New Zealand has led an international call for action to eliminate harmful fishing subsidies.
Trade Minister Todd McClay, and a number of his colleagues from around the world, released a statement at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi.
Fisheries subsidies are a serious issue. They impact negatively on trade, the environment and development, says Mr McClay.
Fish products are one of the world’s most highly traded commodities, and subsidies distort this trade. Fishing industries from many of the world’s smaller states cannot afford to compete with large heavily subsidised fleets.
It is also a serious environmental issue. Fish stocks around the world are overfished. Subsidies are one of the most significant contributors to overfishing.
And it is also a development issue, particularly in the Pacific. Subsidies contribute to there being too many vessels, and this impacts on the health of fish stocks which are one of the most significant resources available to many Pacific Islands, says Mr McClay.
New Zealand has a long history of working with other countries to address fisheries subsidies, in the WTO and elsewhere.
Unfortunately, fish stocks continue to decline while fisheries subsidies continue to increase.
The statement sets out participants’ intention to reinvigorate work in the WTO on ambitious and effective disciplines on fisheries subsidies. This should include prohibitions on subsidies to fishing that is on overfished fish stocks or that is illegal, unreported and unregulated.
A number of countries have joined in the statement, including Australia, Argentina, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Solomon Islands, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
These supporting countries recognise that action at the national level should not be delayed however, and commit not to provide such subsidies.
We are inviting other WTO Members to join us in these efforts, says Mr McClay.
This is an issue that requires urgent action.
Scoop Media