Under the Enhancing livelihoods and food security through fisheries with nearshore fish aggregating devices in the Pacific Ocean (FishFAD) project funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) and the Samoa Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Fisheries Division), a five-day training workshop was conducted for community fish processors in a fisher community location identified for potential revenue generation activities from post-harvest processing of pelagic species. The training program aimed to equip the community processors with the necessary knowledge and skills in safe sanitation operating procedures, fish processing techniques, and utilization of offcuts from processing activities to produce novel tuna products, such as tuna sausages, savoury dried tuna, tuna samosas, tuna burgers, and smoked pelagic products.
The training workshop was highly interactive and inclusive, with participants representing various groups, including Samoa Fisheries, representatives of women's groups from communities in different villages in Samoa, Tilapia Farmers, Alia owners, and few larger scale fishing businesses. The wide array of representation made the training program a training-of-trainers workshop, where the participants could share their knowledge and experiences with each other.
Throughout the five days of training, participants were exposed to various aspects of fish processing and recipes, including handling, cutting, cleaning and preserving. They were also reminded about the importance of safe sanitation operating procedures to ensure the safety and quality of the products. The trainers demonstrated the techniques and provided hands-on practice opportunities to the participants, allowing them to showcase their creativity. At the end of the training, a friendly competition was organized where participants were tasked with creating their own tuna products, which included tuna patties, samosas and tuna sausages, leading to a vibrant and nutritious showcase of various dishes on the final day.
At the end of the workshop, the participants agreed that the workshop was enjoyable, interactive, and had allowed participants to learn and showcase their creativity. The participants appreciated the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge that would help them improve their income-generating activities. They also recognized the importance of safe food handling practices and pledged to implement the skills they had learned to ensure the safety and quality of their products.
The training program for community fish processors in Samoa equipped participants with new skills and knowledge to process premium cuts of pelagic fish and utilize offcuts for tuna products, improving their economic opportunities and livelihoods. The program emphasized safe food handling practices and fish processing techniques, resulting in engaged participants who creatively applied their learning. Overall, the program is expected to have a positive impact on the local fishing industry and improve the lives of community processors.
Ms Xiangun Yao, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands acknowledged the on-going support of the Government of Japan as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and noted that “it is essential to continue investing in such training programs to empower the fishing communities to realize the full potential of the fishery sector in Samoa and other Pacific countries”.
The FishFAD project is a partnership with seven different countries in the Pacific, each in a different development stage in their nearshore fish aggregating device (FAD) fisheries. Over a three-year period, the project aims to improve the fisheries management of nearshore resources and respond to emerging gaps in marine resources.
The participating countries are: Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.