Guinea continues effort to finalise FiTI sign-up steps

FiTI Regional Coordinator for Francophone Africa Mr Mansor Ndour joined the Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone in West Africa (PRCM) during a recent joint country mission to the Republic of Guinea. The mission aimed to support finalisation of the country’s FiTI sign-up steps.

In July 2023, Guinea’s Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM) received support from the World Bank to aid the process of joining the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and strengthen transparency and the national fisheries monitoring, surveillance and control (MSC) system. Project implementation was entrusted to PRCM, which developed a memorandum that was validated by the World Bank and the Guinean authorities.

During later joint country missions by the FiTI International Secretariat and PRCM, the FiTI Lead Ministry and other national stakeholders worked to develop mechanisms for establishing the FiTI National Secretariat and for having the National Council for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Maritime Economy (CNPAEM) assume the duties of the National Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) via a decree introduced by the MPEM. The decree is currently processing in the approval circuit.

PRCM and the Guinean authorities also worked to validate the results of an online evaluation of Guinea’s marine fisheries management transparency, prepare the CNPAEM/MSG Work Plan for 2024/2025 and draft the FiTI candidate application for the country.

This latest country mission by the FiTI International Secretariat and PRCM aimed to support CNPAEM and the Guinean authorities in finishing the remaining sign-up steps, including signing the CNPAEM decree, training the Fisheries Administration’s representatives to the CNPAEM on the FiTI Standard, and updating the CNPAEM/MSG Work Plan.

The mission was received in audience by HE Madame Fatima Camara, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM), in the presence of the SG/MPEM General, Dr Mohamed Lamine Camara. The mission informed the Ministry of the urgent need to complete the FiTI sign up steps by signing the CNPAEM/MSG decree and finalising and transmitting the FiTI candidate application. In return, the Minister committed to complete the FiTI sign-up steps and tasked the SG/MPEM to follow up the process. “The highest authorities are committed to transparency and the necessary will be done by my department to quickly finalize the steps of Guinea’s accession to the FiTI in order to concretize our commitment,” stated the Minister.

Dr Camara, SG/MPEM, also announced that the Maritime Fishing Code (currently being revised) will soon be available and has already been validated by the Interministerial Council. The document is currently under review by the National Assembly, and will require approval by the President of the Republic. Certain provisions of the CNPAEM/MSG decree were integrated into this revised Code, therefore the latter could serve as an alternative solution to implement the CNPAEM/MSG if the process for signing the decree is delayed.