Industry overview
What is shaping fishing
Fishing connects coastal communities, processors and exporters in a supply chain where freshness, ice and timing decide value. Livelihoods depend on seasons, regulation and access to cold chain.
- Seasonal fishing bans and weather drive income cycles
- Cold chain and processing determine export quality
- Welfare schemes and cooperatives support fisher families
Client background
A city municipality, working in A coastal city in Morocco. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A city municipality
- Sector
- Fishing
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Offline data collection, Government research, Data analytics & dashboards
Client challenge
The corporation planned to upgrade public fish markets and wanted an objective baseline of hygiene, waste management and pricing practices before deciding where to invest.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: a hygiene and pricing audit of urban fish markets.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 35 markets, 700 stall audits.
Audiences we typically reach in fishing
Fishers and boat ownersFish traders and auctioneersProcessors and exportersSeafood consumersCooperatives and scheme officials
Geographic coverage
Coverage: A coastal city in Morocco. Market: Morocco. 35 markets covered.
- Morocco
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Structured market audits
- 3Mystery shopping
- 4Insight
Trained auditors used a photo-supported checklist to record water access, drainage, waste disposal, ice use and display practices. Mystery shoppers recorded prices and weighing practices at the same stalls.
Offline data collectionGovernment researchData analytics & dashboards
Sampling strategy
- Respondents were selected across A coastal city in Morocco using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
Data collection
- stall audits
- 700
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
- Auditors and mystery shoppers followed a standard checklist, recording evidence at each visit.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Photo or document evidence for audit points
- Second-reviewer checks on scores
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Weighing-scale inspections were scheduled where discrepancies appeared.
Photo-backed audits made the findings easy for officials to accept and act on.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: photo-backed audits made the findings easy for officials to accept and act on.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: weighing-scale inspections were scheduled where discrepancies appeared.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The audit identified a small number of markets with severe drainage and waste problems, which became the first priority for upgrades.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interactive dashboard
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: where is value lost between catch and market?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.