Fiji has joined a major global milestone in marine conservation and trade reform, as the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies officially entered into force on 15 September 2025.
At a special General Council meeting in Geneva, World Trade Organization (WTO) members marked the activation of the landmark agreement, which aims to curb billions of dollars in harmful fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing and the depletion of global marine stocks.
The WTO’s Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, described the agreement as a “landmark for global trade governance,” highlighting its dual focus on sustainability and livelihoods.
“This Agreement demonstrates how you can put trade in the service of both people and planet,” she said.
Fiji formally deposited its instrument of acceptance on 24 October 2023, joining other WTO members in committing to the new legally binding rules.
Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ambassador Luke Daunivalu, presented the country’s acceptance document to Dr Okonjo-Iweala.
The Agreement, adopted by consensus during the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022, introduces historic multilateral rules designed to prohibit subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, ban subsidies for fishing overfished stocks and end subsidies for fishing in unregulated high seas.
The Agreement also acknowledges the unique challenges faced by developing and least-developed countries, establishing a special fund for technical assistance and capacity building to support their implementation of the new rules.
With the Agreement now in force, WTO members, including Fiji, are expected to begin aligning their national policies with the treaty’s obligations, reinforcing global efforts to protect marine ecosystems while supporting the resilience of small-scale fishers and coastal communities.
The WTO is continuing negotiations on a second wave of reforms, focused on additional disciplines for overcapacity and overfishing—critical next steps in global fisheries management.
