Fisheries profile mapping of coastal districts in Maharashtra state through GIS

In recent times, GIS is being increasingly used as a decision support system for management of fisheries and aquaculture. It provides new innovative approaches of the dynamic relations that characterize this sector. In this context, a study is conducted based on the secondary data of a major maritime state, Maharashtra, where mapping of fisheries profile of coastal districts in the state is performed through GIS tool having critical geographic dimensions. This paper aims to map information of the state which can be used for the purpose of planning and decision making as each aspect of map has a different component involved. For this purpose, at the core of the system, the data were accessed and integrated from different sources mainly from the five coastal districts of Maharashtra state. Data were brought in tabular form through Microsoft Excel and then joined to Map info Professional version 8.0 GIS software was used with the digitized map of Maharashtra state to enable mapping. This was further synchronized and integrated to generate four thematic maps searchable on several criteria. Map 1 contains the searchable criteria as regards to the fish growth for the year 1997-2004 and fish seed production for the year 2003-04. Map 2 contains fisher population along with their occupation for the year 1992. Map 3 contains brackish water and shrimp farming production and culture area. Map 4 contains infrastructural facilities which include type of boats etc. With this mapping, planners and various stakeholders have accessible information as regards to the various components of fisheries in the state of Maharashtra.

Issues of HIV/AIDS/ health among the fisher communities of Lake Albert and Kyoga

The fisheries resources of Lakes Albert and Kyoga present a high potential for economic growth, food, employment and foreign earnings. However, livelihoods appear to be compromised with the emergence and rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the fisher communities of L. Albert and Kyoga. HIV/AIDS is considered a silent epidemic that is unique, posing a great challenge to the fisheries managers, health service providers, development planners and the resource users themselves. Fishers have high HIV prevalence, as well as AIDS-related illnesses and mortality rates. The high HIV prevalence rates among the fishing communities in Uganda is between 10-40% compared to the national rates which lie between 6% and 7%. This indicates that the national programmes have not adequately addressed the plight of the fishing communities of Lakes Albert, and Kyoga and the consequences have been devastating. Men and women living in fishing villages across the world have been found to be between five and ten times more vulnerable to the disease than other communities (Tarzan et al 2005, FAO, 2007). The present prevalence rates among the fishing communities stands at 10 to 40 % (LVFO, 2008). Meanwhile the same fishing communities are the essential labour for the Lakes’ fishery industry which is thriving nationally and internationally. That resource potentially can alleviate poverty and the HIV/AIDS threat. Fishing communities are the hidden victims of the disease, mixing patterns with the general population could act as a reservoir of infection that could spill over into the general population to drive the epidemic. On L. Albert, a quarter of the fisher folk were HIV-positive by 1992 compared to 4% in a nearby Agricultural village. Since then, there have been no targeted studies to address or monitor the prevalence rates eight years later, yet the multiplicity factor is high. HIV/AIDS can be linked to unsustainable fisheries, as the labour force available would not go to deep waters to fish, instead would fish in the shallow waters as a coping mechanism. A further effect is the loss to National and local economies and reduced nutritional security for the wider population. HIV/AIDS remains a significant challenge that has created a mosaic of complexity in the fishery sector. This needs to be addressed. It is, therefore, paramount that a comprehensive study was under taken to address this pandemic and the phenomenon of HIV/AIDS based on the study objectives. 1. To determine the trend in HIV/AIDS infection among fishing communities and the factors affecting it 2. To assess the impacts of HIV/AIDS on fish production and the implications for fisheries management.