Countries that are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) need to unite quickly to conclude negotiations aimed at tackling the harmful fisheries subsidies that contribute significantly to overfishing and overcapacity, especially impacting coastal communities.
Luke Daunivalu, Fiji’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, emphasized the importance of this initiative while addressing leaders and government representatives during the recent WTO Public Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. He highlighted the crucial opportunity to forge an agreement that serves the global community reliant on fish and marine resources for their livelihoods.
The ongoing talks among WTO member nations regarding fisheries subsidies, specifically labeled as ‘Fish 2’, involve participants working together to navigate a path towards a productive outcome. This would involve banning subsidies that lead to overfishing and overcapacity while also promoting development, sustainability, and livelihoods.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 has explicitly tasked the WTO with addressing subsidies that exacerbate overfishing and overcapacity issues.
Mr. Daunivalu underscored the necessity of having Fiji and Pacific voices included in these discussions. He pointed out the direct implications of these negotiations for Fiji, which faces challenges from large fishing vessels operating in its waters and foreign vessels seeking licenses to fish its stocks.
He remarked, “We need to be at the table during these negotiations on fisheries subsidies. If we are absent, our interests will not be represented.”
When asked about Fiji’s confidence in the WTO, Mr. Daunivalu affirmed the need for hope and persistence in engagement, stating, “We cannot afford to give in.”
He expressed the cultural significance of the ocean to Fiji and the Pacific region, declaring, “The ocean is our identity; it is central to our past, present, and future.”
He stressed the importance of maintaining high ambitions in negotiations, ensuring that outcomes sustain the livelihoods of coastal communities who rely on marine resources for their primary source of protein.
“We will not sit idly by and allow our ambition to diminish,” he asserted. “For Fiji and the Pacific, our aspirations remain high.”