In an open, unsanitary seaside shed in Nyanyano, a coastal town in Ghana’s Central Region, eight massive sea turtles lie helpless under the blazing sun, their shells baking in the heat. Flipped on their backs to prevent escape, these ancient guardians of the marine ecosystem struggle weakly in the filth, their long flippers, designed for graceful swimming, now flap weakly against the harsh conditions surrounding them. Overhead, the sun blazes on, unaware of the grim fate awaiting these Olive Ridleys.
Standing nearby, Kweku Essien, a sea turtle trader, is unapologetic about his illegal business. He openly buys sea turtles from poachers and local fishers, profiting from the dwindling populations of one of the ocean’s most majestic species. Scattered around the shed, journalists also discovered the shells of previously slaughtered turtles, underscoring the grim reality of Essien’s operation and the severity of the problem.
“I sell the large turtles for 500 [$40] cedis each,” he revealed to iWatch Africa’s undercover team. The team watches as Essien proudly gestures to the captured turtles and a nearby slaughterhouse.
“We will kill all of them and transport them to the market in Mankessim [a nearby town] if we do not get buyers by the beginning of the closed fishing season on Monday.”
“We also have customers who come with their own means of transportation to buy them alive. They need to be sold quickly—after a week, they will die. These ones [turtles] have already been here for four days,” he said casually, flipping one of the massive Olive Ridleys onto its belly to show the journalists it’s still alive.
“We can also transport it to your choice of location,” he added.
Essien is far from alone in the turtle poaching business. His partner, known in the community as “Maame Turtle [Mother Turtle],” has been involved in the trade for several years, building a reputation in the illegal market.
The casual admission to journalists about their illegal trade highlights the grim reality: The illegal trade in sea turtles is thriving, despite international and local laws aimed at protecting them. In Ghana, where economic hardship drives fishers to seek quick profit, these majestic creatures have become victims in the relentless quest for survival.
The investigation also uncovered more captured sea turtles around Nyanyano, caught by fishers and awaiting the same grim fate. This paints a sobering picture of the ongoing poaching crisis, showing just how perilous the situation is for sea turtles in Ghana.
Ghana is a signatory to several international agreements that protect sea turtles, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
Ghana’s Wildlife Conservation Regulations Bill of 1971 (LI 685) classifies sea turtles as a Schedule 1 species, granting them full protection. This means it is illegal to capture, possess, or sell any part of a sea turtle, whether in the water or on nesting beaches, Dr. Agyekumhene explained.
However, the reality on the ground tells a different story as Essien’s open trading shows, enforcement of these laws is often lacking.