, citing the extensive destruction such operations have caused to forest cover and water bodies.
“Only deep-cast mining which is easier to regulate should be considered, and strictly within designated production forest reserves,” the communiqué said.
GIF further proposed that any forest area serving as a watershed, hosting rare species, or providing vital ecological services should be entirely excluded from mining activities.
Data presented at the AGM showed accelerating forest decline between 2015 and 2024, with closed forests shrinking significantly while open forests expanded. Fifty protected areas 49 forest reserves and the Bui National Park have already been impacted by mining.
As of early 2025, armed miners had overtaken nine forest reserves; five remained under their control by October. Severely affected reserves include Apamprama, Oda River, Offin Shelterbelt, Tano Anwia and Tano Nimri.
The communiqué also highlighted the dangers faced by forestry officials, some of whom have been killed or seriously injured while confronting illegal mining groups.
While applauding government for revoking about 300 small-scale mining licences and pursuing legal reforms, GIF said some policies continue to hamper the fight.
It cited the February directive against burning excavators in forest reserves, arguing that the ban is counterproductive since confiscated machines often return to illegal operations.
GIF therefore called for the reinstatement of on-site destruction of excavators and other machinery used for illegal mining, insisting that the law already permits this and that it remains the most effective deterrent.
The Institute also identified greed, political interference, foreign involvement, weak enforcement, and corruption as persistent drivers of illegal mining.
It condemned the recent attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) at Hwidiem, which led to the escape of arrested miners and the release of impounded vehicles.
GIF commended security agencies for their swift response and reaffirmed support for converting the Forestry Commission into a paramilitary institution capable of confronting heavily armed mining groups.
The AGM also called for expanded forest restoration efforts and intensified public education on illegal mining, urging the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to prioritise nationwide awareness campaigns.
