Citing environmentally harmful fishing practices, Brazil calls for WTO to curb subsidies

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture issued a joint note about the participation of Brazil in the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that ended, once again, without an agreement to reduce fishing subsidies. According to the text, the country defended urgency in the restriction of subsidies.

The Brazilian government explains that it “reaffirmed its commitment to the conclusion of the agreement and reiterated its proposal to effectively reduce the global amount of subsidies and eliminate the most environmentally harmful subsidies.”

The note says that subsidies are primarily responsible for the deterioration of fish stocks “by stimulating catches at a pace and capacity far beyond what would be sustainable.” According to FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, access fishing already affected 34 percent of fish stocks in 2017.

“Huge global fisheries subsidies impose risks to the sustainability and biodiversity of the oceans, to fishing economic activity, and the food security of populations. They also cause an imbalance in the international fishing trade,” the ministries said in the statement.

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