Spatial information systems approach toward sustainable aquaculture

Aquaculture, probably the fastest growing food-producing sector, now accounts for almost 50% of the world's food fish and is perceived as having the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquatic food. In addition as sources of aquatic food production, aquaculture has great potential for alleviation of poverty and generation of wealth for the people living in coastal area. Many of the problems aquaculture has faced as a result of its own expansion and also because of increased activity by other sectors and stakeholders. This could effectively be resolved through a comprehensive aquaculture planning, zoning and management information system that would facilitate the formulation of strategies and planning for aquaculture development and sustain existing aquaculture systems. The FAO code of conduct gives the direction for planning and management of aquaculture (FAO, 1995). This code sets out principles and international standards of behavior for responsible practices with a view to ensure the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. Much of the information and data on aquaculture have been collected, such as environmental, water quality and socio economic; however, there are view studies which introduce a spatial element. To make the development sustainable, it is necessary to develop an analytical framework that can incorporate spatial (and temporal) dimensions of parameters that effect sustainability. Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) have an important role in all geographic and spatial aspects of the development and management of aquaculture. Both GIS and RS technology are also used to define geographic framework, specify environmental constraints and identify resources limitation. The extent of GIS and RS applications in aquaculture has rapidly increased. The applications in aquaculture include different targeting species (such as aquatic plants, fishes and shellfishes) with different main issues, include suitability of the site and zoning, environmental impact of aquaculture, planning for aquaculture among other uses of land and water, inventory and monitoring of aquaculture and the environment and fisheries and other competing uses. As an example, we have analyzed suitable sites for scallop aquaculture in Funka Bay. Our analyses were constructed from several sources of RS data and modeled using GIS based multi criteria analysis. Regarding spatial information system, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Division at FAO is actively promoting the use of spatial analytical tools and geo-referenced information (GISFish, http://www.fao.org/ fishery/gisfish/index.jsp) for the analysis of fisheries and aquaculture data, and in the development of fisheries and aquaculture management. Moreover, an ocean color community is also promoting the use of RS for fisheries and aquaculture management through SAFARI (Societal Applications in Fisheries and Aquaculture using Remotely-Sensed Imagery, http://www.geosafari.org/index.html). The main purpose of this topic is to promote the use of GIS and RS for improving the planning and management of aquaculture in order to support sustainable development. The capabilities of evolving GIS and RS provide a powerful tool for the efficient and cost effective management of sustainable aquaculture. These technologies are also useful for facilitating the decision making process in relation to aquaculture.