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Monday, 15 June 2026
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Monday, 15 June 2026
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Ghanaian press · Organization

Blue Water Guards

Blue Water Guards — government initiative training young people to monitor rivers and combat illegal mining, deployed across Ghana's regions since 2025.

2026-04-252026-06-15
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In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026

  2. Business & Financial Times

    By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, have intensified operations against illegal mining along the Ankobra River, destroying several machines and disrupting activities in parts …

    NAIMOS destroys illegal mining equipment along Ankobra

  3. Joy Online

    The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in a joint operation with the Blue Water Guards, has dealt a heavy blow to an active galamsey enclave along the Oda River corridor in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region. …

    NAIMOS, Blue Water Guards arrest 8, seize excavators in night raid at Mpatasie and Odaho
  4. April 2026

  5. Joy Online

    The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has raised concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s Blue Water Guards initiative, describing its impact as limited despite its intended objectives. …

    Blue Water Guards not delivering expected results in galamsey fight — Daryl Bosu

  6. Joy Online

    … That has been clearly missing.” He further questioned the impact of initiatives such as the Blue Water Guards. …

    Galamsey fight ‘uncoordinated and failing’ – Daryl Bosu
Mining & Energy

New mining bill proposes decentralising licence approvals to districts

The News

Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has submitted a new mining bill to Cabinet that would transfer licensing approval powers from central agencies like the EPA and Minerals Commission to newly established District Mining Committees, giving local communities greater involvement in mining governance and licensing decisions.

Why it matters

New mining bill proposing decentralised licensing to district committees represents significant policy shift in Ghana's mining governance and local community involvement.

8 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 8 June

  1. New mining bill proposes decentralising licence approvals to districts

    Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has submitted a new mining bill to Cabinet that would transfer licensing approval powers from central agencies like the EPA and Minerals Commission to newly established District Mining Committees, giving local communities greater involvement in mining governance and licensing decisions.

    8 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 25 May

  1. Community bank chairman calls for galamsey state of emergency

    The Board Chairman of Ahantaman Community Bank has called on government to declare a state of emergency on illegal mining, warning that continued destruction of water bodies threatens national development and public health. He cited the ineffectiveness of existing interventions and alleged that some chiefs and politicians are complicit in galamsey activities.

    25 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

  2. NAIMOS arrests two Chinese nationals in pre-dawn galamsey raid

    Ghana's National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) conducted a pre-dawn raid at Sanfo Adiam in Amansie East District, Ashanti Region, on 24 May 2026, arresting two Chinese nationals operating an illegal gold mining enclave. The operators had diverted sections of the Dankai River into an artificial dam for unlawful extraction; several Ghanaian workers fled during the operation, with one spotted carrying a pump-action firearm.

    25 May 2026 · Joy Online →

  3. Board chairman urges emergency declaration on illegal mining

    The Board Chairman of Ahantaman Community Bank has called on government to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, warning that continued destruction of water bodies threatens national development and public health. He cited water pollution as widespread across the country and alleged that some traditional leaders and influential persons are complicit in illegal mining, hampering enforcement efforts.

    25 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Saturday 16 May

  1. Government's Blue Water Guards combat illegal mining, 452 graduate

    The government's Blue Water Guards initiative is producing positive results in fighting illegal mining along Ghana's rivers and streams, with the Lands and Natural Resources Minister stating that almost every district where guards have been deployed has witnessed improvement in water systems. A total of 452 newly trained guards graduated at the Naval Base at Ezinlibo in the Western Region.

    16 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 15 May

  1. Government expands Blue Water Guards to combat illegal mining nationwide

    The government has graduated another batch of Blue Water Guards at the Western Naval Command as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and protect water bodies. The initiative, launched in 2025, aims to train about 2,000 young people nationwide to monitor rivers, report illegal mining activities, and educate communities on environmental protection; 1,617 trained guards have already been deployed across eight regions.

    15 May 2026 · Joy Online →

  2. NAIMOS arrests three Chinese nationals in Tano River operation

    Operatives of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat arrested three Chinese nationals during a riverine operation targeting illegal mining along the Tano River in Amenfi West District on 14 May 2026. The suspects were found overseeing miners operating Changfan machines on floating platforms and were handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service.

    15 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 12 May

  1. NAIMOS intensifies patrols against illegal mining on Ankobra River

    Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards carried out riverine patrols along the Ankobra River on May 11, 2026, disrupting illegal mining at Dominase in the Western Region. The team destroyed six changfan machines that suspects were reinstalling on an abandoned floating platform.

    12 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 8 May

  1. NAIMOS destroys illegal mining equipment along Ankobra River

    Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, destroyed machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Western Region's Nzema East district. The operation targeted galamsey hotspots from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines at one site and five modified boats fitted with an estimated 10 changfan machines at another.

    8 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Thursday 7 May

  1. NAIMOS intensifies patrols against illegal mining on Ankobra River

    Personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards conducted sustained patrols in Nzema East District, Western Region, to combat illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River. During operations from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, the team intercepted about 20 individuals engaged in illegal mining, destroyed 20 Changfan machines and water hoses in use.

    7 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 5 May

  1. NAIMOS destroys illegal mining equipment along Ankobra River

    Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, have destroyed several machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Nzema East District of the Western Region. The operation targeted galamsey sites at Gwira Banso and Eshiem, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines and other equipment used to draw water directly into the river.

    5 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Sunday 3 May

  1. NAIMOS and Blue Water Guards arrest eight illegal miners in Amansie West

    The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and Blue Water Guards arrested eight suspected illegal miners and seized four excavators and two motorbikes during a night operation at Mpatasie and Odaho in the Amansie West District, Ashanti Region.

    3 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Saturday 25 April

  1. Blue Water Guards showing limited impact in galamsey fight

    The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana says the government's Blue Water Guards initiative, launched to protect water bodies from illegal mining pollution, is not delivering expected results and has limited visible impact. He urged a reassessment of the programme, arguing resources could be better deployed to established institutions like the Police and Minerals Commission.

    25 April 2026 · Joy Online →

  2. Galamsey fight uncoordinated and failing, says Daryl Bosu

    A Rocha Ghana's deputy director says the country's efforts against illegal mining are failing due to poor coordination among state agencies, despite appearing organized on paper. Fieldwork in affected regions shows worsening conditions, forest destruction, and water quality degradation continue despite government interventions.

    25 April 2026 · Joy Online →

Blue Water Guards — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute