April 28, 2026
Tell WTO—Stop Overfishing Before Sharks and Tuna Disappear
Great white sharks are being pushed toward their limits.
Tuna populations are under relentless pressure.
And now, the global effort to stop overfishing is stalling when it matters most.
At a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, negotiations to curb the subsidies driving overfishing—known as “Fish 2”—made little progress and remain deadlocked.
Despite years of talks, countries are still divided, with a handful of governments blocking stronger rules even as the vast majority support action.
Meanwhile, the ocean crisis is accelerating.
In 2022, the WTO reached a breakthrough “Fish 1” agreement, banning some of the most harmful subsidies tied to illegal fishing and depleted stocks. But it left the biggest problem unresolved: billions of dollars still flow each year into industrial fleets that fish farther, longer, and harder than oceans can sustain.
That’s what “Fish 2” is supposed to fix—and right now, it’s stuck.
For sharks and tuna, delay is dangerous.
As oceans warm, species like great white sharks are being pushed beyond their ideal temperature ranges, while the prey they rely on becomes harder to find. At the same time, industrial fleets continue to remove massive amounts of fish from the ocean—including key prey species and many large tuna populations.
This is a perfect storm: climate stress plus overfishing.
And the longer governments delay, the worse it gets.
There is even a ticking clock: if WTO members fail to reach a full agreement in the coming years, parts of the existing deal itself could unravel—putting progress already made at risk.
The WTO has the power to change course—but only if member states act now.
Please sign the petition to call on WTO member states to:
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Break the deadlock and finalize a strong “Fish 2” agreement without further delay
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End subsidies that drive overfishing and industrial fleet overcapacity
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Close loopholes that allow exploitation of vulnerable and poorly managed fish populations
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Protect highly migratory, climate-stressed species like sharks and tuna
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Ensure real transparency and enforcement
Sharks and tuna are not just iconic—they are essential to ocean ecosystems. Without them, marine food webs begin to collapse.
The science is clear. The solutions are known. The only thing missing is political will.
Thank you for all that you do,
Mitch w/ Animal Commons
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Sources:
Mongabay | Talks to reduce funding for overfishing remain stalled at WTO meeting
Inside Climate News | Great white sharks face overheating risks as oceans warm
