Comoros authorities signal intent to implement FiTI to enhance fisheries transparency

MORONI, 12 June 2024. The FiTI International Secretariat, represented by FiTI Regional Coordinator for the Western Indian Ocean Yannick Memee and FiTI Grant Manager Dr Karine Young, travelled to Moroni to conduct a workshop with stakeholders from the Comoros Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment, Tourism and Handicrafts, industry, and civil society.

The workshop was part of a mission to assess what fisheries information the relevant public authorities have and the extent to which this information is publicly available online in Comoros, and to provide stakeholder representatives with a better understanding of the FiTI, the type of support that FiTI can provide, and what resources are required from the government to implement the FiTI.

Comoros’ Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Environment, Tourism and Handicrafts, Houmed M’Saidie, had previously declared the country’s intent to join the FiTI during a session of the Our Ocean Conference in Greece earlier this year: “We are continuing to step up our efforts to ensure good governance in the fisheries sector by working with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative, commonly known as FiTI. The Union of the Comoros has drawn up a roadmap and a concept note to facilitate the process of its full membership of the organisation before the end of the year.”

However, no written public commitment had yet been issued. The FiTI requires a written public commitment to demonstrate the sincere intention of a nation’s government to increase transparency in fisheries management through the FiTI.

Although the FiTI International Secretariat was unable to meet with the Minister during this mission, the Secretariat held meetings with Secrétaire général adjoint du ministère de la pêche Ahamada Djoubeir and staff of the Direction Générale des Resources Halieutiques (DGRH). Acknowledging the Minister’s earlier declaration during the opening remarks of the recent workshop, SGA Djoubeir emphasised that “The exchanges and sharing of experience at today’s workshop once again confirm this clear desire to maintain good governance of the fisheries sector in the Union of the Comoros…It is on this basis that this workshop is being built, precisely to encourage public debate, to strengthen confidence between stakeholders and to encourage wider discussions on the sectoral policy committed to transparency.”

After the workshop, the DGRH office responded to a follow-up email with news of the draft letter of commitment, which now awaits internal Ministry processes and the Minister’s signature.