Value add and processing

This guide is for dried-shrimp producers, buyers and those involved in extension services. The aim is to describe good processing, handling and hygiene practices that will help producers maximize the value and income from dried shrimp, meet required national standards and access new and high-value markets.

This regional programme began in October 2006 and lasted 18 months. It aimed to build on past initiatives and develop tools for practical loss assessment in artisanal fisheries. The programme provided capacity building for fishery officers in qualitative and quantitative fish loss assessments methods, planned support, and supervised the implementation of loss assessment studies in five sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Mali, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda).

This manual is designed for sea cucumber fishers in Pacific Islands. The species depicted in this manual are ones commonly fished in Pacific Islands.

This manual has been produced to help introduce better practices that can help people make more from the fish they catch, process and sell, as well as help them reduce post-harvest losses.

The contributions of women to fisheries are often invisible, ignored, and unrecognized even though they represent 47% of the global fisheries workforce, especially in pre- and post-production activities. Poor data systems lead to incorrect assumptions about the gender division of labor in fisheries. This causes the role of women in fisheries to be overlooked. To evaluate the contribution of women in the value chain, a participatory methodology was implemented in three small-scale, fisheries in Mexico: California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery from the northern Mexican Pacific, penshell (Atrina maura) fishery from the Gulf of California, and Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery from the Mesoamerican Reef region.

This guide contains five information sheets about how to handle and care for fish as a fisher, fish vendor or customer, to make sure that fish stays fresh, healthy and safe for human consumption.

This publication brings to the frontline, issues that beg for attention in the fisheries sector.

Chapter one of this publication, titled COVID-19 and Fisheries, highlights how the pandemic has affected the fisheries subsector.

Chapter two, titled Dead Fish is not Manna, captures the peculiarities and challenges of fisheries in Nigeria noting the contaminated state of some of the fishes sold in the country's markets.

Women play crucial roles in small-scale fisheries, yet their contributions are largely invisible, often ignored and unrecognized. This study conducted household and focus group surveys to examine the role of indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) women in SSF, documenting fishing practices and contributions to household food security and income.

This document, Towards Gender-Equitable Small-Scale Fisheries – A handbook In support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (henceforth the “handbook”), was developed to support gender-equitable small-scale fisheries by enhancing the understanding of their gender dimensions, with a focus on the specific role and conditions of women in the small-scale fisheries sector.

The Financial Rapid Assessment tool provides an objective way to rapidly and efficiently quantify the key business attributes (organizational capacity and operational capacity) of a Seafood Enterprise.

"The training manual aims to disseminate technical information related to the fish handling and preservation techniques in small-scale fisheries in order to improve technical know-how of the fisher-folk, fish processors, fish transporters and other fisheries stakeholders to produce quality fishery products in compliance with safety standards."

"This manual provides small-scale fisheries stakeholders with guidance on how to handle fishery products (FP) hygienically and carefully to produce food that is safe to eat and of high quality. It is intended for use by small scale fishers and other stakeholders in community based FP supply chains. It is a working manual and aims to raise awareness of hygiene and quality standards and how to achieve them. The overall aim of the manual is to provide small scale fisheries stakeholders with the basic knowledge to improve food health quality of FP, reduce post harvest losses and so increase income from small-scale fishery operations."

"Cooperatives in the small-scale fisheries sector are a way of maximizing long-term community benefits to deal with the threats of fisheries mismanagement, livelihood insecurity and poverty – harsh realities for many of the world’s small-scale fishers. Communities with successful community-based organizations are better off than those without (Ostrom, 1990). Successful cooperatives are possible, feasible and desirable and play an important role in community development. Cooperatives have the potential to empower small-scale fishers against environmental and socio-economic shocks such as catch shortfalls, sickness and death in their families, natural disasters and hunger.

The following case studies show how fisheries cooperatives contribute to improving the conditions of small-scale fishers around the globe."

The focus of this study was on Dagaa (sardines) (Rastrineobola argentea) Fishery which involves mostly women in its overall value chain. The study sites were areas that are specialized in dagaa fishery and these include Lushonga Island located in the Muleba district of Kagera region, Mwanza Kirumba international fish market and in some of the landing beaches in Nyamagana and Ilemela districts in Mwanza.

"This document provides a summary of the presentations, discussions, conclusions and recommendations of the regional inception workshop, "Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems" held in Accra, Ghana from 3-5 March 2020."