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News: India has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) thereby becoming a Party to the agreement.
About WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and India
- It is the first WTO agreement that focuses on environmental sustainability.
- It establishes a set of binding prohibitions and rules that seek to ensure that the support provided by governments to their fishing sector does not undermine the sustainability of marine resources
- Adoption year: It was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022.
- It entered into force on 15 September 2025 after acceptance by two-thirds of WTO Members.
- Focus: It focuses on subsidies related to marine wild capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea.
- Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside the scope of this Agreement.
- It seeks to promote the conservation and sustainable use of marine fisheries resources while providing appropriate flexibilities for developing and least-developed country Members.
- Member: It has 123 members, who have formally joined the Agreement.
- India is the 123rd Member of the WTO to deposit its Instrument of Acceptance.
- Features of the agreement:
- It protects the livelihoods of traditional and small-scale fishers by promoting sustainable fisheries.
- It also bans subsidies for illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfished stocks to conserve marine resources and ensure long-term benefits for fishing communities.
- It promotes fairer fisheries by curbing harmful subsidies to large industrial fishing fleets, benefiting countries that rely mainly on small-scale fisheries.
- Benefits for India:
- It benefits India, where fisheries are mainly small-scale and industrial fishing is limited.
- It enhances India’s credibility as a responsible seafood exporter and improves access to premium global markets.
- India’s seafood exports remain competitive because aquaculture-based shrimp, its major export, is outside the scope of the Agreement.
- By joining the Agreement, India reaffirms its commitment to sustainable fisheries management and the protection of marine resources for food security and coastal livelihoods.
