Small-scale fish meal production under tropical conditions

Abstract

At the present time there is a world shortage of protein which affects both the human population and its livestock. This shortage is very pronounced in Uganda, where the principal locally grown foodstuffs are of a starchy nature, and, since the intake of food by humans or animals is limited by bulk, these foods cannot supply sufficient proteins for normal requirements. Certain amounts of meat, fish, beans and groundnuts are consumed, but the supply is far below the need. There is, however, a considerable waste of protein-rich food from the fish industry, which consists of unsaleable fish and fish offals. The consumption of fish by the Uganda population is greatly influenced by taboo and local taste, and because of this the demand for various species of fish varies from one district to another. The climatic conditions and the difficulties of transport make the distribution of fresh fish expensive.