WTO MC12: India will agree to fisheries deal if it is 'equitable'

Even as India is keen on finalising the fisheries agreement at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) 12th ministerial conference (MC12) next month, government officials said the proposed draft lacks fairness and the right balance.

India will agree to the WTO’s proposed agreement on fisheries subsidies, provided the deal is equitable and does not put member countries into a disadvantageous position in perpetuity, they said on Wednesday.

Starting May 30, negotiations on the long-standing issue at the WTO on fisheries subsidies will continue daily for a week to reach an agreement or consensus from all-member nations. Thereafter, it will be taken up at the four-day ministerial conference in Geneva, starting June 12.

The global trade body wants to build a consensus on the agreement that aims to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and promote sustainable fishing.

“India is committed to concluding the negotiations so long as it provides space for equitable growth and freedom in developing fishing capacities for the future without locking members into disadvantageous arrangements in perpetuity,” one of the officials said.

The current draft is unfairly constraining the less developed nations that don’t have the capacity and resources to support their industry and farmers. India has highlighted that developing countries not engaged in distant water fishing should be exempted from overfishing subsidy prohibitions for at least 25 years as the sector is still at a nascent stage.

“Any agreement must recognise that different countries are at various stages of development and that current fishing arrangements reflect their current economic capacities. Needs will change with time as countries develop. Any agreement will have to provide for balancing current and future requirements to exploit fisheries in marine waters and the high seas,” the official said.

India also needs to have the necessary policy space for developing the sector, and sufficient time to put in place systems to implement the disciplines under overcapacity and overfishing; and illegal, unreported unregulated fishing. India has strongly reiterated its position on non-specific fuel subsidies, prohibition of subsidies for distant water fishing, protection for artisanal and small-scale fisheries and exemption up to the maritime limit 200 nautical miles.

Response to the pandemic 

Members of the global trade body will also discuss another priority item — WTO’s response to the pandemic, which includes Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver proposal. As a part of a response to the pandemic, countries are negotiating on six areas — export restrictions, trade facilitation, regulatory coherence, cooperation and tariffs, role of services, transparency and monitoring, collaboration with other organisations, and framework to respond more effectively to future pandemics.

India’s view is that the response to the pandemic should address the challenges posed by the current pandemic, including intellectual property as well as challenges in augmenting supply production, the official said, adding that there are sharp divergences among the members on these issues.

At present, India is engaging at the WTO for finalisation of elements on WTO's response to the pandemic.

Certain developed countries like the EU, the US, UK, and Canada are seeking to include elements pertaining to limiting the scope for export restrictions, seeking permanent disciplines with respect to trade facilitation measures, increased market access and limiting the scope for TRIPS waiver.