Zoning for a multiple-use marine protected area using spatial multi-criteria analysis: The case of the Sheik Seid Marine National Park in Eritrea

Marine and coastal areas worldwide are now facing increasing pressures, particularly from intensified human activities; marine protected areas (MPAs) are therefore designated to conserve marine biodiversity, and zoning has been used as an effective means to minimize conflicts between human use and biodiversity conservation and that among different users. However, there are currently very few zoning practice examples of MPAs reported in developing countries. In this paper, an interdisciplinary method combining spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA), geographic information system (GIS) and stakeholder consultation to develop a zoning scheme in the multiple-use MPAs of Eritrea is illustrated. Three higher-level criteria and eight lower-level criteria are identified based on the value-focused approach to multi-criteria analysis, and stakeholder preference is represented by pair-wise comparison (AHP analysis). Subsequently, the simple additive weighting (SAW) method is used to determine the suitability of an area for each protection level using spatial analysis software. Through this study, a zoning scheme considering both the scientific soundness and the practical feasibility of the Sheik Seid Marine National Park (SSMNP) in the Eritrean waters is proposed. The method could serve as a model for developing a zoning plan for those similar cases, particularly in the developing countries with data and financial and technical limits.