SNV Ghana and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been collaborating on a new fishing technology that produces healthier and cleaner fish to meet both local and international standards. SNV Ghana with the Food and Agriculture Organization has teamed up to launch a new fish smoking technology called the FAO-Thiaroye Technique (FTT) that benefits the people of Ghana and potentially the world.

According to the World Food Programme, more than 1.2 million Ghanaians start the day without guarantee of nutritious, clean food to eat. This means that many Ghanaians have limited access to necessary nutrients. The new technology ensures an efficient sanitation process in fishing that prevents chemical patterns not conducive to PAH control in fish smoking.

The FAO-Thiaroye aims to create awareness in the country among other fish smoking areas. The innovation also aims to supply small fishing populated areas with the tools and knowledge of how to dry and smoke a fish on a simple rack. The technology is much like the form of a common oven; it produces minimal heat and has an oil collector that has been manufactured to meet the sanitation and produce standards of international markets.

Three challenges that have had a substantial impact on the impoverished are access to energy, sanitation and food and water. Insufficient supplies of food and lack of sanitation in rural areas are a major factor in mortality rates among developing countries. With its headquarters located in The Hague, Netherlands, SNV currently provides capacity development services to local organizations in three sectors: Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Started in 1965, SNV is a nonprofit and international development organization that was established in the Netherlands but since has spread worldwide. The Organization currently operates in countries within Africa, Asia and Latin America. SNV aims to alleviate poverty by supporting increased income and employment opportunities, and increasing access to basic services. SNV’s partner and collaborator of this project, The Food and Agriculture Organization, described the new technology as an innovation that will ensure food security and increase the economy in small market areas.

“Today marks another mile stone in the history of fish processing in the country after the development of the Chorkor Smoker here in 1969,” Dr. Lamourdia Thiombiano, the FAO Country Representative, said.

The new technology transfer will also increase profits in small and medium scale fish markets, which in turn contributes to poverty reduction. Fisheries and Aquaculture in Ghana, and many other developing countries, have an important role in the future of the economy. Moreover, the introduction of the FAO-Thiaroye Technique would reduce the use of wood fuels, which in turn benefits the conservation of the environment.

Not only would the technology become beneficial for the environment and the economy, it will make fish smoking less cumbersome especially for hard working women in the rural areas. The technological development in country’s fishing sector is recognized to be an essential component of SNV’s new and improved fish smoking restoration project.

The Country Director of FAO has said the organization is interested in developing longterm relationships and partnerships with important sponsors in developing and promoting the technology in other countries.

– Sandy Phan
Sources: WFP, SNV, FAO Photo: Global Press Journal