SUBSIDIES

The following communication, dated and received on 27 October 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of India.

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Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Investment Funding

Question 1

Given that the FRDC provides co-funded grants to both public and private entities, including businesses and individuals, how does Australia ensure that such funding does not indirectly enhance fishing capacity or increase fishing effort?

Question 2

Could Australia specify what proportion of the FRDC's AUD 33 million investments in 2022‑2023 was directed toward projects related to capture fisheries versus aquaculture?

Question 3

What monitoring or reporting mechanisms are in place to ensure that research outcomes funded under the FRDC do not lead to expansion of fishing in already fully exploited or overfished stocks?

Fisheries Assistance and User Engagement Package

Question 4

Under the Fishing Business Assistance Grants, could Australia elaborate on the criteria used to determine eligibility and the basis for compensation amounts?

Question 5

Does the Vessel Monitoring System Assistance component involve subsidizing equipment or installation costs? If so, could Australia specify the percentage of cost covered and whether this is extended to all vessels or specific fleets?

Question 6

The notification mentions an AUD 35 million allocation over the life of this package. Could Australia share how much of this support went directly to commercial fishers versus non-commercial (e.g., recreational or Indigenous) users?

Question 7

Could Australia clarify whether the Coral Sea Fishery Licence Buy-out program involved permanent withdrawal of fishing capacity, and if so, how the government ensures that equivalent capacity is not reintroduced elsewhere?

South East Trawl Fishery Structural Adjustment Package

Question 8

The package includes a partial waiver of AFMA levies for remaining fishers. Could Australia clarify whether these waivers are considered income support or cost-reduction measures, and how they are classified under the WTO framework?

Question 9

The package includes a partial waiver of AFMA levies for remaining fishers. Could Australia clarify whether these waivers are considered income support or cost-reduction measures, and how they are classified under the WTO framework?

Question 10

What safeguards are in place to prevent fishers who have benefited from the buy-back from re-entering the fishery or investing in other fisheries, thereby undermining the intended sustainability benefits?

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