WTO meet: India to bargain for 'poor fishermen' in developing countries

In the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) scheduled next month, India will bargain for a ‘complete carve-out for poor fishermen’ in the developing countries, so that subsidies are not put to an end.
 

With about 9 million people dependent on the sector in India, the government’s top priority at the WTO’s ministerial meeting will be to protect the interest of the poor and fishermen, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
 

India constitutes 25 per cent of the world’s fishermen.
 

The discussion comes against the backdrop of the global trade body trying to build a consensus on an agreement that aims to curb subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing.
 

Towards this, India has proposed that developing countries should be allowed to give subsidies to their poor fishermen to catch fish till exclusive economic zones (EEZs) or up to 200 nautical miles from the shore.
 

“As part of special and differential treatment in the agreement, we are demanding a complete carve-out for poor fishermen within EEZ. We should be free to provide subsidies to poor fishermen up to 200 nautical miles,” the official said, adding that developed countries engaged in fishing beyond this zone should stop providing any kind of subsidies for the next 25 years.
 

“We will not undertake any discipline forever. Beyond EEZ, there are Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), when we undertake fishing activities in these RFMOs, we should be given a longer period for providing subsidies,” the official said.

Countries such as Norway, China, Japan and the US undertake distant water fishing and provide huge subsidies to their fishing community.
 

During the previous ministerial conference in 2022, saw an agreement on curbing harmful fishing subsidies that is seen responsible for depletion of the world’s fish stocks. Countries. thereafter, had also agreed to continue negotiations on outstanding issues, including discussing subsidies that result in overfishing.
 

The official also said that the process is on to ratify the first part of the fisheries subsidies agreement, which was agreed upon in 2022 and acceptance by two-thirds of WTO members is needed to bring the agreement into effect. Till now, 55 countries have ratified the agreement. India has not yet ratified the pact.
 

India will press for the two-tier dispute resolution system at the WTO and will reiterate its stance for the restoration of an ‘automatic, binding, rule-based and independent’ dispute settlement body. “The two-tier system should not be compromised,” the official said. There are two main ways to settle a dispute once a complaint has been filed in the WTO. The first way is  that countries can find a mutually agreed solution, particularly during the phase of bilateral consultations.
 

The second way is through adjudication, which includes ruling by a panel and if not satisfied, challenging that ruling at the appellate body, which is the apex institution for adjudicating disputes. The US had blocked appointments of members in the appellate body, which stopped functioning four years ago.
 

The official also said that some developed countries want to alter the basic structure of WTO in the name of reforms.

The proposals

• Developing countries to be allowed to provide subsidies up to 200 nautical miles for poor fishermen
• India will also press for a two-tier dispute resolution system
• Discussion comes as WTO aims to curb subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing