Fishing beyond 200 nautical miles off the coast of a country is called fishing in distant waters.
The issue is part of a proposed agreement by WTO members to curb subsidies harmful to fisheries.
He said countries that have developed industrial fishing should take on more obligations based on the CBR (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities) concept and should ban harmful subsidies, the source said.
These issues were raised by India at last week’s meeting in Geneva.
The President of the negotiations, Ambassador Santiago Wills of Colombia, had convened the ‘Fish Week’ to resolve controversial issues related to the proposed global agreement to curb harmful subsidies to fishing, before the 12th Ministerial Conference ( MC12) next month.
At the meeting, India also demanded that fuel subsidies provided horizontally be covered within the scope of this agreement, as the purpose of this agreement is based on an objective. sustainable development (SDG 14.6) and not in the principle of trade distortion enshrined in the agreement. the current Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.
In addition, India wants a complete exemption from subsidy cuts for artisanal and low-income fishermen of at least up to 200 nautical miles (NM) and not up to 12 NM, as mentioned in the text of the current chair.
Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are negotiating a proposed fisheries subsidy agreement.
The aim is to regulate subsidies for sustainable fishing and eliminate subsidies for IUU fishing (illegal, unreported and unregulated) and to ban them from contributing to overcapacity and overfishing.
The 12th Ministerial Conference, the highest decision-making body of the WTO, will meet from 12 to 15 June in Geneva.
India has repeatedly stressed its readiness to finalize a WTO fisheries subsidy agreement, as the irrational benefits and overfishing of many countries are harming domestic fishermen and their livelihoods.
The country wants a fair and balanced outcome, as it supports its small and marginal fishermen who depend on the sector for sustenance.
In the WTO, member countries negotiate through a text to finalize an agreement.
WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies began in 2001 in Doha, with the mandate to clarify and improve existing WTO disciplines on fisheries subsidies.
Unlike rich nations that offer billions of dollars in subsidies to their fishermen, India’s subsidy only amounts to about 1 billion rupees. China, the EU, the US, Korea and Japan contribute $ 7.2 billion a year; Annual grants of $ 3.8 billion, $ 3.4 billion, $ 3.1 billion and $ 2.8 billion respectively.
India mainly offers subsidies for fuel and ships and others.
The chairman has reconvened a meeting (fish decision week) from May 30 on the proposed agreement.
