On July 19, 2017, at media briefing, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng announced a plan by government to ban the import of mercury for artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) by the end of this year. Because Ghana does not produce mercury itself, the banning of mercury imports will in effect ban the use of mercury in small scale mining.
While we strongly support the eventual phase out of mercury use in ASGM, we oppose an immediate ban on imports because this strict approach is likely to backfire. Without first helping miners find alternatives, an immediate ban on mercury imports (and use) may make the current illegal mining situation even worse, by forcing miners into black markets. Criminalizing mercury use will undermine ongoing efforts to help miners to make the transition to mercury-free, sustainable mining. Instead the government should follow a comprehensive plan of providing needed assistance for legal miners, strong legal enforcement against those who are operating illegally, and comprehensive tracking and management of mercury imports and distribution.
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