Development of inland aquaculture in arid climates: water utilization strategies applied in Israel

Abstract

Israel has a temperate climate with marked differences between the northern and southern regions. Rainfall ranges between 250 and 600 mm year±1 in the former and between only 25 and 200 mm year±1 in the latter. During the last 30 years, water consumption has increased markedly in all sectors. Although a water allocation for inland aquaculture is made, in most cases it is given the lowest priority, and aquaculturists have learned to contend with difficulties, and thrive on brackish water sources not fit for human consumption or agricultural crops. Since most water sources are already fully exploited, further development of all sectors will depend on their respective capacity to use recycled city water, desalinated brackish or sea water, or recycled pond water. In this respect, inland aquaculture is handicapped by public prejudices which will not allow the use of water from the first source and farms are still not able to cope with the cost of the second. Therefore, further development of inland aquaculture will depend on the capacity of farmers to use sea water, and to recycle pond water time and again to produce more fish with less (inland) water. Various strategies have already been developed in Israel and new ones are under study. These include water harvesting in dual-purpose reservoirs, recycling of pond water from one year to another, development of intensive flow-through systems based on recycled pond water and others based on biofiltration.