Four countries share Lake Tanganyika, the deepest freshwater lake in Africa. This lake is a source of income and food for people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its robust fishing industry means that the lake is susceptible to overexploitation and illegal practices.
As part of efforts to build sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has developed programs and activities that aim to tackle some of the underlying challenges.. One WE4F innovator, Freejoy, is part of the FAO’s Lake Tanganyika Framework Survey. This framework focuses on strengthening the capacity of the management of Lake Tanganyika resources using the Faims System, which is a database developed to know the quantity and quality of fish caught in Lake Tanganyika across the four countries.
Freejoy manufactures solar-powered dryers that help fishermen and fish processors dry fresh-caught fish at low temperatures, retaining nutritional value. As a lack of adequate technology and poor weather conditions are some of the reasons that food loss and waste occur in artisanal fish drying, Freejoy’s work aligns well with the FAO’s ongoing Lake Tanganyika activities.
Fostering collaboration to open doors and drive change
As part of FAO’s Lake Tanganyika Framework Survey, Freejoy is helping implement software that is responsible for the monitoring, control, and surveillance of fishing activity in the DRC, with the goal being to try and reduce exploitation of the lake.
The founder of Freejoy, Ferdinand Bukunda, also leveraged the network and his knowledge of Tanzania’s desire to improve fish processors’ drying techniques through solar PV panels to reach out to the Mayor of Kigoma.
His outreach was well received when the Mayor of Kigoma, Joseph Nyambwe, invited Freejoy for a meeting on September 3, 2024. Together they discussed Tanzania’s fishing sector, and how they can access new markets. The mayor connected the innovator to farmers to access more fish as well as a company that produces dry fish in Kigoma. The forming of these relationships will help Freejoy access fish farmers in Tanzania who will supply them with fish when they need it; and access to the fish drying company, which will allow Freejoy to ship its products outside of Africa. When asked about his vision for his company since his visit to Tanzania, Ferdinand shared:
“After this meeting, we hope to bring these fishing techniques to the DRC by working with several farmers on Lake Tanganyika in the territories of Uvira and Fizi, we will be able to produce a larger number of products that will be accessible to many people.”
Through this project and budding partnership, Freejoy hopes to make its contribution to reduce – and maybe even, one day, eradicate – illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
