Tonga Submits First WTO Fisheries Subsidy Notification with Support from WTO Fish Fund

Key Points

1.    Tonga submitted its first-ever notification under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 3 June 2026, marking a major milestone in implementing the Agreement.

2.    The notification is the first submission made possible through assistance from the WTO Fish Fund, highlighting the Fund's role in strengthening implementation capacity among developing countries.

3.    The achievement is particularly significant for the Pacific region, which is highly vulnerable to the impacts of harmful fisheries subsidies and overfishing.

Workshop and Capacity Building

4.    The notification was prepared during a WTO Fish Fund-supported workshop held in Nuku'alofa from 20–22 May 2026.

5.    The workshop brought together key government officials and helped establish mechanisms for inter-agency coordination on fisheries subsidy notifications.

6.    It also supported the development of Tonga’s first fisheries subsidy inventory, strengthening its ability to meet WTO obligations.

Notification Requirements under the Agreement

7.    Under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, member parties must notify information including:

o    Membership in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations or Arrangements (RFMO/As).

o    Geographic areas and fish species under RFMO/A jurisdiction.

o    Status of managed fish stocks.

o    Conservation and management measures adopted.

o    Lists of vessels or operators involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

8.    These transparency requirements help improve monitoring and enforcement of sustainable fisheries practices.

Statements from WTO and Tonga

9.    WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that transparency is essential for translating the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement into tangible benefits for oceans and coastal communities.

10.  She highlighted Tonga’s notification as an example of how the Fish Fund helps developing and least-developed countries build implementation capacity.

11.  Sione Vailala Matoto described the notification as an important milestone in Tonga’s implementation efforts and acknowledged the Fish Fund’s contribution to capacity building.

Tonga’s Participation in the Agreement

12.  Tonga formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 15 September 2025.

13.  The country is currently benefiting from a Fish Fund project preparation grant aimed at supporting implementation.

14.  The grant will conclude in September 2026 with:

·         A needs assessment.

·         Recommendations for further targeted assistance.

About the WTO Fish Fund

15.  The Fish Fund was established under Article 7 of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

16.  Its objective is to provide:

·         Technical assistance.

·         Capacity-building support.

·         Implementation assistance for developing and least-developed country members.

17.  The Fund is administered by the WTO in cooperation with:

·         Food and Agriculture Organization

·         International Fund for Agricultural Development

·         World Bank Group

Funding Status

18.  The second call for Fish Fund proposals closed on 8 May 2026.

19.  Newly approved grants are expected to be announced in July 2026.

20.  Total contributions and commitments to the Fund have reached CHF 15.7 million (over USD 20 million).

21.  Eighteen contributors have supported the Fund:

·         Australia

·         Canada

·         European Union

·         Finland

·         France

·         Germany

·         Iceland

·         Japan

·         Republic of Korea

·         Liechtenstein

·         Netherlands

·         New Zealand

·         Norway

·         Portugal

·         Spain

·         Sweden

·         United Arab Emirates

·         United Kingdom

Significance

·         Demonstrates practical implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the WTO’s first agreement focused on environmental sustainability.

·         Enhances transparency regarding fisheries subsidies and efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

·         Highlights the importance of targeted technical assistance for developing countries in fulfilling WTO commitments and promoting sustainable fisheries management.

·         Strengthens global efforts toward achieving sustainable ocean governance and marine resource conservation.

 

[ABS News Service/11.06.2026]

The WTO Fish Fund has marked an important milestone with the submission to the WTO of the first-ever fisheries subsidy notification made possible through support from the Fund. The submission on 3 June by Tonga under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies has additional significance given the developing Pacific region's exposure to the effects of harmful fisheries subsidies. The notification was prepared during a workshop held from 20 to 22 May in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, as part of a project funded by the Fish Fund, and contributes to Tonga's implementation of the Agreement.

Under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, a WTO member party to the Agreement is required to notify, among others, its membership of any Regional Fisheries Management Organization or Arrangement (RFMO/A), including information about the areas and species under the competence of the RFMO/A, the status of managed fish stocks, the conservation and management measures under the RFMO/A, and any lists of vessels and/or operators the RFMO/A has determined have engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The workshop in Nuku'alofa brought together key government officials and laid the foundation for inter-governmental coordination on notifications.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: "Transparency is at the heart of turning the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into tangible benefits for the world's oceans and the people who depend on them. Tonga's notification is an encouraging example of how the WTO Fish Fund is helping developing and least-developed members build the capacity needed to implement the Agreement and contribute to more sustainable fisheries."

Tonga deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 15 September 2025 and is currently benefitting from a Fish Fund project preparation grant to support implementation. The grant will conclude in September 2026 with the delivery of a needs assessment and a proposal for further targeted support.

The CEO for the Ministry of Fisheries from the government of Tonga, Sione Vailala Matoto, said:  "The submission of Tonga's first notification under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies marks an important milestone in our implementation efforts. We are grateful for the support of the WTO Funding Mechanism, the "Fish Fund", which enabled Tonga to conduct a national workshop and develop Tonga's first fisheries subsidy inventory, strengthening our capacity to meet our WTO obligations and promote sustainable fisheries management."

The Fish Fund was established under Article 7 of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to provide targeted technical assistance and capacity-building to help developing and LDC members implement the Agreement. Housed at the WTO, the Fund operates in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank Group.

The Fund's second call for proposals closed on 8 May and newly approved grants are expected to be announced in July 2026. To date, total contributions and commitments to the WTO Fish Fund from 18 members have reached CHF 15.7 million, equivalent to more than USD 20 million. The contributing members are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.