Balancing the scales: India's push for equity in WTO fisheries subsidy rules

India has been advocating for stronger World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules to regulate subsidies for high seas fishing, emphasising the need to combat overfishing and protect marine biodiversity. As a major fishing nation, India has voiced concerns over the environmental impact of unchecked subsidies, which contribute to unsustainable fishing practices, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

India seeks stricter regulations on subsidies that promote overfishing, particularly where fish stocks are already under threat. It stresses the urgency of protecting marine ecosystems while advancing sustainable fishing practices to prevent the collapse of global fishery resources.

India has called for rules that balance marine resource conservation with the livelihoods of developing countries dependent on fishing. It advocates for flexibility in subsidy rules to avoid disproportionately impacting the fishing industries of poorer nations.

The WTO has been negotiating a comprehensive agreement on fisheries subsidies, with growing concerns about practices that lead to overfishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. India’s position is in line with the global efforts to eliminate harmful subsidies and foster international cooperation to address overfishing equitably. 

The issue of fisheries subsidies has been a key point of discussion in the WTO, as such subsidies often incentivise fleets to fish in unsustainable ways, contributing to the depletion of marine resources. In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to address this issue through multilateral frameworks like the WTO, which can help curb harmful subsidies and promote more sustainable fishing practices worldwide.

India’s position underscores its interest in both protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring that new rules do not unduly harm the livelihoods of small-scale and developing-country fisheries. This stance is consistent with its broader approach to global trade and environmental sustainability.

Highlighting the stark disparity, an Indian document submitted at the WTO has noted that it provides a modest $35 per fisher annually, compared to subsidies as high as $76,000 per fisher per year in some European countries. In WTO discussions, India proposed strict regulations for high seas fishing subsidies and suggested that historical subsidisers should seek approval from the Committee on Fisheries Subsidies before granting future subsidies.

India has made these remarks in the ongoing meetings of the Negotiating Group on Rules (Fisheries subsidies) in Geneva. It has pitched for strong disciplines for historical fisheries subsidisers who are engaged in distant water fishing and emphasised the need for a moratorium on subsidies at current levels for 25 years. These demands have found backing from countries like Indonesia and other developing countries.

The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-making body in Geneva, meeting regularly every two years to carry out the functions of the WTO. It has representatives (usually ambassadors or trade ministers) from all member countries and has the authority to act on behalf of the Ministerial Conference (MC). India has also called for adopting a ‘per capita distribution of subsidies’ criteria to address concerns over overfishing and capacity under the WTO framework in its document, Designing Disciplines For the Overcapacity and Overfishing Pillar – A Case for Intensity-based Subsidies Approach, which came up for discussion in the General Council meeting of the WTO at Geneva on December 16-17. The issue was discussed threadbare at the General Council, but agreement on disciplining subsidies that lead to overfishing and overcapacity could not be reached because of lack of consensus.

India also advocates for continued engagement with multilateral environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA), where more coordinated global action is necessary to protect marine resources.

India is keen on supporting capacity-building programmes that help developing nations implement better fisheries management systems, as well as foster the sharing of technologies and data that can enhance global fishing governance.

India’s stance reflects its complex balancing act between environmental sustainability, economic fairness, and the needs of developing nations. As negotiations continue, India is likely to remain a vocal advocate for stronger, more inclusive rules that support sustainable fisheries management while ensuring that developing countries have the tools to maintain their fishing industries fairly and equitably. India’s leadership in this area is crucial, as it will shape the direction of global fisheries policy for years
to come—not only for India and other developing nations but for the future of marine ecosystems worldwide. India’s advocacy at the WTO for stricter regulations on high seas fishing subsidies is a critical step in the effort to curb unsustainable fishing practices and protect marine biodiversity. By seeking a balance between environmental protection and economic fairness, India is playing a key role in shaping global fisheries management and ensuring that the high seas remain viable for future generations. The outcome of these discussions will have a significant impact on the future of global fishery management and the role of developing countries like India in shaping sustainable fishing practices.

(The writer is a senior professor of international trade at Icfai University and author of World Trade Organisation: Implications for Indian Economy)