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Improving the preservation of fish caught by the Kismayo fishermen's cooperative

  • 2023 Winner

Franco-Somali Solidarity Association

Context

The Kismayo Fishermen's Cooperative, which unites 700 fishermen (301 of whom are women) in the Jubaland region of southern Somalia, lacks any refrigeration equipment. The fish caught spoil rapidly in local temperatures ranging from 28 to 38°C, resulting in production losses and limiting the income of the fishermen and their families. Equipped only with small boats, the fishermen cannot go to sea during the monsoon season, which runs from July to September, three months during which fishing is completely suspended in Kismayo. The need to install a 45m³ solar freezer (-18° to -23°C) has been identified, in order to store surplus catches for several months and organize the sale of frozen fish during the period when fishing is impossible and fish fetches higher prices.

  • In partnership with: Kismayo Fishermen's Cooperative

Project objectives

  • Improving the conservation and quality of fish caught by the Kismayo fishermen's cooperative
  • Reduce losses of fishery products due to poor preservation
  • Improving the income of fishermen and their families

    • Activities

  • Supply to the cooperative of a solar freezing chamber (-18° to -23°C) equipped with shelving and photovoltaic panels
  • Training fishermen in good hygiene and food safety practices for frozen seafood, using educational materials translated into Somali
  • Implementation of a monitoring system from the outset: twice-daily temperature readings, recording of fish weights
  • Organization of overfishing for cold storage by the cooperative

    • Direct beneficiaries

    700 fishermen from Kismayo and their families, including 301 women. The majority of the fishermen are between 25 and 40 years old.

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    Through its Microprojects division, the La Guilde association, in partnership with the French Development Agency, supports the implementation of microprojects in the service of sustainable development internationally.