New Delhi, March 29 -- India's fisheries sector plays a vital role in ensuring food security and supporting the livelihoods of over 9 million fisher families, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said, seeking equitable global rules to protect small and traditional fishers.

Speaking at the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 14th Ministerial Conference held during 26-29 March in Yaounde, Cameroon, Goyal said India's fisheries ecosystem is largely composed of small, traditional and artisanal communities practising sustainable methods, and should not be unfairly targeted in subsidy disciplines.

"India is not a heavily industrialized fishing nation and does not have large-scale, distant-water fleets or heavily mechanized operations. Fu...