Deal to curb billions in overfishing subsidies comes into force at WTO

15/9/2025 18:55

A landmark agreement to curb billions of dollars in subsidies contributing to overfishing came into force on Monday, the World Trade Organization said - a

move activists hailed as a step towards helping global fish stocks recover.



It was the first agreement to take effect at the WTO since 2017 after years of stalled debates and infighting on top of, more recently, a surge in U.S. tariffs that left some critics asking whether the Geneva-based body had a future.



The formal ratification by Brazil, Kenya, Tonga and Vietnam on Monday meant the deal, first agreed in 2022, now had the required support of two thirds of members, a WTO spokesperson said.



Governments are now prohibited from providing subsidies for overfished stocks and for fishing in international waters beyond their jurisdictions. Poorer states will be able to access a fund to help ease them into the deal.