MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina committed to a WTO agreement on fishing subsidies – but don't forget the Falklands

Minister Felipe Solá: “because of the nature of negotiations, it is necessary that the future text contemplates aspects of extreme sensitivity for its members”

Argentina participated in the recent Trade negotiations of the World Trade Organization at the ministerial level, which addressed the issue of rules for global fisheries and limits to government subsidies to fishing, committing its support for an agreement, but not forgetting the Falkland Islands claim.

During the virtual conference, foreign minister Felipe Solá said Argentina was committed to making the greatest efforts so that a multilateral agreement can be reached before the next WTO ministerial conference (December), with specific bans on subsidies for illegal, undeclared and unreported fishing, overexploited species and elimination of those subsidies which affect over capacity and overfishing.

“It is imperative to reach an agreement to eliminate the negative impact these subsidies have on fisheries”, emphasized minister Solá. “Many of these subsidies sustain high seas fishing fleets, in very distant waters and mainly in areas adjacent to countries EEZs with negative consequences for the sustainability of oceans, seas, marine resources and the development of the coastal state affected”.

Solá also addressed the virtual conference in the representation of the “Six Lat” group, which is made up of Argentina, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Uruguay a group that over four years ago decided to join and coordinate efforts in the overall negotiations.

The minister however pointed out that Argentina considers that “because of the nature of negotiations, the future text must contemplate aspects of extreme sensitivity for its members”.

“This means that the text will not have juridical consequences referred to territorial claims or delimitation of maritime jurisdictions. That is why Argentina considers of the utmost relevance that the text includes, to that respect, a clear and specific safeguard”.

Solá added that the Six Lat group will continue to work jointly because “we believe that not concluding this agreement grants a special de facto treatment to the great subsidizers in detriment of current and future generations”.

Finally, for more than twenty years Argentina has been working and participating constructively in negotiations to reach an agreement for the elimination of subsidies to fishing in the framework of WTO. Argentina as a coastal state with a long maritime shoreline suffers the actions of large fleets which can sail great distances because of subsidies, and are involved in non-sustainable practices with the consequent impact on the fishing industry and its resources.