Sustainability and Trade
Fisheries Subsidies
In June 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, an agreement that was intended to address the problematic aspects of subsidies to fishing.
Negotiations on fisheries subsidies have a long history in the WTO but were intensified following the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDGs set a target on eliminating subsidies to Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and prohibiting certain subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing while recognizing appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries.
While much fanfare was made about the outcome, there is little to suggest that the SDG mandate has been met, with those most responsible for overfishing being let off the hook of any meaningful commitments.
Negotiations for an expanded agreement are ongoing but it remains to be seen whether the WTO Members will agree on an outcome that truly address the problem overfishing and IUU fishing.
“We have deep concerns about the WTO subsidy negotiations. These negotiations have unfolded without any meaningful opportunity for small-scale fishers and Indigenous Peoples to participate. The WTO does not pay due consideration to human rights, and cultural and social development. Its free trade agenda has enriched transnational corporations and facilitated the further concentration of ownership of territories and natural resources in the hands of powerful corporations. Furthermore, the procedures of the WTO are not carried out in a participatory, democratic way on par with the Committee on Fisheries (COFI).
We, small-scale and artisanal fishers and Indigenous Peoples, therefore call upon the COFI members to bring back the negotiations on fisheries subsidies to the COFI to ensure IUU fishing is addressed in a democratic manner, and where we have an opportunity to contribute to negotiations.”
- The World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF), the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP), the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), La Via Campesina (LVC), as members of the Fisheries Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC), and representing millions of small-scale fishers and Indigenous Peoples from coastal and inland regions worldwide.
Fisheries Subsidies Resources
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Global CSO Open Letter to Ministers ahead of the WTO Ministerial
We are calling on Ministers to make sure that any outcome on overfishing and overcapacity subsidies negotiations targets those who have the greatest historical responsibility for overfishing and stock depletion, excludes all small-scale fishers from any subsidy prohibitions, prevents the WTO from ruling on the validity of conservation and management measures of members, and upholds the sovereign rights of countries under UNCLOS.
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Small Scale Fishers, the WTO Ministerial and Subsidies of Fishing Capacity
What does the upcoming WTO Ministerial negotiations on subsidies that contribute to overfising and overcapacity impact small-scale fishers. This Q&A answers some of those questions.
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WTO Public Forum 2023 Panel: Including People and Fish – Sustainable Trade and Targeting Unsustainable Subsidies
This session will focus discussion on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and ongoing negotiations for a fisheries subsidies outcome on overfishing and SDT by providing insights from affected coastal communities, civil society and trade officials to examine how action can be take to target those most responsible for overfishing while protecting small-scale fishers.
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Q&A: What does the new WTO agreement mean for Small-Scale Fishers
Small-scale fishers are some of the most vulnerable in the fisheries sector and any cuts to government supports can have a major impact. Find out how the new WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies impacts fisherfolk
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Empty Harvest: A briefing paper on the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
In June 2022, WTO Ministers agreed to an agreement on prohibiting some fisheries subsidies. This campaign brief explains what the agreement means, why it shouldn’t be ratified and what the next steps on fisheries subsidies negotiations look like.
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Civil Society Responds to the AFS
A range of civil society voices, including fisherfolk, respond to the outcome of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
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Off The Hook: How big subsidisers are avoiding responsibility
The AFS outcome and the proposals that form the basis for ongoing negotiations are allowing those most responsible for overfishing and overcapacity to continue undermining sustainability.