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 seafood exporters’ group, working in Buyers in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Japan & Malaysia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A seafood exporters’ group
- Sector
- Fishing
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Qualitative research, Research consultancy
Client challenge
Exporters were losing orders to competing countries but received little feedback from buyers who simply stopped ordering. They wanted to understand how importers chose suppliers and where Indian exporters fell short.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what international buyers expect from Indian seafood exporters.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of online responses.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 140 online responses.
- online responses140
Audiences we typically reach in fishing
Fishers and boat ownersFish traders and auctioneersProcessors and exportersSeafood consumersCooperatives and scheme officials
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Buyers in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Japan & Malaysia. Markets: India, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Malaysia.
- India
- Spain
- Italy
- France
- Germany
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
- Japan
- Malaysia
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2In-depth interviews with importers
- 3Online B2B survey
- 4Insight
We interviewed procurement and quality managers at importers and distributors, then ran a short online survey to measure how common each concern was. Questions covered certification, traceability, consistency, communication and price.
Business panelQualitative researchResearch consultancy
Sampling strategy
- online responses
- 140
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- importer interviews
- 30
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Buyers rated Indian product quality well but worried about documentation delays and inconsistent responses to quality complaints.
Lost B2B customers rarely explain why; independent interviews can surface what sales teams never hear.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: lost B2B customers rarely explain why; independent interviews can surface what sales teams never hear.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: buyers rated Indian product quality well but worried about documentation delays and inconsistent responses to quality complaints.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The exporters’ group introduced a shared traceability standard and a faster complaint-response protocol, and presented the findings at a buyer meet.
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
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- 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.