At WTO meet, India will have to balance between protecting local fishers and fishing sector growth

India is likely to advocate for securing the interests of its artisanal fishers while facilitating the growth of the fishing sector at the World Trade Organisation's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi later this month. At the MC13, scheduled from February 26 to February 29, world leaders will negotiate on regulating fisheries subsidies that contribute to excessive fishing effort and capacity. Such subsidies include support for vessel construction, acquisition and modernisation, purchasing machines and fishing equipment and purchasing fuel, etc. They also include insurance, income support, price support for fish caught, support to cover operating losses and support targeting…