WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies
U. Rashid Sumaila, Daniel J. Skerritt, Anna Schuhbauer, Sebastián Villasante, Andrés M. Cisneros‐Montemayor, Hussain Sinan, Duncan Burnside, Patrízia Raggi Abdallah, Keita Abe, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Julia Adelsheim, Ibukun Jacob Adewumi, Olanike Kudirat Adeyemo, W. Neil Adger, Joshua Adotey, Sahir Advani, Zahidah Afrin, Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Shehu Latunji Akintola, Wisdom Akpalu, Lubna Alam, Juan José Alava, Edward H. Allison, Diva J. Amon, John M. Anderies, Christopher M. Anderson, Evan J. Andrews, Ronaldo Angelini, Zuzy Anna, Werner Antweiler, Evans Arizi, Derek Armitage, Robert Arthur, Noble Kwame Asare, Frank Asche, Berchie Asiedu, Francis E. Asuquo, Lanre Badmus, Megan Bailey, Natalie C. Ban, Edward B. Barbier, Shanta Barley, Colin Barnes, Scott Barrett, Xavier Basurto, Dyhia Belhabib, Elena M. Bennett, Nathan Bennett, Dominique Benzaken, Robert Blasiak, John J. Bohorquez, César Bordehore, Virginie Bornarel, David R. Boyd, Denise L. Breitburg, Cassandra M. Brooks, Lucas Brotz, Donovan Campbell, Sara E. Cannon, Ling Cao, Juan C. Cardenas Campo, Steve Carpenter, Griffin Carpenter, Richard T. Carson, Adriana Rosa Carvalho, Mauricio Castrejón, Alex Caveen, M. Nicole Chabi, Kai M. A. Chan, F. Stuart Chapin, Tony Charles, William W. L. Cheung, Villy Christensen, Ernest Obeng Chuku, Trevor Church, Colin Clark, Tayler M. Clarke, Andreea L. Cojocaru, Brian R. Copeland, Brian Crawford, Anne‐Sophie Crépin, Larry B. Crowder, Philippe Cury, Allison N. Cutting, Gretchen C. Daily, José María Da-Rocha, Abhipsita Das, Santiago de la Puente, Aart de Zeeuw, Savior K. S. Deikumah, Mairin C. M. Deith, Boris Dewitte, Nancy C. Doubleday, Carlos M. Duarte, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Tyler D. Eddy, Meaghan Efford, Paul R. Ehrlich, Laura G. Elsler, Kafayat Adetoun Fakoya
Abstract
Sustainably managed wild fisheries support food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and cultures (1). Harmful fisheries subsidies—government payments that incentivize overcapacity and lead to overfishing—undermine these benefits yet are increasing globally (2). World Trade Organization (WTO) members have a unique opportunity at their ministerial meeting in November to reach an agreement that eliminates harmful subsidies (3). We—a group of scientists spanning 46 countries and 6 continents—urge the WTO to make this commitment...