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Information Technology

Effective decision-making for integrated fisheries and natural resource management requires accurate and timely information. MRAG has developed considerable expertise in data and information management through the design and implementation of numerous information systems for fisheries and environmental resources. Indeed, information technology underpins so much of MRAG's work that a specific business unit has been created - MRAG IT - to service the information technology needs of each project. The skills of MRAG IT include systems analysis, database design, data management, software development and GIS.

MRAG's experience in IT was developed through its involvement in the management of large commercial fisheries such as those of South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and Namibia, as well as the development of computer software for the quantitative assessment of fishery resources.  Much of this software has been specifically designed for use by scientists in developing countries to provide access to powerful data analysis techniques often beyond the scope of many developing country institutions. These include the popular software tools LFDA (Length Frequency Data Analysis), CEDA (Catch Effort Data Analysis), Yield and PFSA (Participatory Fisheries Stock Assessment).

MRAG also uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capabilities to develop integrated procedures for spatial modelling, mapping and monitoring of fisheries data. These are currently being implemented by MRAG in the management of several highly active commercial fisheries in the south Atlantic and western Indian Oceans.