Angola signals strong interest in improving fisheries transparency through the FiTI

LUANDA, June 27, 2024. The FiTI International Secretariat recently met with Angola’s Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Carmen dos Santos to introduce the Fisheries Transparency Initiative’s (FiTI) mission and objectives. During the meeting, Minister dos Santos expressed enthusiasm for the FiTI, declaring that Angola will join the initiative by the end of the year.

The meeting was part of a recent country mission to familiarize Angolan fisheries stakeholders with the FiTI. Representing the FiTI International Secretariat, FiTI Regional Coordinator for Lusophone Africa Sara Lopes promoted the potential benefits to Angola if the country were to implement the FiTI Standard, including enhanced stakeholder involvement in fisheries governance.

The fisheries sector is critical to the welfare of the Angolan people, as a significant portion of the population is dependent on fishing for food and income, with the semi-industrial and industrial fishing sectors having grown in recent years. Despite years of civil war, the government and civil society are working hard to improve the standard of living and fight corruption and illegal economic activities, including in the fisheries sector.

As a member of Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union, Angola also holds an influential role in African and Lusophone politics. Prior to this meeting, the Ministry received a letter from the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) regarding the FiTI, and had already established a task force to study the FiTI Standard, its processes, and the implications of Angola’s engagement with it.

Before the meeting ended, Minister dos Santos expressed that Angola is interested in participating in initiatives that promote transparency and good governance, especially those that can improve the capacity of the fisheries sector while combating IUU fishing and African marine resource degradation. The Minister also emphasised that the government of Angola has made significant efforts to promote transparency and engagement of civil society, private sector and the academy by involving them in the management of the fisheries sector through integrated fisheries management. She reiterated that Angola would join the FiTI as soon as internal government processes allowed.

The FiTI International Secretariat also met with Mrs. Esperanza Silva, the Program Manager Officer responsible for Fisheries and Marine Resources at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Office in Angola. Ms. Silva also expressed interest in supporting and following the FiTI implementation process in Angola, emphasizing FAO’s close collaboration with the Ministry and agreeing to communicate FiTI’s efforts and mission to other government and sector partners.