About WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies 

• Genesis: Adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022.
  • The Agreement entered into force in September 2025 after acceptance by two-thirds of WTO Members.
• It is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
•  Subsidies Prohibited: Subsidies contributing to 

• Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, 
• Overfished stocks (unless the support is designed to rebuild the stock to biologically sustainable levels),
• Fishing-related activities in the unregulated high seas (outside the jurisdiction of a coastal member or relevant management organization).
• Exception: Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside the scope of this Agreement.
• Flexibilities and Transparency:
  • Special and Differential Treatment: Developing and least-developed country (LDC) members benefit from a two-year "peace clause," exempting them from dispute settlement for subsidies related to IUU fishing and overfished stocks in their own EEZs. 
  • WTO Fish Fund: A voluntary funding mechanism supports developing and LDC members in aligning their legal frameworks with the agreement.