Preface
This edition of OECD Review of Fisheries is the first to be published since the landmark agreement reached by members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in June 2022. After more than 20 years of negotiations, they agreed to prohibit subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, fishing of overfished stocks, and fishing in the unregulated high seas. They also agreed to take special care and exercise due restraint when subsidising fishing of stocks which are not monitored.
Our Review provides key information that policymakers need to implement the agreement, including on fish stock health, fisheries management, and support to fisheries in OECD countries as well as other large fishing nations. It also provides data and tools for countries to develop fisheries policies that respond to domestic priorities, such as adapting to climate change, and building resilience in the face of inflation and supply chain disruptions.
The OECD Fisheries Management Indicators indicate that 64% of assessed stocks are in good health, while 18% fall below sustainability standards, and for a further 18% assessments are not conclusive (and their health status remains undetermined). Investments in stock assessments, tighter stock management, and rebuilding plans for overfished stocks could improve the sustainability of fish resources while generating more food and more value in the sector.
The Review also assesses support policies, based on Fisheries Support Estimate (FSE) data that covers 40 countries and economies, accounting for 90% of world landings over 2018-20. On average, these countries provided total annual support of USD 10.4 billion to the fisheries sector during that period. This support was granted through a wide variety of policies, from fuel subsidies to spending on stock assessment research. The Review proposes a framework that countries can use to evaluate the risks to fish stock health from support policies when fisheries management is not fully effective.
Reform is already under way: support that presents the highest risk of encouraging unsustainable fishing in the absence of effective management has significantly declined and accounts for a relatively low share of support in OECD countries. However, fuel support increased in absolute terms in OECD countries in recent years and remains the single largest type of support provided by the emerging economies covered in the report.
The benefits of reform and improved fisheries management to reduce the risks of unsustainable fishing are clear: improved economic and environmental performance of fisheries and more secure livelihoods for fishers and the communities in which they live. Now is the time to scale up action. By being among the first to accept the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, OECD countries can help make progress towards the ratification process. Through our OECD Fisheries Committee we can also support countries in their reform efforts, to make global fisheries more sustainable and beneficial, and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14.
