(Student John O’ Brien injects a Mirror Carp with hormone to force spawning at a desired time)NELSONVILLE – A current Hocking College aquaculture student and a recent graduate of the program are the second pair to benefit from a visit northern Israel where they are learning fish farming methods from Israeli fish hatcheries experts. The visit is sponsored by Cleveland based Ohio-Israel Agriculture Initiative of the Negev Foundation.
John O’Brien of Woodsfield, a fish management and aquaculture major, and graduate Michael (Mike) Stachowiak of Cleveland are spending April and May at Kibbutz Reshafim, in the Bet She’an valley of northern Israel where they are working in the Kibbutz’s hatchery.
An Israeli woman celebrates “Freedom Day” at a local spring.
During their Kibbutz stay, O’Brien and Stachowiak are working with various species of fish, learning advanced aquaculture while getting academic credit for their participation in the program. The students are also experiencing life in Israel firsthand as they travel and explore the country.
“We expect the experience to be personally and professionally rewarding for both Mike and John,” said Lloyd Wright, aquaculture professor at Hocking College. “The knowledge they gain will give them an experiential advantage that will help them become better fisheries professionals,” Wright said, adding this is the second team student exchange team from Hocking College sponsored by the Negev Foundation.
Mt. Gilboa overlook. Reshafim Kibbutz to the left is where Mr. O‘ Brien works and lives.
According to Dr. Sarah Horowitz, program director for the Ohio-Israel
Agricultural Initiative, the student exchange program is one of several projects designed to enhance agricultural ties between Ohio and Israel. “This endeavor gives Mike and John the opportunity to study aquaculture techniques in Israel, a country that is recognized as one of the foremost leaders in this field, and to share what they have studied at Hocking College with their Israeli colleagues,” says Dr. Horowitz.
Based on the success of the Ohio-Israel agricultural student exchange program, the Initiative is planning another aquaculture exchange in the summer of 2007. The program might be expanded to include other agricultural fields.
Negev Foundation President Sam Hoenig said the aquaculture exchange program is an opportunity for everyone to reap long-term benefits. “This is a good and an ambitious program,” he said. “Hopefully it will be one of many opportunities for student volunteers to share what they’ve learned with others.”
