Finfo1: Web-based system for Fishermen Community Planning and Development – a Prototype

The proposed tool focuses on a cost effective and robust web based utility fishermen’s information system to the one of the active non-governmental organization (NGO) called Women and Child Welfare Service (WCWS) with multi-mode interactive tool pertaining to issues in the development of information system for fishermen’s socioeconomic development and planning. The proposed system has been developed using open source/free Geographical Information and Communication Technology (Geo-ICT) tools such as Diva-GIS, SAGA GIS, GRASS, OpenJUMP, MapServer, GeoVISTA Studio, Plone, Skype, etc. The web portal is aptly christened as Finfo1: it acts as a centralized informative system among the local fishermen’s community for better decision making in a ubiquitous manner. Finfo1 web based system contains few modules such as (I) Fishermen’s Information; gives information about ships/boat/ katamaran and nets information, (II) Fish market information; which will give an local and nearby fish market price information, (III) Fishermen’s other information; consists of local weather, census, livelihood and fishermen profile information. Profile information contains academic/ job experience/sports achievement information, which could be helpful to the job seekers to pick the talent and qualified peoples either part time/full time jobs. Finfo1 also gives location based house information with sub meter level accuracy. Accuracy assessment has been carried out in truth validation / data collection and with the help of Trimble GeoExplorer 2008 series Global Positioning System (GPS). Currently the multi-mode approach of Finfo1 operation/functions is an Internet environment and running through WCWS centers to develop fishermen’s community towards modern/technological mode. Keywords—Community Development, Geographical Information and Communication Technology, Information System.