India to push for relief for poor fishermen at WTO meeting

India will oppose any move to scrap subsidies for poor fishermen at the World Trade Organization ministerial conference next month, a government official said, as it seeks to protect the livelihoods of 9 million families that depend on fishing.

The Geneva-based trade body will take up the issue of curbing subsidies that contribute to overfishing in order to preserve falling global fish stocks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will ask for continuation of such subsidies for fishing in exclusive economic zones, especially for poor fishermen, the official told reporters in New Delhi on the condition of anonymity as the matter isn’t public. While India has 25% of the world’s fishermen, it contributes just 4% to global marine exports. 

Earlier in 2022, WTO members had agreed to curb harmful subsidies to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to ensure sustainability of the world’s fish stocks. Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization shows fish stocks are at risk of collapsing due to overexploitation. This threatens worsening poverty, while impacting livelihood and food security. 

New Delhi had earlier argued that subsidies given by the South Asian nation were minuscule compared to developed countries.