September 20, 2010
Oceana Hosts WTO Forum on Fishing Subsidies
BY: Emily Fisher
On Friday Oceana hosted a panel discussion at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum in Geneva. The session focused on global fisheries depletion and how the WTO can contribute to solving global environmental challenges.
During the session, moderated by former U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Peter Allgeier, leading international fisheries scientists Dr. Rainer Froese and Dr. Anthony Charles discussed the implications of global environmental issues on the multilateral trading system and the role and responsibility of the WTO to help stop overfishing.
Many governments continue to give their fishing fleets large subsidies that allow them to fish longer, harder and farther away than would be otherwise possible. Fisheries subsidies total an estimated $20 billion annually, which is equivalent to approximately 25 percent of the value of the world fish catch.
Oceana’s campaign continues to work to establish the international recognition and political commitment needed to produce new trade rules from the World Trade Organization that effectively control fisheries subsidies.