Author(s): Isaac Omagor, Julia Kigozi, Charles Muyanja, Ivan Mukisa, Mary Namwanje and Sloans K Chimatiro

Abstract: Silver cyprinid is a common low cost high protein source utilized in the Lake Victoria basin. The nutritional quality of this fish is affected by handling, processing and storage. A cross sectional survey was carried out to establish the processing techniques and related challenges in four silver cyprinid landing sites (Katosi, Kasekulo, Kiyindi and Ssenyondo) on Lake Victoria in Uganda. All processors interviewed (n = 115) their fish directly under. Drying on nets placed on the ground (41.7%) and on raised racks (37.4%) were mainly used for human grade silver cyprinid. 66.7% of the processors who dried their fish on nets on ground and 58.24% of those that dried their fish on raised racks did so to ensure clean fish while 50.0% of those who dried their fish directly on the ground did so to increase the weight of their final product. 46.7% of the processors who dried their fish on raised racks covered their fish with a waterproof material when it rained while the vast majority, 56.3% of the processors who dried their fish on nets spread over the ground and 43.5% of those that dried theirs directly on the sand, did not have a coping mechanism against the rains. For 45.8% of the processors who dried their fish on nets spread over the ground and 51.2% of those that did on raised racks appearance was the main indicator for the end of drying while 52.2% of those that dried their fish directly on the sand use less soil sticking on the surface of the fish as an indicator of the end of the drying process. While 50.0% of the processors who dried their fish directly on the sand cited rain as their main reason for loss, 52.0% and 48.8% of the processors who dried their fish on nets spread over the ground and on raised racks respectively cited by-catch such as haplochromines, prawns and shells as the main reason for losses during processing. Most of the processors (79.3%) processed their fish for human consumption.

Pages: 265-273  |  624 Views  97 Downloads

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