Multiple criteria decision making in fisheries management: Experiences and implications

The management of renewable resources takes place in a paradigm where several (conflicting) objectives are relevant to take into account. This feature is shared with other fields of management, involving economic, environmental and social issues. Hence, it is natural to employ a management model incorporating multiple objectives in the decision process. Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) has attained interest within a wide range of management fields. This article reviews applications related to fisheries. The purpose is to clarify how the different methodologies can contribute to management. It is hoped, this leaves the field of MCDM more tangible, visible and attractive to managers. It will be emphasized that an MCDM analysis can be carried out in many different ways and for different purposes, and that the outcome depends on the assumptions made.