Japan funds new fish market in Maputo

Market will have modern hygiene facilities

Construction of a new fish market in the Triunfo area of Maputo is set to begin in late April, and is funded by $12.6 million from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The new market is being built near the ATCM Autodrome at a site on Avenida Marginal along the Maputo coast road. The market will have 100 retail stalls, refrigeration facilites and a restaurant with 75 tables.

The project, which was first mooted in 2008, will also include modern waste management and water drainage systems, and a 125-vehicle car park. Maputo's many fish markets offer visitors the chance to have their freshly purchased fish cooked at one of the nearby restaurants.

Tourists are advised to ensure the fish they choose corresponds to the meal that eventually returns from the kitchen, as the fish is sometimes illicitly resold to the vendors. Some tourist guides also suggest visiting the kitchen to make sure that the fish selected is the one being cooked and not an older one.

The markets also sell prawns, lobster, clams and crabs, which the restaurants generally grill or fry over charcoal fires.