( Continuedfrom previous page) processing materials and other costs. The user also needs to specify indirect processing costs, such as licenses, dues, insurance, utility and property taxes a percent of direct costs. For example, if raw fish is purchased for US$3/kg yield of final product is 60 percent, 50 hours are required to process 1,000 kg of raw fish, per hour wage rate is US$7, processing material costs are US$0.22/kg, and indirect costs add 10 percent to the direct costs, then the total processing costs equal US$6.4/kg. The user can also get assistance with estimation of transportation costs by clicking on the 'help' button near the transportation cost questions. A new window will open asking about direct and indirect transportation cost items using the same approach as described above for transportation charge calculation. Overall, FishTran is easy to access and use. The program can be utilized for training of new farmers and for providing more rigorous comparison of revenues for shipments to alternative market locations for more experienced farmers. Conclusions The Fish Transportation andProfitability Calculator (© WVU) was developed to assist fish farmers with calculation of maximum roundtrip distance to a market, minimum price and transportation fee, and sale returns based on user-provided data of sales revenues and production and transportation costs. Among the advantages provided by various DSS are possible reductions in costs due to faster problem solving and increased operational control. However, DSS are not universal. They are designed for specific tasks, and the models and data limit how the systems can be used. DSS also require some computer training and integration into an established decision-making routine. Finally, DSS can not assist people in decision-making unless people agree to use them (Power 2002). Notes The authors are, respectively, post doctorate fellow, Division of Resource Management, West Virginia University; graduate research assistant, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University; Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Division of Resource Management, West Virginia University; Research Associate, Division of Resource Management, West Virginia University; and Aquaculture Development Specialist, Canaan Valley Institute, WV. 2More information about DSS can also be found in Eom et al. (1997) and Power (2002, 2005). For a comprehensive list of existing DSSs available for aquaculture see Ernst (2005). 3See http://www.groupsystems.com for more information. 4To learn more about transportation cost estimation, see, for example, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (2005). References Alter, S.L. 1980. Decision Support Systems: Current Practice and Continuing Challenges. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts USA. AquaAssist Pty Ltd. 2003. Home Page. http://www.aquaassist.com Biosystem Analysis Group. 1997. POND Version 4.0b: Aquaculture Decision Support Software. http://biosys.bre. orst.edu/pond/pond.htm Brock, J.A., Y L. Hoga, H. Fujii and D. E. Coleman. 1992. Hawaii Aquaculture Module Expert System (for DOS). http://library. kcc.hawaii.edu/praise/ hames/index.html D.G.L. Systems. 2003. MEYDAG -presentations. http://www.meydag.co.il/ present.html Eom S., S.M., Lee, C. Somarajan and E.B. Kim. 1997. Decision Support Systems Applications Research: A Bibliography (1988 -1994). Insight 10(2):18-32. Ernst, D. 2005. Aquaculture Software -Description, Sources, and Links. µttp://www.aquafarm.com/aquaculture-software-index.htm FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 2000. Small Ponds Make a Big Difference: Integrating Fish with Crop and Livestock Farming. Farm Management and Production Economics Service, Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Service, FAO, Rome. ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/003/x7 1 56e/x7156e00.pdf Marintech. 2003. Wise Fish. http://www. wisefish.com/WISEFISH/ Power, D.J. 2005. Decision Support Systems Resources. http://dssresources. com/ Power, D.J. 2002. Decision Support Systems: Concepts and Resources for Managers. Quorum Books, Wesport, Connecticut USA. Turban, E. and J.E. Aronson. 2000. Decision Support Systems and Intelligent Systems. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey USA. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. 2003. Fish Bioenergetics 3.0 Software for Windows. http://limnology. wisc.edu/re_ search/bioenergetics/bioenergetics. html USDA (US Department of Agriculture). 1998. 1998 Census of Aquaculture. http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census97/aquaculture/aquaculture.htm Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 2005. Transportation Costs and Benefits: Resources for Measuring Transportation Costs and Benefits, TDM Encyclopedia. http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm66.htm Best article award to be announced in June issue As we go to press with this issue of World Aquaculture, the committee charged with selection of the best article award for the 2006 volume of the magazine continues to deliberate. By the time you read this, the award should have been announced at the annual meeting of the Society in San Antonio, Texas. In any case, we will provide all the details in the June issue of World Aquaculture. -Robert Stickney WORLD AQUACULTURE 71
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