FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN SITE SELECTION:

1. Ecological factors

i) Water supply

ii)Water quality

iii)Climate

iv)Hydrological characteristics

v)Soil characteristics

vi)Land

2. Biological and operational factors

Before a site can be selected for a project, the following should be ascertained:

(i) Species to be cultured

(ii) Resources and availability of stocking materials (spawners, fry, or fingerlings)

(iii) Type of project

• small-scale rural project

• large-scale rural project

(iv) System of culture adopted

• extensive

• semi-intensive

• intensive

(v) operational method

• monoculture

• polyculture

• integrated

(vi) Production target

(vii) The estimated size of area required.

3. Economic and social factors

The most important economic and social factors are as follows:

(i) Development plans for the project area

(ii) Ownership, availability of land and land values, land regulations and rights, as well as any legal restrictions relating to land

(iii) Proximity to all-weather road connections

(iv) Availability of electricity, telephone, or radio connections, as well as unit power cost

(v) Availability of equipment, services, and supplies needed for running the project

(vi) Availability of construction materials

(vii) Location of markets for the produce and determination of demand

(viii) Availability of organic and artificial fertilizers, drugs, and chemical materials

(ix) Availability of supplementary feeds

(x) Costs of equipment, materials, feeds, etc. needed for running the project

(xi) Availability of suitable transport facilities

(xii) Availability of ice for marketing

(xiii) Availability of staff with adequate experience in pond management

(xiv) Availability of skilled and semi-skilled laborers

(xvi) Reasonable amenities for permanent staff, for example, schools, shopping facilities, hospitals, etc.

(xvii) Information on the local financing methods or credits

(xviii) Political realities