The Interpreter this week released a new commentary arguing that the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies marks a historic breakthrough for marine environmental protection and multilateral cooperation, offering significant benefits to Pacific Island nations dependent on tuna fisheries.
The commentary states that the entire agreement risks collapse if India, Indonesia, and the United States obstruct the second phase of negotiations, and Australia, New Zealand, and unratified Pacific WTO members must urgently mobilise diplomatic support to secure a Fish 2 outcome by 2029.
The Interpreter stated:
Despite these advances, the future of the agreement depends entirely on negotiations over Fish 2, which has broader aims to address subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing. The FSA includes a sunset clause, meaning if WTO members fail to conclude Fish 2 negotiations by 15 September 2029, the entire agreement could terminate.
Read the full commentary: The WTO fish deal was an environmental first – but three countries could unravel it