A cleaner, efficient and safer way to smoke fish

Abstract

Smoking and drying are crucial fish processing methods for small-scale fisheries in the tropics, essential for supplying fish to areas far from fishing zones, especially where infrastructure and cold chain logistics are lacking. Traditional smoking methods, however, present significant issues, including environmental damage from using wood as fuel, low output, and health risks like eye irritations and respiratory diseases, primarily affecting women processors. Since 2008, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has promoted the FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT-Thiaroye). This improved smoking method reduces health hazards, increases smoking capacity per cycle, and consumes much less wood. It also reduces post-harvest losses due to limited chilling and freezing capacity. The FTT-Thiaroye technique has been adopted in at least 16 African countries and is also used in Asia and the Pacific. In Côte d'Ivoire, FAO has introduced FTT in five pilot communities, equipping them with kilns and organizing women’s cooperatives, improving productivity and working conditions. The use of wood use per kilo of smoked fish went down from 5 kilos to 0.8 kilos. Production also increased from 150-200 kg/day to 0.5-3 tonnes/day. In Sri Lanka, FAO has built five kilns in Ampara District and 12 in Batticaloa District. It has provided training on smoking techniques, fish cutting, costing, packing, marketing, and kiln maintenance. As a result of FAO’s action, firewood usage was reduced by 35 percent and the earnings of processors increased.