The fisheries subsidies negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) commenced in 2001 aiming to improve the disciplines on fisheries subsidies. At the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference held in Hong Kong in 2005, WTO Members reaffirmed the need to strengthen such disciplines, and specifically called for prohibition of subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing.
After over two decades of negotiations, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted at the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) on 17 June 2022. This agreement is the second multilateral trade agreement reached at the WTO since its inception, and also the first WTO agreement to focus on the environmental sustainability.
The Agreement entered into force on 15 September 2025, upon acceptance by two thirds of the WTO Members. WTO Members that have accepted the Agreement (including Hong Kong, China) shall be obliged to comply with the Agreement from the date of its entry into force. The list of relevant Members is available at the WTO website.