First Steps of a Long Journey: Rethinking fisheries subsidies for a sustainable future

In this edition of the IISD Trade and Sustainability Review, we delve into the critical and multifaceted issue of fisheries subsidies. Over the last few years, governments have worked hard to better align these public support measures with sustainable development objectives through global rulemaking. Significant results were achieved, but the journey has just begun.

Fishing and related activities are crucial to the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with many coastal communities relying on healthy marine resources for their basic income and food. But overfishing, often fuelled by government subsidies, threatens these livelihoods. We asked the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD's) Claire Delpeuch, Will Symes, and James Innes to shed light on why it is so important for government support policies to encourage fisheries that are environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially inclusive, and to share insights on how this can be achieved in light of the OECD's recently released data on public support measures.

Almost 25 years ago, governments decided to address the subsidized overexploitation of fisheries resources by negotiating global subsidy rules at the World Trade Organization (WTO). A critical milestone was achieved with the adoption of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies—known in trade circles as "Fish 1"—in June 2022. The agreement is now approaching entry into force, and WTO members are negotiating a set of additional, broader disciplines, known as "Fish 2."

So where are we, exactly, in that process? My own article examines the current state of play in WTO work on fisheries subsidies and highlights a few key considerations moving forward. The current situation also begs the question of why additional rules are needed if a global agreement was already concluded in 2022. In a separate piece, Anna Holl Buhl (World Wildlife Fund) and Megan Jungwiwattanaporn (The Pew Charitable Trusts) highlight the significant added value that a Fish 2 agreement would bring to promoting global fisheries sustainability and argue that the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, is the perfect opportunity for the global community to strengthen its resolve in tackling harmful fisheries subsidies.

While the conclusion of global, binding rules is promising, the effectiveness of these disciplines will ultimately rely on the way governments implement them. This edition concludes with an insightful interview with ocean conservation expert Mamadou Diallo. He explains why Senegal’s ratification of the Fish 1 agreement was essential and provides key perspectives on the potential implementation challenges and the technical assistance developing countries will need to ensure the agreement is effectively implemented and genuinely benefits coastal communities and small-scale fishers.

Happy reading,

Tristan Irschlinger

Senior Policy Advisor, IISD

Articles

Government Support to Fisheries: Why should we care?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Claire Delpeuch, Will Symes, and James Innes explain why, when implemented, public support policies should be environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially inclusive, and share insights on how that objective can be met.

Read article here.

Fisheries Subsidies and the WTO: How far have we come?

Tristan Irschlinger offers a comprehensive overview explaining key aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, ongoing discussions, and what’s at stake for the sustainability of global fisheries.

Read article here.

World Trade Organization Members: Don't abandon the race—finish negotiations on fisheries subsidies

Anna Holl Buhl and Megan Jungwiwattanaporn explain why broader rules are needed to phase out subsidies that incentivize overfishing, harm marine life, and threaten the communities that depend on them.

Read article here.

Fisheries Subsidies and Sustainability: What's at stake for Senegal?

Interview with Mamadou Diallo

In this interview, Senegalese expert Mamadou Diallo discusses the risk of overfishing and its impact on coastal communities, highlighting the importance of Senegal ratifying and implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

Read article here.