ATTI DEL XV CONVEGNO NAZIONALE SIPI Società Italiana di ...

Abstract Workshop
impressive yields of both edible and ornamental fish have been obtained by some 15 farms.
Desert aquaculture and agri-aquaculture take advantage of:
• Large quantities of brackish ground water, only partially suitable to agriculture
• Warm ambient climate
• Long hours of sunshine
• Geothermal bores that with greenhouse use maintain high temperature in the winter
• Dry climate that allows water cooling in the summer
• Cheap land
• Year-round production• Minimal ecological risks
• Geographic isolation: natural quarantine
In addition, the desert in Israel has become a fertile ground for innovative aquaculture
industries. One such enterprise is located at Kibbutz Ketura in the heart of the Arava
desert. The crop being grown there is Haematococcus pluvialis, a microalga which is very
rich in astaxanthin. This carotenoid is not only an important part of the diet of salmon and
crustaceans, endowing them with their characteristic bright pink hue, but is also a powerful
anti-oxidant increasingly recognized for its disease-fighting properties. Israel is now the
world's leading supplier of natural astaxanthin for human consumption. The Kibbutz
Ketura facility, run by Algatechnologies Ltd. (Algatech), was established in 1998 based on
the scientific research of Prof. Sammy Boussiba of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,
and has been producing astaxanthin in commercial quantities since 2003.
In the city of Ashkelon on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, the Seambiotic Company,
established in 2003, utilizes carbon dioxide emissions from a coal burning power plant for
cultivation of a marine diatom (Skeletonema costatum) containing a high percentage of
lipids and carbohydrates which can be processed into bio-fuels. Algae biofuels are nontoxic,
contain no sulfur, and are highly biodegradable. This technology uses existing
resources (sea water and solar energy) without harming agriculture (such as corn or sugar
cane) as a source of food, is applicable on arid land, and is a great step towards the
reduction of air pollution and global warming. Also, integrated agri-aquaculture systems
were refined and made more efficient. Recycled water, rich in fertilizing organic waste
produced by the fish, has been used to irrigate olive and date palm groves or grow
greenhouse produce in what was considered terrible soil. "Desert" cherry tomatoes,
peppers, asparagus, and melon are regularly exported to Europe, especially during winter.
The flourishing of agriculture in the country's semi-arid and hyper-arid regions is largely
the result of a concentrated investment in research related to salt and drought-resistant
plant species, green/hot house technologies and aquaculture. Although Israel's agricultural
production has expanded sixteen-fold in the last 60 years, thanks to Israel's advanced
irrigation technology and water management, water usage did not increase. By the year
2020 Israel's population is expected to grow to 8.5 million. This will cause huge increases
in demand for agricultural produce. Urban use of land and water will also increase
enormously. The amount of fresh water allocated for agriculture was reduced radically, by
50% (to 580 million cubic meters) in 2000, following a severe drought. By 2020 it is
unlikely to exceed this amount, and - in particular for freshwater aquaculture - may well be
considerably less. The future direction and success of Israeli farming will depend on water
availability, on the ability to further minimize water use, and on the ability to use more
saline water and/or recycled wastewater and less potable water.
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