India Joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

India became the 123rd WTO member to join the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by depositing its Instrument of Acceptance. The agreement aims to curb harmful subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

India formally became a party to the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 20 July 2026. The Instrument of Acceptance was handed over by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The agreement was adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva and is the first WTO agreement with a specific environmental sustainability objective. It seeks to discipline subsidies that contribute to illegal fishing, overfished stocks and harmful marine exploitation. Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside its scope.