June 5, 2006

UN report says it is possible to grow fish in the desert

It seems paradoxical, that the desert, once thought to be dry and uninhabitable would be deemed as the source of farmed fish in the future.

According to a UN report, deserts are capable of producing enough farmed fish to eradicate world hunger, if used in the right way.

Pointing to thriving projects in deserts such as the Negev in Israel and Arizona, the report says saline water in desert wells and sunlight can be used to simulate tropical conditions, making them ideal for farming fish and shrimp.

While water is always a concern in the desert, fish farming uses less water than a vegetable crop, another factor working in its favour.

For doubters, farmers in the African nation of Chad have cultivated fish and algae for human consumption because they can live in water from desert wells too salty for cultivated crops.

Far from being barren wastelands, deserts are biologically, economically and culturally dynamic, said Shafqat Kakakhel, the deputy director of the UN Environment Programme.