MEETING OF PROFESSIONALS / EXPERTS IN SUPPORT OF FISH SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING IN AFRICA

This high-level expert meeting is scheduled to take place in Elmina, Ghana, from 14 to 16 November 2017. It follows a series of similar consultations supported by FAO that took place in 1980 (Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania), 1982 (Casablanca, Morocco), 1985 (Lusaka, Zambia), 1988 (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), 1991 (Accra, Ghana), 1996 (Kisumu, Kenya), 2001 (Saly-Mbour, Senegal), 2005 (Bagamoyo, Tanzania), 2008 (Agadir, Morocco) and recently 2011 (Mahé, Seychelles). In this forum, specialists from several fisheries and aquaculture areas (technology, fish safety, trade, socio-economics, etc.), mainly from Africa but also elsewhere have the opportunity to exchange and discuss the sectoral development issues, under the primary goal of improving people’s food security and the living standards of the actors directly involved all along the supply chain.

The previous consultations were successful in promoting research and technical cooperation between participants, developing national research capacity, facilitating the exchange and transfer of technology as well as information geared to support the sustainable development of the sector’s operations. During this new meeting, following a selection process coordinated by FAO, around 30 papers are presented and discussed and include the following topics:

Reduction and prevention of post-harvest losses by (i) improving methods, means and the political and institutional environment that may be conducive to good practices for handling, preservation, processing, and packaging of fishery products; (ii) better utilizing low value fish, bycatch and discards (iii) developing by-products;

Improving fishery products’ safety by strengthening inspection and quality control services and systems, certification, eco-labelling, etc.

Fish commercialization by reflecting upon measures to improve national, sub regional and international marketing channels and marketing of fishery products;

Socio-economic determinants in fish post-harvesting. 

These consultations have led to developing the very popular fish smoking Chorkor kiln (Food Research Institute, Ghana), insulated containers for transporting and storing fresh fish (Institute of Food Technology, Senegal) and their large dissemination in artisanal fisheries, as well as many other techniques and approaches to provide technical services. Recently, the FAO-Thiaroye system, a smoking and mechanical drying device has been developed and has demonstrated the will to find practical ways to not only improve efficiency in terms of better food safety but also protect the environment and the health of the processors, who are mainly women.

From 2005 on, in addition to allowing the integration and enhancement of expertise and experience from various sources and geographical regions other than Africa, these forums added an innovative feature by including a half-day seminar facilitated by a leading figure in one of the previously mentioned topics in the meetings’ agenda. The topics of the last 2 seminars show how this has contributed to developing participating professionals’ knowledge and capacity:

ü  During the 2008 session held in Agadir, Morocco, the seminar on accessing the European Union market enabled participants to better understand the challenges of the Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

ü  During the 2011 session held in Mahé (Seychelles), participants examined recent developments and operations in refrigeration of fishery products.

Between these two sessions, this periodic framework was also essential in the establishment of the network of experts, the African Network on Fish Technology and Safety (ANFTS) in technology and food safety research and development in the African region. Due attention needs to be given for it to become fully operational and sustainable.