DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF VETERINARY CARE FOR FISH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CHAPTER ONE
Background to the Study
In most developing countries, Agriculture is the main economic activity accounting for large shares of employment and output. In Nigeria for instance over 80 percent of the households and 85 percent of the people live in rural areas and most of these largely depend on Agriculture as their main source of income (Gollin & Rogerson, 2010).
The rapid growth of aquaculture has highlighted many challenges to sustainable development. Aquaculture enterprises, particularly in developing countries, often have low production efficiency, experience episodic production crashes due to fish diseases (Walker and Winton 2010), and contribute to pollution and the loss of mangroves (Phillips et al. 1993; Naylor et al. 1998). Much aquaculture depends on wild stocks, precluding production gains by selective breeding and increasing disease risk. Every year, 20–30 million metric tons of fish, one-third of the global catch, are used to produce feeds for aquaculture. Moreover, gender inequities limit income generation and asset-building for women—in particular poor women—who face multiple barriers, including limited access to technology, infrastructure and credit. Efforts to sustain or accelerate aquaculture growth in developing countries must address breed improvements, fish health, sustainable feeds and environmental management, together with the need for gender- and socially equitable distribution of economic and nutritional benefits.
For fish farm business to be successful, there is need for adoption of a fish farm management software which enhances operational capabilities and boosts transparency in the reporting process especially in the areas of stock management, material traceability and transportation of feed, stocks and medicines among other things, all of which will be daunting to be handled without automated veterinary care for fish management system.
A fish farm management system is a database software system that can be used to record needed or relevant information pertaining a fish farm . The system is needed because of the importance associated with adequately monitoring the activities in a fish farm . Fish farm information management system according to FAO()2018) entails various types of information and messages that are relevant to fish farm management activities. They include information on fish farm health, production, nutrition, ponds safety, markets and security.
Computer based record systems are widely available and should be considered when setting up a record system for fish farm . Software capability to support farm records has grown dramatically in recent years. Different software packages differ in complexity and price. However, the output—balance sheets, cash flow, income statements and enterprise accounts—provide the information necessary for fish farm business planning and management. Computers can be used to generate these documents Carkner (2000).
It is against this background that the present study tends to design and automated veterinary care for fish management system which is capable to handle fish farm recording such as of feeds, vaccines.
Statement of the problems
The fish farm which is an important component of the agricultural sector continues to be fraught by constraints related to poor management system. In Fish farming, many people today who engage in this practice always face challenges of improper information keeping records about fish farming because it is manually operated.
The current system of veterinary care for fish management is paper based, inefficient, tiresome, hard to update, susceptible to errors and time wasting. The automated veterinary care for fish management system will try to solve the query of manual registration
These problem of manually operated production management are highlighted below;
- Record of stock are not properly stored.
- valuable information may easily be misplaced
- It is time consuming.
- Inaccuracies often ensue from human error.
- Report needed concerning different aspects of the farm can not be easily retrieved when need.
Objectives of the study
The aim of this study is to design and implement a veterinary care for fish management system The specific objectives of the study are :
- To design and implement a database application that can be used to maintain and provide information about fishery.
- To design and implement a system that provides full process control for the farm.
- To design and implement a system that can facilitate the update of a fish farm records.
- To design and implement a system that will aid the presentation of report pertaining the diseases and drugs administration of fishery .
Scope of the Study
This research work covers Design and Implementation of veterinary care for fish management system. It is restricted to recording information concerning fish farming and the aspect of vaccines of the fishery.
Significance of the Study
With Improved access to appropriate veterinary care for fish management system, fish farmers are able to make timely decision makings and ignore disastrous decisions which could have reduced on their produce and increased on the costs incurred. In the long run, this increases on the government revenue through taxation on the produce as well as improving on the welfare of fish farmers.
The significance of the study is that it will provide useful information and means to enable the management of the fish farm automate their record keeping process for better updating and presentation of reports.
It will also serve as a useful reference material to other researchers that need related information.
Limitation of the study
This project was constrained by the following factors:
(a) Financial Constraints
Bearing in mind the economic state of the nation, it was found difficult in making both ends meet, because of the exorbitant nature of things nowadays in travelling for the collection of data needed for the project.
(b) Time Constraints
Looking at the interval between the resumption and vacation of the final semester for the project to be completed, the time given seemed to be short for the collection of required information for better work to be done.
Definitions of terms
- Automation: This is the use of technology or computers to control and process data reducing the need for human intervention.
- Computerization: This is the conversion of a manually operated system to a controlled, organized and automated system.
- Database: This refers to a large store of related data on a computer that a user can access and modify.
- Information System: A collection of procedures, people, instructions and equipment to produce information in a useful form.
- Inventory Control System: A list of orders to be filled, and prompts workers to pick the necessary items and provides them with packaging and shipping information.
- Password: This is a secret code that must be entered into a computer to enable access to its applications. It is made up of numbers, letters, special characters or a combination of any of the above categories.
- Fish farm : Fish farming is a form of aquaculture. The act of fish farming is about raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures for human consumption.
- Processing: This is dealing with something according to an established procedure.
- Research: A careful study of a subject to discover facts, establish a theory or develop a plan of action based on the facts disc1overed.
- Software: A computer program or set of instructions that direct a computer to perform processing functions.
- System: A set of computer components functioning together.
- Technology: The study of techniques of mobilizing resources such as information for accomplishing objectives that benefit man and his environment
