VICTORIA, Seychelles — With Seychelles being the first country to achieve a compliant rating in the Fisheries Transparency Initiative validation process in February of this year, a presentation ceremony was held in order to commemorate this historic milestone. Minister for Fisheries and Blue Economy Jean-François Ferrari received the certificate of compliance yesterday morning at the National History Museum from the executive director of the FiTI International Secretariat, Sven Biermann, in the presence of the chairperson of the National Multi-Stakeholder Group, Phillip Michaud, chief executive of the Seychelles Fisheries Authority, Dr Jan Robinson, and Cabinet Secretary, Margaret Moumou.
Seychelles stands to benefit from this, which include an enhanced international reputation, improved grassroots access to fisheries management information, better access to sustainable markets, stronger stakeholder cooperation and better participatory governance. Speaking to the local press after the ceremony, Mr Michaud said an improved reputation will show future stakeholders and partners that Seychelles is a credible country. ‘It is not perfect, we still have some work to do,’ said Mr Michaud, adding it does however enhance the country’s reputation regionally, including its stance on good governance.
In his closing remarks, Minister Ferrari expressed that while 32 percent of marine areas have been designated as protected, the real challenge lies in their effective management and control. He acknowledged that simply meeting a numerical target is not enough; what truly matters is how these areas are being managed. ‘Despite efforts, the current level of control and management is not as effective as desired,’ he emphasised. While the FiTI does not impose a risk of ‘losing’ compliance, fisheries transparency itself is not a finite project. Instead, transparency is a continuous responsibility for governments to ensure that public resources are managed efficiently and that policies are designed in the best interests of the population.
