Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey - Introduction

Glossary

Fish paste- Ngapi Ye

Ngapi Yay - a watery preparation of the fish paste

Salted fish -  Nga Sa Nel

Pickled fish - Nga Chin

1.1 Background

The Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey (MDFCS) had been implemented by NAG as part of the Dried Fish Matters (DFM) project. The DFM project is being implemented in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka by a network of partners led by the University of Manitoba (Canada). The MDFCS [BH1] is a 7-year project funded by the Canadian Humanities and Social Science Research Council and implemented in Myanmar, with support from Michigan State University. DFM was developed based on the observation that most of the landed fish from marine and freshwater capture fisheries is getting dried, or preserved in other ways, such as fermenting, salting, and smoking, referred to as ‘dried fish’.

Throughout Asia, most people consume dried fish. Dried fish products are particularly important for poor people as it is some of the cheapest and most widely available nutritious food. Furthermore, as dried fish is preserved, it can be consumed in areas or at times of the year when little fresh fish is available. Large numbers of poor people, especially women, are involved in the processing and trade of dried fish. However, there are also several challenges, including poor working conditions and poor food safety (e.g. use of pesticides during drying and storage to prevent pest infestations). Most studies focus on fishers rather than fish processors, traders or consumers, and on fresh fish value chains. The production, trade and consumption of dried fish products are often overlooked.

1.2 Objectives

The purpose of DFM is to understand the production, trade and consumption of dried fish in greater depths, to raise awareness of its importance, and to find ways to address some of the challenges faced by the dried fish sector. The purpose of the MDFCS is to understand different patterns of dried fish consumption in Myanmar. To our knowledge, this will be the first study to explore this topic. Dried fish consumption patterns are likely to vary across the country in terms of quantity and types of consumed products. Implementing the survey in all states and regions of Myanmar where NAG has offices will allow us to make comparisons between these regions.

1.3 Scope and Limitation

This study will confine itself to the 8 states and regions in Myanmar where NAG offices are located. The data collection was taken between October 2019 and March 2020. The participants in this study were rural people who are living under the scope of NAG project villages. This study mainly focuses on fish (fresh and processed) consumption in the 7 days before the survey and per capita consumption per day, including the source of the consumed fish, location of purchase, method of consumption, and details of the consumed fish species.

Any methodology used to collect data has its limitations, either due to data availability/accuracy or due to techniques applied. Pre-tests and training for the interviewers were not conducted due to limited time and budget constraints and only a survey guidance note was provided to the interviewers. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey was not conducted and required data were not collected according to sample size. The Magway region was excluded from this study since the data collection process was postponed. It should be noted that per capita consumption rates are estimations derived from the general population, including both consumers and non-consumers. Thus, per capita rates are primarily useful for trend analysis, rather than representing actual consumption.

1.4 Survey Locations

Figure 1 provides a summary of the survey locations in Myanmar where consumers were interviewed.

The study areas cover the three geographical zones of Myanmar, namely delta and coastal areas, dry zones, and hilly regions. In the delta and coastal area, the Ayeyarwaddy region and Mon state, which are well known for their fish production, were included. The Mandalay and Sagaing region were selected for the dry zone, and Shan and Kayin state represents the hilly region, while the Yangon region and Bago region are located along the coast of Myanmar.

1.5 Structure of the Report

This report consists of five distinct sections:

1. Introduction including the background, objective, scope and limitation, survey locations, and report structure;

2. Survey methodology;

3. General demographic features of the survey respondents;

4. Results of the survey with comments and analyses where appropriate;

5. Conclusions and recommendation

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