All dealers in Europe insisted on the fact that the shipments from Lake Nyasa would have to be kept in a transit in Maputo before they could be put on board international flights.
All of them have experimented in the past with shipments which were sent directly from the fishing grounds through a connecting flight in the capital city of the exporting country. If, for any reason, the shipments failed to make the connexion, the shipments suffered very high or total losses as they were delayed for 24 hours or more. They also commented on the fact that forwarding stations in remote areas often lack the essential packing supplies which might have given the shipments a safety margin in travel time or insulation against cold or extreme heat.
From personal experience, the consultant agrees that the location of fishing grounds in remote areas imposes the extra investment and running costs of a transit station close to the international airport.
The consultant had to ascertain whether the water from the public utility in Maputo was compatible with the Lake Nyasa cichlid requirements. For this purpose he had purchased in Europe a pH and dH metre; the former was made available to him only for the lake Nyasa survey. The lake water readings on 4 November were pH 8.3, temperature 27.5°C.
To obtain first-hand data, and check on fish reactions to the Maputo tapwater, the consultant brought a few fishes to Maputo over a three-day overland trip from Metangula. Some fishes survived and proved that there is no basic incompatibility between the fishes' requirements and the Maputo water.
The acclimatization of the Lake Nyasa cichlids and storage up to several weeks would be easy provided they are protected from the heat at sea level. The problem of acclimatization of the fishes from the reefs around Pemba should not be difficult provided the water from the Bay of Delagoa be pure and free from urban pollution. It might be necessary to filter the sea water supply, and treat it with UV rays in order to prevent the outbreak of infections and epidemics.
The transit station in Maputo should also be located near the shore, be close to the city and the airport, and equipped to deal at the same time, but in separate rooms (to avoid the spread of infections from fishes from one biotope to those of the other against which they might not have any inborn immunity), with the Lake Nyasa cichlids and the marine fauna from Pemba or Inhaca and the mangroves nearby.
With careful organization, meticulous attention to fish handling and availability of supplies, as well as constant attention to the customer's preference and a sound and conservative sales policy, there is no doubt that the potential for exports through the Maputo station, either from Lake Nyasa or the coral reefs in the north would be very high (and even higher if both are combined in a single operation in Maputo).
In both cases everything will depend on the quality of the first shipments. Considering the risks involved in the Lake Nyasa project, and the facilities available - as well as the markets - for the Cabo Delgado undertaking it is evident that the latter should be given priority, and could be set up with success after a few months of preparation.
Later, when the Department of Fisheries infrastructure is developed in Metangula on Lake Nyasa, the experience gained in handling the marine fauna in Maputo will be valuable and help in the successful operation of ornamental cichlids.
In the meanwhile the Department of Fisheries could explore with the staff at its disposal such coastal lagoons, inland rivers and lakes which might enlarge upon the information already gathered on their fish inventories, and perhaps lead to an additional export of ornamental species, such as the C. neumanni, varieties of Synodontis or Notobranchius.
