Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted India’s people-centric fisheries governance approach at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in Cameroon. He emphasized the importance of fisheries for livelihood and food security, supporting millions of fishermen with sustainable practices.
Goyal underscored India’s commitment to conservation through measures like the annual fishing ban, stating sustainability has always been a priority. He pointed out that the issue of overcapacity and overfishing is mainly due to heavily subsidized industrial fleets, not small-scale fishermen in developing nations.
During bilateral meetings at the conference, Goyal engaged with counterparts including UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, and Cameroon’s Minister of Trade, discussing trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation. He also interacted with WTO reform minister-facilitators, advocating for a reformed and effective WTO based on core principles for fair global trade.
