Federal lawmaker, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, has taken significant strides toward empowering women in the Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State by training them on modern fish smoking methods. The initiative aims to enhance productivity, boost sales, and improve health conditions for fish smokers.
Hon. Abiante, who represents the Andoni-Opobo-Nkoro federal constituency in the House of Representatives, organized a three-day training program titled “Alternative Smoking and Provision of Fish Smoking Kilns.”
The event, held in Port Harcourt, was designed to educate local women, primarily from riverine communities, on alternative, healthier methods of fish smoking. His goal was to tackle the health risks associated with traditional fish smoking practices and encourage the use of modern techniques to stimulate the local economy.
During his address at the program’s grand finale, Abiante expressed his concern over the health hazards posed by the old smoking methods, particularly the dangers of inhaling smoke during the process.
He said, “When you go to smoke or dry your fish the old way, you inhale a lot of smoke. We are looking at the health aspects now. And when you continuously inhale the smoke, I do not know because I’m not a medical doctor. But I believe it could have medical implications, especially with the lungs.”
Read Also:
Rivers Governor Fubara Reassures Citizens of Impactful Projects
GODO Warns Ogoni Youth to Turn Away from Political Rift in Rivers
He further emphasized that adopting modern fish smoking technologies would not only reduce health risks but also improve the quality of the smoked fish, thereby adding value to the products. “It will improve the quality of what you are bringing,” he added.
Hon. Abiante applauded the women for participating in the training, noting that the skills they acquired would enhance their livelihoods. He pointed out, “What we’ve tried to do is to let us know that there are better ways of doing the same old things we have always known how to do.”
“Send it to any part of the world, earn good money, earn good resources,” he advised.
Dr. Ibifubara Ayaobu-Cookey, an Assistant Director at the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, highlighted the success of the training, which focused on addressing post-harvest losses often encountered by fishers. He said, “This training was meant for fisher folk, especially the women fisher folk, in four clusters. Some of them are doing business in Creek Road Market.”
According to Ayaobu-Cookey, the modern smoking techniques introduced during the training would help the women preserve fish for longer periods, giving them the flexibility to sell their products at a later date while avoiding spoilage.
He expressed optimism that the training could significantly contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if sustained, benefiting both the riverbank communities and the fisherfolk.
