An Analysis Of The WTO Agreement On “Fisheries Subsidies” Adopted In The 12th Ministerial Conference

Anuradha Chandran S, Amity University Rajasthan

ABSTRACT

The first WTO agreement to put an emphasis on environmental sustainability is the WTO Agreement on “Fisheries Subsidies”. It creates a set of legally obligatory restrictions and guidelines to make sure that government assistance to the fishing industry is not harming the long-term viability of marine resources. However ecological sustainability is threatened by over exploitation of marine resources, which affects marine ecology. It is estimated that 90% of fish populations are overfished, which has a detrimental effect on a country's environment, food security, and economic growth, particularly in developing nations. The WTO fisheries agreement, which eliminates and restricts harmful fishing subsidies, including IUU fishing and high-seas fishing, has an influence on the least developed or developing countries. In developing countries like India, which protects the marine environment more when fishing than any other developed nations, the elimination of “Fisheries subsidies” may have a negative impact on employment conditions and food security. In this paper, the researcher has adopted doctrinal approach to analyze the key provisions of the agreement, its potential to aid in ensuring the long-term sustainability of global fisheries, its implications in the fishing industry or fishing communities in developing countries with special reference to India, and the potential influence on various stakeholders.

Keywords: WTO Agreement on “Fisheries subsidies, “Fisheries subsidies, sustainability of global fisheries, IUU fishing, Marine ecology