Industry Started

Dried Fish Flakes Industry Started At Kia, BSIP

From PlM’s Honiara Correspondent The people of Kia, in the

Western Solomons, are making

an all-out effort to establish a processing factory for the pro duction of dried fish flakes.

THEY are working under the guid ance of Mr. M. L. Aylett, Fisheries Officer in the Solomons, and the Co-operative Societies Officer, Mr.

M. B, Hamilton.

The Kia people put up a building surrounded by fly wire, and the Government provided a stove and boiler made from 44-gallon drums.

The first large quantity of dried fish was produced from a catch of the Government fishing vessel, San Juanita.

After boiling the fish, which were held in wire baskets in the water, they were spread out on trays.

The bones, skin and scales were taken out by hand to avoid waste.

Then the flesh was finely crumbled and dried for about two hours.

After drying, the flakes were placed in bags made from polythene tubing.

A metal clamp pinched the edges to gether and they were finally sealed by a small kerosene lamp (from an old ship’s navigation light) running along a slide.

Fifty pounds of dried flakes were sent into Honiara for distribution as samples. They were made from 312 lb of dressed fish.

The flakes must be soaked in water before use or they can be put straight into soups or stews.

If a market for the flakes develops the women of Kia will do all the processing at the factory. Even the young girls are very adept at drying and packaging the flakes.

The catching of the fish will be left to the men.

It seems to be quite a good enter prise, but whether it will catch on with the native market remains to be seen.

It only needs a few buyers to ex press a dislike for the product and the whole business will flop.

The experiments have been with tuna, mackerel and trevally. Sharks have not been used, but will be used later as a further experiment.