Fish Quality Assurance

Abstract

Lake Victoria fishery resources are of great socio-economic, nutritional and food security significance to over 30 million people in the region, and to the international community. The proliferation of Nile perch in the 1990s increased the dynamics in the fisheries sector as people moved from the hinterlands to the Lake region to engage in Nile perch processing. This has also attracted global and domestic concerns and as a result, has revolutionized fish quality assurance practices around Lake Victoria. Consequently, there was a need to enforce quality assurance measures and increase public awareness on fish quality assurance issues in accordance with the relevant national laws and regulations. To conform to the export market standards, the government adopted the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programme, and implemented the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) measures. It facilitated a mechanism that ensured the overall improvement of the quality assurance chain such as instituting traceability chains, the construction of and equipping the national fish laboratory and conducting regular monitoring and analysis of microbiological and chemical parameters in fish, water and sediments. Fishers and other stakeholders were trained in sanitation and hygiene to ensure that the fish and fishery products are of the highest quality and safe for human consumption. This resulted into an increase in fish exports and significant reduction of Nile perch post-harvest losses, as can be evidenced from the national fishery statistics for the period 1986–2011. As a result, customers are satisfied with compliance in fish quality control and safety assurance measures or programmes in place.