Mussa, an elderly fisherman from Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, is worried about his future. “It's never been this bad, I think there's been a decrease of over 60 percent in the fish population [in recent years] and they are much smaller than in the past,” he told IRIN.
Other fishermen in Jaffa display new species that have allegedly migrated into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal - an orange fish and a thorny poisonous creature unfit for consumption and a hassle when caught in their nets.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) noted in a 2007 report that in recent years there had been an annual decline of over 20 percent in the fishing industry. Fishermen argue it is much worse, especially along Israel's coastline.
Menachem Goren, an aquatic biologist from Tel Aviv University, said overfishing was the chief culprit.
“Overfishing coupled with global warming are the main reasons for the massive change we're seeing. If the MoA enforces fishing regulations, we might see some recovery, but the sea will probably never return to its former state and of course we cannot stop global warming which is also a major factor,” Goren told IRIN.
Unlike neighbouring countries, Israel does not ban fishing during the 3-4 months of the reproduction season, thus denying the fish population a chance to recover, he said. “Overfishing gradually changes the eco-system. My recent studies show that the average size of fish in Israeli waters is less than 20 percent of the size of fish in neighbouring Turkey,” he said.
While in 2000 the fresh catch was 3,653.8 tons, in 2006 it fell to 2,219.4 tons - a drop of 19.5 percent from 2005. An improvement was registered in 2007. Some experts say this was due to less fishing during the Lebanon war in 2006 which, while affecting the 2006 figures, helped the fisheries recover somewhat in the northern parts of the coast near Lebanon.
According to MoA spokesperson Dafna Yurista, the ministry has been working for the past 12 years to reduce fishing off the shores of Israel. It has not supplied new fishing permits over this entire period to try and reduce the pressure on marine life.
The ministry also plans to punish illegal fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, with the collaboration of the coast guard.
FAO warning
In July 2008, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said climate change would have a strong impact on fisheries and aquaculture, with significant food security consequences for certain populations.
“Unlike most terrestrial animals, aquatic animal species used for human consumption are poikilothermic, meaning their body temperatures vary according to ambient temperatures. Any changes in habitat temperatures significantly influence their metabolism, growth rate, productivity, seasonal reproduction, and susceptibility to diseases and toxins,” FAO said.
FAO said changes in fish distributions in response to climate variations had already been observed, generally involving poleward expansions of warmer-water species and poleward contractions of colder-water species.
A report published by the MoA fishing department in 2008 said some fishermen had already quit the trade due to its steep decline, while others had changed from trawling and deep water fishing, which is costly, to inshore fishing.
Retirement
Meanwhile, the MoA plans to encourage the retirement of some 50 percent of Israel's legal fishing fleet through a four-year US$3.8 million programme, and would also encourage Israelis to consume more fresh water and pool-reared fish.
There are some 570 registered boats for marine fishing in Israel, and if half of them are made redundant that might leave hundreds of families out of a livelihood as many fishing licenses support more than just one family, fishermen say.
The new retirement plan devised by the MoA does not ease Mussa’s worries. “What am I going to do? I've been a fisherman my entire life - and what will people eat?”
td/at/cb
Other fishermen in Jaffa display new species that have allegedly migrated into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal - an orange fish and a thorny poisonous creature unfit for consumption and a hassle when caught in their nets.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) noted in a 2007 report that in recent years there had been an annual decline of over 20 percent in the fishing industry. Fishermen argue it is much worse, especially along Israel's coastline.
Menachem Goren, an aquatic biologist from Tel Aviv University, said overfishing was the chief culprit.
“Overfishing coupled with global warming are the main reasons for the massive change we're seeing. If the MoA enforces fishing regulations, we might see some recovery, but the sea will probably never return to its former state and of course we cannot stop global warming which is also a major factor,” Goren told IRIN.
Unlike neighbouring countries, Israel does not ban fishing during the 3-4 months of the reproduction season, thus denying the fish population a chance to recover, he said. “Overfishing gradually changes the eco-system. My recent studies show that the average size of fish in Israeli waters is less than 20 percent of the size of fish in neighbouring Turkey,” he said.
While in 2000 the fresh catch was 3,653.8 tons, in 2006 it fell to 2,219.4 tons - a drop of 19.5 percent from 2005. An improvement was registered in 2007. Some experts say this was due to less fishing during the Lebanon war in 2006 which, while affecting the 2006 figures, helped the fisheries recover somewhat in the northern parts of the coast near Lebanon.
According to MoA spokesperson Dafna Yurista, the ministry has been working for the past 12 years to reduce fishing off the shores of Israel. It has not supplied new fishing permits over this entire period to try and reduce the pressure on marine life.
The ministry also plans to punish illegal fishing in the Mediterranean Sea, with the collaboration of the coast guard.
Photo: Tamar Dressler/IRIN  |
| Fisherman at Jaffa Port say their fish catches have been dwindling over recent years |
In July 2008, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said climate change would have a strong impact on fisheries and aquaculture, with significant food security consequences for certain populations.
“Unlike most terrestrial animals, aquatic animal species used for human consumption are poikilothermic, meaning their body temperatures vary according to ambient temperatures. Any changes in habitat temperatures significantly influence their metabolism, growth rate, productivity, seasonal reproduction, and susceptibility to diseases and toxins,” FAO said.
FAO said changes in fish distributions in response to climate variations had already been observed, generally involving poleward expansions of warmer-water species and poleward contractions of colder-water species.
A report published by the MoA fishing department in 2008 said some fishermen had already quit the trade due to its steep decline, while others had changed from trawling and deep water fishing, which is costly, to inshore fishing.
Retirement
Meanwhile, the MoA plans to encourage the retirement of some 50 percent of Israel's legal fishing fleet through a four-year US$3.8 million programme, and would also encourage Israelis to consume more fresh water and pool-reared fish.
There are some 570 registered boats for marine fishing in Israel, and if half of them are made redundant that might leave hundreds of families out of a livelihood as many fishing licenses support more than just one family, fishermen say.
The new retirement plan devised by the MoA does not ease Mussa’s worries. “What am I going to do? I've been a fisherman my entire life - and what will people eat?”
td/at/cb
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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