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

The 2022 WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) prohibits subsidies for illegal fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing, though it requires 17 more ratifications to enter into force. Current negotiations (Fish 2) aim to address the root causes of overfishing and fleet overcapacity through a 'hybrid' approach. While most members have converged on a draft text that prohibits subsidies contributing to overfishing unless healthy management measures are proven, full consensus remains elusive due to the demands of two large developing country members for more substantial changes.

• The 2022 WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) prohibits government subsidies in three specific scenarios: illegal fishing activities, stocks in an overfished condition without recovery measures, and fishing on the high seas without collective management arrangements.
• The 2022 agreement requires ratification by 111 WTO members to enter into force; as of the report date, 94 members have ratified it, leaving 17 more needed.
• Ongoing negotiations for additional rules (Fish 2) seek to address the root causes of overfishing and fleet overcapacity, as the 2022 agreement only targets the most acute manifestations of the problem.
• The proposed 'hybrid' approach for the new rules broadly prohibits subsidies contributing to overfishing and overcapacity, but allows exemptions if the member can demonstrate that fisheries management measures are keeping stocks healthy.
• The draft rules for Fish 2 include differentiated requirements, imposing stricter demonstration standards on developed members, distant water fishing nations, and large subsidizers, while providing special and differential treatment for developing countries, including exemptions for artisanal fishers.
• Despite significant convergence on the substance of the draft text during meetings in Abu Dhabi (MC13), Geneva, and late 2024, full consensus has been blocked by two large developing country members requesting major changes.

APA

Irschlinger, T. (2025). Fisheries Subsidies and the WTO: How far have we come? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/wto-fisheries-subsidies

Chicago

Irschlinger, Tristan. Fisheries Subsidies and the WTO: How far have we come? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/wto-fisheries-subsidies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Irschlinger |first1=Tristan |title=Fisheries Subsidies and the WTO: How far have we come? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=26 March 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/wto-fisheries-subsidies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{irschlinger2025fisheries, author = {Irschlinger, Tristan}, title = {{Fisheries Subsidies and the WTO: How far have we come?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/wto-fisheries-subsidies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }