On the one hand, world trade in fish and fishery products is growing strongly and approached US$70 billion in 2004 compared with US$35 billion in 1990. On the other hand, fishing resources are becoming depleted.
Thirty-seven percent of world fishery production is now traded internationally. That is why the ongoing WTO negotiations have such a large potential impact on developing country fisheries and trade, especially the least developed countries (LDCs). For these countries, fish represents their main food security.
How can we maintain the worldwide fish stocks to ensure that they last? How can we guarantee food security for the LDCs, at the same time as developing a local industry, creating jobs and providing exports? How can we supply the countries in the North with the quality they require? How do we ensure that the sanitary and phytosanitary standards of fish products do not prevent access to international markets? These questions are at the centre of discussions at a workshop on WTO and Fisheries organized by the FAO and UNCTAD on 20-21 March at the Palais des Nations (Salle XXV) in Geneva.
