Identification of critical control points using water quality as an indicator of hygiene for artisanal fisheries on Lake Malawi

Abstract

Fish are a highly perishable commodity, and unhygienic fresh fish supply chains have been documented over the past two decades in sub‐Saharan Africa. Fishers spend long hours on boats with no provision of sanitary facilities, and even after landing, they are often in environments without sanitary facilities. The purpose of the present study was to explore the impacts of water, sanitation and hygiene practices in an artisanal fishery on food safety by analysing water samples in close contact with fresh fish at various checkpoints from capture to sale at the local market along the shores of Lake Malawi (Malawi). The four checkpoints included (a) fishing boats at the fishing ground before fishing commenced (n = 85); (b) in the same boats at the landing site before offloading fresh fish (n = 85); (c) with fresh fish transporters at the landing site (n = 71); and (d) among vendors at the market (n = 63). Escherichia coli was found in a high percentage of samples at each of the four checkpoints during the dry, wet and cold seasons. The highest risk for contamination (represented by E. coli concentrations) was the transition from transport to vendor, regardless of the season during which the samples were taken. The product value chain demands food safety. The results of the present study have potential applications in informing future interventions to develop behavioural change strategies regarding handwashing and toileting practices, norms unique for highly mobile fishing communities through the integration of hardware and software solutions and using better‐quality water to store fish on the boat, in transport and at the market.

Perspectives and Practices on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene from a Fishing Community along Lake Malombe, Southern Malawi

“…For instance, a recent study in South Africa found that the provision of safe water contributed to an eight-fold decrease in children’s risk of urogenital schistosomiasis infection [ 10 ]. Risk factors contributing to periodic diarrhoea and cholera outbreaks in fishing populations have included: Lack of access to sanitary facilities and potable water for fishermen while fishing, overcrowding on the beaches, poor water quality, low levels of hygiene, and poor waste management [ 2 , 11 , 12 ]. These problems are compounded by the lack of sanitation and hygiene facilities in these populations [ 2 , 12 , 13 ].…”

“…Notwithstanding population health impacts, safe water, hygiene practices, and hygienic production processes are similarly vital to ensure that fresh fish and fish products, a key source of income and food security, are wholesome [ 14 , 15 ]. Care in fish handling is paramount, particularly between capture, processing, and vending of fish, because the quality, safety, and shelf life of the products are dependent on proper handling and processing practices [ 12 , 14 , 15 ]. Studies in Malawi have shown that there is a high risk for microbial contamination at all stages from capture to sale of fresh fish from artisanal fishermen, and this was significant across all seasons [ 12 ].…”

“…Care in fish handling is paramount, particularly between capture, processing, and vending of fish, because the quality, safety, and shelf life of the products are dependent on proper handling and processing practices [ 12 , 14 , 15 ]. Studies in Malawi have shown that there is a high risk for microbial contamination at all stages from capture to sale of fresh fish from artisanal fishermen, and this was significant across all seasons [ 12 ]. The presence of E. coli in this study highlighted the risk of faecal contamination, which could be related to personal hygiene practices.…”

“…Noticeably, the scarcity of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation exacerbated by poor hygiene practices places fishing communities at an increased risk of diseases, and ultimately, impacts on well-being [ 2 , 11 , 12 ]. As such, fishing communities are an important sector of the population to consider in terms of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, and small-scale fishing communities have often been neglected in policy as well as public services [ 18 ].…”

Food safety policies and practices in public spaces: The urban water, sanitation, and hygiene environment for fresh fish sold from individual vendors in Mzuzu, Malawi

“…(Heinitz, Ruble, Wagner, & Tatini, ; Hansen, Clark, Ishii, Sadowsky, & Hicks, ; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], ). However, contamination can occur along the supply chain, as fish are handled by several intermediaries from the time of capture to sale at local markets (Samikwa, Kapute, Tembo, Phiri, & Holm, ). Heinitz et al () found a 12.2% incidence of Salmonella spp.…”