WTO Holds First Knowledge Building Workshop to Prep for Next Fisheries Subsidies Talks
World Trade Organization members held the first of two knowledge building workshops as part of its preparations for the second wave of fisheries subsidies negotiations, the WTO said. The program included presentations from domestic authorities charged with implementing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and experts from various international organizations. Presenters gave an overview of the key parts of the agreement and "best practices for and challenges in implementing the Agreement." Other agreements discussed curbing subsidies that lead to overcapacity and overfishing, including the issue of special and differential treatment, the WTO said.
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Certain member countries also took the opportunity to present views on how they view implementation of the agreement at the domestic level. "Despite the challenges they face, I heard members this morning say that they see implementation of the Agreement as an important and valuable step to discipline harmful fisheries subsidies," Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said. "Also, we heard a lot about good implementation practices that have been udnertaken, both from members and from internatioanl organization partners." The next workshop will be held in early 2023 and "will focus on data relating to subsidies and to fisheries, as members requested at the October retreat," from which the recommendation for these workshops emerged, the WTO said.