India joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

One line

India deposited its acceptance and became a party to the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

Summary

The agreement disciplines subsidies linked to illegal fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high-seas activity. Implementation must also consider small-scale livelihoods.

PYQ pattern

UPSC often tests the static concept behind this development and its implementation limits. Use the official UPSC question-paper archive.

Core notes

The agreement operates within the WTO.
It prohibits certain subsidies supporting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
It also addresses overfished stocks and unregulated fishing areas.

Prelims lens

The agreement concerns subsidies, not a general fishing ban.
Implementation needs notification and enforcement capacity.
Read the announcement separately from measured outcomes.

MCQ 1

Consider the following statements:

The agreement concerns subsidies, not a general fishing ban.
The agreement prohibits every public programme for every fisher.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

Reveal answer

A

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 makes a claim that the source or static concept does not support.

MCQ 2

Which practice is directly targeted?

A. Subsidies linked to IUU fishing
B. All fish-safety spending
C. Every harbour project
D. All marine research

Reveal answer

A

Subsidies linked to IUU fishing is the correct relationship in this context.

Mains

Question, 10 marks, 150 words: How can India implement fisheries-subsidy disciplines while protecting small-scale livelihoods?

Approach:

Define the institution, mechanism, or indicator.
Explain its current significance.
Examine implementation limits and trade-offs.
Suggest specific institutional or policy measures.