New Delhi: India has become a party to the WTO Fisheries Agreement after depositing its Instrument of Acceptance with the World Trade Organization, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable fisheries and responsible marine resource management.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal handed over the Instrument of Acceptance to the WTO Director-General on Sunday. As a result, India became the 123rd WTO member to join the agreement.
The WTO Fisheries Agreement entered into force on September 15, 2025, after two-thirds of WTO members accepted it. WTO members adopted the pact by consensus during the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022.
The agreement targets subsidies linked to marine wild capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea. However, it does not cover aquaculture or inland fisheries.
WTO Fisheries Agreement protects small-scale fishers
The agreement bans subsidies that support illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It also restricts subsidies for fishing overexploited stocks. Consequently, it aims to conserve marine resources and protect the livelihoods of traditional and small-scale fishers.
The agreement also limits harmful subsidies for heavily subsidised industrial fishing fleets. Therefore, countries such as India, where fishing remains largely small-scale, are expected to benefit from a fairer global fisheries system.
The government said the agreement will strengthen India’s reputation as a responsible seafood exporter. Moreover, India’s aquaculture-based shrimp exports remain outside the agreement’s scope, helping maintain the competitiveness of the country’s seafood exports.
India has also strengthened its fisheries management through the Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone Rules, 2025, and the High Seas Fishing Guidelines, 2025. In addition, programmes under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana support sustainable fishing and capacity building.
The government said India’s fisheries framework aligns with the WTO Fisheries Agreement while safeguarding the interests of traditional and small-scale fishers. It added that joining the agreement also reinforces India’s commitment to the rules-based multilateral trading system.
