The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that the government’s Blue Water Guards initiative is producing positive results in the fight against illegal mining along the country’s rivers and streams.

He made this statement during the graduation ceremony of 452 newly trained guards at the Naval Base at Ezinlibo in the Western Region.

"Almost every district that we have deployed Blue Water Guards have witnessed improvement in our water systems", he stated.

Addressing the recruits, the minister described the initiative as one of the government’s strongest responses to illegal mining and the destruction of forests and water bodies.

"Our gathering here today is not merely ceremonial. It is a bold declaration of our collective determination to defend the natural heritage of our country from the destructive effects of illegal mining activities," Mr Buah said.

He reminded the newly graduated personnel of their responsibilities, which include conducting routine patrols along rivers, monitoring illegal mining activities, identifying and reporting illegal mining sites, and supporting public education campaigns in affected communities.

The minister urged the guards to discharge their duties with professionalism, integrity and patriotism and appealed to Ghanaians to support efforts to protect the country’s water bodies, stressing that the fight against illegal mining should not be left to the government and the Blue Water Guards alone.

The graduation marks the fourth batch of the Blue Water Guards programme and brings the total number of trained and deployed personnel nationwide to 2,071.

The Blue Water Guards initiative was introduced by Government in March 2025 as part of measures to combat illegal mining activities along rivers and streams.