Fish-Breeding
Israely Industry

Israel's semi-arid climate, characterized by a shortage of water, necessitated the development of an intensive form of aquaculture. Saline seawater is used extensively and advanced technologies are employed to make maximum use of every cubic meter of water. Aquaculture accounts for 2.9% of total agricultural production. The sector requires approximately 100 million m3 of water annually. Over 75% of the water is non-potable, and its sources are winter runoff and saline wells. Fish farming is carried out in the open sea and in ponds. Sea fish, including bass and sea-bream, are raised in floating cages. Freshwater or inland fish, including tilapia, mullet, carp, trout, bass and silver carp are bred in artificial ponds and reservoirs. As in many other countries, fish consumption in Israel has risen in recent years. Today, average consumption stands at 11.4 kg per capita, which is expected to reach an estimated 12.6kg by 2020.

One of the main methods currently used in intensive farming is the closed water system. The unique feature of this system is the constant flow of water from the reservoir, through the covered breeding ponds, and back to the reservoir. In this case the reservoir also serves as a bio-filter, reducing the concentration of nitrogen in the water, which is directly absorbed by the algae and bacteriologically broken down. Due to the high density of fish in the breeding ponds, farmers enrich the water with oxygen and feed the fish protein-rich food. The result is a 40-fold increase in production, from 0.5 kg per cubic meter in an open pond to 20 kg and more per cubic meter in a covered pond. Other closed water systems based on biofiltration units are also being developed. These are expected to produce over 60 kg per cubic meter of water. The result is that more fish will be produced with less water. Another method is the utilization of water in reservoirs intended for irrigation. The use of reservoir water for two branches of agriculture also contributes to water savings.

Fish farming in the desert provides a long-term solution to the problem of increasing fish production in a small country with limited water resources. This is feasible due to the desert aquifers or underground water sources. Development of technologies suited to the unique conditions of arid zones enables intensive aquaculture there.

Due to the lack of fresh water, fish farmers have begun to exploit the sea. One method involves offshore cages along the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Another method is breeding ponds located near the sea, which utilize seawater in a closed water system, whereby water is circulated from the ponds to the sea and back again. Mariculture is developing rapidly, mainly in the Red Sea region. Production rose from 900 tons in 1997 to 3,000 tons in 2001. Constant efforts are being invested in the development of offshore marine aquaculture. Various solutions, engineered for rough open-sea conditions, have been developed and presented to potential investors. In coastal mariculture, an innovative water pumping system, especially tailored for shallow sandy coasts, has been developed and successfully tried in pilot plant conditions.

A wide range of ornamental fish and marine plants are bred, including coldwater fish, tropical fish and water lilies. The products are exported overseas, especially to Europe. Annual turnover reaches some $8 million. Israel's hot summers are conducive to the rapid growth of ornamental fish, noted for their beautiful colors.

The demand for a wider variety offish has resulted in the introduction and careful acclimatization of several new types, such as bass imported from the USA and freshwater crabs imported from Australia. Fish farmers have recently begun to farm the highly valued sturgeon for export. Other saltwater fish, such as the sea-bream, have been acclimatized, and work is currently in progress on the acclimatization of the grouper fish for commercial production.