Project
ShutterstockTowards an end to subsidies that promote overfishing
Overfishing is one of the main problems for the health of our ocean. And the provision of negative subsidies to the fishing sector is one of the fundamental causes of overfishing.
Fishing subsidies are financial contributions, direct or indirect, that public entities grant to the industry.
Depending on their impacts, they can be beneficial when they promote the growth of fish stocks through conservation and fishery resource management tools. And they are considered negative or detrimental when they promote overfishing with support for, for example, increasing the catch capacity of a fishing fleet.
It is estimated that every year, governments spend approximately 22 billion dollars in negative subsidies to compensate costs for fuel, fishing gear and vessel improvements, among others.
Recent data show that, as a result of this support, 63% of fish stocks worldwide must be rebuilt and 34% are fished at "biologically unsustainable" levels.
Although negotiations on fisheries subsidies, within the framework of the World Trade Organization, officially began in 2001, it was not until the 2017 WTO Ministerial Conference that countries committed to taking action to reach an agreement.
This finally happened in June 2022, when member countries of the World Trade Organization reached, after more than two decades, a binding agreement to curb some harmful fisheries subsidies. It represents a fundamental step toward achieving the effective management of our fisheries resources, as well as toward ensuring global food security and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The agreement reached at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference provides for the creation of a global framework to reduce subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; subsidies for fishing overexploited stocks; and subsidies for vessels fishing on the unregulated high seas. It also includes measures aimed at greater transparency and accountability in the way governments support their fisheries sector.
The countries agreed to continue negotiating rules to curb other harmful subsidies, such as those that promote fishing in other countries' waters, overfishing and the overcapacity of a fleet to catch more fish than is sustainable.
If we want to have abundant and healthy fishery resources, it is time to change the way we have conceived fishing until now. We must focus our efforts on creating models of fishery use that allow for long-term conservation.
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Statement on the suspension of COP25 in Chile
Today the Chilean government, after two weeks of mass demonstrations, cancelled the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled for December in Santiago. We lament the decision and express our support to the Chilean people, facing a difficult situation that makes the nation unable to guarantee the safety that an event of such magnitude requires. We call on the Chilean State to ensure that the process of change the country is going through is developed with respect for the human rights of all those involved. Abuse from public forces is unacceptable, especially in a process that seeks to repair the social wounds that tarnish our societies. The Chilean government must comply with its human rights obligations. We also urge the State and private sector to take firm steps towards transforming Chile into a country with greater social, environmental and climate justice; and to set an example for Latin America, a region where inequality and injustice have intensified over the years. Underlying the social crisis in Chile is a very serious environmental crisis that has long corroded equity and is part of the spark that ignited social discontent. Two examples of this inadmissible reality include sacrifice zones, where coal-fired power plants have condemned families to suffering a large part of the country's atmospheric pollution, making them sick and truncating their development; and the privatization of water, meaning Chile fails to recognize access to drinking water and sanitation as a human right, and does not prioritize their use for human consumption and the maintenance of ecosystems. Similar problems occur in other countries of the region. We hope that Chile will continue in its role as President of the COP, pushing with more force than ever toward ambitious climate commitments that will help us keep global warming under control while complying with the Paris Agreement. The events of the past month clearly demonstrate that, in the face of crises, changes must come from the people, always protecting and favoring the most vulnerable members of society. Indigenous peoples and rural communities, who have suffered hardest from social and environmental injustice, can often best contribute to the solutions our planet needs. All efforts to combat the climate crisis must ensure a just, participatory energy transition that respects human rights. Chile today has the opportunity to make history by including environmental protection and climate justice as pillars in the construction of a cleaner, fairer and more equitable future. We warmly call on the international community to join in this show of support for the people of Chile. PRESS CONTACT: Victor Quintanilla (México), [email protected], +5215570522107
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Lessons for moving into a world without fossil fuels
By Javier Dávalos and Florencia Ortúzar Recent social conflict in Ecuador, triggered by the abrupt suspension of diesel and gasoline subsidies, has demonstrated the need for a just energy transition that takes people into account. Measures aimed at ending government support for the production and use of fossil fuels must be progressive and consensual. The extraction of coal, oil and gas produces significant emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, contaminants that cause global warming. Burning these fuels to produce energy also contributes greatly to air pollution, which kills millions of people annually. Nevertheless, governments worldwide spend between 160 and 400 billion dollars each year to subsidize the fossil fuel industry, according to information from the United Nations Environment Program. Total financial support for renewable energy reaches only 121 billion. If we really want to combat the climate crisis and improve our air quality, we much change this situation. Understanding subsidies Public incentives to producers and consumers of coal, oil and natural gas include payments to consumers or businesses and tax deductions. Therefore, even if fuel prices rise steadily, subsidies keep them artificially low. As a result, transportation and trade costs are contained and remain internationally competitive. These subsidies weigh heavily on national economies, which are left without resources that could well be allocated to sectors such as health and education. Support for the industry deepens our dependence on fossil fuels and ties us to a crippling economic system that the planet desperately needs us to escape. It’s important to understand that this dependence is much more acute for the most vulnerable among us, for whom each dollar counts toward quality of life. A just energy transition The events in Ecuador have taught us a valuable lesson: a desirable result does not necessarily justify the way it is carried out. There, the subsidies for diesel and gasoline were eliminated by decree, unilaterally and without prior national dialogue, hitting the poorest sectors of society hardest. This provoked an intense and violent social conflict that forced the government to revoke its decree, which had not even considered the fight against the climate crisis (let alone a just energy transition). Actions of this type, which imply important changes in the basic needs of the population, like the fuel needed for transportation, must be accompanied by protective measures for society’s most vulnerable. It’s time to leave fossil fuel subsidies behind. But their elimination must be framed in serious plans that seek a real transition to a low-carbon way of life. And must be accompanied by supportive actions such as the promotion of local economies, the protection of ecosystems that naturally regulate the climate, the effective improvement of public transport systems, and investment in renewable energy sources. Only in this way will we begin walking in the direction of climate justice. A new social pact to tackle inequality Chile has also erupted in protests in recent weeks. Events there confirm that forgotten segments of society will no longer bear the burden of inequality, and that the time has come to change course. The Chilean crisis is not directly related to fossil fuels subsidies, but it is related to a fundamental problem in Latin America: abysmal social inequality that has for too reigned in our region. Deep social discontent erupted after the government increased the price of public transportation without considering the social consequences it would have. When commodity prices rise, the most vulnerable will always be the hardest hit. Therefore, these changes must incorporate actions that close social gaps rather than aggravate them. Like Ecuador, Chile has shown us that it is time to aim further, beyond palliative measures that affect the pockets of the poorest, in search of a new social pact. The current social and environmental crisis can be taken as a unique opportunity to begin building a more just society, putting an end to the serious inequalities that have long afflicted our countries, our region and the world.
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Bogota Declaration for the protection of environmental defenders
As people from 10 different countries who have been awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, in addition to other environmental defenders, who are contributing to the protection of the environment and the struggle for life, who have come together today in Bogotá with colleagues from throughout our region, we express our solidarity with advocates and communities in Colombia and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean that are currently facing the highest level of risk for their work to protect life on Earth. Therefore, we call on governments, companies, financial institutions, investors, and entities to actively and effectively protect and respect the life and rights of advocates, those of their families, and their communities. We are aware of the serious human rights violations of vulnerable populations, especially of local communities and indigenous people, communities of African descent and farmers, which we face in Latin America and throughout the world. We demand an end to legal persecution and criminalization of our brothers and sisters who defend life and justice, and justice for those whose lives have been forcibly taken from them in this struggle. We hope that our work inspires many young people and others, whose work in turn inspires many more globally. We are convinced that, together, we can address the climate crisis—through collaborative work focused around knowledge and respect for the rights and diverse communities of the world. We call on humanity to stand in solidarity and act in accordance with the work of advocates, and to use peaceful means, art, and motherly love to continue achieving the transformation that the planet and humanity require to protect both people and life. We urge Colombia to continue promoting the dream of achieving peace between Colombians and nature. Turning the page on violence is the path for the next generations to inherit: a better Colombia, Latin America, Caribbean and world. Signatories Francia Márquez (Colombia) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2018 Bertha Zuñiga Cáceres (Honduras), daughter of Bertha Cáceres, Goldman Environmental Prize, 2015 Ruth Buendía (Peru), Goldman Environmental Prize, 2014 Nohra Padilla (Colombia) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2013 Sofía Gatica (Argentina) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2012 Francisco Pineda (El Salvador) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2011 Humbero Ríos Labrada (Cuba) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2010 Jesús León Santos (Mexico) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2008 María Elena Foronda Farro (Peru) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2003 Jean La Rose (Guyana) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2002 Elías Díaz Peña (Paraguay) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2000 Oscar Rivas (Paraguay) Goldman Environmental Prize, 2000 Jorge Varela (Honduras) Goldman Environmental Prize, 1999 Berito Kuwaruwa (Colombia) Goldman Environmental Prize, 1998 Juan Pablo Orrego (Chile) Goldman Environmental Prize, 1997 Evaristo Nugkuag (Peru) Goldman Environmental Prize, 1991 Stiefen Petrust (Suriname) Eliana Torrico Tejada (Bolivia) Danielle Duarte Gomes (Brazil) Antonia Melo Da Silva (Brazil) Liliana Ávila (Colombia) Juana Hofman (Colombia) Javier Ibarraga Ospina (Colombia) Alix Mancilla (Colombia) Blanca Inés Pérez (Colombia) Rosa Peña (Colombia) Astrid Puentes Riaño (Colombia, Mexico) Andrea Cerami (Mexico) Jorge García Lucas (Guatemala) Severina Morales Pérez (Guatemala) Joaquín Raymundo González (Guatemala) Jovita Tzul (Guatemala) Julián López (Mexico) Marcelina López (Mexico) Leydy Aracely Pech Martín (Mexico) Elena Villafuerte (Mexico) Liliana Caruhuaz (Peru) Eddy Peña (Peru) Katherine Sánchez (Peru)
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