WTO draft on fishing bar to Bangladesh fishermen: Experts

Photo: Courtesy

Blaming industrial fishing for the depletion of global fish stocks, experts have called for an end to subsidies to the sector.

They also demanded that the issue of increasing subsidies and facilities for small-scale fishermen in poor countries be raised at the upcoming WTO ministerial conference.

They have also said a proposed draft of the WTO regarding fisheries is obstructive to the development of the fisheries sector in Bangladesh.

The call came at a seminar in Dhaka today, ahead of the four-day 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which will begin in Abu Dhabi on 26 February.

The seminar was organised by the Equity and Justice Working Group (EquityBD) with the help of the Coast Foundation, and Our World Is Not for Sale.

In a keynote presentation, Barkat Ullah Maruf, director of the Coast Foundation, said it is necessary to take appropriate measures to develop the capacity of fishermen in the marine fisheries sector of the country.

"All countries are developing in some way, and labelling some as LDCs is demeaning. Bangladesh rejected LDC status in 1971, but was forced to accept it in 1975."

Kazi Khalikuzzaman Ahmed, chairman, Dhaka School of Economics

It is also important to ensure that foreigners cannot come and fish in Bangladesh when there is a ban on fishing, he said.

The keynote speaker said there needs to be a follow up on the promises made at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in order to ensure a smooth transition from LDC (Least Developed Country) to developing country status.

The Bangladesh delegation attending the WTO Ministerial Conference must pursue removing barriers to revenue collection from e-commerce, creating opportunities for public stockholding and food security in the agricultural sector, and extending the waiver on intellectual property rights for pharmaceuticals in LDCs and developing countries, he said.

Mohammad Tanvir Hossain Chowdhury, deputy chief (Marine) of the Department of Fisheries, said Bangladesh has already completed its quota of 0.8% of the global fish catch.

"This means that Bangladesh will not be able to provide subsidies for the fisheries sector. However, if not all countries sign the fisheries agreement within the next two years, Bangladesh will no longer be obligated to comply with the quota."

Kazi Khalikuzzaman Ahmed, chairman of Dhaka School of Economics, said in his opening remarks that the very distinction between LDCs and developed countries is unfair.

"All countries are developing in some way, and labelling some as LDCs is demeaning. Bangladesh rejected LDC status in 1971, but was forced to accept it in 1975."

This division in the global trading system disadvantages low-income countries by denying them access to benefits and opportunities, he said.