A strategic assessment of the potential for freshwater fish farming in the Caribbean Island States. / Una evaluación estratégica de la potencialidad para la piscicultura dulceacuícola en los Estados Insulares del Caribe.

James McDaid Kapetsky and/y Bisessar Chakalall;Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Division

A strategic assessment of the potential for freshwater fish farming in the Caribbean Island States. / Una evaluación estratégica de la potencialidad para la piscicultura dulceacuícola en los Estados Insulares del Caribe.

Year of publication 1998

Pages 41

Author James McDaid Kapetsky and/y Bisessar Chakalall;Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Category Technical report

ISBN 9250042116

Series title COPESCAL Technical Paper

Series number COPESCAL/T10Suppl.

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) This report describes the potential for inland fish farming among the Caribbean Island States based on methods used in an earlier study (“A strategic assessment of the potential for freshwater fish farming in Latin America”, COPESCAL Technical Paper, No. 10, 1997) to estimate freshwater fish farming potential in Latin America. Four criteria were used to estimate potential for small-scale fish farming in ponds: water loss, potential for farm gate sales, soil and terrain suitability for ponds and availability of agriculture by-products as feed or fertilizer inputs. A fifth criterion was added in order to estimate potential for commercial fish farming: urban market potential. These criteria were weighted in different ways to make small-scale and commercial fish farming models on the basis of expert advice. Numbers of crops per year of Nile tilapia and common carp were predicted based on monthly climatic variables. By varying feeding levels and harvest sizes small-scale and commercial leve l outputs were simulated. Combining the small-scale and commercial models with the simulations of fish production provided overall suitability ratings for each 5 are minute grid (approximately 9 × 9 km). Field verifications were carried out in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The results suggest good potential for freshwater fish farming among many of the Caribbean Island States with relatively large areas rating very suitable or suitable for the combined criteria and with relatively high crops/year output of the species considered. The results of the field verifications indicated the importance of local knowledge for the interpretation of the predictions.

Cite this content as:

Kapetsky, J.M.; Chakalall, B. A strategic assessment of the potential for freshwater fish farming in the Caribbean Island States.Una evaluación estratégica de la potencialidad para la piscicultura dulceacuícola en los Estados Insulares del Caribe. COPESCAL Technical Paper/Documento Técnico de la COPESCAL. No. 10, Suppl./Supl. Rome/Roma, FAO. 1998. 41 p.

Language Bilingual

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Marine and many inland fishery resources are heavily exploited or overexploited, and although there is potential for increasing production from inland fisheries through intensification, development of aquaculture holds the most promise in the long term for improving food security through increasing the supply of fish. Currently, inland aquaculture production in Latin America is insignificant compared with the output from inland and marine fisheries. Lack of good planning at national level has been identified as a serious impediment to the development of aquaculture. Estimates of potential are scarce that are both comprehensive and comparable over large geographic areas. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to estimate the potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in the fresh waters of Latin America in order to stimulate improved planning for aquaculture development at national levels, and at the same time to provide a tool to plan comprehensively for technic al assistance activities by FAO and other national and international organizations. The present study is patterned on an estimate of warm-water fish farming potential made for Africa. However, a number of refinements have been made, one of which is a fourfold increase in resolution (i.e., to 5 arc-minutes, equivalent to 9 km x 9 km grids at the equator), thereby making the results much more usable for assessing fish farming potential at the national level. Another refinement is that, for the first time, a bio-energetics model has been incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) to predict fish yields over large geographic areas. A gridded water temperature data set was used as input to the bioenergetics model to predict numbers of crops per year for four species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) and carp (Cyprinus carpio). By varying input levels and sizes at harvest, opportunities for two levels of c ommercial fish farming and for small-scale fish farming were identified. In addition to the suitability of each 9 x 9 km grid cell for the production of the above-mentioned species, each grid cell was evaluated for a number of other factors important for fish-farm development and operation. These included urban market potential based on travel time proximity and population size of urban centres, potential for farm-gate sales based on population density, engineering and terrain suitability for pond construction using a variety of soil attributes, water loss from ponds due to evaporation and seepage, and availability of agricultural by-products as feed inputs based on crop potential. Commercial and small-scale aquaculture models were developed by weighting these factors using a multiple criteria evaluation procedure. Areas unavailable for inland fish farming development were identified by incorporating protected areas and large inland water bodies as constraints. Finally, the yield potential of each grid cell for each of the four species was analysed using the growth model together with the other factors in the commercial and small-scale models to show the coincidence of each class of suitability with each range of yield potential. Potential for inland fish farming is high in continental Latin America. From 8% to 60% of the continental area scores from suitable to very suitable for small-scale farming of Nile tilapia and carp, respectively. In the same areas, from 0.9 to 1.7 crops/y of Nile tilapia and from 0.9 to 1.8 crops/y of carp can be realized by harvesting at modest weights. The most important factor for commercial fish farming - urban market potential - scores high across more than one-half of the continent.
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The present study is an update of an earlier assessment of warm-water fish farming potential in Africa, by Kapetsky (1994). The objective of this study was to assess locations and areal expanses that have potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in continental Africa. The study was based on previous estimates for Africa by the above author, and on estimates of potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in Latin America by Kapetsky and Nath (1997). However, a nu mber of refinements have been made. The most important refinement was that new data allowed a sevenfold increase in resolution over that used in the previous Africa study, and a twofold increase over that of Latin America (i.e. to 3 arc minutes, equivalent to 5 km x 5 km grids at the equator), making the present results more usable in order to assess fish farming potential at the national level. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to evaluate each grid cell on the basis of severa l land-quality factors important for fish-farm development and operation regardless of the fish species used. Protected areas, large inland water bodies and major cities were identified as constraint areas, and were excluded from any fish farming development altogether. Small-scale fish farming potential was assessed on the basis of four factors: water requirement from ponds due to evaporation and seepage, soil and terrain suitability for pond construction based on a variety of soil attributes a nd slopes, availability of livestock wastes and agricultural by-products as feed inputs based on manure and crop potential, and farm-gate sales as a function of population density. For commercial farming, an urban market potential criterion was added based on population size of urban centres and travel time proximity. Both small-scale and commercial models were developed by weighting the above factors using a multi-criteria decision-making procedure. A bioenergetics model was incorporated int o the GIS to predict, for the first time, fish yields across Africa. A gridded water temperature data set was used as input to a bioenergetics model to predict number of crops per year for the following three species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Similar analytical approaches to those by Kapetsky and Nath (1997) were followed in the yield estimation. However, different specifications were used for small-scale and co mmercial farming scenarios in order to reflect the types of culture practices found in Africa. Moreover, the fish growth simulation model, documented in Kapetsky and Nath (1997), was refined to enable consideration of feed quality and high fish biomass in ponds. The small-scale and commercial models derived from the land-quality evaluation were combined with the yield potential of each grid cell for each of the three fish species to show the coincidence of each land-quality suitability class with a range of yield potentials. Finally, the land quality-fish yield potential combinations were put together to show where the fish farming potential coincided for the three fish species. The results are generally positive. Estimates of the quality of land show that about 23% of continental Africa scored very suitable for both small-scale and commercial fish farming. For the three fish species, 50-76% of Africa's land has the highest yield range potential, and the spatial distribution of th is yield is quite similar among the species and farming systems. However, the spatial distribution of carp culture potential was greater than for Nile tilapia and African catfish. Combining the two farming system models with the favourable yields of the three fish species suggest that over 15% of the continent has land areas with high suitability for pond aquaculture.
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La explotación de los recursos pesqueros marinos y de muchos de los continentales es muy elevada o excesiva y si bien para mejorar la seguridad alimentaria existe la posibilidad de aumentar el abastecimiento de pescado mediante la intensificación de la explotación pesquera de agua dulce, el fomento de la acuicultura es la vía que ofrece las mejores perspectivas en el largo plazo, para cumplir con este fin. En la actualidad, la producción dulceacuícola en América Latina es insignificante, compara da con la producción pesquera marina y continental. Se ha determinado que la falta de una buena planificación nacional constituye un grave obstáculo para el desarrollo de la acuicultura. Son escasos los datos sobre potencialidad que sean extensos y comparables a través de grandes extensiones geográficas. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo por finalidad estimar la potencialidad para la explotación piscícola en aguas dulces templadas y cálidas de América Latina, a objeto de alentar el mejoramiento de la planificación del desarrollo acuícola en el plano nacional y, al mismo tiempo, contar con una herramienta que permitiera planificar comprensivamente las actividades de asistencia técnica que deben impartir la FAO y otras organizaciones internacionales y nacionales. Este estudio se configuró a base de una estimación del potencial para la explotación piscícola en aguas cálidas efectuada para el África, aunque con la introducción de una serie de ajustes. Uno de ellos fue el de cuadruplica r la resolución, (es decir, a un arco de 5 minutos, equivalentes a cuadrículas de 9 km × 9 km en el ecuador), con lo cual los resultados resultan mucho más útiles para evaluar la potencialidad de la explotación piscícola en el ámbito nacional. Otro de los ajustes es que, por primera vez, se ha incorporado un modelo bioenergético a un sistema de información geográfica (SIG), a fin de pronosticar los rendimientos pesqueros en extensas zonas geográficas. Se utilizó un conjunto de datos cuadriculado s sobre temperatura del agua, como insumo para el modelo bioenergético desarrollado para pronosticar el número de cosechas anuales de cuatro especies: Tilapia del Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) y carpa (Cyprinus carpio). Con la introducción de variaciones en los índices de insumos y en los tamaños al momento de la cosecha, fue posible identificar las posibilidades para dos niveles de explotación piscícola comercial y para la piscicul tura de pequeña escala. Además de evaluar la aptitud de cada celda de la cuadrícula de 9 × 9 km para producir las mencionadas especies, también se hizo una evaluación de ellas con respecto a una serie de otros factores importantes para el desarrollo y funcionamiento de una granja piscícola, como por ejemplo, el potencial del mercado urbano, estimado a base de la demora en llegar a él y el tamaño de su población; la potencialidad de efectuar ventas en la granja, basada en la densidad demográfi ca; las obras de ingeniería necesarias y la aptitud del terreno para la construcción de estanques, determinados por una serie de atributos del suelo; la pérdida de agua de los estanques a causa de la evaporación y la filtración; y la disponibilidad de subproductos agrícolas como insumos alimentarios, calculado sobre la base de la potencialidad para cultivos. Se desarrollaron modelos de acuicultura comercial y de pequeña escala ponderando estos factores mediante un procedimiento de evaluación con criterios múltiples. También se identificaron zonas no disponibles para el desarrollo de la piscicultura de agua dulce al incorporar las áreas y los grandes cuerpos de aguas continentales protegidos como zonas inconvenientes.
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The present study is an update of an earlier assessment of warm-water fish farming potential in Africa, by Kapetsky (1994). The objective of this study was to assess locations and areal expanses that have potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in continental Africa. The study was based on previous estimates for Africa by the above author, and on estimates of potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in Latin America by Kapetsky and Nath (1997). However, a nu mber of refinements have been made. The most important refinement was that new data allowed a sevenfold increase in resolution over that used in the previous Africa study, and a twofold increase over that of Latin America (i.e. to 3 arc minutes, equivalent to 5 km x 5 km grids at the equator), making the present results more usable in order to assess fish farming potential at the national level. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to evaluate each grid cell on the basis of severa l land-quality factors important for fish-farm development and operation regardless of the fish species used. Protected areas, large inland water bodies and major cities were identified as constraint areas, and were excluded from any fish farming development altogether. Small-scale fish farming potential was assessed on the basis of four factors: water requirement from ponds due to evaporation and seepage, soil and terrain suitability for pond construction based on a variety of soil attributes a nd slopes, availability of livestock wastes and agricultural by-products as feed inputs based on manure and crop potential, and farm-gate sales as a function of population density. For commercial farming, an urban market potential criterion was added based on population size of urban centres and travel time proximity. Both small-scale and commercial models were developed by weighting the above factors using a multi-criteria decision-making procedure. A bioenergetics model was incorporated int o the GIS to predict, for the first time, fish yields across Africa. A gridded water temperature data set was used as input to a bioenergetics model to predict number of crops per year for the following three species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Similar analytical approaches to those by Kapetsky and Nath (1997) were followed in the yield estimation. However, different specifications were used for small-scale and co mmercial farming scenarios in order to reflect the types of culture practices found in Africa. Moreover, the fish growth simulation model, documented in Kapetsky and Nath (1997), was refined to enable consideration of feed quality and high fish biomass in ponds. The small-scale and commercial models derived from the land-quality evaluation were combined with the yield potential of each grid cell for each of the three fish species to show the coincidence of each land-quality suitability class with a range of yield potentials. Finally, the land quality-fish yield potential combinations were put together to show where the fish farming potential coincided for the three fish species. The results are generally positive. Estimates of the quality of land show that about 23% of continental Africa scored very suitable for both small-scale and commercial fish farming. For the three fish species, 50-76% of Africa's land has the highest yield range potential, and the spatial distribution of th is yield is quite similar among the species and farming systems. However, the spatial distribution of carp culture potential was greater than for Nile tilapia and African catfish. Combining the two farming system models with the favourable yields of the three fish species suggest that over 15% of the continent has land areas with high suitability for pond aquaculture.
Book (stand-alone)

Technical report
Una evaluación estratégica de la potencialidad para la piscicultura dulceacuícola en América Latina 1997

Also available in:

English

La explotación de los recursos pesqueros marinos y de muchos de los continentales es muy elevada o excesiva y si bien para mejorar la seguridad alimentaria existe la posibilidad de aumentar el abastecimiento de pescado mediante la intensificación de la explotación pesquera de agua dulce, el fomento de la acuicultura es la vía que ofrece las mejores perspectivas en el largo plazo, para cumplir con este fin. En la actualidad, la producción dulceacuícola en América Latina es insignificante, compara da con la producción pesquera marina y continental. Se ha determinado que la falta de una buena planificación nacional constituye un grave obstáculo para el desarrollo de la acuicultura. Son escasos los datos sobre potencialidad que sean extensos y comparables a través de grandes extensiones geográficas. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo por finalidad estimar la potencialidad para la explotación piscícola en aguas dulces templadas y cálidas de América Latina, a objeto de alentar el mejoramiento de la planificación del desarrollo acuícola en el plano nacional y, al mismo tiempo, contar con una herramienta que permitiera planificar comprensivamente las actividades de asistencia técnica que deben impartir la FAO y otras organizaciones internacionales y nacionales. Este estudio se configuró a base de una estimación del potencial para la explotación piscícola en aguas cálidas efectuada para el África, aunque con la introducción de una serie de ajustes. Uno de ellos fue el de cuadruplica r la resolución, (es decir, a un arco de 5 minutos, equivalentes a cuadrículas de 9 km × 9 km en el ecuador), con lo cual los resultados resultan mucho más útiles para evaluar la potencialidad de la explotación piscícola en el ámbito nacional. Otro de los ajustes es que, por primera vez, se ha incorporado un modelo bioenergético a un sistema de información geográfica (SIG), a fin de pronosticar los rendimientos pesqueros en extensas zonas geográficas. Se utilizó un conjunto de datos cuadriculado s sobre temperatura del agua, como insumo para el modelo bioenergético desarrollado para pronosticar el número de cosechas anuales de cuatro especies: Tilapia del Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) y carpa (Cyprinus carpio). Con la introducción de variaciones en los índices de insumos y en los tamaños al momento de la cosecha, fue posible identificar las posibilidades para dos niveles de explotación piscícola comercial y para la piscicul tura de pequeña escala. Además de evaluar la aptitud de cada celda de la cuadrícula de 9 × 9 km para producir las mencionadas especies, también se hizo una evaluación de ellas con respecto a una serie de otros factores importantes para el desarrollo y funcionamiento de una granja piscícola, como por ejemplo, el potencial del mercado urbano, estimado a base de la demora en llegar a él y el tamaño de su población; la potencialidad de efectuar ventas en la granja, basada en la densidad demográfi ca; las obras de ingeniería necesarias y la aptitud del terreno para la construcción de estanques, determinados por una serie de atributos del suelo; la pérdida de agua de los estanques a causa de la evaporación y la filtración; y la disponibilidad de subproductos agrícolas como insumos alimentarios, calculado sobre la base de la potencialidad para cultivos. Se desarrollaron modelos de acuicultura comercial y de pequeña escala ponderando estos factores mediante un procedimiento de evaluación con criterios múltiples. También se identificaron zonas no disponibles para el desarrollo de la piscicultura de agua dulce al incorporar las áreas y los grandes cuerpos de aguas continentales protegidos como zonas inconvenientes.
Book (stand-alone)

Technical report
A strategic assessment of the potential for freshwater fish farming in Latin America. 1997

Also available in:

Spanish

Marine and many inland fishery resources are heavily exploited or overexploited, and although there is potential for increasing production from inland fisheries through intensification, development of aquaculture holds the most promise in the long term for improving food security through increasing the supply of fish. Currently, inland aquaculture production in Latin America is insignificant compared with the output from inland and marine fisheries. Lack of good planning at national level has been identified as a serious impediment to the development of aquaculture. Estimates of potential are scarce that are both comprehensive and comparable over large geographic areas. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to estimate the potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in the fresh waters of Latin America in order to stimulate improved planning for aquaculture development at national levels, and at the same time to provide a tool to plan comprehensively for technic al assistance activities by FAO and other national and international organizations. The present study is patterned on an estimate of warm-water fish farming potential made for Africa. However, a number of refinements have been made, one of which is a fourfold increase in resolution (i.e., to 5 arc-minutes, equivalent to 9 km x 9 km grids at the equator), thereby making the results much more usable for assessing fish farming potential at the national level. Another refinement is that, for the first time, a bio-energetics model has been incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) to predict fish yields over large geographic areas. A gridded water temperature data set was used as input to the bioenergetics model to predict numbers of crops per year for four species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) and carp (Cyprinus carpio). By varying input levels and sizes at harvest, opportunities for two levels of c ommercial fish farming and for small-scale fish farming were identified. In addition to the suitability of each 9 x 9 km grid cell for the production of the above-mentioned species, each grid cell was evaluated for a number of other factors important for fish-farm development and operation. These included urban market potential based on travel time proximity and population size of urban centres, potential for farm-gate sales based on population density, engineering and terrain suitability for pond construction using a variety of soil attributes, water loss from ponds due to evaporation and seepage, and availability of agricultural by-products as feed inputs based on crop potential. Commercial and small-scale aquaculture models were developed by weighting these factors using a multiple criteria evaluation procedure. Areas unavailable for inland fish farming development were identified by incorporating protected areas and large inland water bodies as constraints. Finally, the yield potential of each grid cell for each of the four species was analysed using the growth model together with the other factors in the commercial and small-scale models to show the coincidence of each class of suitability with each range of yield potential. Potential for inland fish farming is high in continental Latin America. From 8% to 60% of the continental area scores from suitable to very suitable for small-scale farming of Nile tilapia and carp, respectively. In the same areas, from 0.9 to 1.7 crops/y of Nile tilapia and from 0.9 to 1.8 crops/y of carp can be realized by harvesting at modest weights. The most important factor for commercial fish farming - urban market potential - scores high across more than one-half of the continent.
Book (series)

Technical study

A strategic reassessment of fish farming potential in Africa 1998

Also available in:

No results found.

The present study is an update of an earlier assessment of warm-water fish farming potential in Africa, by Kapetsky (1994). The objective of this study was to assess locations and areal expanses that have potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in continental Africa. The study was based on previous estimates for Africa by the above author, and on estimates of potential for warm-water and temperate-water fish farming in Latin America by Kapetsky and Nath (1997). However, a nu mber of refinements have been made. The most important refinement was that new data allowed a sevenfold increase in resolution over that used in the previous Africa study, and a twofold increase over that of Latin America (i.e. to 3 arc minutes, equivalent to 5 km x 5 km grids at the equator), making the present results more usable in order to assess fish farming potential at the national level. A geographical information system (GIS) was used to evaluate each grid cell on the basis of severa l land-quality factors important for fish-farm development and operation regardless of the fish species used. Protected areas, large inland water bodies and major cities were identified as constraint areas, and were excluded from any fish farming development altogether. Small-scale fish farming potential was assessed on the basis of four factors: water requirement from ponds due to evaporation and seepage, soil and terrain suitability for pond construction based on a variety of soil attributes a nd slopes, availability of livestock wastes and agricultural by-products as feed inputs based on manure and crop potential, and farm-gate sales as a function of population density. For commercial farming, an urban market potential criterion was added based on population size of urban centres and travel time proximity. Both small-scale and commercial models were developed by weighting the above factors using a multi-criteria decision-making procedure. A bioenergetics model was incorporated int o the GIS to predict, for the first time, fish yields across Africa. A gridded water temperature data set was used as input to a bioenergetics model to predict number of crops per year for the following three species: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Similar analytical approaches to those by Kapetsky and Nath (1997) were followed in the yield estimation. However, different specifications were used for small-scale and co mmercial farming scenarios in order to reflect the types of culture practices found in Africa. Moreover, the fish growth simulation model, documented in Kapetsky and Nath (1997), was refined to enable consideration of feed quality and high fish biomass in ponds. The small-scale and commercial models derived from the land-quality evaluation were combined with the yield potential of each grid cell for each of the three fish species to show the coincidence of each land-quality suitability class with a range of yield potentials. Finally, the land quality-fish yield potential combinations were put together to show where the fish farming potential coincided for the three fish species. The results are generally positive. Estimates of the quality of land show that about 23% of continental Africa scored very suitable for both small-scale and commercial fish farming. For the three fish species, 50-76% of Africa's land has the highest yield range potential, and the spatial distribution of th is yield is quite similar among the species and farming systems. However, the spatial distribution of carp culture potential was greater than for Nile tilapia and African catfish. Combining the two farming system models with the favourable yields of the three fish species suggest that over 15% of the continent has land areas with high suitability for pond aquaculture.
Book (stand-alone)

Technical report
Una evaluación estratégica de la potencialidad para la piscicultura dulceacuícola en América Latina 1997

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English

La explotación de los recursos pesqueros marinos y de muchos de los continentales es muy elevada o excesiva y si bien para mejorar la seguridad alimentaria existe la posibilidad de aumentar el abastecimiento de pescado mediante la intensificación de la explotación pesquera de agua dulce, el fomento de la acuicultura es la vía que ofrece las mejores perspectivas en el largo plazo, para cumplir con este fin. En la actualidad, la producción dulceacuícola en América Latina es insignificante, compara da con la producción pesquera marina y continental. Se ha determinado que la falta de una buena planificación nacional constituye un grave obstáculo para el desarrollo de la acuicultura. Son escasos los datos sobre potencialidad que sean extensos y comparables a través de grandes extensiones geográficas. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo por finalidad estimar la potencialidad para la explotación piscícola en aguas dulces templadas y cálidas de América Latina, a objeto de alentar el mejoramiento de la planificación del desarrollo acuícola en el plano nacional y, al mismo tiempo, contar con una herramienta que permitiera planificar comprensivamente las actividades de asistencia técnica que deben impartir la FAO y otras organizaciones internacionales y nacionales. Este estudio se configuró a base de una estimación del potencial para la explotación piscícola en aguas cálidas efectuada para el África, aunque con la introducción de una serie de ajustes. Uno de ellos fue el de cuadruplica r la resolución, (es decir, a un arco de 5 minutos, equivalentes a cuadrículas de 9 km × 9 km en el ecuador), con lo cual los resultados resultan mucho más útiles para evaluar la potencialidad de la explotación piscícola en el ámbito nacional. Otro de los ajustes es que, por primera vez, se ha incorporado un modelo bioenergético a un sistema de información geográfica (SIG), a fin de pronosticar los rendimientos pesqueros en extensas zonas geográficas. Se utilizó un conjunto de datos cuadriculado s sobre temperatura del agua, como insumo para el modelo bioenergético desarrollado para pronosticar el número de cosechas anuales de cuatro especies: Tilapia del Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) y carpa (Cyprinus carpio). Con la introducción de variaciones en los índices de insumos y en los tamaños al momento de la cosecha, fue posible identificar las posibilidades para dos niveles de explotación piscícola comercial y para la piscicul tura de pequeña escala. Además de evaluar la aptitud de cada celda de la cuadrícula de 9 × 9 km para producir las mencionadas especies, también se hizo una evaluación de ellas con respecto a una serie de otros factores importantes para el desarrollo y funcionamiento de una granja piscícola, como por ejemplo, el potencial del mercado urbano, estimado a base de la demora en llegar a él y el tamaño de su población; la potencialidad de efectuar ventas en la granja, basada en la densidad demográfi ca; las obras de ingeniería necesarias y la aptitud del terreno para la construcción de estanques, determinados por una serie de atributos del suelo; la pérdida de agua de los estanques a causa de la evaporación y la filtración; y la disponibilidad de subproductos agrícolas como insumos alimentarios, calculado sobre la base de la potencialidad para cultivos. Se desarrollaron modelos de acuicultura comercial y de pequeña escala ponderando estos factores mediante un procedimiento de evaluación con criterios múltiples. También se identificaron zonas no disponibles para el desarrollo de la piscicultura de agua dulce al incorporar las áreas y los grandes cuerpos de aguas continentales protegidos como zonas inconvenientes.

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