. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/RL/W/217 
15 February 2008 
 (08-0694) 
Negotiating Group on Rules Original:   English 
  
 
JOINT STATEMENT ON TREATMENT OF ARTISANAL AND SMALL SCALE 
FISHERIES IN FISHERIES SUBSIDIES NEGOTIATIONS 
 
Communication from India and the ACP Group
 
 
 The Delegation of India and the ACP Group jointly present this Statement on Treatment of 
Artisanal and Small Scale Fisheries in  Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations.   
 
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1. This joint statement is intended to emphasi ze the significance of artisanal and small-scale 
fishing to developing countries.  In the spirit of  the Doha Development Round, we wish to underline 
that these types of fisheries are at the core of our development priorities for poverty reduction, the 
maintenance of livelihoods and food security.     
2. The sponsors of this paper subscribe to th e objective of conservation and management of 
fisheries and do not oppose the disciplining of subsidies, in principle.  Many developing countries are signatories to UNCLOS and have also adopted various provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries even though the Code is volun tary.  Developing countries are also contributing 
through constructive engagement in other intern ational programmes associated with migratory and 
straddling stocks such as the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.   
 3. The sponsors also recognize that fisheries subsidies may contribute to the creation and perpetuation of excess fishing capacity and have the potential to encourage overfishing and distort 
trade patterns.  However, restrictions on the use of  legitimate subsidies to the fishing sector can have a 
detrimental impact on the sustainable developmen t of fisheries-dependent coastal and island 
communities in developing countries.  It is therefor e imperative that we strive for a balance between 
sustainability and development.  We can only reach a su ccessful conclusion if we are able to meet this 
challenge.    4. Although we welcome the flexibilities accorded to LDCs, regrettably, there are some key 
areas where the Chair's text falls short of me eting this balance betw een sustainability and 
development and does not give enough attention to  development needs of developing countries.  
Particularly, the Special and Differential Treatment  (S&DT) provisions do not address the need of 
developing countries to preserve policy space and pursu e development goals.  It is emphasized that 
the fisheries sector – especially artisanal and small-scale fishing – is not only of economic importance 
to developing countries, but also a key factor in the drive to eradicate poverty.   
 
5. We need to recognize that multilateral rule making on fisheries is being undertaken in other 
fora such as FAO and the UN.  Hence, negotiations at the WTO must be faithful to the mandate.  Not 
only should there be no duplication in the WTO of th e rule making being undertaken at other fora, but 
also, negotiations at the WTO must not be subject to vetting by these fora.    TN/RL/W/217 
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  6. In sum, inadequate S&DT will have a deep a dverse impact on this sector, and as such we ask 
that Members consider the profound implications of  these discussions for the poorest of the poor in 
our countries.     
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