Ending Harmful Fisheries Subsidies: From Treaty to Reality
This event is part of the WTO's Public Forum, taking place from 12 to 15 September in person in Geneva, Switzerland. You must register before 17 August to attend, which you can do at the link above.
Event Description
Over a billion people depend on fish as primary source for protein and a 100 million are directly dependent on fishing for their livelihoods. According to the UN FAO, one third of global fish stocks are already exploited beyond sustainable levels. In 2022, the WTO reached a landmark agreement to finally end subsidized overfishing. By speeding up the entry into force of this agreement and complementing it with additional rules to tackle all harmful fisheries subsidies, WTO members can make a crucial contribution to restoring and maintaining the sustainability of fish stocks and supporting livelihoods. This session showcases perspectives from high level representatives, fisheries experts and environmental advocates. The panel will discuss why swift ratification and successful implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies as well as an ambitious result from the second wave of negotiations is urgently needed to support coastal communities, ocean health and build resilience to climate change.
Partners:
The Pew Charitable Trusts (PEW)
World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)
Speakers
Moderator:
- Alice Tipping, Director, Trade and Sustainable Development, IISD
Panel:
- Alfredo Giron, Head, World Economic Forum’s Ocean Action Agenda & Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum.
- Sebastian Mathew, Executive Director, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF).
- Nella Pepe Tavita-Levy, Permanent Representative/Ambassador of the Mission of Samoa.
- Heike Vesper, Chief Executive, Transformation Politics and Markets, World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Germany.
Previous fisheries events
Fisheries Subsidies That Contribute to Overcapacity and Overfishing: A review of key concepts and data
The objective of this workshop is to complement official discussions of the WTO by providing additional detail on the history of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, in order to inform delegations’ deliberations about how best to proceed.
Fisheries Subsidies That Contribute to Overcapacity and Overfishing: A review of the science and key decisions in the WTO negotiations
The objective of this workshop is to complement official discussions of the WTO by providing additional detail on the history of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, in order to inform delegations’ deliberations about how best to proceed.
The WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement: Launch of IISD’s self-assessment tool for implementation
This hybrid launch event for WTO members aims to introduce the new self-assessment toolkit that governments can use to support their efforts to implement the new fisheries subsidies agreement at home.
Integrating Voluntary Sustainability Standards in Trade Agreements: Charting a path for sustainable trade
This webinar will explore recent trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the integration of voluntary standards in trade policy, with a focus on free trade agreements (FTAs).