PRESS RELEASE
The Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy of the Republic of Guinea, Charlotte DAFFE, sent a ‘commitment letter’ to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) on 28 November 2022, stating that: “to guarantee the sustainability of our maritime resources and to allow fisheries to continue to play their role as an engine of growth, the Guinean government attaches particular importance to good governance of fisheries based on the principles of transparency and inclusive participation of state and non-state actors. The government hereby signals its commitment to launch the process to become a FiTI candidate country and will quickly put in place the legal framework and structures necessary to ensure successful and sustainable implementation of the FiTI standard.
The African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Professional Organisations (CAOPA), which has been working on transparency in maritime fisheries since 2011, playing a leading role in the design of the FiTI standards and currently serving as member of its international Board, welcomes this development.
CAOPA has supported efforts on this topic in Guinea, organising a workshop in 2018 on transparency in the management of the fisheries sector, followed by a reflection on the establishment of a National Multi-Stakeholder Group (FiTI).
Like the international community and governments, CAOPA, as an organisation working to strengthen the rights and protect livelihoods of artisanal fishing communities in Africa, recognises that transparency is an essential element in the management of African fisheries.
In CAOPA’s view, transparency in maritime fisheries is not a voluntary act. It is a citizen’s right, in particular for those whose livelihoods depend on fishing. This is described in the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (VGSSF) and the Policy Framework and Strategy for Reform of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in Africa.
Transparency is also a key demand that has been made in the global Artisanal fishers ‘Call to Action’[BG1] , which calls on governments not only to publish all fisheries relevant information, but also to improve gender sensitive data collection and dissemination of information on the artisanal sector, so that their contributions to food security, livelihoods, sustainable use of the ocean are made more visible.
Reacting to the Guinea commitment, the Chair of the FiTI’s International Board of Directors, Dr Valeria Merino, said: “We welcome the public commitment of the Guinean national authorities as a first step to increase transparency in fisheries towards the sustainable management of the country’s marine fisheries sector. Such a public commitment signals the intention of the country’s government to improve its fisheries. Now, according to the FiTI standard, this commitment must be followed by concrete implementation activities and subsequent approval of the country’s application by the FiTI International Council in order for Guinea to be officially recognised as a FiTI candidate country.
The government of Guinea has now publicly committed to implementing the FiTI. It joins countries such as Mauritania, Seychelles, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe and Ecuador, which have also announced their intention to commit to the FiTI.