GIS Assessment of Wisconsin Aquaculture
Project Abstract
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production
systems in the world. The aquaculture industry in Wisconsin, comprised
of approximately 2,000 registered fish farms, contributes over $7
million to the state’s economy annually. There are many species of game,
food, and bait fish cultivated throughout the state in a variety of
production systems. In recent years, the growth of the aquaculture
industry in Wisconsin has slowed and the number of registered fish farms
is beginning to decrease. The reason for the decrease in fish farms is
not known, but it could be from the tough economic times, high costs of
production, limited markets, environmental restrictions, or the site
location of the fish farms. The objective of the study is to determine
if the site location characteristics play a part in the success of the
fish farm operation. The utilization of Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) will be used to create an evaluative model examining the
environmental and socio-economic characteristics of current
registered fish farms and those that have closed. The characteristics
considered are land cover, soil types, elevation, water quality and
source, and proximity to infrastructure and potential
markets. The evaluative model will then be used to create a predictive
model using a multi-criteria evaluation procedure using a GIS. The
predictive model will be able to determine suitable locations for
sustainable system-specific and species-specific aquaculture facilities.
Principal Investigators
Dr. Chris Hartleb
Dr. Keith Rice
Douglas Miskowiak
Jon Galloy
Allen Brandt
Project Report
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Project Maps
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