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New fish smoking ovens launched in Asia
Technology pioneered by FAO boosts incomes, provides better food and protects health 21 November 2017, Rome/Unnichchai SRI LANKA - The traditional method of fish-smoking in this small fishing
community in eastern Sri Lanka sees women spending many hours tending to fish laid out on mesh over smoking coals. Health hazards from smoke inhalation are high, while the output from such intensive labour is often
low. That is now changing with the introduction of new smoking ovens pioneered by FAO under a program funded by the European Union.
Developing new technology Since 2008 FAO has worked on developing the FTT-Thiaroye, an improved fish smoking and drying oven technology. The oven can be purpose built, or the
smoke-capturing chimney, oil-catching trays and other elements can be added to an existing oven. It is designed to improve fuel-efficiency in fish-smoking by encapsulating heat and smoke. It also addresses health hazards suffered by small-scale fish dryers
- the vast majority of whom are women. The FAO technology was first introduced in Africa, where 12 countries have now adopted it. Women using old methods of fish-smoking over
an open fire often suffer eye and skin irritations and respiratory disease from the smoke. However, African women who have adopted the new method have improved their health, significantly increased their income, reduced their costs, cut down on losses, improved
the quality and safety of their smoked fish, and were able to improve their family's food security and nutrition. In June this year, FAO with the European Union Support to District Development Programme (EU-SDDP) introduced the new smoking technology to Asia for the first
time, starting with Sri Lanka where fish is a major source of livelihoods and nutrition.
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