WTO Fisheries Subsidies Committee Reviews 34 Notifications; Fish Fund Approves USD 5.1 Million in Grants

At a meeting of the Committee on Fisheries Subsidies on 29 October, WTO members conducted the first review of notifications under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and shared experiences on how they are implementing the Agreement since it entered into force just over a year ago.

· First notification review: The WTO Committee on Fisheries Subsidies held its meeting on 29 October 2026, conducting its first review of notifications submitted under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which entered into force on 15 September 2025.

· Notifications received: A total of 78 notifications from 28 WTO members have been submitted since the Agreement came into force. The Committee Chair, Ana Lizano of Costa Rica, urged remaining members to submit their notifications promptly.

· Review of notifications: The Committee reviewed 34 notifications submitted by 20 members, covering national fisheries regimes and measures adopted to implement and administer the Agreement.

· Illegal fishing monitoring: Members reviewed annual notifications identifying vessels and operators found to have engaged in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

· Regional fisheries organisations: Notifications concerning members' participation in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and Arrangements were also examined, covering submissions from 17 members.

· Implementation experiences: WTO members exchanged experiences and challenges relating to implementation of the Agreement, including preparation and submission of notifications, and called for continued information-sharing.

· Financial assistance – Fish Fund: The Fisheries Funding Mechanism, known as the Fish Fund, has approved 43 grants worth approximately USD 5.1 million since the Agreement entered into force. A total of 41 developing and least-developed country members have benefited from the support.

· Future funding: The next call for proposals under the Fish Fund is expected in 2027.

· FAO participation: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported for the first time on its work relevant to the Agreement, strengthening cooperation between the WTO and international fisheries organisations.

· Other developments: The Committee considered draft notification templates, procedures for reviewing notifications and requests for observer status by international intergovernmental organisations. It also adopted its first annual report for submission to the WTO Council for Trade in Goods.

· Next meetings: The Committee's next regular meetings are scheduled for the weeks of 26 April and 25 October 2027.

[ABS News Service/04.11.2026]

The Committee chair, Ms Ana Lizano (Costa Rica), welcomed the submission of 78 notifications by 28 members since the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force on 15 September 2025. She encouraged members that have not yet submitted their notifications to do so as soon as possible.

During the meeting, the Committee reviewed 34 notifications submitted by 20 members under various provisions of the Agreement. These included notifications from Albania, Costa Rica and Switzerland covering their fisheries regimes as well as measures in existence or taken by them to implement and administer the Agreement.

Members also reviewed annual notifications of lists of vessels and operators affirmatively determined to have engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These were submitted by Albania; Canada; Chile; China; Costa Rica; Hong Kong, China; Macao, China; New Zealand; Switzerland; Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

On notifications concerning Regional Fisheries Management Organizations/Arrangements to which members are parties, the Committee examined submissions from Australia; Canada; Chile; China; Costa Rica; the European Union; Hong Kong, China; Israel; Japan; Korea, the Republic of; New Zealand; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; Tonga; Türkiye; Ukraine and the United States.

Members also shared national experiences in implementing the Agreement, including in preparing and submitting notifications, and encouraged the Committee to continue exchanging experiences at future meetings. This agenda item was requested by the United Kingdom.

The Committee received an update on the work of the Fisheries Funding Mechanism known as the "Fish Fund", which has approved 43 grants since the Agreement's entry into force, totalling approximately USD 5.1 million. The total of developing and least-developed country members benefitting from this support to implement the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies now amounts to 41. The next call for proposals is expected in 2027.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported to the Committee for the first time on work it has undertaken that is relevant to the Agreement. In accordance with Article 9.5 of the Agreement, the Committee maintains close contact with the FAO and other relevant international organizations on work related to fisheries management.

The Committee also considered draft notification templates and procedures to review notifications as well as requests for observer status by international intergovernmental organizations.

The Committee also adopted its first annual report summarizing its activities for circulation to the WTO Council for Trade in Goods.

The next regular meetings of the Committee will be held in the weeks of 26 April and 25 October 2027.