On 12th May 2021, the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) in collaboration with the Secretariat’s Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Sub-Programme and the SPAW Regional Activity Centre, hosted a webinar on fisheries subsidies and their effects on sustainable fishing.
The webinar, titled "Fisheries subsidies: how do they affect species of the Wider Caribbean?” was attended by approximately 55 persons, which include national focal points and stakeholders of the SPAW Protocol (target audience), as well as representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the World Trade Organization and other agencies. The seminar aimed to inform decision-makers — including Contracting Parties, observers, and stakeholders— on the need to revamp harmful fisheries subsidies and evolve towards sustainable fishing measures. Such measures should reduce overexploitation and the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) that impacts at-risk species and populations, as well as degrade marine ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). The specific objectives were to:
- Conduct outreach, education and advocacy to expand knowledge and understanding among decision-makers, based on the best available scientific information and common, but differentiated, responsibilities;
- Improve compliance with the Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG);
- Contextualize the current negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Subsidies and Compensation Measures.
- Train focal points of the 17 SPAW Contracting Parties in the Wider Caribbean, observers and representatives of the SPAW Sub-Programme, SPAW RAC and UNEP;
- Promote cooperation among decision-makers which is critical to succeed on the urgent actions that need to be implemented for the conservation of the WCR.
Panelists:
- Ileana López, Programme Officer, SPAW Sub-Programme.
- Camilo Thompson, Lawyer, Marine and Coastal Protection Programme, AIDA.
- Andrés Cisneros, Deputy Director and Principal Investigator, Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Programme, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia.
- Alice Tipping, Lead, Fisheries Subsidies at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. (IISD).
- Valerie Miller, Director, Oceans Programme, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) of Cuba.
During the event, experts highlighted the current negotiation of World Trade Organization (WTO) members to prohibit subsidies that threaten the sustainability of fishing in order to help ensure the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources. Participants were also informed of the existing types of fishery subsidies, the importance of international collaboration, national capacity building, and how the reallocation of public funds from harmful fishery subsidies to sustainable activities can help to protect the ocean and fishing communities.
In her presentation to participants, Ms. Lopez highlighted that fish is one of the most important sources of dietary protein for humans, supplying 17 percent of the total animal protein consumed worldwide. She made reference to the general obligations of Contracting Parties under Article 3 of the SPAW Protocol which states that:
Article 3, paragraph 1:
- Each Party to this Protocol shall, in accordance with its laws and regulations and the terms of the Protocol, take the necessary measures to protect, preserve and manage in a sustainable way, within areas of the Wider Caribbean Region in which it exercises sovereignty, or sovereign rights or jurisdiction:
a) areas that require protection to safeguard their special value; and
b) threatened or endangered species of flora and fauna.
Ms. Lopez also added that cooperation is key to the application of these regulatory measures. According to the SPAW Protocol, each Party shall endeavour to cooperate in the enforcement of these measures, without prejudice to the sovereignty, or sovereign rights or jurisdiction of other Parties.
In reference to the recent Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee Meeting of the SPAW Protocol (9th SPAW STAC), Ms. Lopez noted that one of the recommendations of the meeting was the enhancement of coordination and communication with regional fisheries bodies to improve the conservation and management of species listed in the Annexes of the SPAW Protocol.
The full recording of the webinar can be viewed here: https://aida-americas.org/es/blog/seminario-web-subsidios-pesqueros-como-afectan-a-las-especies-del-gran-caribe
