New Delhi, March 28 (IANS). Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India has adopted a balanced and people-centric approach to fisheries administration. He said this while participating in discussions at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC-14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Cameroon.
While sharing the information on social media platform X, Piyush Goyal said that he addressed the ministerial session organized on ‘Fisheries Subsidy’.
During this, he emphasized that fisheries is a very important source of livelihood and food security in India, which supports more than 90 lakh fishermen. Most of these fishermen come from small, traditional and artisanal communities and use sustainable methods of fishing.
He also emphasized India’s long-standing commitment to conservation, citing measures such as annual fishing bans, saying sustainability has been an integral part of the country’s approach even before it became a global priority.
Goyal also said that the challenge of overfishing and overfishing is mainly due to heavily subsidized industrial fleets and not small-scale fishermen in developing countries.
He stressed that global decisions should be fair and should not have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also extended India’s support for the adoption of the draft decision on fisheries subsidies. Also said that future outcomes should be equitable and development-oriented, which protect both marine resources and livelihoods.
During the conference, the Minister held bilateral meetings with several of his counterparts. He met Peter Kyle, UK Trade and Commerce Secretary, and discussed priorities under the MC-14 agenda as well as progress towards the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in July 2025.
Goyal also spoke to Cameroon’s Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atanga and congratulated the country for hosting the WTO Ministerial Conference and appreciated the event. Both sides discussed enhancing bilateral trade, investment and regional cooperation.
During these discussions, Goyal reiterated India’s support for a reformed, relevant and effective World Trade Organization (WTO), and stressed the need to maintain core principles such as consensus-based decision-making, Most Favored Nation (MFN) norms and Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) to ensure fairness in global trade.
–IANS
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