India Joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Pact

India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance for the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 20 July 2026, becoming a party to the pact. Adopted at MC12 in 2022, it prohibits subsidies connected with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, overfished stocks, and fishing in unregulated high seas. Aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside its scope. The move links trade rules with marine sustainability and SDG 14.6, while protecting food security and coastal livelihoods.