ENRRI-EfD Director, Prof Wisdom Akpalu was part of nearly 300 scientists from six continents that joined together with one voice to urge World Trade Organisation (WTO) members to end harmful fisheries subsidies and protect the ocean’s health.
The scientists, who range from economists and biologists to nutritionists and health specialists published a letter in the journal Science on 29 October calling on WTO members to reach an agreement this year that eliminates all destructive fisheries subsidies, which could help “to curb overfishing, biodiversity degradation and loss, and CO2 emissions, and to safeguard food and livelihoods.”
Among the requests, the letter asks WTO to prohibit subsidies that make it cheaper to purchase vessel fuel and that allow distant-water fishing on high seas of in the waters of other nations. These types of subsidies unfairly disadvantage small-scale fishers in developing countries, making it harder for them to compete with large, industrial-scale fishing fleets from developed nations.
Prof Akpalu said: “Harmful fisheries subsidies enable developed nations to engage in distant-water fishing at an industrial scale in the waters of developing countries. Local fishers throughout Africa cannot compete with such foreign fleets.”
“If the World Trade Organisation members heed the calls of scientists from across the globe and strike a deal that ends harmful fisheries subsidies, depleted fish populations could rebound, boosting coastal communities and stemming international migration across the continent.”
Please, click here to read the eLetter.