Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

At the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, held on 12-17 June 2022 in Geneva, members adopted the historic Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies after working on this issue in the WTO's Negotiating Group on Rules since 2001. The Agreement marks a major step forward for ocean sustainability by prohibiting government support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; fishing of overfished stocks; and fishing on the unregulated high seas.

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is the WTO's first multilateral agreement with environmental sustainability at its core and marks a major milestone for ocean sustainability by prohibiting harmful fisheries subsidies, a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world’s fish stocks. It prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life. By establishing rules that prohibit the worst forms of harmful fisheries subsidies, the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will help to protect the world’s fish stocks and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of peoples who depend on fisheries for food, income and employment.