The World Trade Organization announced Aug. 6 the ratification by Sri Lanka of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which means that only four additional WTO members must now ratify the agreement for it to enter into force. Formal acceptance from two-thirds of WTO members is required for the agreement to enter into force, representing a total of 111 members.
Adopted at the 12th WTO ministerial conference held in June 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies seeks to end subsidies to vessels and operators engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing or fishing related activities in support of IUU fishing, as well as subsidies for fishing or fishing related activities regarding an overfished stock.
The agreement has been ratified by most major economies, including, among others, the U.S., the EU, the UK, China, Australia, Canada, and Japan. Important economies that are yet to ratify the agreement according to the WTO include Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. Additionally, a majority of African and Middle Eastern countries have not yet ratified the deal.
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