Foreign Trade

Op-Ed: Three Countries Could Scuttle WTO's Fishing-Subsidy Limit Agreement

The WTO's Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (FSA), which came into force on September 15, 2025, faces critical jeopardy if India, Indonesia, and the United States stall Fish 2 negotiations by the September 15, 2029 deadline. Global fisheries subsidies total around US$35 billion annually, with approximately US$22 billion considered harmful. Pacific Island exporters, accounting for over half the world's tuna catch, stand to lose significant protections if the agreement's second phase fails to materialize.