The FiTI focuses on public access to information for 12 thematic areas of marine capture fisheries, such as fishing licenses, vessel registry, catch data, subsidies and beneficial ownership.
Core characteristics of the FiTI
Transparency needs trust! This is why the FiTI is implement through National Multi-Stakeholder Groups, equally represented by government, companies and civil society.
Transparency requires a two-sided approach: making data available in the public domain, and ensuring that stakeholders can draw reliable conclusions from it.
Countries are not expected to have complete data for every thematic area from the beginning. Instead, public authorities must disclose the information they have, and where important gaps exist, demonstrate improvements over time.
The FiTI does not replace or duplicate existing government systems. Instead, the need for national authorities to develop and strengthen their own systems for collecting and publishing information online is emphasised.
The FiTI International Board undertakes regular valuations to verify compliance of all participating countries against the FiTI Standard. This covers the provision of FiTI Reports, the meaningful involvement of stakeholders, as well as the impact of the FiTI in the country.
FiTI Standard: Defining for the first time what information on fisheries management should be published online by governments!
The FiTI Standard is an internationally recognised framework that sets clear requirements on what is expected from countries regarding transparency in marine fisheries.
It was developed in a 2-year global consultation process with government representatives from fishing nations, industrial and artisanal fishing entities, civil society and intergovernmental organisations.
News, Updates, Blogs
FiTI advocates for greater transparency in fisheries management at Our Ocean 2023
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) was invited to participate in the Our Ocean 2023 Conference, hosted by the Panamanian government. The FiTI Chair, Dr Valeria Merino, noted that throughout the event, speakers and participants from all sectors agreed that collecting, using, and sharing data is indispensable to ensure the future sustainability of marine fisheries.
TAKING STOCK assessment identifies gaps in fisheries transparency for Panama, shows need to implement the FiTI
02 March 2023. In its latest TAKING STOCK assessment of government transparency in marine fisheries, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) evaluated the information that Panamanian national authorities make available to the public via government websites. The results clearly demonstrate the country’s modest performance; while certain information is published, the majority of what is required for […]
Seychelles publishes 2021 FiTI Report
28 February 2023. Seychelles has today published its third annual FiTI Report, covering information for the calendar year 2021 and offering interested national and international stakeholders another important means to understand the current state of the country’s marine fisheries sector.
United States among top nations regarding transparency of fisheries management, new TAKING STOCK assessment shows
28 February 2023. In its latest TAKING STOCK transparency assessment, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) evaluated the amount of fisheries information that national authorities in the United States (US) make publicly available via government websites. The assessment shows that the US fisheries sector is characterised by very high levels of public access to information, making […]
First validation of Seychelles shows ‘meaningful progress’ in implementing the FiTI Standard
22 February 2023. The FiTI International Board has recognised Seychelles’ efforts to implement the FiTI Standard with a score of ‘meaningful progress’ in the first validation of the Indian Ocean archipelago. In its final Compliance Statement, which was published today, the Board congratulated Seychelles for this achievement, which demonstrates that significant aspects of the validation […]
Cabo Verde becomes 5th FiTI Candidate Country
The FiTI International Board is pleased to announce that Cabo Verde has been approved as the fifth FiTI Candidate Country globally, and the second in the West Africa. The country’s Candidacy Application was discussed and reviewed by the Board during its 20th meeting on 16 February 2023.
Ecuador promotes fisheries transparency during 11th SPRFMO Commission Meeting
This Tuesday, 14 February 2023, the multi-stakeholder forum “Transparency for sustainable fisheries management: The FiTI experience in Ecuador” was held during the 11th Commission Meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (COMM11) in Manta, Ecuador. The forum was organised by Ecuador’s Vice-Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and the […]
Testimonials
In Africa and around the world, fisheries play a crucial role in supporting livelihoods, providing employment and driving social economic development. However, the future of the world’s fisheries is seriously threatened and this global challenge is far greater than any country can handle on its own.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative, with transparency and participation as its cornerstones, makes an invaluable contribution to safeguard what is amongst the most vital resources on the planet.
The government of Seychelles has a clear vision to make Seychelles’ fisheries the most transparent in the world.
We have nothing to hide. We have everything to share.
Reporting and transparency in all resource management has become an important requirement for most countries, and Seychelles is not an exception.
Through the Fisheries Transparency Initiative we are demonstrating our commitment to good governance and the establishment of responsive, inclusive institutions.
This is a tool for future development, and it must be our guiding principle to share all data and information on resources with all stakeholders.
Sustainable fisheries contribute significantly to food security, poverty reduction and increased resilience to the impacts of climate change.
But the sustainable management of fisheries is constantly undermined by several illegal activities, including corruption.
The International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and the Fisheries Transparency Initiative are working together to address the key drivers of corruption and the different approaches to tackle this global problem.
For too long, we’ve been exploiting our resources beyond sustainable levels.
We must act quickly to reverse this trend and help our oceans regenerate. But this can only be achieved if governments, businesses and civil society work together and if more information on fisheries is available in the public domain.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative, with its build-in multi-stakeholder orientation, is a unique effort to enhance the public availability of credible information for the benefit of a more sustainable management of marine fisheries.
Fisheries are a critical economic and nutritional resource for millions of people around the world.
Yet, the sustainable management of fisheries faces multiple challenges. Challenges that corruption exacerbates.
The recent Fishrot Files exposed how anonymous companies allegedly helped launder the proceeds of illegal fishing activities and to bribe government officials. It's a textbook example of how legal loopholes and secrecy jurisdictions enable corruption and environmental exploitation on a global scale. Greater transparency is vital to overcoming these challenges.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative will make a valuable contribution to ensuring that becomes a reality.
Lack of transparency is still a major underlying factor behind many of the most negative aspects of global fisheries, including Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, fleet overcapacity, overfishing, harmful subsidies, unmonitored transshipment, fraud, corruption, inadequate or absent fisheries management.
Even after 25 years of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries calling for sustainable fisheries from a multi-dimensional angle with specific aspects involving transparency, basic information still often remains out of the public domain.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative is a notable global effort supported by countries, the private sector, and civil society that presents a real opportunity to foster transparency and increase the credibility and quality of national fisheries information, reinforcing the basic principles of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
Transparency and participation are key elements of good governance.
Through the FiTI, countries can not only demonstrate a clear commitment to good governance for responsible fisheries. It can also improve a country’s investment climate.
We can only address the tremendous challenges that global fisheries are facing in a collective effort, by bringing governments, business, civil society, academia and media together on this important quest.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative makes a unique contribution to the sustainable development of fisheries by setting clear requirements on what is expected from countries regarding transparency and multi-stakeholder participation in fisheries.
I hope that many coastal countries join the FiTI and contribute to a global level playing field of transparency in marine fisheries.
FiTI in numbers:
8
Governments committed to implement the FiTI Standard
5
Annual FiTI Reports published by National Multi-Stakeholder Groups
72
Stakeholders engaged in National Multi-Stakeholder Groups
2
FiTI implementing countries validated for compliance against FiTI Standard
7
transparency briefings (short 'tBriefs') published in English, French, Spanish
9
Country transparency assessments conducted