Canada supports sustainable global fishing with contribution to WTO Fisheries Subsidies Trust Fund

April 18, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, announced that Canada has contributed $1.4 million to the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Trust Fund.

At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, WTO members adopted the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to ensure sustainable global fisheries, food security and improved livelihoods for future generations. As part of the agreement, the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Trust Fund was established to help developing and least developed member countries implement the agreement.

Through the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Trust Fund, assistance can be provided to identify and reform harmful fisheries subsidies, such as those that subsidize illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to strengthen overall fisheries management practices, and to support the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.