Design and Testing of a Portable Fish Smoking Kiln for Artisanal Fishermen in Bayelsa State

This study involves the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of an improved portable fish smoking kiln for artisanal fishermen in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria. Fish smoking is the dominant fish preservation method in the Niger Delta, where high freshwater fish production from creeks, rivers, and aquaculture ponds creates significant post-harvest preservation needs. Traditional Chorkor-style smoking kilns used in the region have low fuel efficiency, uneven heat distribution, and high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination risks from uncontrolled smoking. This study designs a portable kiln using galvanised steel, ceramic fibre insulation, and indirect heat distribution channels to improve temperature uniformity, fuel efficiency, and product quality. The kiln is designed for community-scale use with a 50-kilogram fish capacity per batch. Performance tests are conducted using catfish and tilapia species at the Yenagoa artisanal fishing cooperative facility. Fuel consumption, drying time, temperature distribution uniformity, moisture content of smoked fish, and PAH content are measured and compared against the traditional Chorkor kiln. Findings reveal that the improved kiln reduces fuel consumption by 38 percent, achieves temperature uniformity coefficient of variation of 8 percent versus 24 percent for the Chorkor kiln, and reduces benzo(a)pyrene content by 62 percent. The study concludes that the improved kiln represents a significant advancement in fish smoking technology for the Niger Delta. It recommends community dissemination through fishery cooperative networks.

Keywords: fish smoking, kiln design, post-harvest preservation, Bayelsa State, food safety.