Prioritization of satellite-derived potential fishery grounds: an analytical hierarchical approach-based model using spatial and non-spatial data

Forecast of potential fishing grounds can save considerable amounts of fuel and time involved in marine fishing operations, making the operation more profitable. This study investigates the prospects of using a decision support system for forecasting potential fishery zones and prioritizing them according to profitability using multi-criteria analysis. Ocean Colour Monitor-derived chlorophyll concentration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer-derived sea surface temperature maps were integrated to demarcate the potential fishery zones (PFZs). QuickSCAT (NASA) scatterometer wind data obtained from the global 25 km × 25 km gridded dataset were used for updating the locations of PFZ features. An analytical hierarchy process-based prioritization model, which considers different parameters favouring a targeted species, distance to the zone and historical catch per unit effort as the major decision-making parameters, was used to rank the zones based on feasibility. A software package was developed incorporating the above-mentioned functionalities for automatic data processing and PFZ map generation.