Saving the world’s marine resources

When the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on fisheries subsidies were launched in 2001 at the Doha Ministerial Conference, agriculture accounted for nearly 20 percent of Philippine gross domestic product, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Of the country’s population of 76.5 million at that time, about 40 percent depended on agriculture for their livelihood. The country augmented its food supply by importing staple food items including rice, pork and chicken.

Two decades after the launch of the talks, the Philippines continues to rely on imports to plug the gap in the production of staple food items. Drought, La Niña and stronger typhoons are making it more difficult for producers to increase food output and feed a growing population. Further exacerbating the country’s food supply woes caused by climate change is illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which has been tagged as one of the major factors behind the depletion of the country’s fish stocks.

According to an article published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), subsidies given to the global fishing industry enable commercial fishers to expand their capacities and significantly increase their catch. Maria Damanaki, a member of Friends of Ocean Action, noted that subsidies paid to the global fishing industry amount to $35 billion per year, of which more than 60 percent meets the WTO definition of harmful subsidies. Citing the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, Damanaki said $20 billion is given in forms that enhance the capacity of large fishing fleets, such as fuel subsidies and tax exemption programs.

The provision of these subsidies has allowed large industrial fleets to venture into other parts of the world and threaten the livelihood of small-scale artisanal fishers (See, “Illegally caught fish estimated to be worth $1.3 billion,” in the Businessmirror, March 11, 2021).

Illegal fishing in the Philippines accounted for 27 percent to 40 percent of fish caught in 2019, which translates to approximately P62 billion or $1.3 billion annually, according to a study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The study showed that at least 30,000 or 30 percent of municipal vessels remain unregistered, and commercial fishers do not report up to 422,000 metric tons of fish each year. The statistics show the vast impact of IUU fishing on the country’s marine ecosystem.

The elimination of these subsidies that encourage IUU is one of the primary concerns of the Philippines in the crafting of new WTO rules on fisheries (See, “PHL wants to hasten WTO talks on fishing rules,” in the Businessmirror, July 19, 2021). Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 14.6 call for the prohibition of certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing; the elimination of subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing; and call on parties to refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiation.

WTO members, particularly those that adopted the SDGS of the United Nations, should keep this in mind as they hammer out a new agreement that will prevent the depletion of the world’s marine resources, which could threaten the food security of many countries, including rich nations.