Presentation outlines

Introduction

Global fisheries and aquaculture production

Aquaculture and fisheries trend of Nepal

Importance

Fish post harvest technology in Nepal

Scope

Challenges

Way forwards

Conclusion

References
Scope Of Fish Post Harvest Technology In Nepal

Introduction

Post-harvest fisheries is defined as what culminates into activities, processes, and steps after harvesting,
handling, processing, distributing, marketing, and consumption. Post harvest technology encompasses
the usage of optimum harvest factors, reduction of losses in handling, packaging, transportation and
storage with modern infrastructure machinery, processing into a wide variety of products, home scale
preservation with low cost technology. This also helps in increasing storability by using several
technology. Containers and packaging materials confer portability as well as extend the shelf-life.
Adoption of these techniques could make available a large quantity of food by avoiding losses and
provide better quality food and nutrition, more raw materials for processing, thus ensuring better
returns to the farmers. It has the capability to meet food requirement of growing population by
eliminating losses making more nutritive food items from raw commodities by proper processing and
fortification.

It has potential to create rural industries. This process has resulted in capital drain from rural to urban
areas, decreased empUse the "Insert Citation" button to add citations to this document.

loyment opportunities in the rural areas balance trade in favour of urban sector and mismatched growth
in economy and standard of living between rural and urban people. (Addis Getu*, 2015)

All activities within the post-harvest sector can be grouped under six sections. These are:

1. Harvesting

2. Handling,

3. Processing,

4. Distributing,

5. Marketing And

6. Consumption (FAO, 2015)

Harvesting

Fish are harvested in commercial fishing and aquaculture for its further use of processing by using
different fishing gears (Entee, 2015). The current total national fish production is 104,623 Mt of which 20
% is contributed by capture fisheries while 80% is from aquaculture in Nepal (CFPCC, 077/78).

Handling

When fish are captured or harvested for commercial purposes, they need some pre-processing so they
can be delivered to the next part of the marketing chain in a fresh and undamaged condition. Typical
handling processes are:

1. Transferring the catch from the fishing gear (such as a trawl, net or fishing line) to the fishing
vessel holding the catch before further handling

2. Sorting and grading

3. Bleeding, gutting and washing

4. Chilling

5. Storing the chilled fish

6. Unloading, or landing the fish when the fishing vessel returns to port (entee, 2015)

Proper handling of fish is necessary to control and slow down spoilage so that it reaches the consumer
fresh since fish is one of the most perishable commodities. Due to delicate nature and rapid
deterioration of fish muscles, that occurs if treated badly, it is extremely important to handle the
fish very carefully during all stages of transportation, retail distribution, processing, preservation and
marketing.

Good handling of fish brings about tremendous benefits to fishermen, processors and retailers
because consumers are always demanding and willing to pay for premium quality fish. The benefits to
fishermen are

1. Increased landed weights

2. Premium price
3. Reasonable payback period

4. Increased efficiency

Similarly benefit to processors

1. Faster offloading

2. Longer shelf life

3. Higher output

4. Increased yield (Alam, 2007)

Processing

Processing refers to mechanical or chemical operations performed on fish in order to transform or

preserve them (FAO, 2023) . Many ways of processing have developed to either increase the appeal of
the product (e.g. fillets) or increase the shelf-life (e.g. drying, salting, smoking, freezing) Some
techniques are based on temperature control. These include icing the fish, refrigeration or freezing.
Other techniques involve the removal of water from fish. These include drying, salting and smoking
(FAO, Post-harvest issues in fisheries and aquaculture, 2015).

Marketing

Marketing is a broad term that encompasses all the

interactions involved from the point of production to
the end consumer (Engle CR, 2006). Market
infrastructure includes wholesale market, retail
market and fish retail outlets (Gupta SK, 2008). In
general, there are four types of middlemen engaged
in marketing fish: Brokers, wholesalers, wholesalers-
retailers, and retailer. Price of fish depends on
market structure, species quality, demand, size and weight of fish species. (Abdurrahman, 2017). There
are 1681 fish market and 22,406 farmer’s pond sites from which fish marketing are carried out and 69
live fish selling stall for the selling of live fish in Nepal (NFS, 2017). More people want to buy live fish
from the stall. Facilities at fish markets are minimal, with poor hygiene and sanitation. There are no
standard practices for handling, washing, sorting, grading, cleaning and icing of fish. The retailer in the
rural market sell their fish just keeping the fish on the polythene in the ground or in the hundies. In the
urban area, fish stall has been developed for selling fish due to government subsidies which encourage
to construct the stall of fish. In the Kathmandu valley, Kalimati wholesale market center has developed a
fish marketing infrastructure that includes chilled, refrigerated and icing facilities. These facilities are
used by fish traders at all levels, including middlemen, wholesalers, retailers and vendors on a
community and co-operative basis (………).

The dried fish products available in the market of Nepal are in the form of sun-dried, smoked, spicy
instant fish and fish pickle. Marketing system of dried fish varies for indigenous captured fish, cultured
fish and imported fish. The main source of sun-dried fish in Nepal is from India. The sun- dried fish
imported from India were transported in heavy trucks by packing in jute bags and delivered to wholesale
markets of dried fish. One variety of instant spicy-dried fish in vacuum packed plastic bag was imported
from China by road through Tatopanni. Processed Penaeus spp. and 146 processed Stolephorus spp.
imported by cargo from Thailand and Brunei, respectively by packing in plastic bags (Pradhan et al.,
2017). Vacuum packed rainbow trout from Nepal is sale from the departmental stores. Sun dried and
smoked indigenous fish species of Nepal are sale in the highway of Malekhu Bazzar and other high way
adjacent market

Fish Marketing Channel Most of the fisheries and aquaculture production in Nepal is consumed by the
domestic market (Labh et al., 2017). Fish marketing channel has not been systematic in Nepal (Karki,
2016). Fish marketing system in Nepal varies from place to place. Large numbers of intermediaries are
involved in the distribution process of fresh fish marketing. Farmers themselves either sell their fish
from the production site or send it to local markets. In case of huge production, fish is generally
marketed through contractors (Mishra and Kunwar, 2014; Karki, 2016). There are also farmer’s
organizations that produce fish and sell them through cooperatives. The Rupa lake Restoration and
Fishery Cooperative Ltd., Harpan Fewa Fish Cooperative and Begnas Fish Entrepreneur Committee have
sell their fish from their fish landing sites through Cooperative / committee directly to the consumers.
Different types of fish and fish products sold in Nepalese
marketsarelivefish,dried/smokedfish,fishfillets,cannedfish (department stores), vacuum-packed fish
(trout fishes), and wet fish preserved in iced form from India and Nepal. Live
andfreshfisharefoundtofetchahighermarketpricethanthe ones imported from India due to consumers’
demand for native fresh fish [44]. From place to place and species to species, the prices of fish vary.
Rainbow trout are sold at the rate ofNRS 900–1100/kg, whileCommoncarp, Rohu,Mrigal, Catla, and
grass carp are sold at the rate of NRS 300–450/kg, and Silver carp, Bighead carp, Nile tilapia, and striped
catfish are sold at NRS 200–350/kg. In Pokhara valley, sukuti (the driedfish)aresoldattherateof1500–
2000/kg,whiletheprice of dried smoked fish ranges from NRS 3000–5000/kg [45]. In Nepal, the fish
marketing system varies from place to place. Some farmers sell their fish directly from their site of
production or send their produce to local markets. In some places, large intermediaries are involved in
distribution. There are some farmer’s organizations such as Begnas Fish Entre- preneur Committee, The
Rupa Lake Restoration and Fishery Cooperative Ltd., and Harpan Fewa Fish Cooperative that produce
and sell through cooperatives [44]. The different marketing channels existing in Nepalese fish markets
are as follows:

(1) Fish farmer- middleman/collectors/contractors- commissionagents-wholesalers-retailers-

consumers

(2) Fish farmer- retailers- consumers

(3) Fish farmer- middleman/collectors/contractors- re- tailers- consumers

(4) Fish farmer- middleman/collectors/contractors- wholesalers- retailers- consumers

(5) Fish farmer- fish cooperative/fish entrepreneur committee- consumers

(6) Fish farmer- middleman/collectors/contractors- consumers, source

Consumption

According to FAO stat the lowest fish consumption per

capita was 0.150 kg in the year 1961 and the maximum
consumption was 2.20 kg in 2011 whereas, Fish
consumption per capita in 2013 was 2.10 kg in Nepal.
China has accounted for most of the world growth with
per capita fish supply of about 32.4 kg. Nepal has been
ranked 144th within the group of 160 countries, 2
places behind the position seen 10 years ago . The per
capita fish consumption is highest in Central
Development Region (1730g), then in Eastern Fish consumption per capita in Nepal.
Development Region (1129g), Eastern Development
Region (1037g), Mid-Western Development Region (762g), and least in Far-Western Development
Region (354g) (GURUNG, 2016). Rohu, followed by Bachuwa (pangasius), Naini, Catla and Magur are the
fishes which are mostly consumed in Nepal (Rachana Budhathoki*, 2018).

Per capita fish consumption (in gram) in a year 2014

in different development region.

Global fisheries and aquaculture production

Global production of aquatic animals was estimated at 178 million tonnes in 2020, a slight
decrease from the all-time record of 179 million tonnes in 2018 . Capture fisheries contributed
90 million tonnes (51 percent) and aquaculture 88 million tonnes (49 percent). Of the total
production, 63 percent (112 million tonnes) was harvested in marine waters (70 percent from
capture fisheries and 30 percent from aquaculture) and 37 percent (66 million tonnes) in inland
waters (83 percent from aquaculture and 17 percent from captu fisheries). The total first sale
value of the global production was estimated at USD 406 billion, comprising USD 141 billion for
capture fisheries and USD 265 billion for aquaculture. In addition to aquatic animals, 36 million
tonnes (wet) weight) of algae were produced in 2020, of which 97 percent originated from
aquaculture. mostly marine aquaculture. Of the overall production of aquatic animals, over 157
million tonnes (89 percent) were used for human consumption. The remaining 20 million
tonnes were destined for non-food uses, to produce mainly fishmeal and fish oil (16 million
tonnes or 81 percent)

Aquaculture and fisheries trend of Nepal (2010-2021)

This graph shows that there is annual increment in the fisheries production which is directly
related to fish consumption. Thus it shows that there is increment in culture fisheries
production which changed drastically in year 2020/21

Importance

1. Reduce post harvest loss - Globally, fish losses are estimated to be 10-12 t. per year
around 10% of the total production from capture fisheries and aquaculture (Ward and
Signa, 2017)
 Asian countries and developing countries experience 32% and 30% losses respectively
between harvesting and selling fish (Gunasekera et al.,(2017)

handling and storage (6%),

processing and packaging (9%),

distribution (15%), and

consumption (2%)

Fish losses, in quantity and quality, are driven by inefficiencies in value chains. Many
developing countries – especially the least developed economies – still lack adequate
infrastructure, services and know-how for adequate onboard and onshore handling and
preservation. Inability to access electricity, potable water, roads, ice, cold storage and
refrigerated transport represents a major handicap. Effective fish loss and waste
reduction requires the application of a multidimensional and multi-stakeholder
approach. Such a broad approach considers the factors affecting national capacities in
loss prevention such as supportive policies and legislation as well as skills, knowledge,
services, infrastructure and technology. Understanding how these different factors
interact in a given context, influenced by factors related to location, species, climate and
culture, is important in order to be able to design effective and sustainable solutions.
This approach is promoted by the FAO Voluntary Code of Conduct for Food Loss and
Waste Reduction (FAO, 2021). It should be emphasized that reducing fish loss and waste
can lead to a reduction in pressure on fishery stocks and contribute to improving
resource sustainability as well as food and nutrition security.

2. Contributes to food and nutrition security

I. Protein and calorie intake

II. Micronutrient and fatty acid supply

III. Rich food for poor people

 IV. Food security through employment for the poor

3. Quality assurance

Quality losses in fresh fishes due to the inappropriate use of preservation technologies
can be solved by the use of post harvest technology. Maintaining and enhancing the
quality of fish and fish product using several international protocols is under post
harvest technology.

4. Extends shelf and storage life

Processed fish Storage life Sources

Smoked fish 2-3 weeks, or 2-3 Duarte,A.M(2020)

months when frozen

Frozen fish 3 to 8 months Immaculate, K. (2013)

Dried fish 3 to 6 months S,Marcin (2022)

Chilled fish 10-12 days Duarte,A.M(2020)

Fermented fish 90 days M, Prasanta (2014)

5. Expand marketing opportunities

Product diversification –

Fish post harvest technology in Nepal

Traditional Fish Processing Technologies

Salting

Salting is by far the most influential form of fish preservation and trade, serving as the precursor for
international commodity trading. The principle is based on the knowledge that food-poisoning bacteria
cannot live in salty conditions and a concentration of 6–10% salt in fish tissue will prevent bacterial
activity, thereby impacting a longer shelf life. However, a group of micro-organisms known as
“halophytic bacteria” are salt-loving and will spoil the salted fish even at a concentration of 6–10%
(Akintola, 2017). Traditional methods of using salt usually involve removing the guts and gills and cutting
the flesh into pieces before rubbing salt into the flesh or making alternate layers (Babare RS, 2013). The
recommended levels of salt usage are 30–40% of the prepared weight of the fish (Akintola, 2017)

Sun-drying

This process consists of the use of the sun and movement of air to remove moisture and preserve the
fish. In order to prevent spoilage, the moisture content needs to be reduced to 25% or less. The time it
takes to dry fish products depends on the nature of the product, the intensity of the sun, and the
surfaces used for drying. The simplest form of drying involves exposing whole small fish or split large fish
to heat from the sun by placing products either directly on the ground, roofs, nets, and mats placed on
the ground or on racks. However, this technique makes the fish susceptible to predations by animals.
This method is commonly used in the Northern parts of the country, due to the sun’s intensity and other
favourable conditions such as dry weather, low humidity, and clear skies (SL., 2015). Sun-drying has
found favour with fishmongers for centuries, producing fish meat that is condensed, saturated with oil,
translucent and amber in colour, dense in consistency, and pleasant in taste. Impediments to the use of
this method are related to product quality as well as safety. Sun-drying does not allow very much
control over drying times, and it also exposes the fish to attack by insects or vermin and there are all
possibilities of contamination by sand and dirt. Other constraints include considerable product losses,
lower fish quality because of contamination by foreign materials, reduced protein quality, insects and
micro-organisms as well as discolouring by ultraviolet radiation (Tiwari GN, 2007) .

Smoking

Smoking is used mainly to preserve fish, partly by drying and partly by adding naturally produced anti-
microbiological constituents such as phenols from the smoke to the fish. Smoking is a preferred method
of preservation because it dries the fish, melts some fat out of the fish, and reduces microbial growth.
When this is achieved, smoking is expected to extend the shelf life of most fish products to several
weeks. However, in recent times it is being used in addition to preservation to achieve the characteristic
taste and appearance of the smoked fish. Heat from the fire causes drying, and if the temperature is
high enough, the flesh becomes cooked. Both of these factors prevent bacterial growth and enzyme
activity, thus preventing spoilage (Akintola, 2017) .

Scope

1. Contribution on GDP

Although Nepal ranks quite lower in terms of production, the impact exerted by aquaculture on the
national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) cannot be ignored as 2.47% of the nation’s agricultural GDP is
contributed by fisheries and aquaculture (R. Budhathoki) .

2. To reduce post harvest loss

Post-harvest loss can be physical (e.g. fish that is discarded, eaten by insects or unfit for human
consumption) or qualitative (e.g. relatively low price for a product because of quality deterioration).
Both relate directly to loss of income and loss of fish as food.

● Time, temperature and handling influence the rate of spoilage of fresh fish.

● Improper processing methods can damage the fish and decrease its value.

● Allowing contamination from insects or predation by animals will decrease the value of the product

● Packaging, transportation and storage can influence the quality of the product before it reaches the
market.

At aquaculture site:

The photograph on the left shows how mangrove clearing for the building of aquaculture production
sites reduces biodiversity and protection from potential climate change and natural disasters. The
photograph on the right refers to high farming density, which can cause physical loss due to higher
mortality from disease or lack of oxygen.

During fishing:

If nets are not checked and cleared regularly, there is the risk of quality loss due to spoiled or rotten fish.
Also, there is a risk of physical loss due to predation from other fish. If not harvested carefully, the flesh
of the fish can be damaged (e.g. squeezed, ripped).
Storing fish on board

If fish is kept without ice and not gutted, it will quickly spoil, especially in high temperatures and in
improper storage containers. Fish stored at the bottom of the boat can be stepped on.

Offloading the catch

Long bargaining processes and offloading times in high temperatures can spoil the product if it is not
properly kept on ice. There is also a risk that fish falls out of the baskets or is stolen in the crowd.

Fresh fish marketing

A lack of ice and proper containers has a negative impact on the quality of the fish. If the fish is exposed
on the ground, it risks contamination from dirt and insects.

Processing and packaging

Fish quality will suffer if the processing is done in an inappropriate environment (e.g. on the floor) and
without the appropriate hygiene measures (e.g. clean water, no smoking during processing).

Storage

If storage containers are not used correctly (e.g. not properly closed), they will not protect the fish from
high temperature, insects and exposure to other sources of contamination.

Distribution

Transporting fresh fish in the trunk of a car or on other supports (e.g. donkey, bicycle) without ice and
without proper packaging exposes it to high temperature and the risk of contamination with dirt and
from insects

3. Product Diversification

Drying is one of the most commonly practiced method of fish preservation in Nepal and is a traditional
and primitive preservation method. It is also one of the world’s oldest known preservation method
(Govindan, 1985). Dried fish products are mostly used by all communities and considered sacred and is
offered to various deities during festivals in Nepal (Pathak, 2007). Dried fish is as important as fresh in
terms of protein consumption as the crude protein levels are likely to be almost twice those of fresh fish
in terms of quantity, if not quality (Murray FJ, 2000).

Diversity of dried fish products

S. no Fish species Body weight, Total length (cm) Price (NRs /kg)
(g)
1 Sidra (Puntius spp.) (big size) 1.3±0.5 4.5±0.9 400±150

2 Sidra (Puntius spp.) (small size) 1.0±0.3 4.0±0.6 400±100

3 Singhi (Mystus seenghala) 0.7±0.1 3.4±0.3 260±0.19

4 Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys 12.0±1.7 13.7±0.7 300±70

spp.)
5 Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) 3.2±3.4 6.9±3.3 200±50

Canned fish
Dried fish
 Packet fish Isinglass Fish oil

Fish cutlet Fish pickel

 Source :

4. Nutritional value

Fish is a rich source of animal protein, amino acids, folic acids, ω-3, vitamins and micronutrients useful
for health benefit to all age group (Limbu KP, 2012) . especially for brain development, memory, mental
and cardiac health (Swanson D, 2012), working against Alzheimer disease and dementia (Philibert A,
2013). The ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid reduces free fatty acids, plasma triglyceride, cholesterol
concentrations and platelet aggregation leading to decreasing blood pressure, blood clotting and
atherosclerosis (Vasantha S, 2015).
5. Employment oppurtunities

In 2020, an estimated 58.5 million were engaged as full-time, part-time, occasional or unspecified
workers in fisheries and aquaculture, and of these approximately 21 percent were women. By sector, 35
percent were employed in aquaculture and 65 percent in capture fisheries

Employment in various post harvest operations such as

– Cleaning fish

– Filleting

– Processing

– Packaging

– Selling

– Marketing

– Trading

As per the many studies we can conclude that there are significant employment opportunities
for women employment.

6. Import substitution

Nepal had expenses of NRs 430,568,423 to import only live fish in 2019 (TEPC, 2019). In 2020, import of
processed fish - $13.3 K. Various forms of imports are:

 dried fish (75%) imported from India

 canned fish

 fillet

 vaccum packed fish

This import can be substituted by increased production of fish and adapting new technology in fish
processing as Nepalese fishes are obtained in fresher forms than indian fishes.
7. By – product utilization

The by-products are usually composed of heads (accounting for 9–12 percent of total fish weight),
viscera (12–18 percent), skin (1–3 percent), bones (9–15 percent) and scales (about 5 percent).
Historically, fish by-products were often diverted to the production of fishmeal or discarded as waste,
resulting in economic losses and environmental problems. The processing of by-products often involves
significant environmental and technical challenges due to the high microbial and enzyme load of the raw
material and its susceptibility to rapid degradation unless processed or stored properly. The fillets are
the most valuable in terms of protein, but heads, frames, fillet cut-offs, belly flaps and parts of the
viscera such as liver and roe are particularly good sources of nutrients such as long-chain omega-3 fatty
acids, vitamins A, D and B12, as well as minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus and selenium.
By applying processing technologies to parts of the fish traditionally not eaten, they can be converted
into highly nutritious products at a low cost such as fish sausages, pâté, cakes, snacks, soups, sauces and
other products for human consumption.

Small fish bones with a minimum amount of meat are consumed as snacks in some countries.
Furthermore, these by-products can be converted into flour and used as a flour substitute in breads,
pastries, cakes and noodles to add nutrients such as protein and calcium.

Gelatine made from skin and bones can be further processed into edible films and edible coatings for
food applications. Fish gelatine is an alternative to bovine and porcine gelatine and can stabilize
emulsions. Fish bones, in addition to providing collagen and gelatine, are also an excellent source of
calcium and other minerals such as phosphorus, which can be used as feed or food supplements

Fish collagen is considered to be an alternative to collagen from bovines and pigs and has recently been
recognized as a promising biomaterial with great potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical
applications (Junianto, 2021).

Fish oil contains a large quantity of long-chain PUFAs, which cannot be synthesized by the human body
and provide a wide range of critical functions for human health. According to IFFO, in 2020, 27 percent
of the global production of fishmeal and 48 percent of the total production of fish oil were obtained
from by-products (IFFO, 2021; Figure 37). Nevertheless, fishmeal and fish oil are still considered the
most nutritious and most digestible ingredients for farmed fish, as well as the major source of omega-3
fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) in animal diets.
Fish silage, a rich protein hydrolysate that contains high amounts of essential amino acids, is a less
expensive alternative to fishmeal and fish oil, and it is increasingly used as a feed additive, for example,
in aquaculture and the pet-food industry. By using a technology such as fish silage, fish and parts of the
fish not used as human food could easily be preserved and transformed into a valuable feed input

Thus, timely collection and treatment of by-products is crucial for their further processing.

Challenges

• Lack of improved processing technologies

• Poor storage and handling practices

• Traveling long distances to markets

• Absence of more sophisticated processing and market infrastructure

• limited access to financing, and low levels of technical expertise hindered progress in this area

Way forward
• Policy from national planning commission for infrastructure development

• Fish marketing and promotion of fish products

• Improvisation on transportation, storage and packaging system of fish

• Standard and regulations of international practices

Conclusion

• Post harvest technology refers to the activities procedure and steps that follows harvesting,
handling, processing, distribution, marketing and finally the consumption of fish

• Globally, fish losses are estimated to be 10-12 Mt. per year so to reduce this post harvest loss,
extend shelf and storage life of fish post harvest technology is important

• Drying ,smoking, fermentation, refrigeration are the post harvest practices in nepal but due to
lack of improved processing technologies, poor storage and handling practices post harvest loss
are observed.
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