FiTI International Board elects eight members for 2026-2028 term
9 December 2025. The International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) is extremely pleased to welcome three new Board Members: Mr Tymon J Kiepe from The Netherlands (nominated by Open Ownership), Mr Alfred Bulakali Nkuru from the Democratic Republic of Congo (nominated by Article 19), and Ms Sophie L P Benbow from the United Kingdom (nominated by Fauna and Flora).
Furthermore, Mr Roy Clarisse, Mr Joacim Johannesson, Mr Tony Lazazzara, Mr Dawda Foday Saine, and Ms Annie Tourette, who already served a first term on the FiTI International Board, have been re-elected to serve a second, 3-year term. The FiTI is delighted to have these dedicated Board members continue serving its mission.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership that strengthens transparency and collaboration in marine fisheries management. It is legally institutionalised as a non-profit, non-governmental association under Seychellois law and governed by the constitution of the FiTI association. Its International Board is the global supervisory body of the initiative, comprising the FiTI Chair and up to 18 voting Board Members, equally distributed among members from the Government sector, the Business sector, and the social sector.
FiTI’s three new Board Members, all from the Social Sector stakeholder group, share a commitment to fisheries transparency and its sustainability from various perspectives: marine conservation combined with community-based management and advocacy against destructive fishing practices; access to information and free expression supporting transparency; and beneficial ownership transparency in marine fisheries. Tymon Kiepe, Alfred Bulakali Nkuru and Sophie Benbow are leaders with a keen understanding of how policies are applied on the ground, the importance of building partnerships, and ensuring local participation and buy-in. They are all distinguished professionals, recognised especially for their dedication to implement effective social programs, building durable multi-sector collaboration, devising pathways confronting complex problems that deliver value for all involved.
Dr Valeria Merino, Chair of the FiTI International Board, stated “We are delighted to welcome to our International Board a group of emerging global leaders who have demonstrated a strong commitment to transparency, multi-stakeholder participation, and the use of fisheries transparency as an indispensable tool for governments and other actors. Tymon Kiepe is a policy specialist with extensive experience in beneficial ownership transparency, governance, and research, motivated to support those implementing the FiTI Standard to set up the systems to identify the true owners of fishing vessels and companies, improving regulation and accountability. Alfred Nkuru Bulakali is a lawyer and expert in participatory governance policy and practice with over two decades of experience working with civil society organizations and international funded projects across Africa. He has considerable experience on strengthening government-civil society engagement and advancing access-to-information and human-rights frameworks in fisheries which he wants to contribute to FiTI’s work. Sophie Benbow is a marine conservation specialist with nearly two decades of experience in small-scale fisheries, sustainable practices, community-led management, and international policy processes, seeking to expand FiTI’s global footprint and contributing also her technical expertise in marine conservation and participatory fisheries governance.
As the FiTI launches the FiTI Standard 2.0 and enters a new phase, our new members bring strong alignment with our mission and substantial, complementary experience in transparency, governance, and multi-stakeholder processes. They will significantly enhance our ability to achieve our goals.”
The FiTI International Board approved the election of these eight members for a period of three years, starting 1st of January 2026. All Board Members are elected in their personal capacity.