- Why in news
- On 20 July 2026, India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies with the WTO Director-General, becoming the 123rd Member to do so.
- What it is
- The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) is a multilateral trade agreement that disciplines government subsidies which drive overfishing. It was adopted in June 2022 at the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva. It is the first WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
- Adoption
- Adopted by consensus at MC12 in Geneva in June 2022; the first WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
- Entry into force
- It entered into force on 15 September 2025 after acceptance by two-thirds of WTO Members.
- Scope
- It covers marine wild capture fishing and related activities at sea. Aquaculture and inland fisheries are outside it.
- Prohibitions
- It bars subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and for fishing of overfished stocks.
- India's framework
- Domestic base includes the EEZ fisheries Rules 2025, High Seas guidelines 2025 and PMMSY.
Don’t confuse with AFS vs FAO Port State Measures Agreement: The FAO agreement targets IUU fishing through port controls; the WTO AFS disciplines subsidies.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Aligns India with a rules-based trading system and sustainable fisheries.
- Disciplines subsidies of distant-water industrial fleets, helping small-scale fishers.
- Boosts credibility of India's seafood exports in sustainability-minded markets.
Problems
- Monitoring and tracing IUU fishing across a large EEZ and many small vessels.
- Balancing subsidy discipline with livelihoods of traditional fishers.
Way forward
- Strengthen vessel monitoring, registration and catch traceability.
- Use PMMSY capacity-building to align support with sustainable practices.
Put in your answer
Domestic framework: EEZ Rules 2025 and High Seas guidelines 2025 underpin implementation.
Export structure: Aquaculture shrimp dominates India's seafood exports and is outside the Agreement's scope.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2022.
- 2.The Agreement came into force only after acceptance by all WTO Members.
- 3.The Agreement's disciplines extend to aquaculture and inland fisheries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2022.
True. Adopted by consensus at MC12, Geneva, June 2022.
2.It is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
True. It is the first such WTO agreement.
3.The Agreement came into force only after acceptance by all WTO Members.
False. It entered into force on 15 September 2025 after acceptance by two-thirds of Members.
4.The Agreement's disciplines extend to aquaculture and inland fisheries.
False. Aquaculture and inland fisheries are outside its scope.
5.The Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and for fishing of overfished stocks.
True. IUU fishing and overfished stocks subsidies are prohibited.
6.The Agreement provides flexibilities for developing and least-developed country Members.
True. It provides appropriate flexibilities for developing and LDC Members.
7.India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance with the Food and Agriculture Organization.
False. It was handed to the WTO Director-General.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
India has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, becoming the 123rd Member to do so. Examine the key provisions of the Agreement and discuss its implications for India's fisheries sector, small-scale fishers and seafood exports.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.