The FiTI Standard emphasises the need for national authorities to develop and strengthen their own systems for collecting, organising and publishing information online in a complete, accessible and understandable manner.
For this, a country’s National Multi-Stakeholder Group reviews and approves annual assessments on the fisheries information in the public domain for all transparency requirements in the FiTI Standard. If needed, this group issues recommendations on how to further improve transparency and stakeholder participation in the country’s fisheries sector.
A country must reach the status of a FiTI Implementing Country to benefit from the publication of a FiTI Report.
About FiTI Reports
FiTI Reports are joint
publications of the country’s National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) and the FiTI International Secretariat.
FiTI Reports comprise a transparency assessment of marine fisheries management information across the 12 thematic areas of the FiTI Standard …
… as well as stakeholder recommendations for improving transparency and stakeholder participation in the country’s fisheries sector.
The transparency assessment considers information that national authorities publish on their websites from the previous calendar.
FiTI Reports will be produced until a country reaches the status of a FiTI Compliant Country (max. 5 years).
The production of annual FiTI Reports is funded by the FiTI International Secretariat.
Assessment of transparency for marine fisheries management
Information is assessed according to the following four categories:
Information published
This applies to information published national authorities on government websites in accordance with the FiTI Standard (section A).
Information not available
This applies to information that is not published because national authorities have yet to collect or compile it. This may be due to authorities prioritising different objectives or a lack of technical, financial, or human resources needed to produce such information.
Information not disclosed
This applies to requirements for which national authorities hold information that has yet to be released to the public.
Information not applicable
This applies to requirements in the FiTI Standard that do not apply to the country’s marine fisheries sector.
Multi-stakeholder recommendations
Based on the transparency assessment, the country’s National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) considers issuing recommendations for improving transparency and stakeholder participation according to the following six categories:
Information disclosure
Recommendations to improve access to information held by national authorities that has not yet been disclosed online.
Information availability
Recommendations to collect or compile information that is currently unknown about the country’s fisheries sector.
Information quality
Recommendations to improve the accuracy, consistency or reliability of published
information.
Information clarity
Recommendations to improve how published fisheries information is more widely communicated, more easily understandable and usable by a non-expert audience, thereby facilitating public awareness and understanding.
Stakeholder participation
Recommendations to improve public participation in the country’s fisheries management.
Beyond the FiTI Standard
Recommendations to exceed or go beyond the minimum requirements of the FiTI Standard, which would enable the FiTI implementation process further to address national priorities for the country’s fisheries sector.
A country’s government is not obliged to implement recommendations from its National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG). It must, however, respond to each recommendation, even if it rejects the proposal from the National MSG.
The FiTI International Secretariat tracks the detailed implementation status of each Multi-Stakeholder Groups’ recommendation in its central Progressive Improvement Tracker.
Guidance Note ‘FiTI Reports’
A Guidance Note is currently being prepared to support the production of annual FiTI Reports. This Guidance Note will not introduce requirements in addition to the FiTI Standard 2.0, but instead provides further information on a range of aspects relevant to completing the tasks expected of them. Furthermore, the Guidance Note outlines how to anticipate and respond to challenges in the compilation of the FiTI Report, and outlines detailed guidance on the assessment of each transparency requirement.
It is expected that this Guidance Note will be published by September 2026.
Relevant posts
- São Tomé and Príncipe’s National MSG hosts Partners Roundtable, presents 2nd FiTI Report
- Cabo Verde publishes its 3rd FiTI Report and strengthens transparency in the fisheries sector
- Mauritania publishes newly structured FiTI Report, enhancing understanding of fisheries transparency
- Madagascar’s 3rd FiTI Report reveals steady progress towards transparency
- São Tomé and Príncipe Approves 2nd FiTI Report, 1st based on new Fisheries Information System (FIS)
- Ecuador enhances fisheries transparency with 2nd FiTI Report
- Seychelles publishes newly structured FiTI Report, enhancing stakeholder understanding of fisheries transparency
- Mauritania’s National Multi-Stakeholder Group reviews its 6th FiTI Report
- FiTI presents Cabo Verde’s 2nd FiTI Report at UN agencies meeting
- Seychelles continues to enhance fisheries transparency in fifth FiTI Report
- Cabo Verde celebrates publication of second FiTI Report
- Madagascar celebrates publication of second FiTI Report
- São Tomé and Príncipe celebrate publication of first FiTI Report
- Mauritania publishes 5th annual FiTI Report
- Ecuador publishes first FiTI Report in the Americas
- São Tomé and Príncipe prepares for first FiTI Report
- Madagascar National MSG prepares new FiTI Report
- Ecuador develops first FiTI Report in the Americas
- Seychelles’ latest FiTI Report shows benefits of making fisheries transparency ‘mainstream’
- Support from FiTI, UNODC bolsters Ecuador’s progress towards first FiTI Report
- Mauritania publishes 4th annual FiTI Report, covering calendar year 2022
- Cabo Verde publishes first FiTI Report, prioritizing a transparent fisheries sector
- Madagascar publishes first FiTI Report, demonstrating commitment to fisheries transparency
- Mauritania publishes 3rd annual FiTI Report, covering calendar year 2021
- National workshop focuses on utilising fisheries transparency to support participatory governance
