Balancing Profit and Planet: How Fuzzy Logic Helps Build Sustainable Fisheries

Indian Roller

12-10-2025

“Conservation without Dao is like a river without fish. The fish are not numbers. They are rhythms. I do not disturb the rhythm. I join it.”

In Kingfisherish Wandering [1]

© Wix

Fishing has evolved from a traditional livelihood into a multi-billion-dollar industry, yet overfishing now threatens both ecosystems and livelihoods. In Kerala, India—one of the nation’s most important coastal regions—declining fish stocks and rising operational costs have placed enormous pressure on fishing communities [2,3]. Recognizing this, Meharoof and colleagues [4] conducted a pioneering study using integrated economic and fuzzy multi-criteria analysis to evaluate the performance of five fishing systems: multiday trawlers, multiday gillnetters, purse and ring seiners, motorized, and non-motorized crafts.

The researchers applied Fuzzy VIKOR (FVIKOR)—a decision-making method that combines quantitative and qualitative data to rank alternatives based on how close they are to an ideal solution [5,6]. By integrating this with cost–benefit analysis, they examined 11 performance indicators, including profitability, sustainability, and efficiency. The results revealed that motorized crafts achieved the best overall performance, balancing economic viability and ecological sustainability. In contrast, multiday gillnetters were the most profitable, with a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.52, while non-motorized traditional crafts excelled in environmental sustainability but were economically constrained.

This integrated approach demonstrates that profitability alone cannot define the “best” fishing system. Instead, sustainability and efficiency must be factored alongside economic gains. The fuzzy framework allows policymakers to understand trade-offs among competing priorities—economic growth, environmental conservation, and social equity. For instance, while mechanized trawlers generate higher revenues, their ecological impact and fuel dependence reduce long-term sustainability. Conversely, traditional fishers, though less profitable, uphold eco-centric practices vital for marine resilience.

Viewed through the Nature Quotient (NQ) lens, the study exemplifies how integrating analytical intelligence with ecological wisdom enhances human–nature harmony. Fishing systems with higher NQ are those that maintain economic sufficiency without degrading natural capital. The FVIKOR framework aligns with this philosophy—it fosters eco-surplus culture, where sustainable decision-making leads to both environmental balance and social peace [7,8]. By empowering coastal communities with data-driven yet ethically grounded insights, such models promote resilience, reduce ecological entropy, and nurture peace between humans and the sea.

References

[1] Nguyen MH. (2025). Kingfisherish Wandering. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVLLLXNW/

[2] CMFRI. (2020). Marine Fish Landings in India 2019. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi.

[3] Sathianandan TV, et al. (2021). Status of Indian marine fish stocks: modelling stock biomass dynamics in multigear fisheries. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78, 1754. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab076 

[4] Meharoof M, et al. (2025). Integrated economic and fuzzy multi-criteria analysis for evaluating performance of fishing systems. Discover Sustainability, 6, 383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-00956-w 

[5] Opricovic S. (2011). Fuzzy VIKOR with an application to water resources planning. Expert Systems with Applications, 38(10), 12983-12990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2011.04.097 

[6] Shekhovtsov A, Sałabun W. (2020). A comparative case study of the VIKOR and TOPSIS rankings similarity. Procedia Computer Science, 176, 3730-3740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.09.014 

[7] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[8] Nguyen MH, Ho MT, La VP. (2025). On “An” (安): Inner peace through uncertainty, nature quotient, and harmony with Dao. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=NIKMEQAAQBAJ