FiTI, fisheries transparency discussed in preparation for Cabo Verde’s 1st Congress of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector

The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), represented by Fisheries Analyst Hiliana Silva, participated in the Preparatory Day of the 1st Congress of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector (CESPA 2026-2036), held August 6 in the City of Mindelo, São Vicente. Ms Silva presented the “The Importance of Transparency in the Fisheries Sector and the Role of FiTI in this Context”.

The event brought together shipowners, fishermen, fishmongers, technicians, environmentalists, representatives of the canning industry, universities, public and private institutions, NGOs, political decision-makers and other forces of the island’s fishing communities. The main objective of the technical conference was to promote a participatory reflection on challenges, priorities and solutions for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector on the island and in Cabo Verde. The conference lent special focus on topics such as access to information, participatory management, transparency and strengthening the regulation of access to resources, inspection, financing, productivity and responsible fishing practices, as well as investment in aquaculture.

Presiding over the opening session, Minister of the Sea Eng. Jorge Santos highlighted the importance of valuing the fisheries sector and its contribution to the national economy and food security. He emphasised the Government’s determination to invest significantly in the modernization, industrialization and development of the fisheries value chain. The Minister also called for confidence in the marine sector, reinforcing its strategic role in the blue economy and encouraging investment in innovation, scientific research, training of human resources and improvements in infrastructure.

During her speech, Ms Silva presented the FiTI and the progress achieved through its implementation in Cabo Verde. She highlighted Cabo Verde’s commitment to the continuous improvement of public access to fisheries information, noting that the country will be one of the first to implement the new online Fisheries Information System (FIS), currently under development.

Subsequently, the Minister commended the FiTI’s role as a global reference initiative and emphasizing that Cabo Verde is not only an active member but is strongly committed to achieving increasingly high levels of transparency and good governance. He reiterated that the country has already published two FiTI reports and is working to fully comply with the requirements of the FiTI Standard, with the aim of achieving maximum transparency in the sector.

The Minister announced his participation in the 1st Regional Workshop of the National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) and the FiTI National Secretariat, planned for next October in Praia. He noted that the event will be an opportunity for a more detailed presentation of the FiTI Fisheries Information System (FIS), as well as other tools that the Ministry has under development to digitize the entire management process and ensure the public availability of all relevant information for operators and interested parties.