Chile joins FiTI!
17 April 2024. Chile has made history by becoming the first top ten fishing country1 to join the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI). Today, the Undersecretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism announced Chile’s public commitment to implement the FiTI Standard as part of the country’s Our Ocean 2024 ocean commitments.
This declaration aligns with the Chilean government’s objectives to increase transparency and participation within the fishing sector and comes as ocean leaders from around the world gather in Athens, Greece, for the 2024 Our Ocean Conference.
Through this commitment, Chile – a top five exporter worldwide, and the single largest exporter of seafood products in Americas2 – seeks to promote enhanced public access to information in the fishing sector so it may continue to benefit Chileans well into the future. Chile’s goal is to improve fisheries governance through transparency and a participatory process involving different actors in the sector, in accordance with the principles of the FiTI.
Chile has also been a long serving member country of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which promotes transparent, inclusive and accountable governance across all sectors and government functions. The commitment to implement the FiTI has already been included in the country’s most recent OGP National Action Plan (2023-2027).
During the Our Ocean Conference 2024, Dr. Rocio Parra participated in the official side-event “From Policy to Practice: Solutions for and Benefits of Transparent and Traceable Fisheries” on behalf of Chile’s Subsecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture. She emphasized that “Transparency is essential for governments and the fishing industry to demonstrate responsible and sustainable practices, therefore we are excited to announce our official commitment to join the Fisheries Transparency Initiative.”
Valeria Merino, Chair of the FiTI International Board, expressed “We are delighted to welcome Chile as our latest FiTI implementing country – and the second country in Latin America. As Chile’s marine fisheries sector is of global importance and the country has long advocated for open government, their decision to join the FiTI sends a strong message about the importance of transparent, participatory governance in the fishing sector. This partnership with the FiTI to increase public access to fisheries management information and participation will strengthen Chile’s capacity to manage its marine fisheries and it will lead the way for other countries in the region and worldwide to join the FiTI. The fact that Chile has already anchored its commitment to the FiTI in its National Action Plan to the Open Government Partnership further underscores the country’s prioritization of fisheries transparency.”
With today’s commitment, Chile becomes the ninth country to officially join the FiTI, after Mauritania, Seychelles, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea, and Ecuador.
The FiTI International Secretariat will continue providing technical guidance to Chile to ensure that the country’s candidate application to the FiTI can be completed in due time.
¡Bienvenido Chile!
1As per marine capture production, according to FAO FishStatJ. 2024