Israel helping Palestinians develop fish farming industry

Jerusalem [Israel], August 22 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Civil Administration, is helping edible fish farmers in the Palestinian Authority to increase the volume of the fish they breed.
The program includes two main projects in Tulkarm and Jenin where the aid includes financing, procurement of equipment, fish food, filters for optimal water treatment and various trainings by experts of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture for a total amount of about 700,000 Shekels (USD187,000).
The first project, which was a pilot in Jenin, ended and after four years of professional support from the ministry. It produced between 2 and 4 tons of bass fish for the local market in the Palestinian Authority.
The Ministry of Agriculture said it became involved in the matter as part of the Civil Administration’s efforts to manage, produce and establish the economy in the Authority.
As a routine, the office together with the Civil Administration cooperates and transfers knowledge in the fields of veterinary medicine, forestry, plant protection, marketing, and agricultural imports. These days, the fisheries division of the ministry completes professional support for fish farmers in Tulkarm in order to strengthen the Palestinian fish industry.
The accompaniment includes training and management of the fish farm, assistance in financing the purchase of equipment, food adapted to the fish, compatibility tests and more.
The support includes the use of Israeli technologies that maximize the utilization of resources, including the construction of open and covered ponds, filtering the water and reusing it in agricultural irrigation.