New Delhi: Experts in international trade law, fisheries and policy discussed the implementation challenges surrounding the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) at a webinar organised by the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
The webinar, held on September 21, came shortly after India ratified the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on July 20, 2026, and coincided with the commencement of WTO Fish Week.
The discussion focused on the legal and policy implications of the agreement, domestic preparedness and ongoing WTO negotiations on additional disciplines relating to overcapacity and overfishing.
The experts highlighted the need for reliable fisheries data, stronger monitoring and reporting systems, better coordination among government agencies and adequate technical capacity to implement the agreement effectively.
The need for continued capacity building and technical assistance for developing and least-developed WTO members was also emphasised.
Adopted at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022, the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement establishes disciplines on certain harmful subsidies, including those linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing of overfished stocks subject to specified rebuilding conditions, and fishing on the unregulated high seas.
The agreement also contains notification and transparency requirements and calls on members that have accepted it to establish measures for its implementation and administration.
The webinar examined issues including special and differential treatment (S&DT), domestic institutional preparedness, notification requirements, small-scale and artisanal fisheries, vessel registration and monitoring mechanisms.
Experts also discussed the ongoing negotiations on additional rules concerning overcapacity and overfishing, including their potential implications for developing countries and fishing-dependent communities.
The panel comprised Alice Tipping, Director, Trade and Sustainable Development, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Geneva; Tristan Irschlinger, Senior Policy Advisor, IISD; Prof Mukesh Bhatnagar, former professor at the Centre for WTO Studies; and Sebastian Mathew, Small-scale Fisheries Advisor.
The session was moderated by Prof James J. Nedumpara, Professor and Head, CTIL, and Head-in-Charge, Centre for WTO Studies. CTIL Consultant (Legal) Priyansha Hajela delivered the opening remarks.
The panellists also examined India’s existing legal and policy framework, domestic data systems, inter-agency coordination and the role of self-assessment tools in identifying implementation and capacity-building requirements.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion on IUU fishing, rebuilding of overfished stocks, transparency and notification obligations, S&DT and the concerns of small-scale fisheries.
The webinar underlined the importance of continued coordination among governments, international organisations and fisheries stakeholders to strengthen domestic preparedness and support effective implementation of the WTO fisheries subsidies agreement.
