Kenya & Tanzania – small-scale fishery value chain analysis. Report detailing risks, opportunities and constraints combined with details of potential interventions to help improved value.

This report details a value chain analysis of small-scale fisheries across six coastal communities in Kenya (Jimbo, Mkwiro, Vanga) and Tanzania (Jasini, Moa, Ndumbani), evaluating actor earnings, risks, and potential capital investments to reduce post-harvest losses. Across all communities, high-margin actors like dealers and traders consistently capture the highest net daily profits, whereas primary producers and processors—namely fishers, Mama Karangas (women who fry fish), and Mama Chemshas (women who boil/dry sardines)—operate on much lower profit margins and bear significant financial or operational risks. Because secondary processing (such as re-frying or salting unsold catch) generally degrades fish value and yields lower profit margins, targeted capital interventions—including solar-powered freezers, insulated cooler boxes, hygienic display cases, collapsible drying racks, and energy-efficient Jiko stoves—are recommended to improve shelf-life and product quality without inadvertently driving increased fishing effort.