Subsidies have become one of the most controversial subjects in debates on fisheries reforms. Perhaps more than any other single factor, subsidies are seen as the source of a range of problems, such as overfishing, illegal fishing and unfair benefit-sharing. In 2001 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed…
The International Secretariat of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) is looking for a Regional Coordinator for the Western Indian Ocean region, based in Seychelles. Applicants must be either a Seychellois national or a Seychelles-based GOP holder. This vacancy is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in supporting the…
Victoria, 22 October 2020. The Headquarters Agreement for the Seychelles to host the International Secretariat for the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) was signed today in a short ceremony at the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Fisheries Transparency Initiative is a global multi-stakeholder partnership, where governments, business and civil society collaborate…
On 14 October 2020 we conducted a high-level webinar on “Fisheries in the time of COVID-19: Challenges and perspectives for sustainable fisheries in South America”, in collaboration with the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS). The CPPS is the maritime organization that coordinates regional maritime policies in order to…
Many tourism-heavy Small Island Development States (SIDS) have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the need to rebuild and diversify economies, hopes are increasingly pinned on the countries' fisheries sector. In this OP-ED, our Executive Director, Mr. Sven Biermann and H.E. Ronald Jumeau, Permanent Representative to the United…
Beneficial ownership – that is, the natural person who ultimately owns or controls a business or transaction – is a topic that is grabbing global attention. The negative consequences of a lack of transparency regarding beneficial ownership are all too evident, with special implications for the fisheries sector.The complexity of…
Victoria, 7 September 2020. The International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) has announced today its approval of granting countries a three-year moratorium (2020 – 2022) regarding annual financial contributions, due to the current global COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread with alarming speed, infecting millions and…
Victoria/Laxenburg. After the positive reception of the webinar “Corruption in fisheries: A key obstacle for resilient oceans”, the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) have agreed to jointly organise additional webinars on this important subject.Under the theme of “Tackling corruption in fisheries: Vulnerabilities, supporting factors and…
Fisheries tenure systems – how and why governments allocate rights for fishing – are one of the most critical aspects of sustainable fisheries management. However, in many countries fisheries tenure systems are characterised by secrecy and confidentiality.As a result, people have a limited insights into how tenure systems work, who…
Victoria, 3 April 2020. The International Board of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) has announced its approval of the country’s application, making the Seychelles only the second country to be granted the status of a FiTI Candidate country, after Mauritania. The application was evaluated by the International Board through a…