WTO’s reputation rides on upcoming deal to curb overfishing

Negotiators hope WTO can deal a blow to overfishing and reassert itself as it hasn’t clinched a major trade deal in years.

Negotiators are hoping the World Trade Organization will on Thursday not only deal a major blow to overfishing after 20 years of trying, but in doing so also dispel doubts about its own usefulness. The global trade watchdog, whose 164 members are also at loggerheads over how it should settle disputes, has not clinched a significant trade deal for years, and analysts say it needs to land one this year to maintain its credibility. The prize could be a sharp reduction of the widespread fishing subsidies that are generally held to be the single biggest factor in depleting the world’s fish stocks.