Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics

Economics and Trade Branch

Environmental Aspects of Fisheries Subsidies

WTO Symposium on Trade and

Sustainable Development

10-11 October 2005

A brief overview of UNEP’s work and findings

Overview of the Fisheries SectorOverview of the Fisheries Sector

• Critical to national economies

• Key source of employment

• Essential for food security

• Developing countries = US$18 billion

(net fish export)

• 38 million worldwide

• 1 billion depend on fish as primary source of animal protein

Trends in the Fisheries SectorTrends in the Fisheries Sector

Source: FAO, Review of the state of world marine fishery resources (2005)

Trends in the Fisheries SectorTrends in the Fisheries Sector

Source: FAO, Review of the state of world marine fishery resources (2005)

Trends in the Fisheries SectorTrends in the Fisheries Sector

Source: FAO, Review of the state of world marine fishery resources (2005)

Factors Leading to OverfishingFactors Leading to Overfishing

Overcapacity

Inadequate fisheries management

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

Subsidies

•Promote sustainable fisheries management and practices, especially in developing countries

UNEP’s Mission

•Provide a forum to discuss innovative approaches to fishery policy reform

•Further understanding and awareness of the impacts of fisheries subsidies

Main Activities

•Country Projects

•Stakeholder Consultations

•Analytical Publications

Country Projects

Argentina (2002)

Senegal (2002; 2004)

Mauritania (forthcoming) Bangladesh

(1999; 2004)

Uganda (1999)

Country Study: Bangladesh

• Economic potential of marine fisheries significant

• Subsidies to the industry negligible

• More scope for sustainable exploitation of marine fisheries and economic development of the sector

• Need for financial and structural assistance

Country Study: Mauritania

• Fisheries sector key source of income

• Numerous access agreements signed

• Effects:

-decrease in fish stock (e.g. octopus)

-shift in catches to export species

-loss of jobs

-negative social and environmental consequences

• Need for better resource management for sustainable fisheries sector

International Stakeholder Consultations

• UNEP Fisheries Subsidies Workshop (2001)

• Workshop on the Impacts of Trade-Related Policies on Fisheries and Measures Required for their Sustainable Management (2002)

• UNEP Workshop on Fisheries Subsidies and Sustainable Fisheries Management (2004)

• Promoting Development and Sustainability in Fisheries Subsidies Disciplines: An Informal Dialogue on Select Technical Issues (2005)

Analytical Publications

• Analyzing the Resource Impact of Fisheries Subsidies: A Matrix Approach (2004)

• Incorporating Resource Impact into Fisheries Subsidies Disciplines: Issues and Options (2004)

• Artisanal Fishing: promoting poverty reduction and community development through new WTO rules on fisheries subsidies (forthcoming in 2005)

• Reflecting sustainable development and S&D treatment in the context of new WTO fisheries subsidies rules (forthcoming in 2005)

Price Support

Incom e

Variable C osts

C apital C osts

Vessel D ecom m issioning /L icence R etirem ent

Access to other C ountries' W aters

M anagem ent Services and R esearch

Fisheries In frastructure

C atch and C ontro l

O pen Access

Effe c tive M an a g em ent

Less than Full C apacity

Full C apacity

O ver C apacity

Subsidy Management Exploitation

Catch Controls Open AccessOver

CapacityFull

CapacityLess than

FullOver

CapacityFull

CapacityLess than

FullFisheries

Infrastructure H H NH H H NHManagement

Services NH NH NH NH NH NHAccess to Foreign

Waters H H NH H H NH

Decommissioning PH PH / H PH /

Capital Costs H H H H H H

Variable Costs H PH PH H H PH

Income Supports PH PH PH H H PH

Price Supports H H PH H H PH

Matrix of Impact of 8 Categories of Subsidies

NH = Not Harmful PH = Possibly Harmful H = Harmful / = Not Applicable

Future Initiatives

Two newly-commissioned papers on: -considering a role for subsidies in re-orienting developing country fisheries policies towards sustainability; and

-access agreements

United Nations Environment Programme

Division of Technology, Industry and Economics

Economics and Trade Branch

The International Environment House

11-13, chemin des Anémones

Ch 1219 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41.22.917.8243

www.unep.ch/etb

Thank You