India protested at the 12th WTO ministerial conference in Geneva over the unilateral proposal to cap subsidies provided by developing countries to ensure the livelihood of poor fishermen, while keeping intact the subsidies to large fishing fleets.

According to estimates, global fisheries subsidies range between 14 billion and 54 billion dollars a year, according to the India Narrative portal.

Trade and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged the conference on Tuesday to be aware of the fact that many nations have allowed their giant industrial fleets to exploit and plunder the wealth of the ocean over the past decades, leading to a highly untenable fishing.

By contrast, India maintained modest-sized fleets that fished largely in its Exclusive Economic Zone, operating with passive gear and leaving minimal footprints on the seascape, Goyal told the WTO meeting.

Goyal requested an exemption of 25 years instead of seven mentioned in the bill proposed by developed countries, whose position would harm more than 20 million people engaged in fishing in India.

Negotiations on fisheries subsidies have been going on for more than two decades, the source added.

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