On 15 September 2021, the Gaza Strip’s first-ever marine cage farm, located about four nautical miles off the shores of Deir al Balah, was stocked with the first shipment of 30 000 fingerlings.

The cage farm, established by FAO in partnership with the Government of Italy on behalf of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (ACIS) and stocked with financial support from the European Union, is operated by a newly-formed Social Business lead by the fishers’ syndicate, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Al Tawfeek fishing cooperative.  A board of directors involving key actors in the fisheries sector serves as the business’ governing body.

“The installation of these cages is an entrepreneurial project taking place in Gaza for the first time,” said Abdelnasser Madi, executive director of the Social Business. “FAO’s support minimized the risks for Gazans of such an investment and developed their knowledge and skills to maximize benefits of the investment. We expect to witness an increase in production and revenues.”

The works are part of a wider intervention to strengthen resilience and livelihoods of fishing communities in the Gaza Strip through equitable modernisation of the fisheries and aquaculture value chain started in 2017.