Fisheries Transparency Initiative: Promoting Sustainable Fisheries in Small Island Developing States
News
22 February 2021
Through our support to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative, Ireland is committed to supporting Small Island Developing States and the Blue Economy.
Fisheries are an important resource for many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), contributing to food and nutrition security, as well as employment for fishing communities. However, a lack of credible, publicly available information often results in poor fisheries management, contributing to the over-exploitation of stocks and socio-economic loss for fishing communities.
Working with governments, business and civil society, the Seychelles-based Association of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) aims to increase transparency and participation in fisheries governance. This includes gathering and publishing data on stocks, fishing agreements and the effects of fishing on the environment, helping countries to manage fisheries and marine resources more effectively and sustainably.
The Embassy of Ireland is contributing to the FiTI with a grant of €205,734, to support promotion and outreach activities in the four SIDS of Comoros, Mauritius, Cabo Verde and Sao Tomé and Principe. Under this two-year grant, FiTi will work with these four countries to raise awareness about the FiTI International Standard, and to support increased levels of transparency and multi-stakeholder collaboration in their marine fisheries sector.
As a small island, Ireland recognises the challenges similar islands face. Small islands often share vulnerabilities, most times climate-related, including sea-level rise and droughts, which can threaten their survival.
SIDS face particularly unique sustainable development challenges, including small populations, vulnerability to natural disasters and external shocks, and limited financial and human resource capabilities for effectively managing the fisheries sector, impacting the sustainable management of fisheries.
Ireland’s Strategy for Partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS), launched in 2019, showcases Ireland’s commitment to supporting and working together with fellow island states in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, mobilising the international community behind these efforts and further strengthening long-term partnerships with SIDS. This grant is part of Ireland’s commitment to work closely with SIDS in addressing shared challenges on climate change and the blue economy.
Speaking in response to the grant, Sven Biermann, Executive Director of the FiTI International Secretariat stated that “We are extremely thankful to Irish Aid for this support. Fisheries are critical for the development and well-being of Small Island Developing States, accounting for a large proportion of total employment and food and nutrition security.”