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Freshwater catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and marine catfish (Galeichthys feliceps) were smoked using Acacia raddiana (Moriela), Prosopis julifora ("Mathenge"), Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Cocos nucifera (Coconut husks) in view to assess and compare the organoleptic scores-taste, appearance and overall acceptability of the smoked fish. Insect and mould attack was also monitored during storage. The scores for taste for marine catfish were better than that for freshwater catfish irrespective of the plant materials used. Taste for freshwater catfish and marine catfish smoked with Acacia was significantly different (p<0.05). Appearance and overall acceptability for freshwater catfish smoked with Acacia, Prosopis (Mathenge), Neem, and Coconut husks was better than marine catfish though not significantly different (p<0.05). The scores for taste, appearance and overall acceptability for marine catfish smoked with Acacia, Prosopis, Neem and Coconut husks were not significantly different (p<0.05). Acacia had better taste, appearance and overall acceptability scores. For freshwater catfish smoked with Acacia, Prosopis, Neem and Coconut husks, scores for taste, appearance and overall acceptability were not significantly different (p<0.05). Insects were first detected in the marine catfish smoked by Acacia and Prosopis on day 35, 48 and 56 recording score 1, 2 and 3 respectively. For Coconut husk and Neem smoked marine catfish, insects appeared on day 48 and 56 with scores of 1 and 2 respectively. In the freshwater catfish smoked by Prosopis, insects were first noticed on day 35 and 48 with scores of 2 and 3. For those smoked with Acacia and Coconut husks the first insect attack was on day 48 with a score of 1 and scores of 2 and 3 respectively on day 56. The first insect attack on Neem smoked catfish was day 56. Mould was first detected in the marine catfish smoked with Prosopis and Coconut husks on day 35 and on Acacia and Neem on day 48 of storage. In the freshwater catfish, mould was first detected in the fish smoked by Acacia, Prosopis and Coconut husks on day 14 of storage and on fish smoked with Neem on day 56. The Neem tree delays insect and mould attack in smoked fish during storage. The percentage moisture recorded on day 0, 14, 21, 28, 35, 48 till 56 correspond to days when mould was noticed on the fish during storage and it increased with storage time. The 4 trees can be used in marine and freshwater catfish smoking for human consumption.

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Small-scale fisheries in Kenya contribute about 4.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in spite of high post-harvest losses. Post-harvest interventions in fisheries enable fishers and fish processors to reduce waste, maintain nutritional aspects and meet stringent demands in food quality and safety. This review highlights the benefits and pitfalls of various fish post-harvest management interventions in order to drive policy dialogue and formulation of a regulatory framework for future interventions. It relies on data obtained from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and the State Department of Fisheries and Blue Economy. Results depict abundant interventions in both handling and processing, but low utilization (<40% of installed cold rooms, dryers and smoking kilns) and multiplication by fishing communities. Fish products that target export markets have wellorganized structures. However, a weak regulatory framework is a key constraint in addressing post-harvest management of fish intended for the domestic market. Under-utilization of installed interventions results in continued waste of fish, contributing to food and nutritional insecurity. This review recommends the development of an effective and integrative policy framework that involves interactions across different domains, institutional mechanisms that monitor and address those interactions, analytical bases for decision making, and multi-stakeholder dialogue for post-harvest management. Such policies will enhance the adoption of post-harvest technology in small-scale fisheries in Kenya and elsewhere.

Peroxide Value (PV), Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive substances (TBARS), organoleptic properties and shelf life of some smoked marine fish namely Gerres oyena ("Chaa"), Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Red snapper) and Valamugil seheli (Mullet) were studied during storage. Both PV and TBARS for all the fish increased to a peak with storage time then decreased. PV in G. The shelflives of the three fish species were monitored organoleptically during a 15 day storage period on day 1, 5 and 15 with any score of 5 or below out of 9 being the limit for rejection. The fish were stored on laboratory benches in the open at ambient temperatures of 30 0 C and humidity of 60%. Organoleptic tests based on various attributes were done to establish consumer preference for the fish. The freshness score for G. oyena was 6.38, V. seheli 7.2 and L. argentimaculatus 7.5 at the end of 15 days storage. There was a significantly better score (p<0.05) in taste, texture and flavour for L.argentimaculatus compared to G. oyena and V. seheli. The overall mean score for all the organoleptic attributes for the 3 fish combined was 6.22. The most preferred attribute was taste with a score of 6.5. The most preferred fish was Lutjanus argentimaculatus followed by Gerres oyena then Valamugil seheli.