WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies Latest News
Recently, India has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) and became a Party to the Agreement.
About WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
- It was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022.
- It is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
- It prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life.
- The Agreement entered into force on 15 September 2025 after acceptance by two-thirds of WTO Members.
- India is the 123rd Member of the WTO to deposit its Instrument of Acceptance.
Key Features of WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
- The Agreement focuses on subsidies related to marine wild capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea.
- Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside the scope of this Agreement.
- It protects the livelihoods of traditional and small-scale fishers by promoting sustainable fisheries.
- It prohibits subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing of overfished stocks,
- It also creates a more equitable global fisheries regime by disciplining harmful subsidies that support large, heavily subsidised industrial fishing fleets operated by distant water fishing nations.
Source: PIB
Last updated on Sep, 2026
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WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies FAQs
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