Going Green

Saturday, December 1, 2007

WTO Fishing Subsidies

Fishing in many ways is a form of agriculture. In many countries it is a primary source of income to the poor. It is also an industry that in some areas is on the tipping point of disaster.

WTO proposal limits fisheries subsidies

GENEVA (Reuters) - New negotiating proposals at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday impose tough limits on subsidies on fisheries, a move that delighted environmentalists concerned about overfishing.

The proposals, from Uruguay's WTO ambassador Guillermo Valles Galmes, who is chairing WTO negotiations on "rules" -- dumping, subsidies and fisheries subsidies -- do not propose a blanket ban on all subsidies to fisheries.

But they list a large number of subsidies, including those for...(complete article here).

Subsidies to commercial fishing enterprises make sense in many cases. Just like in agriculture on the land, fishing can be crucial to national security because of its niche in the food supply and it can be a source of significant economic stimulus. Subsidies can be utilized to help regulate fishing as an industry. They should be tied closely to compliance with good resource management practices such as limited take and seasonal harvests.

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