0 - WorldFish Center

from among resource-poor farm families
into fish farming rather than improving the
productivity of existing fish farms. We prefer
to see aquaculture as a means of securing
benefits for other farm enterprises and of
rehabilitating resources rather than as a
stand-alone commercial enterprise to pro-
duce fish. We see the job of research as
generating technologies for aquaculture
to fit into ongoing farming systems and
developing processes for this to occur.
However, gaining new entrants from
among smallholder farmers will require
special educational efforts because of their
perception of fish as a free resource from
lakes or rivers. Their meager appreciation
of fish biology and pond hydrology could
result in much disappointment. This study
focuses on integrated agriculture-
aquaculture (IAA) for smallholders, leav-
ing out other aquaculture systems for larger
farmers and larger water bodies.
To support this kind of development
thinking, research must first evaluate present
household, agriculture and fish production
systems, then identify target households
and natural resource systems with
development potential for which options
can be formulated, and lastly project their
potential impacts. An analytical framework
to cover these four areas of work follows
(see Fig. 1 ).
An Analytical Framework
Stage I - Evaluate Present
Status
Assessment of past and present
aquaculture development initiatives.
Secondary data from past aquaculture
development initiatives by government and
development agencies in Ghana are
compiled and analyzed. The analysis of these
efforts seeks to determine the historical
background of aquaculture development
in Ghana and identify reasons for success
and, perhaps more importantly, failure. This
process will likely occasion the use of in-
terviews with key informants.
Analysis of seconclary data on house-
holds, agricufture and current fish production
systems. Secondary data on households
and their current agricultural and fish pro-
duction systems are compiled and analyzed.
These data typically originate from gov-
ernment department archives and devel-
opment agency project offices. Analysis
seeks to summarize the existing situation
for land availability and farm sizes, labor
demand and supply, household budgets
and farm incomes, crop and animal (in-
cluding fish) outputs, and family nutrition
and health status.
Rapid appraisals of existing farming and
Fishing systems. Informal interviews are
conducted with key informants to construct
farm activity calendars, bioresource flows
and production system budgets. Based on
recalled data, annual calendars of crop,
livestock and fish production activities
provide an understanding of the sequence
of management actions on the farm. These
are used to elicit further information on
the quantity, quality and source of inputs
and outputs. These data are then used to
construct bioresource flow models
describing how nutrients or cash flow
between farm enterprises. Analysis seeks
to understand the patterns, differences and
limitations of present farming and fishing
systems.
Stage 2 - Identw Target
Households and Natural
Resource Systems
Mapping of biophysical characteristics
ofaquatic resource systems. This activity
involves both rapid rural appraisals (RRAs)
and the assembly of maps and, where
possible, aerial photos describing Ghana's
hydrology, soil types. topography, etc. RRAs
of sample villages in each agroecological
zone identify the natural resource systems
utilized by smallholders. Transects of these