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THEMATIC MAPPING OF FISHERIES

INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES IN GREATER

MUMBAI REGION

S. S. Ghatge*, R. S. Biradar and K. Lohith Kumar.

Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai.

*Corresponding author, Email id: swapnilcife@gmail.com

Abstract:

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote sensing (RS)

technology in decision-making and policy development by preparing thematic maps,

inventories and specific GIS applications is growing rapidly in many fields of resource

management. In India, use of GIS in fisheries is yet to find its rightful place. An effort

was made in the present study to prepare thematic maps of the fisheries infrastructural

facilities in the Greater Mumbai region of Maharashtra state using GIS, RS and Global

Positioning System (GPS) technologies. Survey of India (SOI) topographical maps and

Landsat satellite imagery were used as spatial data sets. Geographical coordinates

(Latitude and Longitude) of 19 fish landing centres, 23 fisherman villages, 30

fisheries cooperative societies, 11 important fish markets and nine fisheries related

organizations in the study area, were collected with help of GPS handheld unit and

integrated in the ArcGIS 9.2 to prepare thematic maps.

Introduction:

"Mapping the fishery and the resources should be among the priority tasks

when planning for fisheries management and should not be postponed until "complete"

information is available, since redundancies or blanks in the information base will

more readily appear in the process of elaboration" (Caddy and Garcia, 1986). Their

work was a notable exception amongst those working in fisheries sciences, having

recognition in the past of the advantages to be gained for fisheries management from

visually based mapping techniques (Kapetsky and Manjarrez, 2007).

Butler et al. (1987) prepared a manual with practical guidelines and principles

of cartography which elaborated the basic concepts underlying preparation of maps and

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charts, collection of fisheries geographical information and graphical techniques to

improve information transfer from cartographic representation to the end user.

A map corresponds to an international 'common language' and communication

tool, so that anyone including even children can easily understand the information

presented in map. Maps enable anyone to overcome the frustration of an 'illiteracy

syndrome' that difficult words otherwise impose and so allow everyone to be more

content (Nishida, 2001). A special purpose map, prepared with an objective to show

distribution of a theme (such as fisherman villages) is known as thematic map (Chang,

2007).

A synoptic map can be an invaluable basic document for investment planning

and for display of economic information in a spatial context (e.g. socioeconomic status

of fishermen, rates of unemployment, etc.). One of the areas where information of

different types needs to be combined in this way is in preparation of management plans

for fisheries. Caddy and Garcia (1986) pointed that the Food and Agricultural

Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) have been recommending that spatial

management via mapping should be a prerequisite for the strategic development of

fisheries. Although this was difficult in the past, the advent of GIS has opened up

extraordinary opportunities.

A thematic map can be used to highlight the particular coastal areas which

support the natural resources (mangroves, coral reefs, etc.) and manmade

infrastructural facilities like fisherman villages, landing centres, fish markets,

processing plants, export units, which are the basic means to exploit natural fishery

resources. All the natural and infrastructural facilities available can be expressed on a

thematic map, which is of direct relevance to all users and administrators of the marine

environment for proper understanding, planning, management and optimal utilisation

of available facilities and resources. Malhotra and Sinha (2007) and Pillai and Katiha

(2004) pointed out that lack of proper resource database in Indian fisheries sector

makes proper planning, execution and monitoring difficult.

In India, use of GIS in fisheries is yet to find its rightful place. Thematic maps

of different types of industries, is not uncommon even in school atlas, but in case of

fisheries sector the availability of thematic maps of landing centre, fisherman villages,

fisheries cooperative societies, fish hatcheries, fish markets, fish processing industries,

etc is lacking. The present study aims to utilize the GIS, RS and GPS technology to

prepare thematic maps of the fisheries infrastructural facilities in Greater Mumbai

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region of Maharashtra in order to benefit fisherman, fisheries related individuals,

planners, administrators, students and general public.

Methodology:

Study Area:

The study area of Greater Mumbai region which lies off the Northern Konkan

coast of Maharashtra state, is set in the shimmering waters of the Arabian Sea between

latitude 18°53'45" N and 19°15' N and longitude 72°45'E and 73°00'E. The Greater

Mumbai region comprises of the Mumbai city district and Mumbai suburban district,

which contributes about 40% to the total annual fish production of Maharashtra state.

Data sets:

The post-monsoon, cloud free, orthorectified digital satellite image Landsat 7

Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor of October 2001, (path/row 148/47)

acquired from University of Maryland’s Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) website

(http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml) and Survey of India (SOI) topographical

maps 47 A/15 (1971), 47 A/16 (1976), and 47 B/13 (1970) on 1:50,000 scale, traced

from Geography department of Mumbai University, Kalina, Mumbai were used as base

datasets. GPS handheld unit of Garmin etrex was used to collect the geographical

coordinates of all the entities under study by conducting field visits during the time

period December 2007 to February 2008.

Thematic Mapping:

Presently variety of mapping methodologies have made their appearance,

ranging from highly participatory approaches involving village sketch maps to more

technical efforts with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing

(RS) (Chapin et al., 2005). In the present study ArcGIS 9.2 was used to carry out the

thematic mapping of fisheries infrastructural facilities in Greater Mumbai region. The

Universal Transverse Mercator projection (UTM) system was used as the projection

system and World Geodetic System (WGS) 1984 was used as the geographical co-

ordinate system with WGS 84 datum.

Visual interpretation method was used to carry on-screen digitization in the

ArcMap interface for extractacting regional boundaries of Mumbai city district and the

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Mumbai suburban district from SOI topographical maps. The Greater Mumbai region

coastline has been changing over the past decades due to reclamation activities, and

the SOI topographical maps available were of 1970’s, so in order to prepare a coastline

boundary map of the recent years, the Landsat the satellite imagery ETM+ of the year

2001 was used to digitize the coastal boundaries of the study area. The digitized

features were then combined in Arc Map 9.2 to prepare the base map for Greater

Mumbai region.

In the Arc Map 9.2 interface thematic maps of landing centres, fisherman

villages, and cooperative societies, important fish markets, fisheries related

organizations in Greater Mumbai region were prepared using the base map and the

geographical coordinates collected.

Results:

Thematic maps of fisheries infrastructure facilities including 19 fish landing

centres, 23 fisherman villages, 11 important fish markets, 30 fisheries cooperative

societies and nine fisheries related organizations were prepared by utilizing base maps

and geographical coordinates. The thematic maps are given below;

Map 1: Fish landing centres of the

Greater Mumbai region.

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Map 2: Fisherman villages of the

Greater Mumbai region.

Map 4: Co-operative societies in the

Greater Mumbai region.

Map 3: Important fish markets in

Greater Mumbai region.

Map 5: Fisheries related organizations

in Greater Mumbai region.

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Discussion:

Visualization in the spatial domain is conventionally carried out via mapping or

graphical means, with a map usually being described as a 2-D simplified representation

of spatial reality. Even for the non specialist there is an old adage which says - “A map

is worth a thousand words” (FAO, 2006). The economic welfare of a nation or region

is directly dependent on proper planning and management of the available natural

resources and infrastructure facilities, to benefit the people.

The aim of present study was achieved by preparing thematic maps of the

fisheries infrastructural facilities in Greater Mumbai region of Maharashtra utilizing the

GIS, RS and GPS technology, which will immensely benefit fishers and other

stakeholders. Synoptic maps of the main concentrations of fisherman villages, fishing

ports and beach landing points, markets, processing, freezing and transshipment points,

form a basis for proper statistical survey methodologies, for estimating catches, effort,

species composition, etc. These maps can be conveniently used for cross-referencing

with the filing system where information from various sampling points is stored and

also be used as a base for scheduling of the activities (and travel budgets) of statistical

officer. Further the results of this study will benefit in identification of most

economically important activities and their interrelationships as described by Caddy

and Garcia (1986).

The thematic maps of the present study can be used as basic documents for

investment planning and for display of economic information of fisher folk in a spatial

context. By giving a clear picture of distribution of the available fisheries infrastructure

facilities, these maps will help to optimally utilize the available infrastructure and in

planning development of necessary infrastructure as per the needs to tap the unutilized

natural resources.

Mapping the distribution of the fishery resources in Exclusive Economic Zone

(EEZ), fishing trip mapping, major fishing areas, marine protected area, pollution

status of surrounding waters, etc. if carried in relation to these thematic maps can

reveal new interrelationships to plan, manage and utilize the resources. Site selection of

processing units and fish markets can be made using these thematic maps in GIS

environment. According to Butler et al. (1987) maps have a catalytic effect on

development and prevent the main source of haphazard planning which is the lack of

easily understood information. In relation to the development and exploitation of

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marine resources, a mapping program can address critical information needs

concerning, for instance, fisheries, oceanography, geology, navigation, coastal

development and local political

realities. In addition, such important topics as education and training can be addressed.

Conclusion:

The thematic maps of Fisheries infrastructural facilities in Greater Mumbai

region will be of immense help to planners and administrators in proper understanding

of distribution of available facilities, optimal utilisation of available infrastructural

facilities and planning for development of new infrastructure. Along with planners and

administrators, students, people related to fisheries industry and general public will get

a synoptic view and better understanding of fisheries infrastructural facilities available

in Greater Mumbai region. These maps will be useful as base maps to spatially display

the natural resources available in marine environment. Similar efforts may be made to

prepare the thematic maps of available infrastructural facilities of Indian fishing

industry.

References:

Butler, M.J.A, LeBlanc, C., Belbin, J.A. and MacNeill, J.L. (1987), Marine Resource

Mapping: An Introductory Manual. Rome: FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No.

274.

Caddy, J. F. and Garcia, S. (1986), “Fisheries Thematic Mapping – A Prerequisite for

Intelligent Management and Development of Fisheries”, Oceanogr. Trop.

21(1), 31-52.

Chang Kang-tsung. (2007), Introduction to Geographical Information Systems, Fourth

edition, New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.

Chapin, M., Lamb, Z., and Threlked, B. (2005), “Mapping Indigenous Lands”, In:

Annual review of Anthropology. 34, 619-638.

FAO (2006), “Glossary of Aquaculture”, http://www.fao.org/fi/glossary/aquaculture/

Kapetsky, J.M., and Aguilar-Manjarrez, J. (2007), Geographic Information Systems,

Remote Sensing and Mapping for the Development and Management of Marine

Aquaculture Rome: FAO, Fisheries Technical Paper 458.

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Malohtra, S. P. and Sinha, V. R. P. (2007), Indian Fisheries and aquaculture in a

globalizing economy, Delhi: Narendra Publishing house.

Nishida, T. (2001), “Preface and overview”, in First International Symposium on GIS

in Fishery Science, Washington, 1999.

Pillai, N. G. K. and Katiha, P. K. (2004), Evolution of Fisheries and aquaculture in

India, Kochi- India: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.