Tonga has ratified the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, helping it enter into force on 15 September 2025.

The deal bans subsidies that fuel overfished stocks, supports illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and subsidies for fishing in unregulated high seas.

Tonga’s instrument of acceptance, presented by Tonga’s High Commissioner to Britain Her Excellency Hon. Titilupe Fanetupouvavaʻu Tuʻivakano, accepted alongside Brazil, Kenya, and Viet Nam, pushed the total number of ratifications above the two-thirds threshold required among WTO members.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the agreement “sends a powerful signal that WTO members can work together in a spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility” to tackle global challenges.

For Tonga, a Small Island Developing State, the sea is essential — economically, culturally and for food security. Tonga’s ratification strengthens global efforts to protect marine resources for future generations.

The agreement is also known as “Fish One” and emerged from negotiations adopted at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022.

Support mechanisms under the deal include the “Fish Fund,” aimed at helping developing and least developed countries implement their obligations. Seventeen WTO members have pledged over USD 18 million thus far.

Stakeholders will watch closely as WTO members work toward “Fish Two,” the next phase aiming to address capacity-enhancing subsidies and further strengthen ocean sustainability.