Modern technology must be tailored to fit into the country’s traditional fish farming practices to boost fishermen’s efficiency and productivity, a scholar who recently returned from Israel for a short course on intensive fish farming said.

Conducted by MASHAV’s International Agricultural Training Center from 16 to 25 July in Shefayim, the program introduced Israel’s expertise in aquaculture and covered various topics, such as inland and coastal production methods, water quality management, and the interplay between fish farming and ecology.

Reniel Dandan, Science Research Specialist I at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, was impressed with Israel’s aquaculture industry, describing it as advanced and innovative and its farmers as highly modern and receptive to adopting new technologies and innovations developed through research and development (R&D).

Aquaculture revolutionized

“I observed firsthand how mechanization and digitalization have revolutionized their aquaculture practices. My aspiration is to share these insights with aquaculture farmers in the Philippines to inspire them to embrace new technologies and innovations from R&D,” he told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Despite the mature aquaculture technologies, there is a tendency to adhere to traditional practices, which he wishes to complement with modern approaches.

“I have a plan to explore Israeli aquaculture technologies with modifications to fit the Philippines’ needs through R&D, including the boosting of renewable energy for greener aquaculture, land-based seaweed production, utilization of periphyton for organic aquaculture and (an) intensive recirculating aquaculture system,” he added.