A two-day training session introduced participants to Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and highlighted their importance for both commercial and domestic applications. The program covered tuna cutting and drying techniques, marinating methods for tuna products, and the processing of tuna jerky and tuna samosas. A key focus was maximizing the use of fish, including meat from the head and bones, to increase profits and minimize waste.

To gauge interest in fish processing businesses, a survey was conducted among the 28 participants, representing five villages in North Tarawa such as Buariki, Tearinibai, Nuatabu, Taratai and Nooto. The results will guide the identification of opportunities for selected households.

The training sessions, hosted in Buariki and Taratai, were co-organized by the FAO Sustainable Fish Value Chains for Small Island Developing States (SVC4SIDS) project and the FAO Resilient Islands Resilient Communities (R2R) project. Funding was provided by the R2R project, with technical support from the SVC4SIDS project and the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR).