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This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the critical state of World Trade Organization (WTO) fisheries subsidies negotiations ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It highlights the need to move beyond the 2022 Agreement (Fish 1) to establish additional disciplines (Fish 2) targeting overcapacity and overfishing before a sunset clause triggers the termination of the original agreement in September 2029.

This research paper by Tristan Irschlinger provides a state-of-play analysis as of March 2025 regarding the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on fisheries subsidies. It evaluates the impact of the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) and the ongoing efforts to establish broader rules (Fish 2) to address the root causes of overcapacity and overfishing.

This research paper by Tristan Irschlinger provides an update as of March 2025 on the World Trade Organization's (WTO) efforts to regulate fishing subsidies. It details the existing 2022 Agreement (Phase 1) and the ongoing negotiations for additional, broader rules (Phase 2) aimed at addressing overcapacity and overfishing to promote marine sustainability.

A statement delivered by Hon. Kerrie D. Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, on 26 June 2024, calling for the immediate entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the conclusion of negotiations on overcapacity and overfishing.

This document is an extract from a detailed analysis by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) regarding a draft text (TN/RL/W/278) on fisheries subsidies within the World Trade Organization (WTO). It evaluates the potential of these proposed rules to promote sustainable development by preventing subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, while balancing the diverse interests of member nations.

This case study examines the process leading to the June 2022 World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the first multilateral trade deal centered on environmental sustainability. It details the complementary roles of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), which provided impartial technical and legal advice, and The Pew Charitable Trusts, which led advocacy and the 'Stop Funding Overfishing' campaign to create external pressure on WTO members.

This research paper analyzes a draft World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement aimed at curbing fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing. It details the proposed prohibitions on subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and overcapacity, while examining the balance between strict disciplines and special and differential treatment for developing countries.

This policy brief discusses the management of fishing capacity within the framework of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations to prohibit subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of technical assistance and capacity building (TACB) in implementing a potential World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on fisheries subsidies. It identifies critical gaps between the needs of developing countries for compliance—such as subsidy inventory and IUU monitoring—and the actual distribution of official development assistance (ODA), which heavily favors general fisheries development and management over specific subsidy reform.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides practical guidance for World Trade Organization (WTO) members on implementing potential agreements to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies. It outlines general benchmarking and planning steps, specific implementation strategies for three proposed WTO disciplines—IUU fishing, overfished stocks, and overfishing/overcapacity—and discusses the necessary role of technical assistance for developing countries.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes various proposed regulatory approaches to prohibit fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing within the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. It specifically examines how to balance environmental sustainability with the development priorities of developing and least-developed countries, including food security and poverty reduction.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines how potential World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to discipline fisheries subsidies could impact the southern longline tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific, specifically regarding economic overfishing and the role of distant water fishing nations.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the potential impact of World Trade Organization (WTO) fisheries subsidy rules on shrimp fisheries in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, focusing on overcapacity, overfishing, and the role of fuel subsidies.

This case study examines how potential World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on fisheries subsidies could affect the sardinella fishery in the waters of The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal, where overfishing and excessive capacity threaten food security and livelihoods.

This report examines the potential impacts of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on fishing subsidies, specifically focusing on shrimp fisheries in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. It analyzes how prohibitions on subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overcapacity, and overexploited populations could affect industrial and artisanal fleets in Latin American countries.

This report examines the impact of migration, primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on the Lake Albert ecosystem in Buliisa District, Uganda. It highlights how the influx of low-cost migrant labor and increased market demand have led to severe overfishing, the degradation of aquatic biodiversity, and the failure of local fisheries co-management structures.

This research paper by Florencia Sarmiento analyzes the critical state of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations regarding fisheries subsidies ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It evaluates the impact of the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the urgent need for additional disciplines to address overcapacity and overfishing to prevent the collapse of the existing framework due to a termination clause.

This WRI fact sheet provides a regional overview of the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' analysis for the Indian Ocean, detailing the extent of coral reefs, the human populations dependent on them, the prevalence of local and climate-related threats, and the effectiveness of existing marine protected areas.