A GIS-Based Site Suitability Assessment System for Sustainable and Productive Fish Rearing

Abstract

The study focused on the development of a web-based fishpond planner and recommender for Ilocos Norte that fills the gap in sustainable aquaculture site selection. Adopting a descriptive-development approach, the system combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process with Geographic Information System (GIS) for evaluating major environmental factors; water availability, soil type, flood susceptibility and water quality in terms of their weighted contributions to site suitability for fishpond. The system provided user- friendly visualization and decision supporting the built-in capabilities of Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing, and interactive web mapping. Major findings indicate that the tool ranks fish species well for appropriate locations and generates trust-worthy, simple, implementable recommendations. Acceptance testing responses were overall positive in usability and reliability, with recommendations on slight improvement regarding interface responsiveness/guidance amenities. The study concludes that the GIS-based, AHP-driven platform created is potentially useful as a decision-support tool for sustainable fish farming in Ilocos Norte. The study provides a step toward promoting efficient, environmentally friendly and technology-based planning in the aquaculture sector.