Matís and the Fisheries Research Institute before that, has been involved in development projects for over 10 years through teaching and guidance work at the United Nations University's School of Fisheries (UNU-FTP). This collaboration has led to further projects for Matís with seminars in developing countries.
Matís has held a total of eight courses in five countries, Vietnam (2005), Sri Lanka (2006), Kenya (2008 and 2013), Uganda (2011) and Tanzania (2012, 2014 and 2015). The courses have been one to two weeks long and tailored to the needs of the respective countries. In recent years, former UNU-FTP students have taken an active part in the preparation and implementation of the courses. This collaboration has been valuable to all parties and Matís has benefited from growing projects in developing countries.
Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania
In 2010, the Tanzanian government advertised for consultants to design research vessels, tender for the vessel, conduct an examination of the social status of fishing communities on Lake Tanganyika, and provide advice on improving the handling and processing of fish caught in the lake. Matís applied to take on the project in collaboration with Jóhann Indriðason's Engineering Office, Ráðgarður skipráðgjöf and the engineering office GOCH in Tanzania, and the offer was accepted. Matís took on project management in addition to providing advice on improved handling and processing of fish. Margeir Gissurarson managed the project on behalf of Matís, but he has extensive experience in development projects and has also lived in Mozambique for six years. The project area was fishing communities in Tanzania adjacent to Lake Tanganyika, where in most communities there is electricity or running water and the working environment is different from what Icelanders are used to. This area is one of the poorest in Tanzania and therefore a strength for Matís to be able to offer an employee who has lived in developing countries for many years and knows similar conditions.
Drying of fish and other seafood in difficult conditions
The main processing methods for fish at Lake Tanganyika are smoking and drying. The drying is done by spreading fish on the ground and letting the sun dry it. Birds and insects are in fierce competition with humans for food that lies exposed on the ground and during rainy seasons the fish are washed away and / or damaged due to excessive wetness. It is estimated that about 30% of the catch from the water will be lost, or between 10 and 20 thousand tonnes. Smoking fish is practiced over an open fire, so the fish is roasted rather than smoked. The treatment is usually performed by women who stand in a smokehouse every day and the result is eye pain and difficulty breathing. Matís' challenge was therefore not only to solve technical processing issues but also to improve the health of the inhabitants of the area.
Dryer in use
The result of the project was a processing unit that could both dry and smoke fish in a closed environment. Wood consumption in the new unit is only about 20% of what is used in traditional smoking and discounts on fish are negligible. The new processing unit was well received and it was requested that Matís assist in spreading the message. The project was then completed and it was no longer possible to work on it at the moment. The year 2014 was advertised for projects by the Nordic Climate Facility, a fund under the Nordic Development Fund. Matís applied for a grant to renovate the smoke and drying unit from a previous project and build 100 units that are distributed
would be to fishing communities in Tanzania by Lake Tanganyika. This grant was received and is currently being worked on in collaboration with UNU-FTP and the Tanzania Fish Research Institute (TAFIRI). The aim of the project is to reduce the use of wood in smoking fish by 80% and to improve the performance of the fishing communities. In Tanzania, about 450 thousand cubic meters of wood are used per year to smoke fish, so it can be estimated that if Matís' processing unit goes into general use in that country, it will be possible to reduce wood use by 350 thousand cubic meters per year.
Use of geothermal energy in food production
Matís has also been involved in development projects regarding the use of geothermal energy
in food production. In 2014, two Matís employees went to Kenya and Rwanda for two weeks to carry out a feasibility study on the use of low temperatures in food processing. Kenya has considerable geothermal energy, but Rwanda has not yet found energy sources, although there are hot springs in several places that could be used for food processing.
Matís in the Caribbean In 2015, Matís undertook a project in the Caribbean regarding its assessment
how countries within CARIFORUM countries meet international food safety requirements, with an emphasis on wild fish and aquaculture. The main goal of the project was to present a roadmap or proposals for what the countries can do together and individually to ensure access to important market countries such as Europe and the United States. Eight countries were visited, where conditions and monitoring were examined and the results presented to the authorities and stakeholders. Final proposals were submitted in October 2015.
In recent years, Matís' projects in developing countries have increased in number, and with each project, the company's reputation as a reliable and professional consultant in developing countries has grown.