The government of Australia has pledged an additional AUD 2 million (around CHF 1.2 million) to the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism, known as the Fish Fund, to support developing and least-developed members in implementing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This new contribution adds to Australia’s earlier AUD 2 million commitment in May 2023.
The Fish Fund is fully operational and provides grants for technical assistance and capacity-building to help members meet the obligations and disciplines under the Agreement. In November 2025, the Fund’s Steering Committee approved 26 project grant requests totaling USD 2.9 million. On 2 February 2026, the Fund launched its second Call for Proposals, allowing eligible WTO members that have deposited instruments of acceptance to submit project grant requests until 24 April 2026.
All developing and least-developed WTO members that have accepted the Agreement are eligible for support from the Fish Fund. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude for Australia’s ongoing partnership, highlighting the contribution as a sign of commitment to multilateral support and sustainable fisheries. The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP emphasized that Australia’s contribution reflects its commitment to providing tools and resources for effective implementation of the Agreement in developing nations.
Following the recent deposit of acceptance instruments by Paraguay, Samoa, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a total of 119 WTO members have formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The Fish Fund, established under Article 7 of the Agreement, provides targeted technical assistance and capacity-building and operates in partnership with the FAO, IFAD, and the World Bank Group.
So far, contributions, commitments, and pledges from 18 members have totaled CHF 15.7 million (over USD 20 million). Key contributors include Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
