Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information System in Selecting Sites for a Seafood Market Study

Study site selection is essential for the success of many fisheries -related programs. A thorough site selection could provide transparency in the decision -making process and optimize resources. In this research, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach was used to select sites for a market study of reefassociated seafood in Alaminos City, Northwestern Philippines. Out of the 10 coastal barangays, four (Lucap, Sabangan, Telbang, and Victoria) were initially chosen, and the difference between these sites and the priority sites generated from AHP was examined. Five decision criteria and 10 alternatives (coastal barangays) were analyzed to calculate priority weights using pairwise comparisons. The AHP analysis showed that among the set of criteria, the presence of coral reefs, registered number of fishers, proximity to public market, and existence of fish ports were the most relevant. Among the alternatives, Lucap (0.196), Telbang (0.127), and Victoria (0.118) obtained the highest global priority values followed by Pangapisan (0.105), Pandan (0.098), and Bued (0.096); however, Sabangan, which was included in the initially selected study sites, only ranked 7 th (0.073). The results confirmed the suitability of the selected sites and helped identify additional potential sites for a market study. The final priority values from the AHP were imported into the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) to generate thematic and suitability maps. The usefulness of AHP was demonstrated in selecting the most suitable sites for a market study. This method uses a systematic and simple procedure that could be utilized by local decision makers for future studies and projects that require prioritization of multiple options.