Israel's Desert "Fish Farming Sutra"

Source: Xinhua Net

Jerusalem, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Newsletter: Israel's Desert "Fish Farming Sutra"

Xinhua News Agency reporter Shang Hao Chen Wenxian

In the desert Gobi in northeastern Israel, 70 sparkling fish ponds of different sizes are dotted with fish that jump out of the water from time to time. Migratory birds fly freely over fish ponds in flocks, becoming a beautiful landscape in the depths of the desert.

The reporter recently visited the Tyrat CevikyButz (collective farm) fish farm located in the Jordan Valley of the region. Tirat Cevikybutz is located in a vast desert with a hot climate, but Israeli fishery practitioners have broken through the confines of nature and built artificial fish ponds to enrich the Israeli people's vegetable baskets.

Achiva Aiger is an "old fisherman" in Tyrat Cevikybutz who has been farming for more than 30 years. The dark-skinned Aigel talks about fish farming techniques and experience.

Fish farming, water is undoubtedly crucial, the Jordan Valley region is short of freshwater resources, Aigal and his companions set their sights on the local groundwater with high salinity. "Groundwater is salinity and is not suitable for farming, but it is suitable for fish farming, and these waters do not need to be treated for fry hatching and adult culture." "Located more than 200 meters below sea level, the kibbutz is very low, and the groundwater flows from the adjacent mountains and is suitable for introduction to build fish ponds," Igel said. ”

According to Iguer, the groundwater in the area is geothermal water, and even in winter, the water temperature is not less than 14 degrees Celsius, and there is no need to heat the fish pond, which is suitable for fish growth.

For farmed fish, Tirat cevibbutz is also very particular about adapting to local conditions and seeking fish species suitable for the region. Freshwater tropical fish tilapia are favored for their adaptation to survive in hot climates. In addition, mullet is also highly cultured because of its suitability for polyculture. In almost every fish pond that the reporter saw, there were two or three kinds of fish mixed.

"Tilapia can survive in warm water, is not picky about food, and can reach about 700 grams after a six- or seven-month growth period, which is very popular with people." "We bought the fertilized eggs of the fish and bred them in the ponds. ”

Geothermal water for aquaculture is more expensive and therefore needs to be used to the fullest. The Kibbutz arranges the rearing and rest of the ponds according to seasonal changes to ensure that the ponds are in the best possible condition. After the harvest season, the water of some fish ponds is transported to other fish ponds for storage for further recycling in the coming year, and a small part is released, and the water use of all fish ponds is updated on average every 3 years.

Feeding, changing water, aerating, fishing... In the production process, Tirat CevikyButz automatically controls the operation of each fish pond by computer, which greatly saves labor costs while ensuring the safety of breeding and the quality of fish. The 70 fish ponds cover a total area of 140 hectares, but only 20 people are engaged in fish farming.

The reporter saw that each fish pond will place two or three cylindrical feed storage silos more than 5 meters high according to the size, and when feeding for the fish pond, the system will automatically transport the feed through the pipeline to the middle of the fish pond, without manual operation. The fish pond is also equipped with non-stop aeration equipment, which directly transports oxygen into the water. Filtration devices are installed on one side of each pond for separating fish and water.

During the catch season, after the fish are separated, Aiger and his companions sort according to the size and type of fish, load them into cryogenic transport trucks, and then transport them to factories for cleaning and packaging, and then sell them to the national fish market or export. "December is generally the catch season, and we produce about 1,700 tonnes a year." Aigil said.

Fish farming has also improved the ecological environment around Tirat cevibbutz, and the reporter saw a large number of egrets and pelicans waiting for birds to roost or spread their wings in the fish pond during the interview, and the area has now become an important bird watching spot in Israel.

Israeli agricultural expert Omar Zaidan told reporters that in Israel, the potential for fish farming using geothermal water is huge. Currently, 80 percent of Israel's aquaculture is concentrated in the Jordan Valley region, with another 20 percent offshore farming. "Closed fish pond farms are better at protecting fish from disease than offshore aquaculture linked to the ocean." Zaidan said.

In Aigel's view, Fish farming in Israel is also facing the onslaught of lower-priced fish from Southeast Asia and other places. He said Tyrat cevibbutz was working to adapt it to make it "more effective and competitive."

"Fish farming is not an easy job, but I enjoy it." Aigil smiled sheepishly.