WTO Fisheries Deal "almost there" per Chair

The chair for the World Trade Organization’s fisheries subsidies negotiations says that members “are almost there” on concluding a deal to address subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing “before the end of the year.”

But in a five-page report emailed to Heads of Delegation on Monday and seen by WTD, Chair Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland, acknowledged that “one member is calling for a fundamentally different approach”.

It is common knowledge that the “one member” – India – claims the chair’s revised draft text (TN/RL/W/279) provides several carveouts to the big subsidizers to continue their OCOF subsidies on weak and manageable sustainability criteria, particularly for distant water fishing members, said people familiar with the developments.

India also is severely critical of the revised draft text for restricting the special and differential treatment to developing and least-developed countries, as well as failing to adhere to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14.6.

The chair mentioned SDG 14 in his email, saying it “tasked us with tackling subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing”. “We need to complete this task given the sense of urgency attached to safeguarding the sustainability of our oceans” he said, suggesting that “status quo cannot be the answer.”

However, India and several other countries repeatedly maintained that the chair’s revised draft text (TN/RL/W/279) failed to address the core issues concerning prohibiting the OCOF subsidies, said people familiar with the chair’s draft text.

The three proposals (WT/GC/W/945. WT/GC/W/946, and WT/GC/W/947) circulated by India days before the last General Council meeting pointed out several imbalances in the chair’s text and how it tilted the balance in favor of the big subsidizers contributing to OCOF subsidies.

Against this backdrop, the chair wants to “resume NGR (Doha negotiating group on Rules) activities” after six weeks due to his “other work.”

In short, the chair’s report suggests there is a fundamental divide between the big subsidizers supported by several countries to reach an agreement on one side.

Several other members, particularly India, want a fundamental change in the approach that delivers on UNSDG 14.6 on the other, said people who asked not to be quoted.

Against these two conflicting approaches, an agreement to tackle OCOF subsidies by the end of the year seems highly unlikely, said people familiar with the developments.