Fraunhofer-GesellschaftImproved nutrition for Malawi’s rural population
Southeast Africa's Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries. For the rural population of this landlocked country, fish is an important food resource. Yet stocks in Lake Malawi have declined drastically in recent years. This is especially true of a local and highly popular species of cichlid known as chambo, which is a key source of protein for the rural population. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology and Cell Technology EMB have now teamed up with partners to launch a raft of measures designed to remedy the precarious food situation. These include the introduction of new hatchery equipment, enhanced breeding methods, new sources of protein-rich fish food and training programs for rural fish farmers. The research team hopes that this will make chambo farming more efficient and sustainable and, in general, improve the production of not only fish but also vegetables.