On May 22, 2024, Qatar formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This move was acknowledged by Director-General Okonjo-Iweala, who stated, “I am delighted that Qatar has formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. By taking this step, Qatar has shown its support for sustainable fisheries and combatting illegal fishing in the Gulf region. Qatar also has affirmed the WTO's vital role in delivering global public goods — in this case contributing to marine sustainability by curbing subsidies to harmful fishing practices. The swift entry into force of the Agreement would bolster both the health of our oceans and the livelihoods of the millions of people who depend on them. I hope the remaining WTO members will follow suit quickly for the benefit of our people and our oceans.”
Ambassador Al-Muftah added, “The depositing today of our instrument of acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is a symbol of Qatar’s steadfast engagement towards regulated fishing, the protection of the maritime ecosystem, and environmental sustainability. We hope that this step forward in our collective efforts to protect the planet and the environment for us and next generations will ignite a succession of similar endeavours aimed at consolidating our multilateral objective.”
With Qatar's acceptance, 76 WTO members have now formally agreed to the terms. Of these, three are from the Middle East. For the Agreement to come into effect, an additional 34 formal acceptances are required. The Agreement will enter into force upon acceptance by two-thirds of WTO membership.
Adopted by consensus at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva from June 12-17, 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies establishes new binding multilateral rules aimed at curbing harmful subsidies contributing to fish stock depletion globally. It also addresses needs specific to developing and least-developed countries by establishing a fund for technical assistance and capacity building.
Key provisions include prohibiting support for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; banning support for fishing overfished stocks; and ending subsidies for fishing in unregulated high seas areas. Additionally, members agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues with an aim to adopt further provisions enhancing these disciplines.
The full text of the Agreement can be accessed here. The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here. Information for members on how to accept the Protocol of Amendment is available here.