WTO - Third Fish Week Concludes

In the third of a series of "Fish Weeks" conducted from 5-9 June, World Trade Organization (WTO) members deliberated over six new proposals aimed at restricting subsidies that lead to overfishing and overcapacity.

The chair of the negotiations, Iceland's Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson, described the discussions as constructive and beneficial for developing a consensus document for escalated negotiations before the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024.

Before this Fish Week, members received five different proposals from Norway, China, a combined one from Australia, New Zealand and Vanuatu, another joint proposal from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, and one from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. An additional proposal was presented by Fiji during the week.

The event involved both small group meetings and two plenary sessions, allowing members to gain clarity on each proposal. Proponents were able to explain their proposals, and attendees had the chance to raise queries and provide feedback, especially for the initial five proposals. The diversity of proposals presented was seen as a positive step towards addressing the stalemate from MC12 concerning overcapacity and overfishing subsidies.

In his concluding remarks, Gunnarsson stated that the meetings had been crucial in working towards creating a unified foundation for text-based work in the autumn. He added that the successful discussions had set the stage for developing a single text for negotiations later in the year.

Meanwhile, several members reported advancements in their national procedures to formally accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which was adopted at MC12. For the agreement to become effective, it requires acceptance from two-thirds of WTO members.

Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard commended the progress made during the week, stating that it moved the organization closer to text-based negotiations, a crucial step for reaching an agreement by MC13. She also praised members who were on the brink of submitting their acceptance of the agreement.

The next Fish Week, scheduled for the week of 10 July, will delve deeper into the proposals, and additional proposals will also be welcomed. Four more Fish Weeks are planned for the autumn, aiming to complete the second round of fisheries subsidies negotiations by the General Council meeting in December. This will allow members to focus on refining the text of a new agreement before MC13.