The agreement on fisheries subsidies as the WTO effort to implement sustainable fisheries

From a practical point of view, the implementation and operationalization of the fisheries principles at the global level is possible only through the interaction of a number of actors. For instance, the role of the UN is to conceptualize these principles, to give them a certain legal frame and content. The next step is implementation itself, and this role was traditionally delegated to the regional fisheries management organizations, since they have every opportunity to provide concrete measures which make certain principle executable. Nevertheless, sometimes the implementation process requires fundamental economic measures, which cannot be taken at the regional level. This particularly applies to the area of struggle against poor fisheries practices, such as IUU fishing, overcapacity and overfishing. This article examines the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which was adopted at the WTO level in 2022, its applicability and relevance in the context of sustainable fisheries principles implementation.