Articles

Q: Are Israeli Koi different to Japanese Koi and if so how? A: The quality of Israeli koi has improved greatly in the past decade, with farms investing massively in new brood stock from Japan to improve new varieties, as well as their own broodstock. The body shape & colour of many of the varieties is now not differentiable from Japanese koi. Choice isn’t a strong point from many Japanese dealers’ points of view, who mainly deal with Kohaku, Sanke & Showa. Israeli farms offer a wealth of varieties not usually offered from Japan and we believe that today many varieties outclass those found in Japan (if one can find them at all there). It is also worth remembering that the best Japanese Koi stay in Japan or are sold in the rapidly growing Chinese market, while the best Israeli Koi are exported.

Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) has been active in Koi and carp fish farms in Israel since 1998. It is believed the disease was imported to Israel in broodstock and equipment that came from a defunct Koi breeding farm in the UK. KHV is suspected to have existed before 1998 in East Europe, the US and Japan. Today it has spread to all Koi producing countries. Paradoxically, it was the openness of Israeli producers and authorities and their willingness to share information that fueled rumors that the virus started in Israel, or that Israeli farms were responsible for its propagation. In fact, more research on this disease and on ways to deal with the threat it represents has been done in Israel than in any other country in the world.

We have been producing pond fish (Koi and goldfish) for over 30 years at Kibbutz Hazorea in the Jezreel Valley in the North of Israel and in the year 2000 our newly formed company, Hazorea Aquatics pioneered the commercial production of indoor, system grown Biosecure Koi. Today the facility at Hazorea is the largest indoor/re-circ commercial Koi production facility of its kind in the world, and high quality Koi from Hazorea are shipped from around the world – including the US and Canada, Western Europe and South Africa. We are also well known in North America for our wide selection of high quality waterlilies.

Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) under suitable environmental conditions results in heavy mortalities of populations of Koi and carp (Cyprinus Carpio). Koi are traded on a continuous basis in the worldwide ornamental fish market and the common carp is an important protein source, especially in many developing countries. During the last decade KHV has spread rapidly throughout the world and has resulted in significant economic losses to the carp and 0rnamental fish industries in some countries. KHV outbreaks have been documented in Israel since 1998. Production of carp and Koi on farms throughout Israel were considerably reduced during the initial surge of disease, with massive fish kills. Three active approaches to the restoration of economic production were implemented by Israeli fish farmers, all claiming to assist in the containment and eradication of KHV.