Updated estimates and analysis of global fisheries subsidies

Tracking the global reduction of marine traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…For fisheries, we reveal that the impact of the outbreak has been uneven across different fishing fleets, with notable declines in coastal areas. Regional analyses in the Western Mediterranean, however, reveal that fishing vessel activity is closer to pre-lockdown levels, suggesting that the industrial fisheries sector, which is often well-resourced and heavily subsidised in some countries 40 , is less likely to be affected than the more vulnerable small-scale fisheries sector that dominates fisheries in many lower-income countries 7,41 . Further work is needed to ascertain the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the behaviour of small-scale fisheries sector.…”

Changing the narrative on fisheries subsidies reform: Enabling transitions to achieve SDG 14.6 and beyond

“…The WTO is tasked with addressing such issues, including in fisheries, through multilateral agreements [5]. Subsidies were integral to the expansion of fisheries in the last century [6], and ~US$35 billion per year continue to be granted to fishing fleets, a holdover now mostly intended to lower fishing costs to offset declining catches [7]. Fisheries subsidies are broadly classified as beneficial (e.g., management), ambiguous (e.g., infrastructure), and the capacity-enhancing or 'harmful' (e.g., fuel, vessels) considered in SDG 14.6.…”

“…Current harmful fisheries subsidies can worsen inequities between fleets, communities, and nations [3,14]. The top-five subsidizing nations provide four times as much as the lower-income nations of the world combined [7]. In the Indian Ocean, the proportion of tuna catch that is subsidized by different countries ranges from 10% to over 100%, yet quota allocations are based on historical catch [15].…”

Subsidizing extinction?

“…McFarland, Whitley, and Kissinger () calculated that Brazil spent $158 million trying to stop deforestation while spending $14 billion subsidizing activities linked to deforestation; Indonesia spent $165 million versus $27 billion. Likewise in fisheries, subsidies promoting sustainable fisheries amount to approximately $10 billion whereas harmful subsidies linked to overfishing were $22 billion in 2018 (Sumaila et al., ). These positive subsidies are teeny tiny minnows swimming up Victoria Falls, dwarfed by subsidies driving land use change and biodiversity loss.…”

“…The Canadian government is ponying up at least $3.4 billion dollars to subsidize an uneconomic pipeline expansion that steamrolls through Indigenous opposition and increases risks to endangered killer whales. Add to this Australia's estimated 3 billion in mining subsidies, China's $18 billion nitrogen fertilizer subsidy, and Japan's $2.2 billion contribution to overfishing (Grudnoff, ; Li et al., ; Sumaila et al., ).…”