Minister of Agriculture Shalom Simchon announced on Sunday that that all fishing in the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) will be prohibited for two years, subject to cabinet approval. The ban also extends to all the other rivers that empty into the famous lake, including the part of the River Jordan.
The ban is set to take effect on March 1. Minister Simchon has asked the Finance Ministry to allot NIS 15 million for enforcing the ban and compensating the fishermen who will be hurt by it. Simchon explained that according to Agriculture Ministry statistics, the quantity of fish in the Sea of Galilee has plummeted in the past decade, and especially in the last two years, by tens of percentage points annually.