India Joins the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement as the 123rd Member
India has formally become a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies after depositing its Instrument of Acceptance with the global trade body, making it the 123rd WTO member to join. The Commerce Secretary handed over the instrument to the WTO Director-General on Monday. Adopted by consensus at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022, the agreement is the first multilateral WTO pact with an environmental-sustainability objective and entered into force on September 15, 2025. It targets subsidies that fuel illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the fishing of overexploited stocks, while explicitly excluding aquaculture and inland fisheries — so India's shrimp exports remain unaffected.
Key Facts & Details
8 points- 1India became the 123rd WTO member to accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
- 2The Instrument of Acceptance was handed to the WTO Director-General on Monday.
- 3It is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental-sustainability objective.
- 4It targets subsidies enabling IUU fishing and overfishing of depleted stocks.
- 5Aquaculture and inland fisheries are excluded, leaving India's shrimp exports unaffected.
Deep Dive
- +The agreement was adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022.
- +It entered into force on September 15, 2025, after two-thirds of members accepted it.
- +India stressed safeguarding traditional and small-scale fishing communities.
Exam Focus
India recently became a party to which WTO agreement, the first with an environmental-sustainability objective?
Exam Relevance & Angle
WTO agreements, their adoption venues and India's stances are high-yield trade-diplomacy and environment general awareness, and this is the first WTO pact centred on sustainability.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The World Trade Organization sets and enforces the rules of global trade. Harmful fisheries subsidies — cheap fuel and support that let fleets fish far and long — have driven many ocean fish stocks toward collapse, which is why members negotiated a dedicated agreement to curb them. By carving out aquaculture (fish farming) and inland fisheries, the pact focuses on marine wild-capture fishing at sea while leaving room for developing countries to protect small fishers.
Test Yourself
1 / 2The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which India recently accepted, was adopted at which Ministerial Conference?
Source
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