To Help Women Working in Fisheries, WTO Should End Harmful Subsidies

It’s no secret that women, especially those in developing countries, perform a lot of the hard, thankless work that keeps societies functioning. This is true across the fisheries sector, and to mark International Women’s Day (March 8), The Pew Charitable Trusts spoke with Dyhia Belhabib, Ph.D., program manager for Community Fisheries at Ecotrust Canada, who has worked with women in artisanal fishing communities across West Africa. 

One way to help improve conditions for women and all workers in small-scale fisheries is through ending harmful fisheries subsidies—the roughly $20 billion per year that governments pay primarily to industrial fishers to offset costs such as fuel, gear, and vessel construction. Subsidies can harm fish stocks by promoting fishing beyond sustainable limits.