9. Marine Species Protection—PrioritiesSARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of ConservationMarine Species Protection—Priorities9. SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of Conservation: What are her current priorities for the conservation portfolio in the marine space?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Thank you. Marine protected areas are vital to protect important habitats and feeding areas for marine mammals birds fish and invertebrates. So one of my priorities is to consider and make decisions on the recommendations of the South-East Marine Protection Forum to better protect marine life and habitats on the South Canterbury and Otago coast and I'm determined to see real progress on reducing the bycatch of protected marine mammals and seabirds. I'm committed to progressing Sea Change - Tai Timu Tai Pari in the Hauraki Gulf—something which the previous National Government stalled—and along with Minister Nash I'm accelerating work to improve the protection of the endangered Hector's dolphin.Sarah Dowie: When will she be successful in her advocacy to her ministerial colleagues given that she has been reported as saying that reducing bycatch rates are top of mind" as are overcoming the so-called technical difficulties and putting a stop to the delay in the roll-out of cameras on commercial fishing vessels?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: As the member well knows it's the Minister of Fisheries who is leading the work on cameras. But the Minister inherited a number of technical and administrative difficulties. We want cameras to work.Sarah Dowie: Does the Minister acknowledge that our endangered great white sharks require protection and will she join with me to protect them and the safety of Stewart Islanders?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: The member for Invercargill Liz Craig has been very active in raising with me the concerns of Stewart Island residents—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I think the member might want to start her answer again.Hon EUGENIE SAGE: I recognise the seriousness of the Stewart Islanders' concerns about shark cage diving but with respect to the member's bill it is premature. I'm waiting for the Court of Appeal's decision as to whether the current law allows the Department of Conservation to issue permits and the extent to which the department can take public health and safety into account.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could the Minister describe how many times between 2014 and 2018 when this issue was seriously of concern down there in Stewart Island the member asking the question made a submission to her department?Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I'll listen to the member.Hon Paula Bennett: You certainly reflect on us not giving—SPEAKER: No no—I want you to make a point of order.Hon Paula Bennett: OK—the Minister has no responsibility for what happened between 2014 and 2018.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: I'll hear the member.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am asking the Minister for a record of submissions to her department on a very serious issue and for that record that Minister has responsibility.Sarah Dowie: In that answer will it reflect verbal submissions?SPEAKER: Will it reflect what?Sarah Dowie: Verbal—oral.SPEAKER: Well I don't think I'm in a position to give an answer but it seems to me that Ms Dowie has indicated that she'd like the Minister to give an answer which is not quite what Ms Bennett indicated. So I think I'll stick with the status quo and ask Eugenie Sage to give an answer notwithstanding the point of order.Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Thank you Mr Speaker. I don't have that information with me but I can provide it in writing subsequently.Sarah Dowie: Isn't the Minister's track record one of deference and stagnation and when will she stand up to her ministerial coalition colleagues on behalf of threatened marine species?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: This Government has been in place for six months. On the issue of shark cage diving which the member reportedly has concerns about the issue arose in 2014. The previous Government had an opportunity to fix it and they didn't.Sarah Dowie: Point of order.SPEAKER: A point of order. The member might want to explain to us what "deference" means. It's a new word to me.Sarah Dowie: Being slow. SPEAKER: Being what?Sarah Dowie: Being slow. SPEAKER: Oh OK. It's all right—we've had lots of new words. Thank you to the member; she clearly understands that area better than I do.Sarah Dowie: I seek leave to introduce a member's bill in my name that would provide best practice regulations for shark cage diving activities to be set down as member's order of the day No. 1.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that process? There is. Sarah Dowie: Has she discussed with her ministerial coalition colleagues a draft bill entitled the "Marine Mammals Protection Seismic Surveying Bill"?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: There has been some policy work done on formalising the currently voluntary process in the territorial sea around marine seismic surveys. I would note that in 2014 there was a suggestion when the code of conduct was reviewed to the previous Minister of Conservation—Hon Michael Woodhouse: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Hon EUGENIE SAGE: —well actually it was 2015—SPEAKER: Order! Order! There's a point of order.Hon Michael Woodhouse: The member's question was very narrow; it has been answered. There is no need for the post-amble.SPEAKER: The member knows well that the sole judge of whether a question has been answered or not is me and it is not ever to be the subject of a point of order and—well I'm going to ask the member whether he was aware of those Speakers' rulings.Hon Michael Woodhouse: I'm very aware of the Speakers' rulings. We take a different view but that's fine.SPEAKER: OK well—Sarah Dowie: Supplementary?SPEAKER: Well the Minister was interrupted. Had the Minister completed—Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Can I just correct. The year was 2013 and as part of the review of the Māui's dolphin threat management plan the former Minister of Conservation agreed that a process should be initiated to regulate seismic surveying by incorporating the code of conduct in regulations made under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. What happened? Nothing.Sarah Dowie: What types of measures does she envisage would be included in the so-called marine mammals protection (seismic surveying) bill to enhance the protection of marine mammals?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: The member appears unaware that in the territorial sea there is a voluntary code of conduct. There is no formal permit process. If that was formalised it would give certainty to the industry that they were doing legal activities and it would give certainty to the public that marine mammals were being protected."