India pitches for per capita subsidy formula at WTO to protect poor fishpeople

New Delhi: India has flagged the disparity between the high fisheries subsidies of $76,000 per fisher per year, given by developed countries as against $35 that New Delhi gives. At the World Trade Organization (WTO), India has proposed that disciplines to curb harmful subsidies should be based on a per capita basis instead of the aggregate level of subsidization.

Officials said that India has insisted on the formula to safeguard the livelihood of its small and artisanal fishpeople. New Delhi has also said that it will protect food security and livelihood of small farmers at the WTO by opposing any negotiations which are not based on consensus.

India’s proposal on disciplining subsidies that lead to overfishing and overcapacity, will be taken up next week at the General Council meeting of the WTO.


“Adopting a per capita distribution of subsidies criterion could provide a more accurate and fair basis for managing overfishing and capacity issues, considering both stock sustainability and livelihood concerns,” India said, adding that the annual aggregate level of fisheries subsidies approach while convenient for assessing subsidy flows on a large scale, overlooks the intensity of subsidies and their real impact on sustainability.

The aggregate approach cannot be the correct measure as it includes beneficial and subsistence subsidies that are linked to livelihood which “in no way contribute to overcapacity and overfishing”.

India highlighted that countries should not be subjected to stricter disciplines based on the total value of their subsidies but rather on the intensity of subsidies provided . It emphasised that disciplines for distant water fishing should be based on
the Common But Di?erentiated Responsibilities-Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle.

It also said that historical subsidizers owe “subsidy debt” to developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs).

“Such subsidizers have historically used much more than their fair share of the global resources (on a per capita basis) and are in debt to the ones who have used far less. Therefore, for equitable reasons, it is pertinent that future disciplines account for per capita subsidization,” it added.

Farm talks

Officials also said that a narrative is being built in the WTO on the agriculture talks by bundling it with sustainability and facilitator-led talks to break the logjam.

Brazil has come out with a sustainability paper. We want permanent solution to PSH to be prioritised.

“We have objected to the facilitator-led process. It should be transparent. Our stance is strong. This is a red line for india. Some positions are non-negotiable. We will compromise food security and permanent solution to public stockholding,” said an official.

New Delhi is trying to build a coalition and has said that production based subsidies distort trade.

“The US gives $20 billion and EU $6 billion of support while our farmers get $416 per capita,” said another official.

On the WTO secrartait's involvement in the facilitator led process, the official said: “WTO decisions are member led and member driven. The facilitator process is on and we will participate”.