BAHIR DAR - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the support of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and the Bahir Dar City Administration, has opened the women’s fish-processing and trading unit in the Kebele 13 district of Bahir Dar city. The facilities will provide local fisher-folk with a centre to receive, clean, and process fish and a market for trading fresh filleted fish, all in compliance with hygienic and sanitary standards.

The construction of the facilities is part of the UNIDO project, Technical and institutional capacity building for increase in the production, development and sustainable management of the aquaculture and fisheries value chains in Ethiopia, funded by the Russian Federation as an integral part of the UNIDO Partnership for Country Programme (PCP) in Ethiopia. The project will develop institutional support and training capacity to promote sustainable and inclusive economic diversification, efficient fisheries and aquaculture value chains and food security, as well as to contribute to environmental resource preservation and management. The project, carried out on the shores of Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile, supports sustainable fishing practices and local aquaculture entrepreneurs.

The women’s fish market is used by more than 100 women within 10 registered enterprises, who are cleaning, cutting and selling fresh fish. Approximately 80 of the women at the market have already participated in training provided by the project on good processing practices and hygienic standards and are applying the skills at the newly inaugurated market site. Through established food-standard compliant infrastructure and skills training, the quality of the fish products supplied to local consumers will increase, and the working conditions for the women fish processors will improve.