22 July 2013: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) released a report on the importance of fish drying racks for increased production, livelihoods and nutrition in Burundi’s Lake Tanganyika.

According to the report, fish drying racks have decreased post harvest losses thereby allowing for increased production without increased pressure on fish stocks. The drying racks were developed as part of a FAO project, implemented in collaboration with the Burundi Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in 2004 and 2005.

The report, titled ‘Simple Fish-drying Racks Improve Livelihoods and Nutrition in Burundi,’ notes that at the end of the project, 500 people were using the drying racks, and that at present, this number has grown to about 2,000. As a result, over 12,000 people are benefiting from income generation, inland markets have better access to fish protein, and the sector is benefiting from increased investment.

The report highlights a number of challenges, including access to new storage and transport technologies and new opportunities to access micro-credit, especially among women who are losing some of their market share. [Publication: Simple Fish-drying Racks Improve Livelihoods and Nutrition in Burundi] [FAO Press Release]