6. Question No. 6—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 6—Oceans and Fisheries6. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Does he plan any reform of fisheries management; if so what are his priorities for the reform?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): Yes. This Government will continue to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of our fisheries sector where a range of environmental recreational tangata whenua and commercial interests can be pursued through an abundant fishery and a sustainable environment. We will build on the sustainability measures we've already introduced and continue to roll out cameras on boats implement the Hector's and Māui dolphin threat management plan and continue working on the Sea Change project within the Hauraki Gulf and the Rangitāhua/Kermadec reserve proposal. We'll work with industry to help modernise fishing practices towards an ecosystem-based management approach and rebuild fish stocks that have been overfished. We will update marine protected areas legislation to ensure it's fit for purpose focusing on the future framework we need to protect our precious spaces and marine biodiversity.Hon Eugenie Sage: Following his recent reported comment that and I quote There are some legitimate concerns about the adverse environmental effects of bottom trawling." what action if any is he considering to address those concerns to protect seamounts decades old corals from bottom trawling?Hon DAVID PARKER: I recently accepted a petition on bottom trawling from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition here at Parliament. I look forward to the select committee consideration of that petition. We do need to do better in respect of bottom trawling. Sustainability is an ongoing journey. New Zealand has made good progress but there is and will always be more to do.Hon Eugenie Sage: What action if any is he considering to restrict or phase out other environmentally damaging fishing methods such as set netting and dredging?Hon DAVID PARKER: Well in respect of set netting there's already been a major change in respect of the extension of the areas that are prohibited for use of nets as a consequence of the threat management plan that I've already referred to for the Māui dolphin and also Hector's dolphins. I haven't got anything else to bring to the attention of the House today.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he confident that the former National Government's 2016 review of the quota management system (QMS) is an adequate and appropriate basis for reform of fisheries management or does he intend to initiate a more comprehensive review?Hon DAVID PARKER: We're not proposing to review whether the QMS should exist. We see its continuance as important. We agree that some updates around the edges need to be made. The prior Minister of Fisheries started on some of that work and I will continue it.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does the Minister believe that the current suite of tools in the quota management system such as annual catch entitlements are adequate to ensure sustainable and abundant fisheries and if so why?Hon DAVID PARKER: Some of the rules in the QMS encourage the wrong result which is one of the reasons why rules are being changed to remove the incentive—for example the current system encourages discards.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree with LegaSea spokesperson Sam Woolford that and I quote "A major flaw with the quota management system is that 56 percent of targeted fish stocks have never been scientifically assessed so we have no idea if they are overfished." and if not why not?Hon DAVID PARKER: I'm aware of those statistics. I'm also aware that if you use a different denominator—namely take these matters as a proportion of the biomass that is caught—you get a different answer. I'm looking forward to the imminent report from the Chief Science Advisor on her views as to how we reconcile these things."