WTO Ministerial: Can't agree to unfair text on fisheries deal, says Goyal

At the third day of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) 12th ministerial conference in Geneva, India vehemently opposed a proposed global deal to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies as the plan did not provide a level-playing field to the developing nations.

India wants to protect subsidies of several million low-income, poor traditional fishermen as it is a matter of livelihood for them.

Calling the text ‘imbalanced’, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said unlike other advanced fishing nations, India doesn’t operate huge fishing fleets to exploit the resources indiscriminately.

Besides, subsidies provided to fishers in India are one of