WTO Fish Fund Steering Committee meeting focuses on preparing for full operations

The meeting brought together key stakeholders working for the operationalization of the Fish Fund in support of developing and least-developed country (LDC) members' implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

"Last time we gathered in July for the Second Steering Committee meeting, I remarked how impressive it was that this Steering Committee had so quickly achieved tangible results and was about to deliberate on the framework documents that will enable the Fish Fund to begin its operations," Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said at the meeting. "Since then, I have been following the Committee's work very closely, and I can see from today's full agenda that your remarkable efforts are continuing to deliver results."

DDG Ellard reported that the Fund has received close to USD 12 million from donors and has signed contribution agreements for more than USD 3.5 million. The members that have contributed to the Fund thus far are Australia, Canada, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and most recently the United Arab Emirates. The United Kingdom has pledged GBP 1 million.

"These resources will have a real impact, and members are waiting to put them to good use," DDG Ellard said.

The Secretariat updated the Steering Committee that the consulting firm Dalberg was selected through a procurement process to develop the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework for the Fish Fund. The Manager of the Fish Fund reported on progress in planning for future calls for project proposals to be supported by the Fund and other updates on strategy, budget, staffing, and communications.

The meeting also featured a presentation from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on its Self-Assessment Tool for implementing the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. Belize shared its experiences using this tool.  The Seychelles Fishing Authority unveiled a project to upgrade its fisheries management system.

Because the new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will involve adjustments and enhancements to WTO members' legislative and administrative frameworks, their transparency and notification obligations, and their fisheries management policies and practices, Article 7 of the Agreement provides for the creation of a voluntary funding mechanism to provide targeted technical assistance and capacity building to help developing and least developed country members with implementation. For the Agreement to enter into force, two-thirds of members have to deposit their “instruments of acceptance” with the WTO. Eighty-four WTO members have formally accepted the Agreement; twenty-seven more are needed for the Agreement to come into effect. Resources from the WTO Fish Fund will be available to members once they have deposited their instrument of acceptance.

The list of members that have deposited their instruments of acceptance is available here. More information on the Fund is available here.