About Us

Our vision and mission

The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency connects organizations that already work towards greater transparency in fisheries, but are isolated by geography or lack of capacity. The Coalition facilitates coordination, collaboration and cross-regional communication among initiatives that focus on fisheries transparency globally, supporting member organizations to achieve significant policy changes.

Our vision is transparent, equitable, and well-governed fisheries, free from harmful fishing practices and human rights and labor abuses, for the benefit of people and the ocean.

Our mission is to connect and support civil society organizations to advance and accelerate fisheries transparency policies around the world.

What makes us unique?

Though civil society organizations around the world are advancing work on transparency in fisheries, the global scale of the problem showcases that standalone efforts are not enough to turn the tide.

The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency was set up to maximize impact and accelerate change, to allow our members to learn from each other, find opportunities to leverage each other’s work, support existing regional coalitions and their members in market states, and foster similar activities in important coastal and flag states that still lack adequate measures to address the issue of transparency in fisheries.

The Team

The Coalition Secretariat, guided by the steering committee, supports the work of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency and its members.

Maisie Pigeon, Director

Maisie Pigeon is the Director of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, an international network of civil society organizations committed to improving data transparency in the fisheries sector. She oversees the Coalition’s day-to-day work and works closely with the Secretariat staff, Steering Committee, and member organizations to develop strategies to improve fisheries transparency across the globe.

Prior to joining the CFT, she spent over a decade working alongside governments and international organizations to promote initiatives to secure maritime spaces, encourage ocean governance, promote blue economic growth, and stabilize coastal communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. Maisie has provided consultation and research support to the Global Maritime Crime Programme at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Maritime Organization, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and is a member of the International Board at the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI).

Contact: Maisie@fisheriestransparency.net

Richard Castillo, Policy Analyst

Richard Castillo conducts research and analysis of the countries’ fisheries transparency policies when compared against the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. Richard studied law in Costa Rica – his native land -, and International Environmental Policy at Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. He has worked in Costa Rica, the US, and across Latin America and the Caribbean. His experience includes working with small-scale fisheries and conducting research and policy analysis. Most recently, he conducted research on the implementation of IMO tools in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction to regulate maritime traffic in the Costa Rica Thermal Dome.

Contact: Richard@fisheriestransparency.net

Emily Porterfield, Associate

Emily Porterfield provides support to the Secretariat, the Steering Committee, and the Coalition’s member organizations as well as oversees various projects to advance transparency at sea.

Prior to joining the Coalition, Emily gained experience at Oceana working on the Illegal Fishing and Transparency campaign. In this role, she developed her project management, research, administration, and communications skills that she now utilizes in her Associate position.

Contact: Emily@fisheriestransparency.net

Agata Mrowiec, Communications Manager

Agata Mrowiec leads communications efforts for the Coalition, working closely with the Secretariat staff, and the Steering Committee. She holds a decade of solid experience gained in public relation agencies, NGO sector and international organization. Prior to joining the Coalition, Agata was a communications lead for the EAF-Nansen fisheries development programme at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Before that, she served as a Senior EU Communications Officer at Oceana Brussels office.

Contact: Agata@fisheriestransparency.net

The Coalition is guided by the steering committee of select civil society leaders in fisheries transparency who provide support on defining Coalition's priorities and developing necessary policies. The Coalition's steering committee is co-chaired by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Oceana, and joined by Accountability.Fish, Global Fishing Watch (GFW), Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), PRCM (The Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone), Seafood Legacy, and the WWF Network.

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