{Lack of fish preservation facilities is affecting fish production and profitability among the fishing population on Lake Kivu and fish traders in Budiki market of Gihundwe sector. Fish-mongers say that once they fail to clear off the fish stock on the same day, they are certain of making losses since the fish just rot.}
They have appealed to Ministry of Trade and Industry to provide either cooling facilities, drying technologies or fish-milling facilities so they can add value on the catch. The business is dominated by women.
“We already knowledge of how we can preserve our fish for sale to distant markets but we have no means of harnessing the technologies. The project would have started if we had a partner,” said Simbarikure, one of the fish mongers.
The MINICOM officer in charge of cross-border trade Rurezamfizi Apollinaire promised to advocate for the provision of fish preservation facilities to the people of Gihundwe cell.
A total of 538 men and women come together in three cooperatives in Gihundwe cell selling fish amounting to 4 tons every week, mainly to Democratic Republic of Congo.
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