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Coastal Management, 35:601–618, 2007
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0892-0753 print / 1521-0421 online
DOI: 10.1080/08920750701593436
Downloaded By: [University of Leeds] At: 13:49 18 January 2008

Performance Indicator Importance in MPA
Management Using a Multi-Criteria Approach

AMBERH.HIMES
CEMARE, University of Portsmouth
H. M. Naval Base
Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Much has been written about the usefulness of marine protected areas (MPAs) as
a management tool. Their performance has been measured using biological and
ecological indicators. However, objectives of management also include economic
and social responsibilities. As such, stakeholder objectives in MPA management are
frequently incompatible. This has been attributed to the variety of stakeholders with
an interest in how MPAs are managed. This article considers the development of a
performance indicator hierarchy for the Egadi Islands Marine Reserve, and a multi-
criteria approach implemented to define compromise positions between stakeholders
in decision-making. Data was obtained from a pairwise comparison survey using
the analytic hierarchy process to investigate preferences of stakeholder groups for
performance indicators in evaluating marine protected area management. The analysis
showed that although there are five key stakeholder groups, none are homogenous in
prioritizing performance indicators and that none are clear with respect to what the
MPA means for them.
Keywords AHP, marine protected areas, Mediterranean, multi-criteria analysis,
stakeholders

Introduction

The challenge facing the development of successful marine resource management
institutions is to determine strategies that effectively protect marine habitats, reduce
overexploitation, provide benefits for local communities, and maintain local communities
that depend on marine resources for their livelihood. In the measurement of performance
of marine protected areas (MPAs), socioeconomic indicators have been largely ignored
(Pelletier et al., 2005). However, studies suggest that for an MPA to be accepted and
supported by local stakeholder groups (i.e., anyone who is invested in the outcome of

This is a contribution from a Ph.D. dissertation completed at the University of Portsmouth
(United Kingdom). I am most grateful to the researchers at the University of Portsmouth’s Centre for
the Economics and Management of Aquatic Resources, especially Dr. David Whitmarsh, Dr. Victoria
Edwards, and Dr. Simon Mardle. I am also grateful to the researchers at the Istituto per l’Ambiente
Marino Costiero in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily and the fishers and residents of the Egadi Islands.
Address correspondence to the author’s current location: Amber H. Himes, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, CA, 92011, USA. E-mail: amber@tuppers.com

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