Four African States apply for Fisheries Transparency Initiative membership
Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal and the Seychelles have informed the FiTI Secretariat of their desire to join the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI).
On the model of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), FiTI is a code of conduct involving States, civil society, development partners and operators in the fisheries sector that provides for the publication of all national legislation on and all contracts related to the fisheries sector.
With the support of Peter Eigen, former president of Transparency International and an iconic EITI figure, a draft FiTI Charter was drawn up following discussions between different stakeholders, and validated at a plenary session held in April 2017 in Bali, Indonesia.
Under the FiTI Charter, an independent evaluation of candidacy should be the subject of national consultations at workshops attended by all stakeholders: government representatives, private sector representative and civil society actors.
To familiarize States with the content of the Charter, the African Development Bank-financed a workshop to provide information on and validate the FiTI Standard held on June 26 and 27, 2017 in Victoria, Seychelles, for representatives of States and civil society and private sector actors from seven island and coastal countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
“The publication of contracts will help potential investors gain a better view of opportunities available. For example, if an investor knows that another investor has been authorized to catch 10,000 tonnes of sardines in a particular country and that the margin for increase of the total allowable catch for that species is limited, the investor will apply for a permit to fish a different species,” FiTI focal point Jean-Louis Kromer told the AfDB.
Beyond its keen interest in improving the governance of fisheries, the AfDB Group is helping its regional members gain the maximum benefit from their fisheries resources, particularly through initiatives promoted by the African Natural Resources Centre (ANRC), which encourages them to favour integrated development through planning and conservation.
