Canada welcomes WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement entry into force

The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, welcomed the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) announcement that the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force on September 26, 2025.

• Main action: Canada welcomed the WTO announcement and was the fifth WTO member to accept the Agreement; the Agreement establishes new multilateral trade rules addressing harmful fisheries subsidies related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing, and is the WTO’s second multilateral agreement and first to prioritize environmental sustainability as a core outcome.
• Background and implementation details: The news release quotes Maninder Sidhu (Minister of International Trade) and Joanne Thompson (Minister of Fisheries); Canada encourages remaining WTO members to submit acceptance of the Agreement. Media contacts provided: Huzaif Qaisar, Director of Communications (Huzaif.Qaisar@international.gc.ca, 343-575-8816) and Media Relations Office (media@international.gc.ca).