Government has graduated another batch of Blue Water Guards at the Western Naval Command in Ezinlibo as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and safeguard the country’s water bodies.
The ceremony, held on Friday, May 15, brought together the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, officials from the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Navy, and other key stakeholders in the extractive sector.
The Blue Water Guards initiative, launched in 2025 by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with the Minerals Commission and the Ghana Navy, is aimed at tackling the destruction of rivers and streams caused by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The programme is designed to train about 2,000 young people across the country to monitor water bodies, report illegal mining activities, support enforcement operations, and educate communities on environmental protection.
Addressing the graduating recruits, the Lands Minister said the initiative, which began in the Western and Western North Regions, has now expanded into a nationwide environmental protection effort covering eight regions and more than 100 districts affected by illegal mining.
He revealed that 1,617 trained Blue Water Guards have so far been deployed across the country to protect rivers and other water bodies from pollution and degradation caused by illegal mining.
“What started as a targeted intervention has now grown into a nationwide environmental protection force,” the Minister said.
He explained that the guards will conduct regular patrols along major rivers and tributaries, monitor illegal mining activities, identify and report illegal sites, seize equipment used for illegal mining, and engage communities through public education and awareness campaigns.
The Minister noted that weekly assessments are showing encouraging progress, including a decline in illegal mining activities along several rivers, rising public awareness, and stronger coordination between environmental and security agencies.
“Almost every district where we’ve deployed the Blue Water Guards has recorded noticeable improvement in water quality and protection efforts,” he said.
He added that the initiative has become a strong deterrent to illegal miners who previously operated with little resistance in riverine communities.
At the Ezinlibo Naval Base, Acting Commander Samuel Kwaku Boateng-Asiedu explained that the latest training programme began on April 17, 2026, and combined classroom instruction with field exercises to prepare recruits for operations in riverine environments and other challenging terrains.
He explained that the training programme was designed to strengthen the recruits’ operational capacity, improve physical fitness, and sharpen their surveillance skills ahead of field deployment.
Commander Boateng-Asiedu also revealed that 460 recruits reported for the exercise, out of which 452 successfully met the required standards and graduated.
“I supervised the training personally, and I can confidently say they are fully prepared for the task ahead,” he said.
The newly trained Blue Water Guards are expected to collaborate with the Ghana Navy, the Minerals Commission, traditional authorities, and local communities in safeguarding major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Tano, Bonsa, and Fia from illegal mining activities.
Government has consistently stressed that protecting the country’s water bodies is a shared national responsibility, calling for support from traditional leaders, religious bodies, youth groups, civil society organisations, and residents in mining communities.