An assessment of post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices in Siavonga district, Southern Zambia
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(2020) 23:25
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
An assessment of post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices in Siavonga district, Southern Zambia Sahya Maulu1,2* , Oliver J. Hasimuna3,4, Concilia Monde4 and Malawo Mweemba4
Abstract Fish is an extremely perishable food product which requires proper handling soon after harvest. The present study was aimed at assessing post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices in Siavonga district, Southern Zambia. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data on post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices from aquaculture producers, artisanal, and commercial fishers. All the fishers who landed on the lakeshore were interviewed, while aquaculture producers were randomly selected based on the information provided by the local department of fisheries. The results of the study revealed that all the fishers experienced post-harvest fish losses at varying degrees with those losing up to 10% of the total catch being in the majority. In contrast, aquaculture producers did not report any post-harvest fish losses. Most aquaculture producers commonly used chilling as preservation practice contrary to artisanal and commercial fishers who commonly used smoking and sun sun-drying respectively. Furthermore, fish product safety and quality control were poorly practiced in the district. Lack of cold storage facilities and fluctuating weather conditions were the major challenges impacting fish post-harvest activities. Therefore, to curb the loss of revenue due to post-harvest fish losses, we propose the introduction of new technology, self-development skills for fishing communities, and enhanced access to refrigeration facilities. Keywords: Fisher, Aquaculture production, Post-harvest, Losses, Preservation practice
Introduction Fish has consistently been among the most commonly used and comparatively cheaper source of animal protein for most people across the globe. In most developing countries, fish is often the key source of animal protein and a source of direct and indirect employment opportunities to rural communities. Fish post-harvest activities within the fisheries value chain have often received less attention in rural community development programs despite them being a critical component of the livelihood structure (Kitinoja, 2016; Lokuruka, 2016). However, fish deserve more attention in food policies than it currently receives owing to its importance in the * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Centre for Innovative Approach Zambia (CIAZ), Lusaka, Zambia 2 Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
food basket, unique nutritional characteristics, and higher production efficiency compared with other forms of agricultural systems (FAO, 2004; Subasinghe, 2016). Fish and fish products currently constitute the most traded food products globally (Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2018). Significant improvements in fish trade for both local
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