British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 436

CHAPTER XII.

A.-(2) THE FISHERIES OF THE GULF OF AQABA.

4. The Gulf of Aqaba at the extreme southern end of Palestine contains tropical fish such as barracuda, horse mackerel, snappers and garfish, besides rays, sharks and craw-fish. Up to the outbreak of war no development of the Aqaba fisheries bad taken place, chiefly on account of international difficulties (the Palestine littoral being extremely constricted) and lack of a serviceable road from Aqaba to the main towns of Palestine. During the war, however, the Government developed this fishery by installing a refrigerating plant at Aqaba and a refrigerator 'mother' ship which collects the fish from the fishermen and provides them with ice. The fish, hard frozen, are sent north in insulated boxes by truck through Sinai and Beersheba to the main towns in Palestine. This fishery is operated through a Government Agency.

Since the inception of the Aqaba fisheries in 1943 the total quantity of fish caught at Aqaba and brought to Palestine for marketing amounts to approximately 125 tons.

B. FRESH-WATER FISHERIES AND POND CULTURE.

5. The Lake Tiberias fishery-which is, of course, of historic interest-has considerable economic value and at present yields about 400 tons of fish annually. During Turkish rule and after the British occupation, up to 1920, the fishing rights were leased annually and a tax of 20% on the sales of fish was levied. In 1920 Government threw open all fisheries, both marine and lacustrine, to all who cared to take out a licence to fish, and at the same time abolished the tax. The immediate result, in so far as Tiberias was concerned, was a great increase in the number of boats employed and of the men who resorted to the lake to fish. After 10-15 years it became apparent that depletion of fish stocks ill the lake was taking place. A recent (1942) scientific investigation by Dr. C. K. Ricardo Bertram showed that, unless strict measures were taken, the fishery would be seriously damaged through depletion of the stock by irrational fishing. The number of fishermen permitted to fish in the lake is now rigidly restricted and stringent rules prescribe the size of the nets. There are already indications of an improvement in the fish content of the lake and the advisability of continuing the restrictions has been amply demonstrated. Nets of various types are used including the seine net, which is regarded as the traditional method of catching fish in the lake.

6. The most important kinds of fish caught in the lake are three species of cyprinidae (Arabic "kerseen", "qishiri" and "haffafi")

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