WTO Secretariat briefs members on Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, Fish Fund

WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Opening the information session on 22 May, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said: “This session has been organized in response to the calls from many members for collaborative efforts to facilitate the Agreement's entry into force and support its implementation. The Agreement represents a significant achievement in our global efforts to promote the economic and environmental sustainability of ocean resources. Members' commitment to ratify and implement this Agreement is crucial for protecting our oceans and supporting those most dependent on marine resources.”

By adopting the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by consensus at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva in June 2022, ministers set new binding multilateral rules to prohibit subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing overfished stocks, and fishing on the unregulated high seas.

Welcoming the acceptances of the Agreement by Georgia on 19 May and Lesotho on 21 May, DDG Ellard added: “This momentum signals a growing commitment among members to the Agreement.”

The WTO Ambassador of Barbados, Matthew Wilson, said: “More than 50 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) member states are coastal countries, most of them with very important coastal fishing communities that have been exposed to IUU fishing. ACP economies are the most at risk from illegal fishing, given that they often do not have the capacity to police oceans and waters.” Barbados formally accepted the Agreement on 14 February 2024.

Malaysia's WTO Ambassador, Syahril Syazli Ghazali, said: “The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies supports our national efforts to combat harmful practices, and at the same time provides the extra push for policymakers and stakeholders to accelerate and improve our efforts in sustainable fishing.” He highlighted the importance for governments to find “a balance between economic, social and environmental interests”. Malaysia formally accepted the Agreement on 26 February 2024.

Sierra Leone's WTO Ambassador, Lansana Gberie, highlighted the role the Agreement will play in “supporting efforts by the Economic Community of West African States to develop a regional roadmap to modernize fisheries and information-sharing for surveillance and coordination.” However, he underlined that: “Nineteen African countries have accepted this Agreement — this is still very small.” Noting that West Africa loses billions of dollars annually in IUU fishing, Ambassador Gberie stressed that: “IUU fishing is a transparency challenge and it requires a global response.” Sierra Leone formally accepted the Agreement on 19 July 2024.

Benedicte Fleischer, Special Trade Policy Representative of Norway, talked about the importance of implementing the Agreement's disciplines, including notifications of subsidy measures, and of development assistance. She said: “Because of our fisheries management measures, which increasingly focus on control and enforcement, Norway is well prepared to ensure the underlying objectives of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies are met.” Norway formally accepted the Agreement on 26 February 2024.

Members welcomed the progress already made in ratifications, and called for further ratifications as soon as possible. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will enter into force upon receipt of formal acceptances from two-thirds of WTO members, representing 111 members. A total of 99 instruments of acceptance has been received so far.

WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism

At MC12, ministers also established the Fisheries Funding Mechanism  to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) that have formally accepted the Agreement to implement the new obligations. It was the focus of the information session for members held on 23 May.

Commerijn Plomp (Netherlands), Co-Chair of the Fisheries Funding Mechanism Steering Committee, noted that once operational, the Fund will be key to incentivize ratifications from more WTO members, as well as implementation of Agreement's disciplines. She said: “Wide implementation will be crucial for generating a meaningful impact on our shared oceans.”

Representing the Steering Committee, Olga Lukashevich (Peru) stressed that: “It is essential to remember that the Fund is conceived as a vehicle to support those that require it in complying with the Agreement's disciplines, providing tools, knowledge and technical cooperation according to each member's needs.”

DDG Ellard concluded the session by recalling that: “With 99 members now having deposited their instruments, we are not only approaching the threshold for the Agreement's entry into force, but we are within striking distance from launching the first Call for Proposals — as the Steering Committee agreed on 20 May — when we reach 101 deposits. As this moment approaches, it is important that members have a clear picture of the tools available to support implementation.”

Information about the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies can be accessed here.

Information on the Fisheries Funding Mechanism is available here.

Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment can be found here.

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