Innovations and Markets for Lake Victoria Fisheries (IMLAF)

Start date: 31 December, 2014 End date: 30 December, 2019 Project type: South-driven projects (prior to 2017) Project code: 14-P01-TAN Countries: Tanzania Thematic areas: Economic development and value chains, Food security and safety, Lead institution: National Fish Quality Control Laboratory, Tanzania, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Business Administration, Tanzania, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania, Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Tanzania, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Faculty of Science, Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Faculty of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Food Safety and Zoonoses, Total grant: 9,829,998 DKK Contact person: Robinson Hammerthon Mdegela

Description

The proposed project titled “Innovations and Markets for Lake Victoria Fisheries” (IMLAF) will be carried out in the Lake Victoria basin of Tanzania. Its main objective is to catalyze socio-economic growth through expansion of markets for Nile perch and sardine quality products and employment opportunities. This will involve application of innovative methods of production of safe and high quality Nile perch and sardine fish products and byproducts products for the local, regional and international markets. Post-harvest losses and presence of biological, physical and chemical hazards that reduce the quality, safety and marketability of fish and fish products will be addressed. Value addition and development of new processed products and byproducts from the Nile perch and sardines as well as new business models will be investigated and provided to end-users. IMLAG will disseminate results to fishermen, processors, policy makers and other end-users. Two postdocs, 4 PhD and a number of MSc students will be trained and institutional research capacity build at the Tanzanian institutions

Outputs

Midterm report 2017:

a)There is high level of income inequalities between processors and traders; imperfect competitive market, market is less efficient; existing business model is the advance financing through social capital; main processing technology is sand sun drying.
b) BMUs are ineffective due to limited funds
c) Sardines have high fatty (13-19%) and protein (21-24%) content, a factor for considerations during processing
d) Shelf-life of fresh sardines can be increased through storage in ice at 0-1°C for 2-3 weeks
e) Water and Nile perch are reservoirs of Salmonella Salamae and Salmonella Waycross
f) Water, sardines and phytoplanktons in Lake Victoria, harbour Vibrio cholerae O1 ctxA,
g) There is insignificant risks from PCBs and organochlorine pesticides.

Publications One newsletter and the two papers in international peer-reviewed journals. One more manuscript submitted and 10 under preparation.