On the direction of fisheries subsidies programs in Korea under fortifying international regulations for fisheries subsidies

We propose some countermeasures needed to cope with fortifying international regulations for fisheries subsidies. The government should rigorously select the recipients of fisheries subsidies to ensure that they are not engaged in ineffective projects by resorting to subsidies. On the other hand, the government should make the individual applicant's application for the subsidies easier by exempting them from the submission of a burdensome feasibility report. As for the strengthening regulatory international movements against the fisheries subsidies, we can consider the following countermeasures. One is not to designate and provide prohibitive subsidies in such a way that violates international norms. The other one is to reform the domestic fisheries subsidies system in Korea with the following points considered. It should be considered that fisheries subsidies, which can be categorized as the actionable subsidies, should not be granted to the items that can be exported but to the items that can be used for domestic consumption or processing. In the case of non-actionable subsidies, the subsidies are mainly allowed for promotion of public-sector research and development, regional development, and adaptation to new environmental regulations. Thus, the non-actionable subsidies should be designated in the consideration of the allowances for these activities.