Analysing managerial perceptions towards performance determinants in the fishery sector

► Investigate differences of firm performance perceptions in fishery sector. ► Three distinct groups emerged. ► Low performers, medium performers and high performers. ► Product innovation in terms of quality standards and sustainable use of resources. ► Could improve firm performance in fishery sector as a whole. This paper attempts to empirically investigate potentially significant differences in perceptions regarding firm performance in the fishery sector. The primary data were gathered from several fisheries through a survey. A combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis was employed to identify potentially distinct groups among the fisheries. The results reveal three distinct groups: low performers, medium performers and high performers. The results also demonstrate that there are statistically significant differences among the three groups in terms of quality and market performance, limitations in the product's normal supply, restrictions applied by the Common Fisheries Policy (C.F.P.) measures, and potential strategies in research and development. This analysis of firm performance determinants reveals that a new marketing strategy is needed to improve the performance of the fishery sector as a whole. Such a strategy could be based on the implementation of quality management and policies that establish a balance between fishing effort and fisheries’ resource management.