From 1989 to 1992, the Bay of Bengal Programme’s (BOBP) Post-Harvest Fisheries Project, funded by the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) of U.K., has been working together with the Kanniyakumari District Fishermen’s Sangams Federation (KDFSF) based in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India, to provide assistance in resolving several problems associated with the traditional practice of drying and marketing Anchovy. It was shown that losses in potential earnings as a result of poor fish landing, spoilage and low product quality were very significant. This was due primarily to the local practice of drying the fish directly on the beach sand.

An analysis of the market, both domestic and export, provided several important insights into the potential for developing value-added and higher quality products based on the existing, traditional kattumaram fishery. These have shown that dried Anchovy is a highly desirable product amongst a wide range of socio-economic groups in many countries, ranging from West Asia through South Asia to Southeast Asia. Given quality and presentational improvements, a quality premium is payable which can mean a fivefold increase in the product’s wholesale price.

Simple and low-cost drying racks made from casuarina poles and second-hand netting were developed with the participation of artisanal fishermen from Kanniyakumari. These were demonstrated as being a technically and socio-economically desirable means of achieving improvements in product quality and providing a simple method of enhancing producers’ incomes.

This paper describes not only the development of the technical systems which have helped the KDFSF and fishermen achieve these results. but also discusses the methodologies and socio-economic considerations behind the project. Emphasis is placed on analysing potential impact on the target communities.