The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, is urging that the illegal activities surrounding "galamsey" be tackled head-on, stressing the need for immediate and effective action to address the growing crisis.

Speaking on JoyNews' Am Show, he emphasised that illegal mining cannot be justified under the guise of survival.

Reflecting on the origins of illegal mining, Mr Bosu explained that it started in 2012 when some politicians suggested that local youth should be allowed to mine, given that large companies were already profiting from mining.

"The idea was that the big companies were having a lot to do, so why shouldn’t we allow the boys to also have a chance?" he said.

Mr Bosu discussed the "youth in mining" initiative, introduced in 2012, based on the belief that if large companies were benefiting from mining, local youth should also be given the same opportunities.

What initially appeared to be a small concession for youth involvement in mining gradually escalated into an uncontrollable crisis that has become difficult to manage, he said.

"Now we have "Galamsey" and we cant deal with it. I think there is an illegality, let's prioritise the illegality and deal with it" he concluded.