FAO Introduces Innovative, Safer Fish Drying Drums To Support Women Fish Processors In Papua New Guinea
by EU STREIT PNG · SCOOPWewak, Papua New Guinea – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme, has developed a modified, fuel-efficient drum fish smoking dryer to support small-scale coastal and river fisheries businesses in the Sepik region.
FAO National Fisheries Value Chain Officer Mr Lester Baule explains that fish preservation methods remain largely traditional, relying on hazardous open-fire smoking methods that are energy-inefficient, labour-intensive and harmful to human health.
He said under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, an eco-friendly FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT) was introduced to improve the safety, quality, and market value of smoked fish while protecting the environment and the health of the processors.
Following its introduction, and drawing on feedback gathered through post-distribution monitoring, a smaller, modified version of the FTT dryer was designed and developed by the FAO. Owing to its resemblance in appearance, this unit has become known as the “Portable Drum Fish Dryer.”
Mr Baule added that while all core components and operating principles of the original design have been retained, the shape, structure, and scale of operability have been adapted. He said, “The result is a unit that produces quality smoked fish with a longer shelf life, while achieving faster smoking time, suited to the catch volumes of small-scale fishers.”
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He added: “This design specifically aims to support women fish processors to own and operate small, viable and profitable fish businesses.”
This portable drum fish dryer offers several practical advantages. Because heat is contained and circulated efficiently inside the drum, drying is faster and more even, and the unit needs less firewood to reach and hold temperature than open-fire smoking does. The enclosed drum keeps conditions steady in the smaller space, reducing the risk of uneven drying, scorching or spoilage, and giving the fish a more uniform moisture content and a longer shelf life. Smoke is also controlled: rather than dispersing into the open air, where it becomes a health hazard over time, it is directed through a set pathway.
The drum fish dryer is straightforward to build and repair locally, which keeps costs low and supports wider adoption across fishing communities without heavy capital investment. It is lightweight and portable, so it can be moved and relocated as needed, a simple design that women fish processors find particularly convenient to operate and manage. Because the fish dries inside an enclosed drum rather than over an open fire, it also avoids the black carbon that open smoking often leaves on the fish, which affects appearance and taste and can lead buyers to reject it.
In close consultation with local authorities, 30 fisher groups across the region were selected and received the drum fish dryers. “During distribution, we demonstrate to the fishers how to use the dryers,” says Mr Baule. A two-page Standard Operating Procedure is also provided to each fisher group.
About the EU-STREIT PNG Programme
The EU-STREIT PNG Programme is the European Union's largest grant-funded initiative under the EU Global Gateway Strategy in Papua New Guinea. It is implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme led by FAO in partnership with ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP. It focuses on boosting sustainable, inclusive rural development by enhancing returns and opportunities in the cocoa, vanilla and fisheries value chains (FAO). It also strengthens key enablers: digital inclusion (ITU and FAO), digital financial services (UNCDF), sustainable, climate-resilient transport infrastructure (ILO), and renewable-energy solutions (UNDP and FAO). The Programme directly benefits the East and West Sepik Provinces.
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