With fisheries resources dwindling drastically, countries are scrambling to negotiate a deal to reduce subsidies and ensure sustainable management. This column suggests that reaching a deal on fisheries subsidies may be difficult. For many resources, international spillover effects create incentives to negotiate reductions in subsidies, since one country’s subsidy worsens other exporters’ terms of trade. However, the renewable nature of fisheries arguably limits these incentives, and a comprehensive approach to negotiations including quotas and subsidies is desirable to support both fishing communities and environmental sustainability.