Implementing the fisheries transparency initiative: experience from the Seychelles

Improving the capacity to collect fishery dependent data (e.g. catch and effort data), as well as fishery independent data (e.g. gear selectivity) is recognised as central to improving fisheries governance. However, the capacity for collecting and presenting data are often limited in developing countries.

This paper focuses on the implementation of the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) in the Seychelles. The motivation behind the FiTI is to complement ongoing efforts in achieving transparency and stakeholder participation in fisheries governance (FITI, 2017). Most of the data and transparency requirements for the FiTI are relevant for increasing sustainability in the Seychelles’ fisheries. However, not all of the data are currently collected. Moreover, for some data that are available, it may not be desirable that they are publicly accessible (e.g. sensitive vessel-level financial data).

While the FiTI is designed to assist countries in their attempt to increase transparency and participation in fisheries management, it is concluded that further effort is needed to demonstrate the benefits of the FiTI and to ensure its does not merely replicate other data collection practices. The main difficulties that the Seychelles face in implementing the FiTI are the requirement for large amounts of disaggregated data as well as barriers to presenting some data (resulting from other fisheries management agreements e.g. those with the EU).

Recommendations on the role of the FiTI in achieving transparency and participation in fisheries governance in the Seychelles are given, including the issues that other developing countries may encounter when implementing the FiTI.