Reiterated its long-held position at the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiation session on Fisheries at the ongoing Abu Dhabi Ministerial Conference-13, India has said that the sovereign rights of WTO members for sustainable management of fisheries within their EEZs (Exclusive Economic Zones) as provided under the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) should be duly recognised and protected.
Describing sustainable fisheries as a practice ingrained in the ethos and practices of India's large and varied fishing community, India submitted that any comprehensive agreement on Fisheries subsidies should keep in mind the interests and welfare of the fishing community that depends on the marine resources for their livelihood and sustenance.
While pointing out that subsidies for the fisheries sector have led to over-exploitation in the past, India termed such subsidies as vital for developing countries and small economies to develop and diversify their fisheries sector as well as to ensure the security of food and livelihood for their citizens. Linking the negotiations on Fisheries to the concept of sustainability, India made it clear that any comprehensive agreement on fisheries subsidies should be built on the principles of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
Terming the current approaches for addressing Over Capacity and Over Fishing (OCOF) as deeply flawed, India called for the incorporation of provisions of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) appropriately, as is the case for all WTO agreements. While WTO member nations have already agreed to use the affirmative determination approach for negotiating disciplines on the Overfished Pillar, India asked why the same approach should not used concerning the OCOF Pillar.
India's argument stressed on the need for an effective and forceful agreement in Fisheries to advance objectives of sustainability as well as discipline subsidies given by the Distant Water Fishing Nations, as proposed by India in document RD/TN/RL/175.
Punching holes in the current approach of considering the annual aggregate value of subsidies for Fisheries, India pointed out that the method grossly overlooked the intensity of subsidies and other factors like the size of the EEZ, coastline, population of small fishermen and per capita subsidies.
Stating that there's an urgent need to cover non-specific fuel subsidies and transfer of fishing rights to corporate fishing under Government to Government (G2G) payments within the ambit of the agreement, India urged WTO member nations to introduce a moratorium on subsidies by Distant Water Fishing Nations for fishing or fishing related activities beyond their EEZs for at least 25 years.
India added that the multilateral trade body should not lose sight of the harmful effects of subsidies for large-scale fishing on sustainable fishing and management of marine resources.
Also Read: India to reiterate support for fishing interests of less-developed countries at WTO in Feb 2024
(Edited by : Pihu Yadav)
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