This week, at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi, ministers were unable to finalize an addendum to its Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies that had the potential to curb harmful fisheries subsidies that lead to overfishing. This setback extends the WTO’s two-decade-long streak of failing to prohibit harmful subsidies, a commitment it first took up at the 2001 Doha Ministerial Conference.
Oceana’s Senior Analyst Dr. Daniel Skerritt says, “This
outcome is not just disappointing; it’s a dire blow to global marine
biodiversity. Our governments are failing to look beyond their own short-term
self-interest, prioritizing political posturing above reaching an agreement
that would benefit everyone. The WTO’s continued failure to prohibit
subsidy-driven overcapacity and overfishing jeopardizes the lives of millions
of people who depend on healthy fish populations for their livelihoods and food
security.”
According to research supported by Oceana, harmful fisheries
subsidies from the world’s top fishing nations disproportionately impact the
vulnerable developing nations that depend on fish for food security and
livelihoods. The draft agreement included measures that could have helped
rectify this global imbalance. Without them, these practices will continue.
Oceana Board Member and leading fisheries economist Dr.
Rashid Sumaila says, “Today most fish stocks are either fully exploited or
overfished. Without fish, it’s game over. Given the massive effort by so many
since 2001, the WTO’s failure to take effective action this week to remove
overfishing subsidies questions whether the organization is capable of
addressing these subsidies at all.”
Oceana is calling for members to shift their focus to first
ratify and then strengthen the first agreement, which at least prohibits
subsidies for illegal fishing and fishing on depleted fish stocks. To date, 70
members have accepted the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, meaning 40 acceptances
remain for the agreement to enter into force.
Once ratified, the agreement’s sunset clause — a provision
that mandates the termination of the agreement if comprehensive disciplines are
not established within four years — will come into effect. This clause is not
just a safeguard against perpetual failed WTO negotiations; it’s a clear
deadline, injecting much-needed urgency into the process.
“This mechanism offers a glimmer of hope, providing a
concrete timeline to end the two-decade-long stalemate and forces the WTO to
prove its commitment to global sustainability. Now it’s up to members to ratify
and implement the agreement. The world is watching,” added Skerritt.
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