Hunting Ban Starts in August

The Forestry Commission has announced a ban on hunting in forests across the country effective August 1, 2024, in accordance with the Wildlife Legislation Instrument 685 (1971) and the Wildlife Resource Management Act, 2023.

This comes as the end of the closed fishing season approaches.

The ban will be effective for three months, ending in December 2024, the Management of the Kumasi Zoological Garden explained during an interview on Premtobere News on Opemsuo Radio.

The provisions in the constitution make way for closed hunting each year.

The aim, Madam Gyimama Owusu Kese, Deputy Manager for the Garden, said is to conserve wildlife for generations to come.

“We will start on August 1 and end on 1st December. We anticipate that the animals get pregnant during that period and some at that period have just delivered. The hunters have no knowledge about these things, all they do. We are doing this to protect the animals to prevent extinction and ensure continuous existence for the next generations.”

This year’s closed season will be held under the theme, “Wildlife a Heritage We Must Conserve”.

Hunters are expected to adhere to this ban, failure of which will attract either imprisonment, fine or both, Dr Meyir Yiryele Zieka, the Manager noted.

“Culprits will be liable to summary conviction of not less than 250 penalty units and not more than 500 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not less than one year and not more than two years or both.”

As part of sensitization measures, he said, officials of the Forestry Commission have been engaging stakeholders on various media outlets as well as interpersonal engagements.