WTO Fisheries Subsidies Pact: Nicaragua 101st Ratifier
Why in the news
Nicaragua formally accepted the pact on 2 June 2025, bringing the global tally to 101 members and putting the entry-into-force threshold of 111 within reach.
Key facts
- Acceptance: Nicaragua became the 101st member; 111 are needed for entry into force.
- The instrument was handed to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by Ambassador Rosalia Bohorquez Palacios.
- Adopted at: 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), Geneva, June 2022.
- First WTO agreement aimed squarely at marine sustainability and conservation, after roughly two decades of talks.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current acceptances | 101 |
| Needed for effect | 111 |
| Still required | 10 |
| Adopted | MC12, Geneva, June 2022 |
Objectives
- Curb harmful subsidies that feed depletion of global fish stocks.
- Protect marine biodiversity and back the blue economy.
- Give technical help to developing countries and LDCs.
- Bring trade practice in line with sustainable management of marine resources.
Provisions
- Prohibited subsidies: for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; for fishing overfished stocks; for high seas fishing outside any regional or international regulation.
- WTO Fish Fund: offers legal and technical help and capacity-building to members, especially LDCs, for compliance.
Exam angle
- Know the threshold (111) and the MC12 venue and year.
- IUU = Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing.
- Related WTO terms seen in past papers: amber, blue and green boxes.