Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Basic Concepts

This guide provides a glossary of basic concepts related to fisheries subsidies negotiations, defining maritime zones, the roles of different states, and technical terms regarding fish stock sustainability and capacity.

• Maritime areas are divided into three primary zones based on distance from a coastal state's baseline: the territorial sea (up to 12 nautical miles), the exclusive economic zone (EEZ, up to 200 nautical miles), and the high seas (areas beyond national jurisdiction). In the EEZ, the coastal state has "sovereign rights regarding the exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of natural resources" and must manage them sustainably based on maximum sustainable yield.
• Fishing activities are subject to the jurisdiction of multiple types of states: the coastal state (where fishing occurs), the flag state (where the vessel is registered), the port state (where the vessel uses a port), and the subsidising state (which provides financial support). A single vessel may be subject to all four; for example, a vessel "subsidised by, state A can fish in the EEZ of state B under the flag of state C".
• The document distinguishes between three critical states of fishery depletion: overcapacity occurs when "fishing capacity exceeds the level required to sustainably capture the desired amount of catch"; overfishing occurs when the amount caught is higher than the level the stock could sustainably produce; and an overfished stock is one where the biomass is "considered too low".
• Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is the standard for determining the maximum catch that can be continuously taken indefinitely. However, in WTO negotiations, some members suggest using "alternative reference points" because MSY-based points can have "significant data requirements".
• According to OECD analysis, subsidies designed to lower the cost of fuel and other variable inputs, such as gear or bait, are the most likely to cause overfishing and are the least effective at supporting fishers' income.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Basic Concepts. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/Basic%20concepts.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Basic Concepts. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/Basic%20concepts.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Basic Concepts |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/Basic%20concepts.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndfisheries, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Basic Concepts}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/Basic%20concepts.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }