The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has confiscated fish being dried on the median of a busy road at Jamestown, citing severe contamination from vehicular emissions, human excreta, and disease-causing microorganisms as part of the ongoing Joy Clean Ghana campaign.
Florence Kuukyi, Director of Metro Public Health at AMA, described the practice of drying food on a traffic corridor as a grave public health danger that could expose consumers to life threatening diseases.
The health official told journalists on Wednesday, February 5, 2026, that fish were exposed to vehicular fumes, dust, bacteria, parasites, and heavy metals including lead and cadmium on the road median where vehicles pass continuously.
Kuukyi said evidence suggested direct contact between the fish and human faeces, noting that flies moving between excreta and the fish created additional contamination risks.
The AMA director warned that consuming such fish could result in upper respiratory diseases, diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid fever, with some chemicals involved being potentially carcinogenic.
She revealed that AMA had engaged the fishmongers for over three years, initially opting for education rather than enforcement, and personally spent 1,500 cedis to construct a drying rack that the traders refused to use.
The seizure triggered emotional protests from affected fishmongers who insisted they have been left without alternatives despite repeated requests for designated drying sites.
One trader said she borrowed approximately 30 bags of fish at 170 cedis each, all of which were seized by AMA officers, pushing her into financial distress.
The fishmonger stated that AMA officials had asked traders to come to the office to discuss relocation, but no new site was provided despite waiting two to three years.
Another trader pleaded for leniency, arguing that the seized fish were almost done drying and should be allowed for sale before stopping the practice.
The fishmongers disputed contamination concerns, claiming they wash the fish before frying and selling to customers.
Kuukyi maintained that the issue extends beyond livelihood concerns and speaks directly to consumer safety, warning that contaminated food creates a cycle of illness and medical burden.
The seized fish will be sent to AMA offices before the matter is referred to court, which will determine whether the products should be disposed of based on photographic evidence.
AMA emphasized it lacks authority to decide the fate of confiscated items without court proceedings, as protecting public health remains its primary mandate as technocrats.
The enforcement action highlights ongoing tensions between informal sector workers seeking survival and municipal authorities enforcing public health regulations in Ghana’s capital.
Jamestown, a historic coastal community that emerged around the seventeenth century British James Fort, remains one of Accra’s most densely populated fishing communities.
