Israel Invests $6.5 Million in National Project to Farm Tuna

Israel is launching a national project to domesticate tuna farming, investing approximately 24 million shekels (about $6.5 million) to establish a local industry and reduce reliance on imports. The initiative aims to create an independent, "blue and white" (Israeli) source of seafood protein and develop a marine "high-tech" industry capable of exporting fingerlings worldwide.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has partnered with the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute (IOLR) to establish a controlled facility for producing tuna eggs and fingerlings. This facility is intended to overcome key obstacles in the current tuna industry, which largely depends on catching fish in the open sea.

The project will enable controlled farming in specialized land-based ponds. Tuna were chosen for their rapid growth rate; they can reach approximately 5 kilograms in just one year, compared to sea bream which takes 1.5 years to reach about half a kilogram.

Officials estimate that commercial production could begin within five years, with the goal of making Israeli tuna fingerlings a sought-after technological export product within a decade, similar to the country's existing seed and seedling export industry.

Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter stated that increasing local production of seafood protein is crucial for national food security, emphasizing that the investment in tuna research and commerce is clear. Oren Lavie, the ministry's director-general, added that the state is investing in high-risk areas to pave the way for a knowledge-intensive Israeli industry, highlighting the significant potential of tuna farming for boosting local production and export opportunities.