In a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting last week, a group of countries took a firm position against fisheries subsidies.

ICTSD reports that New Zealand’s ambassador, speaking on behalf of Argentina, Australia, Chile, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and the US, said these countries expect ambitious rules limiting fisheries subsidy payments to be a key result of the negotiations of WTO’s Negotiations Group on Rules.

The ambassador’s statement called for a strong prohibition and strong disciplines on fisheries subsidies, after weeks of attempts by countries such as China, Brazil, Korea, and Japan to introduce various exceptions.

While ICTSD does not report on the EU position within the WTO on fisheries subsidies, fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki has hinted that there will be some sort of revision of the EU’s fisheries fund in the new Common Fisheries Policy.

Less than three weeks remain before a target date for the chairs of WTO negotiating committees to submit revised draft agreement texts in the Doha Round trade talks.

Reuters recently reported that environmental activists are hopeful that negotiations at the World Trade Organization to curb fisheries subsidies, especially those on fuel, can produce a deal that will help end overfishing.

Link: Read the full story at International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

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