Potential Applications of Spatial

Information Technology in Aquaculture

and Inland Fisheries
By
M.N.Reddy, G.P.Reddy and B.S.Sontakki

M.N.Reddy
NAARM,Hyderabad
 Spatial Information Technology
Geographical Information system(GIS) +
Global Positioning system(GPS)+
Remote Sensing(RS)

Sustainable management of Natural

:Resources
 Some Potential applications

• Spatial distribution and Resource inventory

of water bodies including small water bodies

• Site selection for targeted fish species

• Trade-offs among alternative uses

of natural resources

• Environmental impact assessment

• Sustainable fish farming development

through selection of suitable
sites for fish ponds etc.
 Inventory of Water Bodies

· How many water bodies are there?

· Where are they?

· What is their size distribution?

· What amount of water do they

maintain during the dry season?

· Are their present uses compatible with

fisheries and aquaculture?

· How productive are they biologically?

Objectives:

• To estimate area under Aquaculture in

mandals(Blocks) of East and West
Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh

• To select representative samples for

primary data collection
Data

• IRS P6 (Resource Sat) data (Sensor:

AWiFS, resolution:70m

• AP Mandal Map (Block)

• AP District Map
Andhra Pradesh
District Map

East
Godavari

West
Godavari

Andhra Pradesh
Mandal Map

East Godavari and

West Godavari
Mandals Shape file
IRS-P6 Data product
Product Code : STPCD027J

East
Godavari
West
Godavari
East Godavari and West Godavari
Districts image
Mandal Subset
Yelamanchili Mandal from West Godavari District
 Legend

Rice Fields

Water Body
Forest
Settlements
Fallow land

Sandy Area

West Godavari
District

Yelamanchili
Mandal Water body
Map

!
.
!
.
!!
..
Yelamanchili
Mandal Landuse
Map
Pond Location
Sites Favorable for Tropical Shrimp Farming
(CNES – IFREMER, 1987)
LAND SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR AQUACULTURE

Themes(maps) to be overlaid in GIS

•Water resources (rivers, streams, lakes ,
dams etc.)
•Land use type (agriculture, irrigation, shrimp
farming, forestry etc.)
•Environmental characteristics (temperature,
elevation, soils etc.)
•Protected areas (Mangroves, conservation
zones etc.)
•Pollution sources (location of industries,
sugar factories, domestic waste etc.)
Urban development (Cities, towns and
villages)
Land Suitability Maps (Nath et al.2000)
Suitable lands for Suitable lands for
Brackish Water Brackish Water Shrimp
aquaculture culture
Land suitability for development of
watershed pond aquaculture
1. Suitability of Soils for 2. Suitability of Soils for
Catfish farming Catfish farming
development compared with the
locations of
existing farms
 Lake Dynamics Using RS and GIS

Objective:To test the feasibility of using RS data

to study shoreline dynamics
Map of the Dynamics of the Lake
 Identifying Areas for Fish Pond
Development

• Ground water depth.

• Water quality.
• Soil chemical characteristics - as they affect water
productivity and quality.
• Distance from feed suppliers and fish processing
plants - as they affect transport costs.
• Spatial development cost variations, e.g. cost
penalties for siting within the 100year
floodplain area.
• A slope map could have been incorporated to
eliminate the subjectivity in assessing relative
ratings
 Environmental Impact Analysis of
Shrimp Farming ( Tripati, 2005)
Environmental
degradation:
• Loss of Mangrove
forest of fertile
Land
• Degradation of
soil due to
sedimentation
• Determination of
water quality
PRA integrated to GIS : Mangrove Management
(Agdalle & Boromthanarat, 2003)

PRA Data Ground truthing Topographic Map

Accuracy Digitized
Assessment

Mangrove Database Base Map

Mangrove Forest Themes

Data Analysis/Overlaying

Final Map Tables

 Results and Conclusion

• PRA information on species, density and

location of mangrove forest is highly
accurate

• PRA is not accurate tool for area

determination of Mangroves Like GPS and
RS technologies

• PRA and GIS input provided the framework for

integrating data on resources, social,
legal and institutional structures
 GIS model to assess development patterns
of small-scale Rural aquaculture in the wider
environment(Bush,2003)

GPS: To record Latitude

and longitude
Information on Fish Ponds
• Species stocked
• Number of fish stocked
• Area of Pond
• Types of Food used
• Age of Ponds
• Main uses of harvestd
fish
Research questions:
• What area in the district have potential for
further activities by the government or
development agencies?
• How and why are fingerlings of different
species traded throughout the district?
• What influence does the availability of water
resources have on farmer’s adoption of
aquaculture?

• What are the marketing constraints and

potentials for farmers in different parts
of the districts?
Feature Trends of GIS Applications in
Aquaculture:

• Need for workshops

• Efforts in Education?
• GIS a routine analysis

• Collaboration with regard to strategic natural

resource management
Thank You