| Aquaculture development in Mexico requires robust and dynamic planning instruments for the future growth and regulation of the activity. There is considerable interest at national level in developing methodologies to manage aquatic resource use and there have been some attempts to implement this strategy at State level. The spatial context of decision making requires integration of tools into a GIS and this project sets out to establish and verify GIS models which are appropriate for the range of uses of Native fish species suitable for aquaculture, meeting with the CBD (Convention on Bio Diversity) and the UN Millennium goals.
Three major Basins of Central Mexico have being selected as Area of Study. The Basin of the Rio Balsas has the major drainage into the Pacific Ocean. Among other species, the Rio Balsas has one endemic specie of catfish (Ictalurus balsanus), which may have a very good potential for aquaculture. The basins of Rio Lerma and Santiago, are connected by the Lake of Chapala and historically they represent the most important water system in Mexico due to the grate amount of human settlements and native fish species.
GIS modelling tools will provide an excellent opportunity for developing a dynamic and realistic instrument for aquaculture planning in Mexico. | 
