Improvement of Fish Processing and Marketing on Lake Turkana

Aim:       To establish improved fish processing and marketing business enterprises on Lake Turkana.

Start date:           9^th March 2011;       Duration: 12 months

Geographical area covered:

The area includes three major landing sites on the eastern and western shores of Lake Turkana.

Target Beneficiaries:

The targeted beneficiaries are small-scale fishermen, women and men fish processors and traders and fishermen at the selected landing sites on Lake Turkana.

Issues addressed:

Lake Turkana is a very large lake supporting large populations of fish but facilities at fish landing sites for handling and processing fish remain undeveloped and inadequate. Consequently, fish quality and value remain below attainable levels impacting adversely on incomes and livelihoods of fishermen and fish processors. Road networks to the lake are few and in very bad condition resulting in inefficient marketing of fish products from the lake and rudimentary market development. Group organisation within fisheries communities is uncommon and BMUs are poorly developed. Fish processors are not organised into groups to gain the business benefits of scale.

Approach Adopted:

The intervention will establish new commercial business enterprises within fisheries communities at three major fish landing sites on the lake shore. The business enterprises will be based on the production of higher quality sun-dried fish using solar-tents and drying racks. The products will include improved quality of tilapia, Nile perch and other commercial species. The dried fish products will be packaged and labelled in a variety of ways to match the need of different market outlets. Particular care will be taken to link the new fish processing businesses to fishermen who comply with fishing laws especially relating to gear type and size and the allowable size of fish for each target species.

The intervention will develop an exit strategy from donor support as part of a Business Plan.

The contract is for improvement of fish processing at landing sites on Lake Turkana and linkage of the higher quality fish products to more lucrative markets in Nairobi, Mombasa and other urban centres in Kenya.

Training will be provided to fish processors in the installation and operation of the solar tents. In addition to drying techniques, the brining of some species before sun-drying will be trialled as a means to reduce insect infestation, extend shelf-life and add value. Training will be provided for women and men fish processors in using the improved processing methods, in fish handling and storage, concepts of SPS and HAACP tailored for communities and value addition. Training will also cover group organisation, business development, accounting, packaging and marketing, and advocacy skills. Efforts will be made to strengthen the BMUs at landing sites as umbrella bodies for all fisheries activities within their jurisdictional areas.

The key to success of the intervention lies not only in producing higher quality fish products but also in setting up strong and lasting linkages to lucrative market outlets. In Kenya there is growing demand for fish, especially good quality fish, fresh and dried. The project will focus considerable effort in forging market linkages for dried Turkana fish products. Market outlets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and other major urban centres will be explored. A range of different market outlets will be visited and retail managers contacted and shown a variety of different Turkana fish products packaged in different ways. Packaging and presentation of Turkana fish products is of crucial importance to the success of building strong links to lucrative markets. The project will develop a marketing strategy that incorporates diversity in product packaging.

Monitoring and evaluation of the performance in implementing the intervention and its various impacts on stakeholders is an essential component. Sustainability beyond the contract period will be carefully examined during the development of a Business Plans for fish processing and marketing enterprises at each landing site. The plans will include recommended exit strategies from donor dependence.

Progress Made:

The intervention started on 9^th March 2011 and has completed an Inception Phase during which an Inception Report was produced and approved setting out detailed budgeted work plans for activities in the year ahead.