GENEVA: The Sultanate is continuing its participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations, which aims to reach a multilateral agreement with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to regulate the forms of subsidies provided by countries to fisheries. The Sultanate is represented in the negotiations by Shaikh Faisal bin Saud al Nabhani, Adviser at the Sultanate’s Office to the WTO. He said that the negotiations are important as they seek to restrict member states with legal obligations to reduce the forms and quantity of subsidy provided to fisheries, which is expected to affect the ability of countries to develop the sector.
Fisheries, he added, is one of the most important sectors in the world as it provides food and employment opportunities. Fish covers about 25 per cent of protein needs of the world’s population. He said the number of employees in the fisheries sector is more than 200 million people in the world, directly or indirectly working in this sector. The fisheries sector in the Sultanate constitutes thousands of fishermen, in addition to workers in various establishments, Al Nabhan said, stressing that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries seeks to raise the contribution of the sector towards Gross Domestic Product to RO730 million. He said one-week negotiation sessions will be held at FAO Headquarters with the participation of fisheries experts from various countries on May 6, June 10 and July 8 this year. — ONA
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