THE World Trade Organisation's (WTO) aim to curb harmful fisheries subsidies and ensure ocean sustainability is within reach with the new text drafted in the run-up to the July ministerial meet, said the lead negotiator on Tuesday.

Colombia's Mr Santiago Wills, chair of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, introduced a new draft text based on members' collective work and proposes landing zones to curb over-fishing.

"I know it will not be easy. Nothing is easy when 164 members need to reach consensus, but it is doable," said Mr Wills. "Now it's time to sprint for the finish line."

Negotiators have been given the task of securing agreement on disciplines to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, with special and differential treatment being an integral part of the negotiations.

The aim of the new draft text is to serve as the basis for work toward a clean text to present to a meeting of ministers on July 15. "This leaves us just two months to finish. The shared sense of urgency is palpable, and we need to harness that sense to finally agree to the compromise landing zones," Mr Wills told members.

He noted that the draft reflects language from WTO members, whether in proposals, or a facilitator's work, or expressed during meetings and consultations. The whole text is up for discussion and it will ultimately be up to members to resolve the issues that remain open.

Members will have the opportunity next week to identify key issues they find the most difficult to agree on and then will convene in weekly meetings starting May 24.