Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the potential impacts of proposed World Trade Organization (WTO) fisheries subsidy rules on the Southern Longline (SLL) tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). Focusing on South Pacific albacore, the study examines six fleets (China, Chinese Taipei, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and French Polynesia) to assess how prohibitions on subsidies for IUU fishing, overfished stocks, and overcapacity would affect fleet profitability and regional sustainability.

• The Southern Longline (SLL) fishery is characterized by 'economic overfishing,' where falling catch per unit effort (CPUE) means the direct cost of fishing effort exceeds revenues for some vessels, despite the target stocks remaining biologically healthy.
• Estimated cost and revenue structures suggest that vessels from China and potentially Chinese Taipei may be unable to operate without financial assistance, whereas Fijian-flagged vessels appear marginally profitable regardless of tax rebates.
• IUU fishing in the SLL fishery is primarily driven by misreporting (57%) and illegal transshipment (36%), rather than unlicensed fishing, which is described as negligible.
• A WTO subsidy prohibition targeting overfished stocks would likely apply to all WCPO tuna fisheries because the oceanic whitetip shark, a common bycatch species in the SLL fishery, is assessed as overfished.
• The impact of IUU-related subsidy prohibitions would be limited if triggered only by the WCPFC IUU Vessel List, as that list contained only three vessels in 2019.
• Prohibiting subsidies for operating costs, including fuel, could reduce overall fishing effort and improve CPUE for remaining vessels, but might shift effort to the high seas or unregulated fisheries to lower costs.
• Prohibitions on subsidies for vessel construction or importation could disproportionately harm Pacific Island countries (PICs) by hindering their ability to develop domestic tuna industries and modernize aging fleets.
• China's fuel subsidy mechanism for its distant water fishing (DWF) fleet historically used price thresholds, providing 50% to 100% refunds when marine diesel oil prices exceeded specific levels.
• The report suggests that for PICs to benefit from subsidy reform, a balance is needed between removing harmful subsidies and maintaining non-budgetary transfers (tax concessions) to offset geographical isolation.

APA

Sen, S., & Cartwright, I. (2019). Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/fisheries-subsidies-tuna-pacific-en.pdf

Chicago

Sen, Sevaly, and Ian Cartwright. Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/fisheries-subsidies-tuna-pacific-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sen |first1=Sevaly |last2=Cartwright |first2=Ian |title=Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=December 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/fisheries-subsidies-tuna-pacific-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sen2019exploring, author = {Sen, Sevaly and Cartwright, Ian}, title = {{Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/fisheries-subsidies-tuna-pacific-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }