Promoting sustainable fishing: from the perspective of Fisheries Funding Mechanism under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: With widespread depletion of the world’s marine resources, the sustainable fishing has risen more and more concern on a global scale. After rounds of hard negotiations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) on June 17, 2022. This agreement came into force on September 15, 2025. It aims to promote ocean sustainability by prohibiting harmful fisheries subsidies. Recognizing the factual constraints and development needs of some developing country Members, the AFS provides Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) for them. According to Article 7 of the AFS, the WTO established a Fisheries Funding Mechanism to provide developing and least developed country (LDC) Members with targeted technical assistance and capacity building for the purpose of implementing the disciplines under the Agreement. By normative analysis and interdisciplinary approach, this study reviews this Funding Mechanism and determines potential operational challenges, including unpredictable financing, administrative and technical access barriers, vague prioritization and allocation procedures, monitoring, evaluation and learning gaps, and coordination risks. It further proposes certain refinements to enhance transparency, access, and long-term effectiveness. These include clearer prioritization criteria, simplified application procedures, more reliable funding sources, and stronger monitoring and coordination frameworks. A well-functioning assistance system will offer technical and financial aid to support countries in need, enable them to build their national capacity, therefore better complying with the fisheries subsidy disciplines while ensuring their sufficient development space, ultimately helping to achieve the goal of marine sustainable development.
Source: Frontiers in Marine Science
Authors: Jiayu Bai, Muyun Guo, Min Zhao
Institutions: Nankai University, Renmin University of China, University of Macau
Language: English
Topic: World Trade Organization Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223337470