Geneva: The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that its Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies officially entered into force on September 15, 2025, following ratification by Brazil, Kenya, Tonga, and Vietnam. This milestone marks the first major multilateral environmental agreement adopted by the WTO since 2017, reflecting renewed momentum after years of stalled negotiations.

Adopted in 2022, the agreement aims to curb harmful fishing subsidies that contribute to overfishing and the depletion of marine resources. Specifically, it prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; fishing overexploited stocks; and activities in unregulated high seas areas. The agreement also establishes a funding mechanism to assist developing and least-developed countries in implementing the new rules.

While the agreement has been hailed as a significant step toward ocean sustainability, its implementation presents challenges, particularly for African nations. Africa's fishing sector is predominantly small-scale and underfunded, making it vulnerable to exploitation by heavily subsidized foreign fleets. The African Union estimates that illegal fishing costs the continent at least $11.2 billion annually.

However, only 23 African countries have ratified the agreement, indicating a lack of continental consensus. Many nations express concerns about the potential constraints on their fishing policies and the capacity to meet new data collection and transparency requirements. To support the transition, over $18 million has been pledged to the WTO's Fisheries Funding Mechanism, aimed at assisting countries in implementing the agreement's provisions.

The WTO has emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and support to ensure the agreement's success and to address remaining challenges in the fisheries sector.