India Joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Pact, Becomes 123rd Member to Ratify

India has joined the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal presented the Instrument of Acceptance to the WTO Director-General on July 20, 2026, making India the 123rd WTO Member to ratify the accord.

The decision secures food and jobs for coastal communities by protecting marine resources. The global pact targets marine conservation. Members approved the deal at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022.

It marks the first multilateral WTO agreement centred on ecological sustainability. The treaty became active on September 15, 2025, once two-thirds of WTO Members ratified the text.

Developing and least-developed country Members receive specific flexibilities under the framework. The rules ban state funding for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing alongside the overexploitation of fish stocks to safeguard marine life.

Only marine operations face these rules. The pact regulates state funding for wild capture fishing and maritime activities while excluding inland fisheries and aquaculture from its scope. It curbs damaging financial aid given to massive industrial fleets operated by distant nations.

Protecting Small-Scale Livelihoods

Local fishers gain the most. By halting ecological damage from overfishing, the treaty safeguards the long-term survival of coastal populations dependent on traditional harvesting.

This directly aids India, where small-scale operations dominate, and industrial fleets are rare. Foreign buyers increasingly demand traceable and sustainable products, and this compliance helps Indian exporters secure access to these premium international markets.

Farmed shrimp dominates outbound shipments. Because the treaty excludes aquaculture, India's primary seafood export sector retains its competitive edge and market resilience.

Robust Domestic Policy Framework

Local laws support the accord. The Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Rules, 2025 and the Guidelines for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas by Indian-Flagged Fishing Vessels, 2025 anchor this domestic framework. These regulations, alongside conservation programs and capacity-building efforts under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, prepare the country to execute the global treaty.

These domestic systems protect local fishers. They enable India to execute the treaty while maintaining policy freedom for traditional communities. Ratifying the pact also cements India's support for a rules-based global trade system led by the WTO.