Cabinet approves bird-watching centers network

Proposal was developed over past five years and will be funded by eight government ministries.

By SHARON UDASIN
Galilee 521 (photo credit: Roi Katlan)
Galilee 521
(photo credit: Roi Katlan)
The cabinet approved the planning and construction of a NIS 37 million network of bird-watching centers for the Negev and Galilee on Sunday.
In addition to upgrading three existing centers – in Kfar Ruppin, Ma’agan Michael and Eilat – the budget will allow for the construction of four new centers, in Sde Boker, Ein Gedi, Lotan and Hatzeva. As Israel is a stopping point for about 500 million birds flying from Europe and western Asia to Africa and back, the goal of the project is to promote tourism, education and environmental awareness around the country, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. Israel attracts birds from about 540 species each year, providing an ideal platform of tourist infrastructure and “a paradise for bird-watching,” the office said.
The proposal for the new and upgraded bird-watching centers, which will crop up over the next four years, was formulated over the past five years by Tel Aviv University Prof. Yossi Leshem and Dan Alon, head of the Society for the Protection of Nature’s Israel Ornithology Center, according to SPNI.
Tourism Minister Stas Meseznikov and Negev and Galilee Development Minister Silvan Shalom then submitted the plans to the cabinet for review.
Funding for the network will come from eight government ministries – tourism, Negev and Galilee development, regional cooperation, agriculture, education, science and technology, finance, environmental protection – and the Prime Minister’s Office. In order to monitor the needs of the birds, SPNI plans to set up a computerized database to watch the birds, accessible through a central system and backed by Tel Aviv University, the organization said.
“Today’s decision will enable the transformation of the State of Israel into a tourism destination for bird-watching and will strengthen both domestic and foreign tourism,” Leshem and Alon collectively said.