FiTI Principles

The FiTI Principles are the cornerstones of the initiative. They reflect the beliefs and aims of all FiTI stakeholders. They were agreed on at the 1st International Conference of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative on 3 February 2016 in Nouakchott/Mauritania.

Principle 1: Sustainable fisheries contribute significantly to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development, and therewith to national and regional political stability and increased resilience to impacts of climate change.

Principle 2: Sovereign governments are responsible for the sustainable management of fisheries, utilizing the country’s national fisheries wealth for the benefit of its citizens, to promote the national interest, food and nutrition security, and equitable socio-economic development.

Principle 3: All stakeholders have important and relevant contributions to make, including governments and their agencies, large-scale and small-scale fisheries, multilateral organizations, financial organizations, investors, organized civil society, and academia.

Principle 4: Transparency is essential for responsible fisheries, as it can stimulate an active demand for accountability, contributing to improved decision-making in fisheries management.

Principle 5: Transparency is most effective when information is shared and verified through the active, free, effective, meaningful and informed participation of governments, business, civil society, scientists, and other stakeholders as equal partners, thereby allowing all stakeholders to ensure that information is credible and legitimate.

Principle 6: For transparency to be effective relevant information has to be made available in an accessible format and in a timely manner to society.

Principle 7: Increasing transparency and participation must be feasible and introduced progressively in order to ensure the wide acceptance of this initiative.