Bakhyt Sultanov took part in the WTO negotiations on the issue of subsidies for fishing

Today, on July 15, 2021, an online meeting of the Committee on Trade Negotiations on Fishing Subsidies was held at the ministerial level of the WTO member countries. The issue of regulating subsidies for fishing is important from the point of view of preserving the environment and expanding aquaculture. During the meeting, the new consolidated text of the Agreement on the rules of subsidizing fisheries was discussed, as well as further steps towards reaching consensus before the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, during which the Republic of Kazakhstan will preside. It is expected that the new rules on subsidizing fishing will apply to fishing subsidies and fishing-related activities carried out at sea. Thus, subsidies for the development of aquaculture and fishing carried out in inland waters are excluded from the scope of the consolidated text. In accordance with the draft agreement, subsidies that contribute to overfishing and the creation of excess capacity are prohibited. However, the rules being developed allow maintaining support programs if the state applies measures for fisheries management that allow maintaining fish stocks at a biologically sustainable level. It also provides for the introduction of a ban on subsidizing vessels or operators engaged in illegal, unregistered and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing). The reduction of IUU fishing in the economic zone and the world ocean will contribute to increasing the sustainability of the state of fish stocks. In conclusion, the Minister expressed hope for the completion of negotiations on the Agreement before the 12th Ministerial Conference, which will be held in Geneva in December this year, and the achievement of tangible results for the global trading system, including the establishment of new rules for subsidizing fishing and the achievement of the internationally agreed UN Sustainable Development Goal to reduce harmful subsidies for fishing. All 164 WTO members are participating in the negotiations. The Republic of Kazakhstan became the 162nd full member of the WTO in 2015. WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies originate from the mandate of the Doha Round of 2001 and the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration of 2005. No significant progress has been made since then, but with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, negotiations on the issue of subsidizing fisheries were given a new impetus. In March 2021, the new Director General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, announced her intention to end the protracted negotiations on banning excessive subsidies for fishing this year.