Why Nile perch swim bladder is new gold on Lake Victoria beaches
A trader at Majengo fish market in Mombasa County holds a 20 kilogram massive Nile Perch from Lake Victoria on May 30, 2023. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NMG
You have probably noticed that when you buy Nile perch from any beach along the shores of Lake Victoria, the fish is always gutted.
Unlike tilapia, which are sold wholesome, Nile perch has an organ in its body that is apparently more valued than the fish itself. As a result every fish trader usually rushes to gut it before selling.
Gutting is the manual removal of internal organs found in the fish’s abdomen. The removal gives the fish a longer shelf life.
The reason why Nile perch is gutted the moment it lands on the beach is because of the fish maw or swim bladder. Locally they call it mondo and fishing communities in Nyanza consider it gold.
That explains why Nile perch is sold without its organs.
According to Suba Beach Management Unit chairman William Onditi, traders can earn up to Sh 35,000 by selling a kilogramme of mondo.
"Prices vary depending on the size. The bigger it is, the more money a trader is likely to fetch," he said.
He said the demand for fish maw in Asian markets is enormous.
A lot of Asian nationals frequent the beaches around Lake Victoria to buy swim bladders from traders. The dried swim bladder is a delicacy in China, where it ranks number four among sea treasures in the country’s cuisine after clams and oysters, sea cucumber and shark fin.
They are also used in the production of aphrodisiacs.
Intriguingly, most fishermen do not know its usage.
The market for Nile Perch maws is mainly in Hong Kong, China, Japan and Vietnam where it is used in the manufacture of plane and space shuttle body parts, car parts, surgical stitching threads and anaesthetic drugs.
In some of the countries, nationals use it as a delicacy, where it is served in soups or stews
In other areas, Nile perch maw is used as a source of collagen which is the protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity, or stretchiness.
Whereas some firms use the swim bladder to produce water-resistant glue, other companies use it in the production of isinglass, a refining agent involved in the manufacture of beer and wine.
Profits from the sale of mondo have made the trade so popular among fishermen in Remba Island, Nyandiwa, Mbita and Mfangano Island where Nile perch catches are huge.
A study by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) conducted in March 2018, puts the price in Kenya between Sh4,000 for maw weighing between 100-200 grammes and Sh16,000 for a weight of between 601-999 grammes.
On the global market, fish maw fetches between Sh65,700 and Sh146,000 per kilogramme depending on the market dynamics and quality of the product.
It has been reported that some fishermen go as far as gutting the fish inshore and discarding the flesh in the water before returning to the beach with the swim bladder.
“Fishermen discovered that the organ fetches more money and it is light to ferry compared to fish,” he said.
The government and other agencies regulating marine activities are also keenly watching as more people get into the business of selling fish maw. It is, however, emerging that trading in fish maw is illegal in Homa Bay.
Nearly all traders engaged in the mondo business lack proper documentation allowing them to buy or sell fish organs. This has landed some people in trouble including a 29-year-old trader from Remba who was recently fined Sh100,000 for trading in fish swim bladders.
An earlier study commissioned by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO) in collaboration with the Responsible Fisheries Business Chain Project under the German development agency GIZ advises East African nations to formalise the trade-in maw for it to contribute fairly to the well-being of communities living around Lake Victoria.
Ms Alice Ojiambo was arrested on August 8 at Remba Island and taken to Mbiga Court located on Rusinga Island.
She pleaded guilty to trading in mondo without valid licenses.
Ms Ojiambo later spent three weeks at Homa Bay GK prison after she failed to raise the money immediately.
According to Homa Bay County fisheries director George Okoth, no individual is licensed to trade in mondo in Homa Bay at the moment.
"Only two firms in Mbita can trade in fish maw because they are the ones licensed by the fisheries department. Others doing the same business are doing it illegally," he said.
The fisheries officer said swim bladder is a by-product of fish after the gutting process.
He said all fish processing activities including removal of organs are regulated by the Fisheries (Safety of Fish, Fishery Products and Fish Feeds) Regulation of 2007.
To optimise benefits from the trade, the LVFO is advising Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to recognise maw as a commodity separate from fish.
Governments, development partners and other players should also devise an equal profit-sharing mechanism for the benefits to flow down throughout the value chain, the report notes.
