Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, welcomed the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) announcement that the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies has officially entered into force. The agreement establishes new multilateral trade rules aimed at promoting sustainable global fisheries by addressing harmful subsidies linked to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing. Notably, it is the WTO’s second-ever multilateral agreement and the first to place environmental sustainability at the centre of its objectives.
Canada was the fifth WTO member to accept the agreement and has called on all remaining members to submit their acceptance, emphasizing the need for collective global action to protect oceans and fisheries. Minister Sidhu highlighted that the agreement represents a major step in creating fair and enforceable trade rules that safeguard oceans, fisheries, and the livelihoods dependent on them, while reinforcing a strong, rules-based international trading system.
Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson underscored the agreement’s significance for global food security and economic prosperity, noting that healthy fish stocks are essential to both. She emphasized the shared responsibility of countries to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, protect harvesters’ livelihoods, and promote fair trade practices worldwide. The agreement, championed by Canada since its inception, is expected to strengthen cooperation among WTO members in advancing sustainable fisheries management.
