109 Organizations Around the Globe Urge World Leaders to Reach a WTO Deal to Help Save Our Ocean

CCB • March 3, 2020

This June, governments around the world must fulfil their commitment to curb the public money that supports overfishing and degrades our ocean. After nearly two decades of negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO), now is the moment for leaders to act to end harmful fisheries subsidies. Ahead of the WTO’s Ministerial Conference, which is scheduled to launch on World Ocean Day, 109 organizations from around the world urge world leaders to reach a meaningful agreement to stop these harmful subsidies as time has run out.

Despite the fact that a third of fish stocks are already exploited beyond sustainable levels1, governments continue to provide an estimated US$22billion every year in harmful subsidies that increase fishing capacity.2 While these subsidies may be aimed at helping coastal communities, they can instead encourage fishing beyond profitable and sustainable levels in coastal waters and on the high seas, degrading the very resources on which these communities depend and jeopardising the future of the industry they set out to support.

In 2015, world leaders recognized the damage that harmful subsidies cause to fish stocks and the marine environment when they adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. SDG Target 14.6 tasked governments with reaching a new agreement at the WTO to eliminate harmful subsidies by 2020. This deadline has mobilized the international community but makes the WTO’s Twelfth Ministerial Conference, this June, our last, best chance to achieve meaningful reform.

The final international agreement must trigger prompt and significant reductions by the largest subsidizers. Moreover, it must establish a binding framework that drives the phase out of all harmful subsidies that contribute to fleet overcapacity and overfishing, and eliminates subsidies to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by all WTO member governments. Countries at all stages of development should be prepared to improve the health of their fisheries and support the livelihoods of their fishers by reforming their fisheries subsidies programs once an agreement is reached. Anything less would miss this generational opportunity to replot the course of global fishing fleets toward sustainability, improve the health of ocean ecosystems, and help ensure that the ocean will continue to provide for the many millions who depend on it, now and into the future.

A deal is possible. We call upon world leaders to work swiftly to find landing zones in order to successfully deliver on the SDG mandate by the 2020 deadline. An agreement would demonstrate not only that WTO members can cooperate to deliver an outcome of global importance, but also that the SDGs represent a real pathway toward a better future.

Now is the time for action.

Download the Policy Statement here.

NOTES:

1) FAO (2018) “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 – Meeting the sustainable development goals”. Rome.
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
2) Sumaila et. al (2019) “Updated estimates and analysis of global fisheries subsidies”, Marine Policy 109.

SIGNEES: Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) – ANA: Asociación Asturiana de Amigos de la Naturalez – Animal Latitude – Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) – APECE – Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation – Associació de Naturalistes de Girona – Association Biom – Beta Diversidad – BirdLife Cyprus – BirdLife Internationa – BirdLife Sverige – BirdWatch Ireland – BLOOM – Blue Marine Foundation – Blue Resources Trust – Centro Ballena Azul – Círculo de Políticas Ambientales – Citizens’ Institute for Environmental Science (CIES) – ClientEarth – Coalition Clean Baltic – Coalition for Fair Fisheries Agreements (CFFA) – CODEMAR (Coalición en Defensa de los Mares de México) – Colectivo Ecologista de Avilés – Conservation International – Coordinadora Ecoloxista d’Asturies – Cork Environmental Forum – CREMA – Danmarkus Naturfredningsforening – Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) – Depana – Desmitificando Tiburones – Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (Environmental Action Germany) – Earth Law Center – EarthJustice – ECO (Proazul Terrestre A.C.) – Ecologistas en Acción – Ecotrust Canada – El Chorlitejo Plataforma para la defensa del litoral del sureste de Gran Canaria – Elasmo Project – Environmental Justice Foundation – Environmental Management and Economic Development Organization (EMEDO) – Fauna & Flora International – France Nature Environment – Friends of the Mariana Trench Monument – Fundació ENT – Fundación Mar Adentro – Fundación MarViva – Fundación Terram – GEOTA – Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine – Global Fishing Watch – Global Ocean Trust – Good Fish Foundation – Greenpeace – Humane Society International (HSI) – Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) – Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) – International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – International Institute for Sustsainable Development (IISD) – International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) – Ligue Pour La Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) – Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD) – LPN: Liga para a Protecção da Natureza – Manta Trust – Marine Conservation Institute – Marine Conservation Society – MedReAct – MEER e.V. – Mission Blue – Mundus Maris – Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (NRDC) – New Economics Foundation – Observatório do Mar dos Açores – Ocean Conservancy – Ocean Outcomes – Ocean Unite – Oceana – OceanCare – OceanoSanos – Ondarroa 12 Milia – Our Fish – PONG-Pesca – Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) – Posidonia Green Project – Pro Wildlife – Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS) – Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza (ANCN) – Sciaena – Sea First Foundation – Sea Shepherd Global – Seal Rescue Ireland – Seas At Risk – SHARKPROJECT International – Submon – Sunce – Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) – Swedish Society for Nature Conservation – The Environment and Conservation Organizations of New Zealand (ECO) – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – The Pew Charitable Trusts – Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) – Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) – WILDTRUST – World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF) – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International – Zoological Society of London

Job vacancy: Coalition Campaign Manager - Common Fisheries Policy

By CCB • October 1, 2025
Job Title: Coalition Campaign Manager - Common Fisheries Policy Position type : Full-time consultancy contract. Open to part-time arrangements initially if needed. Contract duration: Short-term contract until end of March 2026, with possibility of extension subject to funding availability Reports to: Steering Committee Location : Flexible(remote/home office) with regular travel. Working in Brussels is of advantage. Starting date : ASAP In close cooperation with the Steering Group of the coaltion, lead, plan, coordinate, and support the campaign of an NGO network working together towards the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the evaluation thereof. The campaign manager's responsibility is to develop and ensure the successful and timely delivery of political advocacy and public engagement activities of the campaign, both at EU and Member State level. Job description Strategy & Planning Develop and implement short-, and long-term campaign strategies aligned with coalition objectives, in close cooperation with the Steering Group. Set clear goals, timelines, and performance indicators for the campaign and ensure timely delivery thereof. Analyse policy development, political climate, media and public opinion, and stakeholder landscapes to inform tactics. Campaign Delivery Manage day-to-day execution of the campaign activities at Brussels and Member State level. Coordinate coalition partners and ensure communication between Steering Group and coalition members, as well as relevant groups/coalitions/experts and other stakeholders outside the coalition. Advise coalition members on strategic delivery of advocacy activities at all levels, including Member State level. Join Steering Group meetings in an advisory capacity. Report back to the Steering Group on the delivery of the campaign's activities, meeting of targets and milestones, and report back on activities, budget and impact. Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, key stakeholders, and allies to support campaign aims. Analyse opportunities of engagement, advise on policy language. Organise/coordinate/prepare and support relevant activities, including events, briefings, and advocacy activities in close cooperation with coalition members. Ensure relevant knowledge management and information flow within the coalition and across partner organisations. Liaise with communication experts on message framing, strategy and timelines. Management Support CCB administrative and finance staff managing grants to coalition partners. Ensure coalition partners receive information and materials that enable them to effectively contribute to achieving campaign goals (political information, policy briefings, templates, policy language, opportunity analyses). Support fundraising efforts as needed/requested by the Steering Group. Lead on funders narrative reporting. Qualifications & Skills required The consultant must be legally authorised to provide services and work as a consultant within the EU, based in an EU Member State. Fisheries and ocean expertise (preferred), or other environmental background. Degree (or equivalent experience) in communications/campaign management, political science, resource management, fisheries, or related field. Proven track record in designing and delivering successful advocacy or public campaigns at EU or Member State levels involving a larger coalition. Strong understanding of political processes at EU level and Member State levels, media landscapes, and public engagement. Excellent project management and organisational skills. Skilled communicator and coordinator, able to craft persuasive messages and engage a larger network into a common goal within tight deadlines. Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Fluency in English is required; additional EU languages are a plus. Application Should you be interested in applying for this assignment, please send your CV (max. 2 pages) together with a personal letter (max. 1 page) before 9 October 2025 , COB, to secretariat@ccb.se Please include your consultancy rate in your application inclusive VAT (if applicable). Applications should be submitted in English. Incomplete applications (e.g. lacking either CV or personal letter) will not be considered . Any inquiries related to this assignment should be forwarded to the above email or to CCB Executive Secretary Mikhail Durkin at mikhail.durkin@ccb.se and +46 739 770 793. In the application and hiring process, CCB will not discriminate against any individual based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, national or social origin, property, disability, age, family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, economic and social situation. .

Damning new report: EU fish polluted with ‘forever chemicals’, while governments seek to delay action

By CCB • September 9, 2025
A new report from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and its member organisations reveals widespread PFAS contamination in wild fish across Europe, with many samples far exceeding proposed new safety limits. These so-called "forever chemicals" pose a growing threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems - yet EU Member States are pushing to delay action on needed pollution controls until 2039.