As it celebrates a decade of successful work, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) stands as a key driver of bringing transparency and accountability to fisheries management around the world. In early June 2025, the FiTI, its partners and supporters were hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Bread for the World at the BMZ headquarters in Berlin to commemorate and reflect on FiTI´s achievements.
Founded in 2015 by a small team led by Prof. Dr. Peter Eigen, the FiTI is a multi-stakeholder partnership working to improve accessibility, credibility and usability of fisheries information across the globe. At its core is the FiTI Standard released in 2017 and is currently undergoing its first revision process. It was formulated through a two-year global consultation process involving governments, industry, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and artisanal fishing entities. This internationally recognized framework is the first of its kind and clearly defines the information related to marine fisheries that should be made publicly available by national authorities to ensure a high level of transparency. The Standard is implemented in each participating country through a multi-stakeholder group with equal representation from the government, companies and organized civil society, including small-scale fishers.
Improving public access to reliable data is essential to achieving effective and sustainable fisheries management, which was underscored by the Parliamentary State Secretary to the BMZ, Johann Saathoff in his keynote speech. Effective and sustainable fisheries management, in turn, underpins the livelihoods and food and nutrition security of millions who depend on the sector.
As guest of honor, Prof. Dr. Peter Eigen was recognized for his lifelong dedication to transparency and foundational role in establishing the FiTI. Now, 10-years on, the FiTI has expanded across the globe, with Mauritania, the Seychelles, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea, Chile, Comoros, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Panama, and Liberia joining the initiative. To celebrate these achievements and reflect on what lies ahead, the anniversary event featured a multi-stakeholder panel discussion chaired by Dr. Kristín Gunnarsdottir von Kistowski, Senior Fisheries Specialist at The World Bank. The panel explored the importance of the FiTI in the fisheries sector and highlighted areas that still require improvement. On the panel were Mr. Roy Clarisse, Principle Secretary Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy from the Seychelles, Mr. Gaoussou Gueye, President of the African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) and Ms. Béatrice Gorez, Coordinator of the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) who shared their perspectives —emphasizing the importance of making information accessible to all stakeholders through local languages and popular media, as well as the need to raise public awareness about the sustainable management of our ocean resources.
Following the panel, Sven Biermann, Executive Director of FiTI, delivered a compelling speech on the opportunities and challenges ahead in global fisheries management. He underlined the notion that transparency is crucial in empowering people with knowledge and taking the first step “From Information To Implementation”.
To learn more about the FiTI, please visit the official website. You can also hear messages from a diverse range of stakeholders celebrating the initiative by watching a two-part video series: ‘Happy Birthday FiTI!’ – Messages from our stakeholders (1) and (2).
