The Tzalul environmental group worked together with other "green" organizations to end the fish farming in the Gulf because, it said, the industry destroys the environmental balance there.
The five-year battle against fish farming in the Gulf resulted in a government resolution to force the removal of all fish cages from the Gulf of Aqaba by the year 2008.
The fish cages are to be removed in stages, with the first third to be eliminated this year, the second third in 2007 and the final third in 2008.
In a recent interview with Israel21c, Tzalul director Yariv Abramovitch said the fish farms create an overpopulation of fish, which then leads to an imbalance that threatens the natural coral reef in the Gulf. He said the fish are overfed some 5000 tons of food each year, leading to significant residue from the undigested food as well as natural fish secretions, causing pollution and interruption of natural marine processes.
The group was also responsible for the Israeli Ports Corporation's move to clear some 75 tons of sludge from the banks of the Kishon River near Haifa. The company cleared waste from the waters around the river after a Tzalul investigative report on the issue, “Contaminated Ground in the Haifa Gulf,” was sent to the Environment Ministry.
Abramovitch also said the environmental movement itself is changing. “It’s the end of the hippie era in the environmental world,” he said, explaining that the new chapter will require a more businesslike approach.
The business approach still requires strong grassroots involvement, said Abramovitch. Letter-writing campaigns, signs and demonstrations form an important tool in pressuring industry and politicians in Israel to pass pro-environment legislation. The most important activists, he said, are the youth.
“The younger they are, the better they will do,” he said, expressing the hope that they “all become ambassadors of the environment and agents of change.” Tzalul trained teenagers to be activists in a pilot project last year in Haifa, teaching campaign strategies and information about environmental issues.
Environmental protection issues are often at loggerheads with the interests of private businesses and government projects. Despite the difficulties, however, Abramovitch said the Israeli government is increasing its interest in promoting a healthy environment.
The Israel21c website offers information about technology and culture in Israel.
The five-year battle against fish farming in the Gulf resulted in a government resolution to force the removal of all fish cages from the Gulf of Aqaba by the year 2008.
The fish cages are to be removed in stages, with the first third to be eliminated this year, the second third in 2007 and the final third in 2008.
In a recent interview with Israel21c, Tzalul director Yariv Abramovitch said the fish farms create an overpopulation of fish, which then leads to an imbalance that threatens the natural coral reef in the Gulf. He said the fish are overfed some 5000 tons of food each year, leading to significant residue from the undigested food as well as natural fish secretions, causing pollution and interruption of natural marine processes.
The group was also responsible for the Israeli Ports Corporation's move to clear some 75 tons of sludge from the banks of the Kishon River near Haifa. The company cleared waste from the waters around the river after a Tzalul investigative report on the issue, “Contaminated Ground in the Haifa Gulf,” was sent to the Environment Ministry.
Abramovitch also said the environmental movement itself is changing. “It’s the end of the hippie era in the environmental world,” he said, explaining that the new chapter will require a more businesslike approach.
The business approach still requires strong grassroots involvement, said Abramovitch. Letter-writing campaigns, signs and demonstrations form an important tool in pressuring industry and politicians in Israel to pass pro-environment legislation. The most important activists, he said, are the youth.
“The younger they are, the better they will do,” he said, expressing the hope that they “all become ambassadors of the environment and agents of change.” Tzalul trained teenagers to be activists in a pilot project last year in Haifa, teaching campaign strategies and information about environmental issues.
Environmental protection issues are often at loggerheads with the interests of private businesses and government projects. Despite the difficulties, however, Abramovitch said the Israeli government is increasing its interest in promoting a healthy environment.
The Israel21c website offers information about technology and culture in Israel.