Fisheries Subsidies’ Contribution to Overcapacity and Overfishing: A refresher on key conceptual frameworks
During the World Trade Organization (WTO) 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé in March 2026, members reaffirmed their commitment to conclude additional rules on fisheries subsidies. Drawing on key analytical work on how these subsidies drive overcapacity and overfishing, this webinar equipped members with evidence to inform the ongoing 'Fish 2’ negotiations.
About the Event
The WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé reaffirmed members’ commitment to conclude negotiations on additional disciplines on fisheries subsidies. These further rules are essential to ensure the existing WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies effectively addresses the role subsidies play in driving overcapacity, overfishing, and the depletion of marine resources around the world.
As members return to the negotiating table, this webinar helped them understand how subsidies can lead to unsustainable levels of fishing, and which forms of support carry the greatest risk of incentivizing excessive fishing pressure. Drawing on key analytical work, this webinar examined how fisheries subsidies contribute to overcapacity and overfishing under different circumstances.
This was the second in a series designed to complement the thematic sessions held as part of the formal negotiating process. You can watch the first webinar here.
Panel
Moderator:
- Alice Tipping, Director, Trade and Sustainable Development, IISD
Speakers:
- Rashid Sumaila, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia
- Claire Delpeuch, Head of Unit, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
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