By RISE UP members
World Trade Organization (WTO) members convened from 26 to 30 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for their 14th Ministerial Conference. This is the decision-making body that meets every two years to shape how the institution can address challenges facing the international trading system. This year, members discussed critical issues such as harmful subsidies: $22 billion that governments pay to fishing operators to keep them profitable and one of the key drivers of overfishing. The 2022 WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement is legally binding and entered into force on 15 September 2025. Its objective is to help end a subset of many of these harmful subsidies.
This multilateral agreement is the culmination of more than 20 years of negotiations, as it required all 164 WTO members to agree to the text by consensus. An additional 3 governments submitted their ratification instrument at MC14, bringing the total to 119 states that will be on the hook for transparency and the elimination of these harmful subsidies: illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; overfished stocks; and the unmanaged high seas.
Many members have further advocated for the adoption of additional rules that would discipline a wider range of subsidies related to overfishing and overcapacity. While states have heretofore been unable to reach consensus, Ministers in Yaoundé issued a declaration to continue these negotiations, recommending that they be finalized at the WTO’s 15th Ministerial Conference in two years. This affirmation is an encouraging sign that all WTO members continue to take the issue seriously and aim to make a positive impact through resolving this issue.
This is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate collective action toward tackling the global overfishing crisis. Harmful subsidies are pushing fish populations and the communities that depend on them closer to collapse. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that nearly 38% of global stocks were exploited beyond sustainable levels in 2021. Further, an estimated 80% of fisheries subsidies worldwide are granted to large-scale fleets while only 19% are given to small-scale operations. Small-scale and artisanal fishers account for nearly half the global catch and support the livelihoods of 500 million people. Sustainable fisheries management, which includes curbing overfishing and overcapacity, can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create resilience within coastal communities.
There is significant work remaining at the WTO, but the Director-General Okonjo-Iweala has had a positive outlook on Ministers’ ability to preserve the work achieved in Yaoundé and continue it upon return to Geneva. The newly established WTO Committee on Fisheries Subsidies, established to oversee the implementation of the agreement, will convene for its first formal meeting May 1. The newly elected chair of the ongoing overfishing and overcapacity negotiations has also signaled a return to these discussions in the coming months.
If you would like to continue following the WTO agreement implementation, you can subscribe to the RISE UP Navigator newsletter or visit stopfundingoverfishing.com for updates.