With your help, we can achieve a big win for our oceans and those that rely on a sustainable seafood supply. On June 12, U.S. trade negotiators will meet with their international counterparts at the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) to discuss the adoption of a binding agreement to curb harmful fishing subsidies.
Governments around the world provide about $22 billion a year in fisheries subsidies intended to promote fishing by offsetting costs such as fuel, gear, and vessel construction. Such subsidies can become harmful to fish stocks and the long-term viability of fishing when the payments allow fishers to travel farther, stay at sea longer, or have greater capacity than they would have otherwise. Left unchecked, these subsidies contribute to the chronic depletion of our oceans and unfair competition for U.S. fishers who adhere to conservation-minded catch limits.
Talks on a binding agreement to curb fishing subsidies have occurred in various forms for decades. MC12 could culminate in finally securing a meaningful treaty for addressing the harmful impacts of these subsidies. But for this to happen, U.S. trade diplomats need to take a strong stance in negotiations with their global counterparts.
Congress can play an important role in shaping and informing the United States' policy positions at the WTO. Therefore, it is critical to let your representatives in Washington know that this is a priority for you. Help us achieve a significant win for our oceans and sustainable fishing by supporting the adoption of a strong, binding treaty to reduce harmful fisheries subsidies.
Dear Rep./Sen. ____
As your constituent, I urge you to back ongoing efforts to adopt a strong, binding treaty that will curb harmful fishing subsidies across the globe. U.S. negotiators, including our trade representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, will meet in Geneva next month at the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) to iron out the final details of such an agreement. Your support is critical to ensure that our diplomats successfully conclude negotiations of this treaty.
Although not all subsidies are harmful, governments around the world encourage overfishing by providing tens of billions of dollars each year in damaging—also known as capacity-enhancing—fisheries subsidies. These subsidies drive overfishing by artificially lowering the costs of fishing, thereby encouraging higher catches than fish stocks can profitably and sustainably support. In the absence of rigorous fisheries management, fish stocks continue to decline, degrading ocean ecosystems and the long-term viability of global fisheries. According to some studies, the elimination of all harmful subsidies by WTO members could lead to an increase of 35 million metric tons of fish in the ocean by 2050, which is four times the annual consumption of seafood in North America. This is crucial for ocean ecosystems and U.S. fishing interests that play by the rules.
As negotiations at the WTO reach a critical moment, it is essential that you weigh in with Ambassador Tai and see to it that the U.S. strongly supports finalizing this important agreement in June at MC12.
Sincerely,
Constituent
