Geographic Information Systems in Fisheries

Chapter 10: Future of Geographic Information Systems in Fisheries

William L. Fisher

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781888569575.ch10

Nielsen (1999) developed a conceptual model of fisheries management that included biological, engineering, sociological, economic, and political disciplines encompassed by the three overlapping components of a fishery: organisms, habitats, and people. Fundamental to this model is the overlap among the components, which provide opportunities for enhancing the value of fisheries resources (Nielsen 1999). By using Nielsen’s concept, a model of fisheries geographic information systems (GIS) might be viewed as the overlay of maps and information on species distributions, aquatic habitats, and the effort by people (recreational and commercial fishermen) using fisheries resources (Figure 10.1). It is at the intersection of these three components that GIS can be extremely useful, for example, in relating fishing effort to habitat conditions and, thus, to fish species’ distributions. The overlay of multiple maps is a fundamental GIS process that is increasingly improving our ability to manage fisheries resources.

The purpose of this chapter is to portend the future of fisheries GIS. To place this chapter in the proper context, I begin by briefly examining the history of GIS and, in particular, fisheries GIS. I then summarize what the chapter authors see as the future of fisheries GIS. Finally, I look at current trends in the GIS industry to discern how they might influence the future of fisheries GIS. It is my hope that this chapter will provide a springboard for the next generation of fisheries professionals who plan to use GIS as an aid in solving fisheries research and management problems.