Key trade officials marked the occasion of the first World Oceans day by calling for reform of global fisheries subsidies. Pascal Lamy, director-general of the WTO, and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk released separate statements recognising both the threat of overfishing and the role that subsidies play in contributing to the problem.
Lamy stressed that the US$16 billion in worldwide fisheries subsides are having a harmful effect on the world’s oceans. But he insisted that sustainability can be achieved through negotiations at the WTO.
”WTO members are now negotiating to reform these subsidies programmes so that the fishing becomes a sustainable industry and so that we can fully appreciate our oceans’ bounty for generations to come,” the director-general said. “A deal in the WTO now, would mean richer oceans for the future generations.”