Quality Managment in Fish Handling and Processing

This course was held twice, in Kigoma and in Mwanza, and focused on the handling and processing (drying and smoking) of small pelagic fish from Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika. A new design of fish dryer was introduced and the yield and quality of the product was compared to yield from traditional methods. The financial implications of improved handling and processing was discussed, based on the final project of a former UNU-FTP fellow.

The small scale fishery for the small pelagic in Lake Victoria (Rastinobola sp. has been expanding and it is now the largest fishery in the lake in terms of volume. It is estimated to be around 150 000-200 000t per year in Tanzania alone. In lake Tanganyika, Limnothrissa spp similarly support large pelagic fisheries. Most of the fish is dried in the sand along the shores of the lake and then send to market. About a quarter to a third of the products are destined from export, mostly other African countries, but also to Asia. Preliminary investigations by Matis experts show that the product is strongly contaminated by fecal bacteria, processing is inferior, the fat goes rancid and there is a considerable amount of sand in the final product. This also has a negative effects on the nutritional value of the product. Improved processing techniques will provide employment, improve the value of the product and contribute to food safety.