2020 is Deadline for Harmful Fisheries Subsidies to End

Under the @unitednations Sustainable Development Goals, by 2020, all countries must “prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and refrain from introducing new such subsidies.” 2019 is a big year for these reforms to take place and a bulk of the work lies with the World Trade Organization. According to Peter Thomson, there are three big reasons why these subsidies are harmful: there are too many commercial fishing fleets in an industry that has diminishing fish populations; the subsidies often support fleets engaged in illegal fishing; and ending the subsidies would free up tons of government funds (governments are spending $18-20 billion annually on harmful fishing subsidies).

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