World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations

The document argues that capacity-enhancing fisheries subsidies, estimated at $20 billion globally, drive overfishing and jeopardize ocean health. It calls on WTO members to implement disciplines that eliminate subsidies contributing to overcapacity, overfishing, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal target 14.6.

• Governments globally spend up to $20 billion on capacity-enhancing subsidies, which are payments that offset costs for gear, fuel, and vessel construction, potentially leading to fishing beyond sustainable biological limits.
• According to 2018 FAO estimates, one third of fish stocks are exploited unsustainably, and another 60% cannot sustain increased fishing levels.
• Overfishing and harmful subsidies negatively impact more than 1 billion people who rely on seafood as a primary protein source and over 40 million people who depend on fishing for income.
• The authors urge the WTO to meet the December 2017 ministerial mandate to establish disciplines prohibiting subsidies that contribute to overcapacity, overfishing, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing by the end of 2019.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations. https://www.clientearth.org/media/dn1pir4d/joint-ngo-letter-to-world-trade-organisation-regarding-fisheries-subsidies-negotiations-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations. 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/dn1pir4d/joint-ngo-letter-to-world-trade-organisation-regarding-fisheries-subsidies-negotiations-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations |date=30 April 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/dn1pir4d/joint-ngo-letter-to-world-trade-organisation-regarding-fisheries-subsidies-negotiations-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2019world, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/dn1pir4d/joint-ngo-letter-to-world-trade-organisation-regarding-fisheries-subsidies-negotiations-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }