India rejects 'weak' WTO fishery text, sees bias towards developed nations

India has rejected the latest draft text on fishery floated by the World Trade Organization (WTO) this week, saying it is imbalanced, weak and unfair, and doesn't address New Delhi's concerns on food security and livelihood of small fishers, instead favouring developed nations.

Ambassador Santiago Wills, chair of Negotiating Group on Rules, earlier introduced a revised draft negotiating text ahead of a key ministerial conference of WTO later this month.

"We find the current text has been drafted in a manner that there will be a status quo for large fishing nations. We see the current text is weak, it is not a balanced text. It is totally in favour of advanced fishing countries," said a source in the know of details, emphasising that India is in favour of stopping illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing and supports sustainable fishing by checking harmful subsidies.


According to sources, ongoing negotiations have moved away from sustainability and its goals have taken a backstage. India, along with other developing countries, is trying to point out the inequities and unfair nature of the text and secure its interests. "We need to have policy space to develop the fishery sector in the years to come," the source said.

The draft text made India's proposals to curb sops for distant water fishing and extending carveouts to developing countries negotiable, but included the issue of forced labour in fishing activities, as proposed by the US.

India proposed that countries engaged in distant water fishing should stop giving subsidies for 25 years for areas beyond their exclusive economic zones (200 nautical miles). It said special and differential treatment (S&DT) should be an integral part of this pact. This has been ignored in the draft, according to the source.

The person cited earlier says attempts are being made to bring together countries sharing the same concerns as India.