“I am retired but not tired!” - Dr Margaret Masette, Ugandan alumna of the second cohort of the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme
Ugandan alumna of the second cohort of the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme
Dr Margaret Masette attended the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme in 1999 when the programme was hosted as a UN University Programme (UNU-FTP). She was a member of the programme's second cohort and specialized in quality management in fish handling and processing. Hailing from Uganda and an active member of the FTP alumni, Dr Masette is “now retired, but not tired!”, as she phrased it so well at the first GRÓ alumni event in Kampala in 2023. Since her graduation, she has recommended numerous Ugandans for the programme and collaborated with Iceland on several development initiatives. Dr Masette also attended the GRÓ alumni event in Kampala, held on February 21st this year at the new UNESCO offices in the city.
When asked how her participation in the programme came about, Dr Masette explained that the director of the programme, Dr Tumi Tómasson, invited her to the program after she introduced him to institutions responsible for management and research in fisheries in Uganda, during his visit to the country in 1998. She says the programme was “intense, informative and groundbreaking” and that the training has contributed immensely to her career “as a lecturer, consultant and trainer of trainers in fish handling, processing, transportation and marketing. It has also helped to form linkages with other researchers from other countries. I have also published several papers in peer reviewed journals”, Dr Masette explains. Her most vivid memories from Iceland include “Moving around at mid-night during summertime when it was broad day light. Visiting the geothermal sites and eating “rotten” skate.” Fermented skate is a particular Icelandic speciality which people traditionally feast on, the day before Christmas.
Dr Masette has two recommendations for current GRÓ fellows. That they should conduct research in relevant areas of concern in their respective countries and remain in contact with MATIS laboratories for reference and their resource persons for additional information when they return home.
After completing the six months training at FTP in Iceland, she returned to Uganda and resumed her work as a research officer with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) based at National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL). During her tenure at NARL, she used the knowledge acquired from the program in Iceland as reference for fish related research studies. She was involved in training of diploma, undergraduate and post graduate students at the Fisheries Training Institute (FTI) and the department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences (ZEFS) at Makerere University. She was also contracted by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a consultant in fish handling, processing and value addition of large and small freshwater fish. While at NARL, and with engineers from the same institute, she participated in the development of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) safe kiln which has been patented (No. AP/P/2019/011387).
After retirement from NARO in 2020, Dr Masette co-implemented several projects. For example NutriFish acronym for harnessing dietary nutrients of under-utilized fish and fish processing byproducts to reduce micro-nutrient deficiencies among vulnerable groups in Uganda. Also, the PESCA project where she was a lead scientist in the development of a training manual particularly of guidelines for handling, processing and value addition of farmed fish products. She also documented good post-harvest practices in small scale fisheries in Uganda for the FAO. Furthermore, Dr Masette was a key scientist under the Foodland project focusing on primary processing as well as value added secondary products from farmed fish. Dr Masette has just completed a consultancy with Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO) that required her to develop guidelines for implementation of EAS 826 standard for sun-dried silver cyprinid Rastineobola argentea. Silver cyprinid is a pelagic freshwater fish that is common in the African Great Lakes and an important source of nutrition in Eastern Africa. She is in the process of completing a solar tent drier that will be utilized to produce high quality R.argentea for global markets. During the implementation of various projects, she has demonstrated recommendable practices and processing technologies to various groups of women processors and youth around the major lakes of Uganda. One of the milestones was developing different training manuals and a cookbook. She currently co-supervises 3 PhD, 5 MSc, and 4 undergraduate students undertaking research studies in post-harvest fish technology from ZEFS.
She has a PhD from Makerere University that she completed after her stay in Iceland that was sponsored by NORAD, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Post graduate diploma and master’s degree from Lincoln University (United Kingdom) and BSc (Hons) degree from University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
