The World Trade Organization (WTO) has declared that Cabo Verde has officially accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by depositing its instrument of acceptance. This act by Cabo Verde brings the total number of WTO members who have ratified the Agreement to 56.
The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which was adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference on June 17, 2022, bans harmful fisheries subsidies, addressing a significant cause of global fish stock depletion. According to the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies webpage provided by WTO, it is the first achievement of a sustainable development goal target through a multilateral agreement and marks the first WTO agreement with a focus on environmental issues.
In a press release issued by WTO, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated, "I am delighted that Cabo Verde has formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The significance of coastal fisheries to Cabo Verde cannot be overstated: 80 per cent of its people reside along the coast, and these waters sustain food security and livelihoods as well as the wider national economy. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact of the Agreement on the well-being of Cabo Verde's coastal communities, and hope more WTO members will follow suit so that this important agreement enters into force soon."
According to another press release from WTO, Ambassador Clara Manuela da Luz Delgado Jesus remarked, "My country, the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an ocean state endowed with a substantial maritime area. It therefore has a vested interest in a healthy and effective management of the ocean's fisheries resources. I am glad to note that the WTO Protocol on Fisheries Subsidies goes in this direction. Cabo Verde has, therefore, taken the decision to formally accept this Protocol. I am sure that this Protocol will greatly contribute to the reinforcement of measures to protect and preserve fisheries."