Small-Scale Fishers Protest WTO Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations

Small-scale fisher groups from multiple countries have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies. They demand that discussions should be moved to the Food and Agriculture Organization, citing that the current negotiations are unfair and do not consider the needs of small-scale fishers.

In anticipation of the General Council meeting in Geneva, small-scale fisher groups from nations including India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have voiced their opposition to the WTO's fisheries subsidies negotiations, labeling them as 'unfair and unbalanced'.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO), comprising 166 members, has recently concluded an agreement to curb harmful subsidies related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The current discussions aim to address subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing (OCOF).

The General Council, second in importance only to the ministerial conference which convenes biennially, is central to these discussions.

The World Forum of Fisher Peoples and the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers have expressed serious concerns regarding the present negotiation text, arguing that it imposes irrational conditions on small-scale fishers in developing nations.

In a joint statement following the SSF Summit and Committee on Fisheries meeting in Rome, the two organizations demanded fisheries subsidy negotiations be removed from the WTO's jurisdiction and instead placed under the Food and Agriculture Organization's Sub-Committee on Trade.

The groups argue that fisheries issues do not belong within the WTO framework. They contend the ongoing negotiations are proving to be counterproductive and emphasize their largest concern is the inadequate special and differential treatment provisions for small-scale fishers in developing countries.

Special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions offer developing and impoverished nations more time to implement agreements and binding commitments.

The organizations warn that the comprehensive agreement, when finalized, could have severe implications for the future of small-scale fishers and indigenous communities globally. As a remedial step, they have called for the negotiations to be transferred to the Food and Agriculture Organization.

An official confirmed that India has submitted three fisheries proposals to the General Council.

(With inputs from agencies.)