India’s stance on the ongoing fisheries subsidy negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has garnered widespread support from developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), according to a Geneva-based trade official. As the WTO works to finalize the second phase of its fisheries subsidies agreement by the end of the year, India’s call for stricter controls on large-scale industrial fishing while protecting smaller players has resonated with many.
India’s key argument is that the current subsidies discipline should not inhibit small-scale fishers looking to expand but should focus on curbing unsustainable practices carried out by industrial deep-sea fishing fleets. Many developing countries agree that unchecked subsidies benefiting large industrial players, especially from wealthier nations, contribute to overfishing and depletion of marine resources, threatening the livelihoods of smaller fishers.
Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland, Chair of the WTO fisheries negotiations, urged member countries to push forward with negotiations and engage with political leaders to finalize the agreement. Gunnarsson emphasized the need for political will to conclude the negotiations by the year-end, encouraging all parties to maintain momentum.
India’s submissions to the WTO Fisheries Committee highlighted the need for a careful review of the current draft text, pointing out that existing loopholes could enable large-scale industrial fishing operations to continue harmful practices unchecked. “We must ensure that the final agreement aligns with the sustainability goals of the WTO’s overarching commitment to the Ocean Conference on Fisheries (OCOF) while not overburdening developing nations,” India’s submission argued.
Alieu Sowe, Coordinator of the Gambia Fisher Folks Association, voiced concerns on behalf of small-scale fishers at the ongoing WTO Public Forum in Geneva. Sowe criticized the draft text for failing to discipline industrial fishing operations adequately and imposing unfair restrictions on smaller fishers. “The sustainability exemption clause benefits advanced fishing nations that have superior monitoring and notification systems, allowing them to evade meaningful commitments,” Sowe said, adding that poorer countries, even if fishing sustainably, would be disadvantaged.
Small-scale fishers have long argued for better provisions in the agreement, emphasizing that current special and differential treatment (SDT) clauses are insufficient. “The exemptions should not merely distinguish between industrial and non-industrial players but should address the core issue of unsustainable industrial fishing,” Sowe added.
Global fish stocks continue to decline, with 37.7% of them overfished, compared to 10% in 1974. WTO data reveals that governments provide $35 billion in fisheries subsidies worldwide, with $22 billion contributing to unsustainable fishing practices. The largest subsidizing nations include China, the European Union, the United States, South Korea, and Japan, whereas India’s subsidies remain relatively modest, with the government estimating just $15 per fisher family annually.
As the year-end deadline approaches, India and its allies in the developing world are urging a fisheries subsidies agreement that better reflects the concerns of smaller nations and small-scale fishers, while promoting sustainability and equity in global fisheries management.
