Rules on Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations: Implications for small scale fisheries
Despite the focus on fisheries subsidies disciplines, the text has numerous contentious issues related to management of fisheries subsidies which go beyond the trade mandate and has implications in relation to member’s rights to manage its fisheries resources. Scope: The scope of the fisheries subsidies applies to Article 1:1 of the ASCM which includes specific subsidies. It excludes inland and aquaculture fisheries but is limited to marine capture at sea. It also applies to fishing and fishing related activities which are not specific. The meaning of fishing in the chairs text refers to fishing as attracting, locating, catching, taking or harvesting fish or any activity which reasonably results in the attracting, locating, catching, taking or harvesting of fish. The fishing related activities means any operation in support of or in preparation for fishing, including landing, packing, processing, transhipping or transporting of fish that have not previously landed at a port. In relat