Fishing subsidies, over-fishing, & the conservation of marine resources

Broad Goal - Shaping subsidies to help support ecosystems without undermining development.

Case Study - Putting in place rules that prohibit subsidies which encourage over-fishing and allowing subsidies that encourage the sustainable conservation of marine resources.

The Challenges

Massive payments encouraging over fishing...
Government subsidies account for nearly twenty percent of revenues to the fishing industry worldwide.

These subsidies encourage over-fishing at a
time when the global fishing fleet is estimated to be 250% larger than needed to catch what the ocean can sustainably produce, and when over 75% of fisheries are already over-fished, fished to their limit, or recovering from over-fishing.

They also affect people, particularly in developing countries where subsidized fleets from developed countries compete with fledgling local industries. Fishing subsidies are also widely thought to cause significant distortions in international markets for fish and fish products.

The need for effective and binding rules...
The challenge for policy makers is to develop effective international trade rules that will
reduce or eliminate harmful fishing subsidies without reducing the ability of governments to support activities that conserve marine resources, promote secure livelihoods and encourage sustainable development.

The Opportunity

The WTO has made a commitment to discipline fishing subsidies. This presents a unique opportunity to develop binding and effective new rules to prohibit subsidies that promote unsustainable outcomes (e.g., over-capacity and over-fishing). Likewise, it provides an avenue to develop clear criteria that allow fishing subsidies that promote sustainable fisheries management.

What we do

WWF provides input into the WTO negotiation on reforming fishing subsidies. WWF has developed detailed proposals, including by proving detailed approaches on how to balance subsidy reform with provision of legitimate financial subsidies that conserve marine resources. It is also calling for intergovernmental organisations other than the WTO to play a role in regulating these subsidies.