Support to Fuel Consumption for Fisheries

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines government support for fuel consumption in the fisheries sector, analyzing data from the OECD and WTO. It highlights the prevalence of fuel tax concessions and direct price support across both OECD and non-OECD economies, while noting significant gaps in transparency and notification within WTO frameworks.

• Fuel costs represent a significant portion of fishing expenditures globally, typically ranging between 30% and 50%, with fleets in developing nations often exhibiting higher fuel intensity than those in developed countries.
• Fuel support is widespread across both OECD and non-OECD WTO member countries, primarily taking the form of tax concessions, though some nations provide direct market price support via grants or reimbursements.
• In 2017, OECD economies provided approximately USD 330.8 million in total fuel support for fisheries, consisting of USD 306.8 million in tax concessions from nine economies and USD 24 million in market price support from Mexico.
• Non-OECD economies surveyed showed significantly higher fuel support totals, amounting to approximately USD 2.257 billion in 2017, driven largely by China's direct fuel support of about USD 2 billion and Indonesia's fuel tax exemptions of USD 133 million.
• There is a substantial disparity between the fuel support recorded in the OECD Fisheries Support Estimate (FSE) database and the notifications provided to the WTO, suggesting a lack of transparency and data within the WTO regarding fisheries fuel subsidies.
• While governments use fuel support to protect fishers' incomes and stabilize costs against oil price volatility, evidence suggests that support for variable inputs like fuel is the least likely to ultimately support fishers' income and may increase unsustainable fishing activities.
• External estimates for 2018 indicate that fuel subsidies are among the largest forms of fisheries support, accounting for 22% of total fisheries subsidies, which reached USD 7.7 billion globally, with USD 5.9 billion granted in developing countries.

APA

Moerenhout, T. (2019). Support to Fuel Consumption for Fisheries. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/support-to-fuel-consumption%20-fisheries.pdf

Chicago

Moerenhout, Tom. Support to Fuel Consumption for Fisheries. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/support-to-fuel-consumption%20-fisheries.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moerenhout |first1=Tom |title=Support to Fuel Consumption for Fisheries |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=December 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/support-to-fuel-consumption%20-fisheries.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moerenhout2019support, author = {Moerenhout, Tom}, title = {{Support to Fuel Consumption for Fisheries}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/support-to-fuel-consumption%20-fisheries.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }