Fish can be serviced as food for human consumption, and can also provide income for fisheries countries that export fish products. As a result, most countries tend to subsidize their fisheries sectors by providing sub...Fish can be serviced as food for human consumption, and can also provide income for fisheries countries that export fish products. As a result, most countries tend to subsidize their fisheries sectors by providing subsidies to fishing activities. Currently, WTO members are negotiating new disciplines on fisheries subsidies. Although new disciplines on fisheries subsidy have not been concluded, most members, to some extent, have agreed that certain fisheries subsidies should be prohibited, and that developing members may enjoy exceptions under the special and differential treatment (hereinafter “SDT”). The WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies were initiated more than a decade ago. The process is slow and was even stalled in 2011 due to divergence. Nevertheless, new developments and promising outcomes is possible. This article analyzes the issues relating to the SDT for developing members in the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies. The issues are arranged and analyzed according to their degree of controversy in the context of SDT, i.e., from the least controversial issues to the moderately controversial, and then to the most controversial ones. A comparison is made between controversial issues before and after 2011. Then the article explores reasons lying behind such changed focuses of the most controversial issues in the context of SDT. By examining the positions of many WTO members, and the changed focuses of the most controversial issues, this article asserts that progress has been made over time in the negotiations on fisheries subsidies, and promising outcomes are also possible.展开更多
文摘Fish can be serviced as food for human consumption, and can also provide income for fisheries countries that export fish products. As a result, most countries tend to subsidize their fisheries sectors by providing subsidies to fishing activities. Currently, WTO members are negotiating new disciplines on fisheries subsidies. Although new disciplines on fisheries subsidy have not been concluded, most members, to some extent, have agreed that certain fisheries subsidies should be prohibited, and that developing members may enjoy exceptions under the special and differential treatment (hereinafter “SDT”). The WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies were initiated more than a decade ago. The process is slow and was even stalled in 2011 due to divergence. Nevertheless, new developments and promising outcomes is possible. This article analyzes the issues relating to the SDT for developing members in the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies. The issues are arranged and analyzed according to their degree of controversy in the context of SDT, i.e., from the least controversial issues to the moderately controversial, and then to the most controversial ones. A comparison is made between controversial issues before and after 2011. Then the article explores reasons lying behind such changed focuses of the most controversial issues in the context of SDT. By examining the positions of many WTO members, and the changed focuses of the most controversial issues, this article asserts that progress has been made over time in the negotiations on fisheries subsidies, and promising outcomes are also possible.
