Identifying Strategic Drivers and Development Priorities for Sustainable Pearl Lobster Grow-Out Aquaculture: An Integrated MICMAC-AHP Framework

The sustainable farming of pearl lobsters (Panulirus ornatus) demands strategic measures that account for institutional, economic, ecological, technological, and social factors. This study identifies the main strategic drivers of sustainable grow-out aquaculture and prioritizes development interventions in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Data were obtained from 54 key informants representing government agencies, researchers, extension officers, exporters, collectors, aquaculture workers, and coastal communities through interviews, focus-group discussions, observations, and structured questionnaires. The Matrix of Cross-Impact Multiplications Applied to Classification (MICMAC) was used to identify structural drivers, while the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to establish relative development priorities. The direct MICMAC analysis identified Regulatory Framework as linkage variables, while Multi-Actor Coordination and Aquaculture Innovation occupied the linkage position. The AHP results (CR = 0.047) assigned the highest criterion weight to institutional factors (0.339), followed by economic (0.242), technological (0.154), ecological (0.154), and social (0.111) factors. The highest global priorities were Multi-Actor Coordination (0.176), Regulatory Framework (0.163), Production Cost (0.109), and Aquaculture Innovation (0.100). The integrated MICMAC–AHP framework indicates that governance capacity, coordination, and technological innovation are important leverage points for sustainable pearl lobster grow-out aquaculture in South Sulawesi.