Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 5(2) 77-88 2019 Environmental and ecological considerations for orange- spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) cage culture in Qeshm Island, based on GIS Noory Balaneji M.1; Sourinejad I.1 *; Owfi F.2; Ghasemi Z.1 Received: May 2018 Accepted: September 2018 Abstract Statistics and all of that global governance the demand for its use in the den or tool is increasing rapidly. In Iran, most of it in the areas of population away from the work of the twenty of the month and those of the other tool except it was not different items, due to the growth of public awareness and disseminating information about the properties in use of the tool and its use is growing. Fish in cage one of these measures more effective tool in the development of its reserves and the impact of these the efficiency of these proteins in human society is taking. The system of the location information into the database as a centralized access to, stored building, to update the facade of the use of different forms of static data and other dynamic made possible with the help of the technology and the technology of obtaining information such as the burning of the land in both the surveyor, satellite geodesy is, however, the photogrammetry, remote sensing away and it is the policy of the database, members of the information (cartographer of elevation and computer graphics) and is now one of the modes and methods of the information, today as a powerful tool in the process are the reference location data (points geographic) to raise the maximum. In this paper, the positioning of Epinephelus coioides (Orange-spotted grouper) in waters surrounding the southern Qeshm Island of forwarding an analysis model management (SWOT) and GIS. Key words: Site selection, Cage culture, Orange-spotted Grouper, ecological assessment, GIS, Qeshm Island. 1-Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran 2-Department of Aquatic Resources Ecology, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), AREEO, Tehran, Iran. *Correspondence author: [email protected], 78 Noory Balaneji et al., Environmental and ecological considerations for orange-spotted grouper … Introduction its fastest and most stable growth rate in The aquaculture involves the animal protein production in the world requirements, capacities and (FAO, 2015). In 2015, the production opportunities that their management of aquaculture has risen to 83.7 million ensures the success of the project. tons, including 20.97 million tons Aquaculture in cages is one of the most stench and 62.73 million tons of quantic effective measures for the development animals. Countries such as China, of aquifer stocks and the supply of Indonesia, India, Vietnam and marine protein consumed by the human Philippines are among the largest community, which has completely aquaculture producers (FAO, 2015). eroded its environmental disadvantages Iran's ranking among aquaculture in the coastal districts. Promotion of the producers was 21st in 2015 (FAO, aquaculture industry in marine cages 2015). can play an important role in creating In Iran, due to the growing employment and sustainable economies awareness of the public and the for our country's lowlanders (especially dissemination of information about the the lowlanders in the South of the properties of aquaculture, its country) as well as preserving aquatic consumption is increasing, but due to resources and provide a suitable the limitation of water resources in the solution for creating income, job interior water and the reduction of the creation and providing security on the catching of some marine species, the coast of our country. (Owfi, 2007). cultivation of fish and other marine fish At present, scientific efforts about has been introduced as a reliable and the promotion and rearing of marine cost-effective solution for provision of fish are focused on three axes (Owfi, required protein (Boryj, 2013). 2013). Aquaculture in the cage has In terms of diversity, 40 families of grown rapidly over the past 20 years fish are grown in cages, but only 6 and is currently undergoing rapid families of Salmonidae, Sparidae, changes in response to the pressures of Serranidae, Carangidae, Pangasiidae, globalization and growing demand for and Cichlidae account for 90% of the developed and developing countries total production, meanwhile (Owfi, 2014). According to the United Salmonidae family dedicate 66% of the Nations Food and Agriculture total production. Aquaculture systems Organization (FAO), the global in cages and pens compared to on-land aquaculture catch has reached a level activities face the challenge of having that cannot expect more production fewer options to make mistakes. In with the current method of stock cages and pens, if the Site selection is management, and on the other hand very exposed to storm and wave and the demand for fish and other seafood is water change is low or if its water increasing (FAO, 2015). quality is not suitable, much measure Over the past two decades, cannot be done. Based on the aquaculture has grown at around 8% of documentation and done researches, the Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 5(2) 2019 79 most suitable aquaculture species in the ecological conditions of the studied cage for the southern waters of our area for the purpose of introducing E. country, Iran (Persian Gulf and Oman coioides for aquaculture in marine Sea waters) which the studies on cages, determining the suitable areas for reproduction and growing and the establishment of marine cages will feasibility of introducing them into the done through hydro biological, marine cages system is ongoing. hydrography, geomorphology studies, Meanwhile, Epinephelus coioides by using geographic information system which are from the native fish of the (GIS) as an applied model in southern waters of the country, with a determining the suitable site selection significant economic value, are a good for deploying marine cages and option for cage aquaculture. The prioritizing and ranking the selected aquaculture in the past two decades has areas based on the (SWOT) been considered as one of the potential management analysis model. of aquaculture development, and, given Considering the fact that less than the general and climatic conditions and the recent decade, aquaculture the presence of some natural and human development has been taken into infrastructure, continues to be one of consideration in marine cages, it is the intact areas of development. evident that in the first step, the most Various types of E. coioides have important issue is the selection of been identified, most notably in terms suitable places for the deployment and of economic and cultivating, commonly development of marine resources and known as marine cages Epinephelus identifying the intended sites and coioides and the English name (Orange- determining and the priority of spotting spotted grouper), which are the most (site selection). The second step should dominant species in most aquaculture also assess the effects of development of marine cages Epinephelus coioides and aquaculture activities in the cage, countries of the world. This is a very which ultimately led to the presentation popular market place in the southern of an analytical report on the provinces of Iran, and it is one of the assessment of impacts and the selection most important breeding grounds in the of suitable places with an emphasis on pool and marine cages. danger risk prioritization. This issue, in This research is aimed at identifying addition to the government's emphasis, suitable areas for aquaculture has been given particular attention to development and identifying suitable custodial organizations such as the places for the establishment of marine Environmental Protection Agency, the cages for E. coioides or orange-spotted Iranian Fisheries Organization and the grouper in the waters around the Qeshm Institute of Fisheries Research. Island, with an attitude on Therefore, considering the environmental considerations and the development of aquaculture in marine approach of aquaculture development. cages, the issue of selecting the In this regard, determining the appropriate station for cage deployment 80 Noory Balaneji et al., Environmental and ecological considerations for orange-spotted grouper … based on standard criteria for native sea quays of Qeshm Island are lack of species is of particular importance, suitable condition and, naturally, the which has less been dealt with so far relevant permit has not been issued due and accordingly, the usual E. coioides is to the lack of suitable environmental considered in this research. conditions, therefore, in this research, Identification of suitable places for the the waters around Qeshm Island in the establishment and deployment of South part of Island is highlighted in advanced marine cages for the purpose this study. of using the new technology with the least risk of destruction and destroy the Evaluation of site selection using by structure in Mahshahr Bay and Pastakia matrix rapid assessment Bahrakan Bay was evaluated according One of the most important stages of to the hydrological conditions of the Site selection studies is the analysis of area by the Southern Aquaculture information and data that should be Research Institute (2004). Based on the used by special models. The concept of documentation and background of the a rapid matrix was defined by Pastakia study, the proposed research has a in 1998. The rapid combined matrix noticeable innovation due to the methodology is one of the most enjoyment and utilization of new important criteria for evaluation. Semi- models of evaluation and research. quantitative values can be adjusted for each of these criteria to assign a valid Methodology and independent score for each Studied area situation. In the rapid matrix, we need The evaluation period of this research the elements and factors of the lasted 16 months and continued from environment and evaluation specific October 2016 to January 2017.