ADDSS: a tool for regional aquaculture development

Aquaculture is considered as a viable source for providing high quality and cheap protein, particularly for developing countries with protein shortages. However, due to its complexities, aquaculture development planning can be difficult without the aid of modern decision-making technologies such as decision support systems (DSS). DSS are widely used in the business and manufacturing sectors, but their use in agriculture is limited and in aquaculture is almost nonexistent. This paper presents the design and implementation of an aquacultural development decision support system (ADDSS) that would systematically aid the planner in making choices regarding the development planning of the aquaculture industry for a given region. The system is composed of three main components: a model base containing all relevant models which are essentially multiple objective in nature, a database containing all relevant data, and a dialog component providing a user interface to the other two components of the system. The application of ADDSS is demonstrated through a case study from Northern Egypt where aquaculture appears as a viable industry for supplying cheap and good duality protein, balancing the foreign exchange deficits, improving the standard of living, and creating employment opportunities. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.