Published 14:10 IST, December 9th 2019
Israeli fish farmers forcibly feed Pelicans to save their farms
Fish Farmers in Israel have forcefully been feeding Pelicans to protect their fish farms by driving the birds off by using loudspeakers, laser beams etc.
Fish farmers in Israel have forcefully been feeding wild Pelicans in order to protect their farms. According to reports, farmers have tried to shoo off Pelicans by using loudspeakers, laser beams and using rifles with blank cartridges. Since the above-mentioned efforts seemed to have no effect, farmers started offering free food to the birds. According to reports, Pelicans numbering in thousands make a temporary stop while they are migrating from the Balkans to Africa. The birds tend to spend weeks as they feed and rest in Israel by picking out fish from commercial pools and reservoirs.
Farmers collaborated with Nature and Parks Authority
GM of the Israel Fish Breeders Association, Eli Sharir, said that the Pelicans do not have a place to stop other than Israel when they are migrating, adding that the impact of fish farms is on a very big scale. In response to this, fishermen devised a plan to feed Pelicans with fish that could be sold in order to keep them away from commercial pools and reservoirs. According to reports, fish farmers from Hula valley and Sharon region have collaborated with the Nature and Parks Authority to build alternate feeding sites for the Pelicans.
However, a few people are of the opinion that building alternate feeding sites might not be a good idea as the migratory birds may become used to of the free food provided to them and that might result in them staying in the middle eastern country during the entire winter season. A man by the name of Dor Maimon said that he uses a remote-controlled boat in a reservoir in order to drive off the Pelicans whereas Nitzan Nadan uses loudspeakers and rifles with blank cartridges to send the birds spiralling into the sky.
In an incident that took place at a reservoir in the northern part of Israel, lost of Pelicans stationed themselves in shallow waters while a truck was backing up to deposit small live fishes in the reservoir that almost resulted in the fish being picked up by Pelicans in their beaks.
Pisciculture
The process of Pisciculture is limited in the middle eastern country, producing just 10 per cent of the fish that is consumed on a domestic scale but is seen as a very important process for small scale communities Emek Hamaayanot, an agricultural area located below the Giboa mountains in the northeastern part of Israel.
Pisciculture is a process that has fish being commercially reared in tanks or commercial pools, mainly for the purpose of food. Globally, the most common fish species to be a part of this process include Salmon, Catfish, Tilapia and Carp. Also, China is responsible for providing 62 per cent of the commercially reared species.
(With inputs from agencies)
Updated 14:34 IST, December 9th 2019