ABSTRACT
Fish culture in Israel developed from a monoculture system based on the common carp and adopted from European practices to a polyculture system using methods similar, in principle, to those practiced in China. Land, water and labor are the main limiting factors in Israel’s agriculture; any agricultural activity, including fish culture, is evaluated by its efficiency in utilizing these resources that is profit per unit of land, unit of water and man-days of work. Since fish culture is subject to the same constraints as other agricultural crops, such as a shortage of land and water, the Department of Fisheries has been placed under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture. The extension work in fish culture is part of the extension service of the Ministry of Agriculture. Fish culture in the kibbutzim, however, thrived as a part of a bigger agricultural unit. Fish culture may be intensified further, with an increase in the stocking rate and aeration if necessary.
