2025 Year in Review: Advancing Global Fisheries Transparency

From policy wins to global collaboration, the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency reflects on a year of impact.

 

As 2025 comes to a close, the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (CFT) celebrates a year of progress toward our mission: building a world where fisheries are transparent, accountable, and sustainable. Together with our growing network, we’ve made meaningful strides to strengthen governance and combat harmful practices.

Expanding Our Global Network

This year, CFT welcomed 10 new member organizations, including first-time representation in Tanzania and Vietnam. Our Coalition now spans 64 countries across all major global regions, connecting civil society voices to drive transparency forward.

Driving Policy Change

Transparency is a powerful tool for safer, fairer fisheries. In 2025, we took concrete steps toward that goal:

• 4 new countries formally endorsed the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency: Ghana, South Korea, Liberia and Cameroon. The government of Taiwan also announced that they will be adopting fisheries management policies that align with the Charter’s transparency goals. 
• 8 countries signed onto the Yaoundé Declaration, publicly declaring their commitment to fisheries transparency: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria. 
• 15 governments were engaged through CFT advocacy, including Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, South Korea, and the UK. The results of this include a landmark fisheries law in Ghana, which will act as a model for other coastal States around the world. 
• Vanuatu and Ghana ratified the Cape Town Agreement (aligned with Principle 8 of the Global Charter) and the UK committed to ratify during the UN Ocean Conference. These successes were fueled by coordinated civil society action, including 15 organizational signatories on letters to key decision-makers.

Strengthening Collaboration

At the Our Ocean Conference and UN Ocean Conference, CFT led NGO alignment efforts, bringing together 10+ organizations to coordinate messaging and amplify transparency-focused policy asks.

In February, we hosted a regional convening in Seoul, uniting 26 participants from 12 organizations across East Asia to develop a shared strategy on transparency and traceability.

Sharing Knowledge

Our newsletter spotlighted 25 transparency-related tools, projects, and achievements from across the network—helping 250+ stakeholders learn and collaborate on effective tactics.

Looking Ahead

2026 promises even greater momentum. We’re gearing up for the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, where transparency will take center stage. Together, we’ll continue pushing for policies that protect ocean ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

 

Thank you to our members, partners, and advocates for making 2025 a year of impact. Here’s to an even stronger 2026!

Criminal Catches: Launching Our First UK Report in Westminster

On 9 September 2025, the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (CFT) launched its first UK report, Criminal catches: How to stop the illegal flow of seafood to the UK, at a parliamentary roundtable in Westminster. The event, chaired by Barry Gardiner MP, brought together parliamentarians and experts to address the growing risks posed by illegally caught seafood entering the UK market.