World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and Negotiations
According to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization, global fish stocks are increasingly at risk due to unsustainable levels of fishing. At the same time, governments around the world provide billions of dollars in subsidies to their fisheries sectors. Certain forms of fisheries subsidies are furthering the depletion of global fish stocks by contributing to overfishing and overcapacity of fishing fleets around the world. These harmful subsidies also contribute to the global issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The importance of addressing the sustainability of global fish stocks is evident given the fisheries’ crucial contribution to food security, nutrition and livelihoods of millions of people in many countries around the world.
WTO Members began the fisheries subsidies negotiations as a part of the Doha Round in 2001. The WTO was chosen as the forum for these negotiations given the organization’s existing subsidy rules that address potential trade distortions that can result from subsidization. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.6 (UN SDG 14.6), adopted in 2015, gave added impetus to the negotiations, when countries committed to prohibiting certain forms of subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, as well as eliminating subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing.
At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, WTO members reached an Agreement to discipline certain forms of harmful fisheries subsidies. The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies establishes new multilateral disciplines that:
- prohibit subsidies to a vessel or operator engaged in IUU fishing or fishing related activities in support of IUU fishing;
- prohibit subsidies for fishing or fishing related activities regarding an overfished stock, unless such subsidies or other measures are implemented to rebuild the stock to a biologically sustainable level; and,
- prohibit subsidies provided to fishing or fishing related activities outside of the jurisdiction of a coastal Member or a coastal non-Member and outside the competence of a relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organization/Arrangement (RFMO/A).
The Agreement also provides for the establishment of a voluntary funding mechanism to enable targeted technical assistance and capacity building assistance for developing and least developed country Members for the purpose of implementing the disciplines of the Agreement.
From a transparency perspective, the Agreement will also enhance the notification of fisheries subsidies under Article 25 of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures by requiring the inclusion of additional information, such as the type or kind of fishing activity for which subsidies are provided. The Agreement also requires Members to notify an annual list of operators and vessels that have been determined to be engaged in IUU fishing. Members are also encouraged to notify additional information, such as the status of fish stocks, conservations measures, and catch data for the species in the fishery for which a subsidy is provided.
The Agreement will enter into force once two-thirds of WTO Members have deposited their instrument of acceptance with the WTO. The complete list of Members that have deposited their instrument of acceptance can be found on the WTO website.
The MC12 Agreement represented a significant milestone in the negotiations; however, Members were not able to reach consensus on all issues under discussion. Ministers therefore agreed to continue negotiations on the remaining outstanding issues, including disciplines on overcapacity and overfishing. Negotiations towards a comprehensive outcome are still ongoing.
Canada in the fisheries subsidies negotiations
The fisheries sector plays an important economic, social and cultural role in Canada. As such, Canada supports multilateral efforts to promote sustainable fishing, as well as efforts to discipline harmful fisheries subsidies. Canada has been an active participant in the MC12 Agreement negotiations, and continues to be actively involved in discussions on additional disciplines towards a comprehensive and effective agreement that will support the sustainability of global fisheries.
Related links
- WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies - Full Text
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Canada supports sustainable global fishing with contribution to WTO Fisheries Subsidies Trust Fund
- Canada accepts WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
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