Participatory Evaluation of Some Fish Drying Methods in Tekeze Reservoir Fishery Wag-Himra Zone, Ethiopia

This study aimed to evaluate and select the best technology among the drying methods through fishers’ participation. Data were collected from the observation and training program for 14 cooperatives in 3 districts from April 2018 to March 2019. A total of 28 fishers participated in the participatory approach. Three treatments (solar tent drying with salting, open-air drying with salting, and open-air drying) were conducted, and the primary data were summarized and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The recorded temperature inside the solar tent was in the range of 22.6 ℃ to 52.9 ℃, and the environmental air temperature was in the range of 25.5 ℃ to 42.9 ℃, whereas the average humidity was under 40% that was ‘Dry.’ The moisture content of the cyprinidae family in a solar tent drier significantly differed from the other treatments, but it was not significant for the cichlidae family. The fishers’ perception of solar tent drier (T1) was acceptable on most statements like short duration for drying, low moisture content, good quality (taste, color, and odor), long shelf life, and easily reduce post-harvest loss. However, fishers had less confidence to use open-air drying with salting (T2) and open-air drying (T3) due to the vulnerability of these methods for animals, insects, birds, dust and rainfall and short shelf life with low quality. Therefore, solar tent drier in the form large scale like a greenhouse on multi-rack dome may be the best option to reduce post-harvest loss and avoid the discarding and dumping of the fishers’ harvest at in some remote areas Tekeze Reservoir fishery.