Integrating Analytic Hierarchy Process and Weighted Goal Programming to Define Economic Traits and Consensus Desired Genetic Gains for the Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) Breeding Objective.

This study employed participatory methods to identify breeding objectives and define desired genetic gains for economically important traits in the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). Two structured questionnaires were distributed to all Russian sturgeon farmers in Iran. The first questionnaire collected farm management information and asked farmers to prioritise five important traits from a list of thirteen. The top-ranked traits were ovarian fat lobe weight (OFW), total caviar weight (TCW), body weight of broodstock (BWB), larval body area at hatching (LBA), and yolk sac area (YSA). In the second questionnaire, pairwise comparisons were applied to derive individual trait preferences through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Social group preference (Soc-p) values were computed for each social group using the weighted goal programming (WGP) model implemented in LINGO software. The greatest disagreement in Soc-p values emerged between the commercial product and water temperature categories. Subsequently, the extended WGP models were employed to derive consensus preference (Con-p) values for these categories. The average of the Con-p values was 0.28 (OFW), 0.22 (BWB), 0.14 (TCW), 0.13 (LBA), and 0.05 (YSA). These Con-p values were then used to determine the desired genetic gains, which were highest for TCW (1.39%) and lowest for YSA (0.34%). The use of AHP and WGP, rather than economic indices, was justified by the limited availability of reliable economic data in Iranian sturgeon aquaculture and the need for farmer-driven, consensus-based breeding goals. This research demonstrates that participatory approaches can successfully define genetic priorities, improve consensus among diverse farmer groups, and guide sustainable breeding strategies for Russian sturgeon in Iran.