Negotiation and Prospects of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies from the Perspective of Sustainable Development
Fisheries subsidies are an important tool for countries to support fisheries development,while the resulting problem of overfishing has become a pressing concern.On June 17,2022,the Agreement on Fish-eries Subsidies was adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization(WTO),marking a significant achievement in the international fisheries subsidies negotiations over the past 20 years.As the first WTO multilateral agreement aimed at achieving environmental sustainability goals,the Agree-ment on Fisheries Subsidies promotes the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems and biodiversity by reducing harmful fisheries subsidies.Looking ahead,this Agreement provides a template for global discussions on trade and environmental issues.While pushing for the eventual implementation of this Agreement,WTO members will continue negotiations on pending issues.For China,the implementation of this Agreement offers opportunities more than challenges,aiding the country in achie-ving high-quality sustainable development in fisheries,actively participating in global fisheries governance,and engaging in the discussions on the WTO trade and environmental issues.China should actively fulfill its commitments under this Agreement and constructively participate in the negotiation of pending issues,put-ting forward proposals that align with its core interests.
WTOfisheries subsidiessustainable developmenttrade and environmental issuesWorld Trade Organization