The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies: An Assessment and Prospects

Fisheries subsidies have been part of the negotiating history of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2001, with an Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) being reached in 2022 and entering into force in 2025. The agreement is historic from the points of view of fisheries sustainability and the WTO as a multilateral institution governing trade, but it does contain a few significant weaknesses. This article considers the background to the agreement and its negotiation history. It then reviews the agreement itself, explores its development implications, and considers its future prospects.