Cabo Verde transforms fisheries transparency with new Fisheries Information System (FIS)

Since joining the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) in 2019, Cabo Verde has made continuous progress in strengthening transparency and stakeholder collaboration in its fisheries sector. Building on this momentum, the country has now made a giant leap in strengthening data-driven fisheries management by launching a new Fisheries Information System (FIS) – a digital platform developed by FiTI and offered to its implementing countries.

The Fisheries Information System (FIS) is an online reporting tool that enables national authorities of FiTI countries to organise, visualise and share fisheries information with the public. Each FiTI country that is interested in using the system obtains its own FIS through which the designated national authorities can upload, manage, and curate their fisheries data in a secure web-based environment, while retaining full ownership and control over its information. Furthermore, the FIS is seamlessly integrated into the websites of national authorities, demonstrating local ownership.

Through the FIS, the national authorities of Cabo Verde are now making fisheries data publicly accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. This includes the country’s registry for industrial fishing vessels, catch data, foreign fishing access agreements, detailed information on seafood imports and exports, subsidies and development aid, information about the health of fish populations, and a succinct summary of the regulations for the country’s various fishing sectors. This shift towards a digital-first transparency approach marks a transformative step in managing the fisheries of the Small Island Developing Country, demonstrating its commitment to access to information, accountability and stakeholder collaboration.

The FIS was deployed to Cabo Verde during the timeframe 27 to 30 January 2026, and then further enhanced during the month of February. Furthermore, having a consolidated view on fisheries data also led to the identification and implementation of several data quality improvements. 

The FiTI International Secretariat supported this process through FIS capacity-building activities for the institutions that comprise the system’s managers and users, including the National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA), the General Fisheries Inspection, the Institute of the Sea, the National Institute of Statistics, the Maritime and Port Institute, the National Directorate of Environment, and the General Labour Inspection. Furthermore, data from the fisheries sector covering the periods 2022 to 2024 were uploaded, reviewed and visualised, ensuring that the system became operational and ready to be managed autonomously by the national team. The training also enabled participants to independently upload data into the system, and how to identify and correct data entry errors.

The official handover of the FIS at the Maritime and Port Institute (IMP) was attended by Cabo Verde’s FiTI National Focal Point, the country’s FiTI National Secretariat, members of the FiTI National Multi-Stakeholder Group in Cabo Verde, FIS manager and users, and colleagues from the FiTI International Secretariat.

From this point onward, the FIS will serve as the official platform for publishing information on fisheries management in the country. The various designated focal points from different government sectors and departments are now responsible for continuously updating information in the system. The FiTI International Secretariat will continue to closely support the national stakeholders, ensuring an effective and consistent use of the FIS, strengthening the national team’s autonomy, and guaranteeing the quality, reliability, and continuous update of the published information.

Cabo Verde’s National Multi-Stakeholder Group, in collaboration with the FiTI International Secretariat, will continue to assess the status of fisheries transparency on an annual basis.

The implementation of the FIS also replaces the previous practice of publishing fisheries data in a complementary Fisheries Information Report, making it now possible to ensuring broader and more timely access to fisheries data. This new digital approach will benefit all stakeholders—including the Government—by supporting informed decision-making, policy development, and other needs related to the sustainable management of the fisheries sector.

Cabo Verde’s Fisheries Information System (FIS) is available on the DNPA website: https://dnpa.gov.cv/fis/.

The FIS was developed by the FiTI in collaboration with its technology partner Shellcatch, and with the financial support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).