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Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI)
The FiTI Standard also has 12 principles that address fisheries
transparency, working with governments to enable publicly
accessible, and easily understandable fisheries information and data.
FiTI’s Regional Coordinator for the Pacific, Leba Dranivesi says
FiTI is working across five Pacific Island nations: Fiji, Solomon
Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands.
“There’s a lot of information that is out there,” Dranivesi
says. “I think the issue is getting it together under one
home or website, so people don’t have to jump here and
there to find the information.”
She believes this would help not only in stock
management but also in directing research for academics
and deeper cooperation between Government, CSOs,
and the industry in areas where there are information
gaps, as well as attracting investments.
Dranivesi also stresses the importance of high-quality
data which is primarily data that is understandable,
verifiable, and usable.
Learning from the Seychelles
The Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, recently
became the first country to become compliant with the FiTI standard,
leading to increased interest by investors.
Since 2022, Fiji-based company TraSeable Solutions has been
working in Seychelles to centralise and publish fisheries data, leading
to enhanced transparency and sustainability and information-sharing
across agencies. While the initial phase of this work was funded
by the World Bank, the country saw such value in the contribution
TraSeable Solutions was making that it engaged it directly to digitise
other processes, including aquaculture and port data.
TraSeable co-founder, Kenneth Katafono, says in Seychelles,
there was a real commitment across the board to the process, as
it was consistent to the country’s brand and philosophies around
environmental sustainability.
In Fiji, TraSeable has worked with the Ministry of Fisheries to
digitise boardings and inspections on vessels and catch accountancy
Fiji makes progress towards fisheries transparency fishing vessels.
system, which will account for all the fish landed in Fiji by commercial
But he encourages more investment in the personnel who collect
and manage data to break down silos, and a change in mindset
across the sector to encourage more willingness to share data, rather
than treating it as something ‘secret’.
Fiji continues to work towards improved fisheries transparency, government departments, and other stakeholders. A 2023 Fiji transparency standard that is championed by the Coalition for For the Fiji Fishing Industry Association (FFIA), while the benefits of
with some major developments in recent months. Ministry of Fisheries report states that IUU fishing incidents in Fijian Fisheries Transparency (CFT), a network of over 50 civil society increased transparency are clear, there is a need for more investment.
Transparency is increasingly recognised as essential for sustainable waters increased by 18% between 2022 and 2023, with unauthorised organisations from various regions, which collaborates with WWF FFIA Executive Officer, Anare Raiwalui, stated that the industry is in
fisheries management, enabling responsible governance, improving foreign vessels accounting for approximately 65% of these violations. and the Fisheries Transparency Initiative. full compliant with the national fisheries laws whereby the provision
market access, and safeguarding marine ecosystems. In November 2024, the World Wide Fund for Nature – Pacific For local, coastal fishing communities, Pigeon says transparency of their fishing data to the Ministry is mandatory by law. The biggest
This month, the Ministry of Fisheries opened the Offshore Fisheries (WWF-Pacific) through its Fiji office, organised the second would mean “they have access to fisheries information and are challenge FFIA is going through right now is the modernisation of its
Operations Centre in Suva which is equipped with advanced “Improving Fisheries Transparency in Fiji Workshop”, bringing participating in decision making in a meaningful way and are given a aged fishing fleet.
surveillance technology, including vessel tracking and monitoring together stakeholders from across the fisheries sector and relevant voice in way that we haven’t always seen.” Raiwalui says the industry is mandated by law to provide its catch
systems and access to satellite imagery. government agencies. She identifies the issue of beneficial ownership as an emerging records. “We are doing our role in being compliant with the State.
Fiji’s Minister for Fisheries, the Honourable Alitia Bainivalu said “We recognise that transparency is crucial for aligning our fisheries concern for more countries and a likely focus of the upcoming ‘Our “The government plays a good role in compliance,” Raiwalui
the timing of the opening was critical: “This new monitoring centre with international standards, improving market access, and fostering Ocean’ and UN Ocean conferences. notes. “But when it comes to development, that is an area they also
arrives at a pivotal moment for Fiji’s fisheries sector. Recent data sustainable practices. This workshop is part of our commitment to a “We’re seeing a lot of movement towards that because being able need to work on.”
indicates that IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported) fishing costs People and Nature Positive Pacific, where communities thrive, and to track illicit vessels back to their owners means that the sanctions He says that transparency is important for markets that demand
our nation approximately FJ$50 million (US$21.8 million) annually in our oceans are protected,” WWF-Pacific’s Interim Fiji Conservation are actually impacting the people who are benefitting from these such information, and that certification under the Marine Stewardship
lost revenue.” Programme Manager, Duncan Williams, told that workshop. kids of illegal activities. So, it’s just a really sound enforcement Council (MSC) has also been important.
The operations centre supports Fiji’s 2024 National Plan of Action Coalition for Fisheries Transparency Director, Maisie Pigeon mechanism.” “Our fish has been proven to be sustainable. So, we can get a bit
on IUU Fishing, which aims to reduce illegal fishing activities by 40% says for market countries, transparent fisheries would mean “a Pigeon says Fiji has made impressive progress in many areas better pricing as compared to non-MSC catches.”
by 2027. transparent supply chain where you are able to trace the seafood on of fisheries transparency, but notes that crew safety and welfare Raiwalui agrees that transparency must include consideration of
In January 2025, the Fiji parliament passed the Maritime your plate from the boat that caught it, all the way to the store where remains a crucial focus. crew welfare.
Surveillance Enhancement Act, which increased penalties for you purchased it. “I think there is a tremendous opportunity in that. We have lots of “These are the people who are contributing to the success of the
IUU fishing violations and expanded the mandate of monitoring partners within the coalition whose countrymen are feeding those company. We are working with the International Labour Organization,
authorities. The Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency fleets that are operating in Fiji. So, there’s a lot of opportunity for the Ministry of Labour, and other agencies to come up with laws
But challenges remain in the sharing of data between agencies, The Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency is a fisheries cooperation and partnership and multilateral agreements.” specifically for fishers, for crew to protect their interests.”

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