Comment from Daniel Benjamin, Hazorea Aquatics

I have read with interest your intended import restrictions. However I would like to comment that Israel is an SVC free zone and there has never been a recorded case of SVC in Israel. In addition, there is a complete ban on the import of coldwater fish into Israel - this ban having been implemented on 1st January 2006 by the Agricultural Ministry in an effort to maintain this SVC free status. All exporting farms in Israel have been tested regularly for SVC for at least the last 5 or 6 years. In view of the above I feel that the following part of your published document DOCID:fr30au06-5 should be ammended: "U.S. imports of live carp come primarily from Japan, Hong Kong, and Israel,\5\ which are considered to be potential sources of SVCV- infected fish. Japan accounted for 87 percent of the U.S. live carp import market in 2003, and Hong Kong and Israel accounted for about 7 and 6 percent, respectively.\6\ SVC-susceptible fish imported from these and other regions of the world will have to be certified as being from a region or establishment determined to be free of SVC." Thank you for your attention, Danny Benjamin Hazorea Aquatics Kibbutz Hazorea 30060 Israel